Pre-Law
HOW PRE-LAW ADVISING WORKS AT DUDLEY
The pre-law applicant works in conjunction with his or her Dudley House Adviser and the Office of Career Services (OCS). The current Pre-Law Adviser is Jen Nash.
- All law school applicants should familiarize themselves with the law school resources available at OCS. In particular, they should take note of the application timeline provided by OCS. In addition, it’s a good idea to make an appointment with an OCS Law Careers Counselor early in the process: call 617-495-2595, and press “0” on the menu.
- Your House Adviser will be responsible for writing your House Letter. This is a recommendation that describes your academic and extracurricular activities while at Harvard. It communicates Dudley House’s support of your application, and discusses any challenges you may have experienced during college. It is based on your grades, your c.v., the pre-law questionnaire, your personal statement, and conversations you may have with the Resident Dean and/or your House Adviser.
TIMELINE FOR SENIORS
In its “Overview of the Law School Application Process,” OCS recommends that you take the LSAT in the fall of your senior year, and send out your applications by early November.
In order to have your House Letter ready to send by early November:
- By June 1: You should ask at least two professors for letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation should be sent to law schools via the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) Letter of Recommendation Service. Request that each recommender send a copy of their recommendation and a signed and dated waiver form to the Dudley House Office so we can keep a copy in your file. Having these letters on file is helpful to your House Adviser and Resident Dean as they compose your House Letter. Provide your recommenders with a stamped envelope addressed to:
Dudley House Undergraduate Office
Lehman Hall, 3rd Floor
Harvard Yard
Cambridge, MA 02138 - By September 1: You should send your c.v., personal statement, and a completed pre-law questionnaire to your House Adviser.
- By mid-September: You should set up a meeting with your House Adviser to discuss your application and the House Letter.
- By mid-October: You should drop off or mail stamped envelopes, addressed to the law schools to which you are applying, to the Dudley Undergraduate Office.
PLEASE NOTE that it takes at least four weeks for a House Letter to be written and sent out once your House Adviser has your c.v., personal statement, and a completed pre-law questionnaire. Please plan accordingly when you are determining when to submit your applications.
INFORMATION FOR ALUMNI
If you decide to apply to law school after graduation and would like a House Letter from Dudley, your first contact should be with the Resident Dean to get the process started.
If you prefer not to have a House Letter, Dudley will send a form to law schools stating that the lack of a House Letter in your application does not imply a lack of Harvard support for your candidacy.