To register for the LSAT and the LSDAS, plus practice tests, see the Law School Admissions Council at http://www.lsac.org/.
For general questions about the LSAT, see the Law School Admission Council at http://www.lsac.org/LSAC.asp?url=/lsac/faqs-and-support-lsat.asp.
For information on law schools and legal jobs compiled by Harvard, see the Office of Career Services (OCS) at http://www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu/students/careers/law.htm.
For a directory of law schools and legal employers, see:
• Martidale.Com at http://www.martindale.com/
• National Association for Law Placement at http://www.nalp.org/
• FindLaw for Students at http://stu.findlaw.com/schools/fulllist.html (for a list of law schools)
• ABA-LSAC Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools at http://officialguide.lsac.org/docs/cgi-bin/home.asp (for a searchable list of law schools)
• Thomson Peterson's at http://www.petersons.com/law/search.asp (for a search engine with information about specific law school programs)
For information on careers in public service and financing a legal education:
• Equal Justice Works at http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/finance/ . For a list of law schools which offer loan assistance repayment programs and public interest scholarships, see http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/finance/index.php?view=detail&id=6176 .
• Office of Public Interest Advising at Harvard Law School at http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/opia/details.php?id=pub-specialty . For free on-line guides about specific types of jobs in the public interest sector, see OPIA. OPIA also produces a very detailed public interest job resource guide which can be purchased for a fee. These guides are written for law students but provide useful background information for college students.
• LSAC Financial Aid for Law School at http://www.lsac.org/LSAC.asp?url=/lsac/financial-aid-introduction.asp. For basic information about securing finanical aid.
• Law School Debt Among New Lawyers at http://www.nalp.org/assets/645_ajddebtmonograph2007final.pdf. For a recent comprehensive report on laweyers who were admitted into the bar in 2000. For additional information on the study, see: http://ajd.abfn.org/.
For LSAT preparation services, see:
• Test Well at http://www.testwell.com/
• Princeton Review at http://www.princetonreview.com/law/default.asp
• Kaplan at http://www.kaptest.com/repository/templates/Lev2InitDroplet.jhtml?_lev2Parent=/www/KapTest/docs/repository/content/Law
• PowerScore at http://www.powerscore.com/
• TestMasters at http://www.testmasters180.com/
Bellow, Gary and Martha Minow. Law Stories: The Law As Seen from the Outside. A compilation of stories and anecdotes written by public interest attorneys and their clients. Stories address problems from parental rights in a Head Start program, to the consequence of a large scale bankruptcy for the company's retirees, to defending juvenile delinquents.
Fischl, Richard and Jeremy Paul. Getting to Maybe. An overview of the best ways to approach taking law school exams. Can be a little bit overwhelming to read in one sitting, but offers good tips.
Gottesman, Greg, et al. Law School Survival: A Crash Course for Students by Students. Anecdotes from law students about their experiences. Book provides some useful suggestions and ideas.
Gresham, John. The Street Lawyer. Although fiction, Gresham realistically depicts the working conditions of legal services attorneys. Gresham tells the story of an attorney who, after an incident with a homeless man, leaves his job at a corporate law firm to represent low-income clients in a housing eviction case.
Guiner, Lani. Becoming Gentlemen. Report on women's experiences at top law schools, with a particular focus on the University of Pennsylvania.
Hope, Judith Richards. Pinstripes and Pearls: The Women of Harvard Law School Class of '64 Who Forged an Old Girl Network and Paved the Way for Future Generations. History of the experience of the first women to attend Harvard Law School by one of the women who lived it.
Lewis, Anthony. Gideon's Trumpet. Arguably one of the most inspiring and influential books on American constitutional law: former New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis tells the true story of how a Florida inmate took his own case to the Supreme Court and earned the right to counsel for all Americans.
Lewis, Anthony. Make No Law: The Sullivan Case and the First Amendment. Lewis' account of the landmark First Amendment case New York Times v. Sullivan tracks the development of libel law and the right to a free press.
Miller, Robert. Law School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Law School Experience. Tips and advice for law school, from the application process though the final year of law school.
Osborn, John J. Jr. Paper Chase. Classic legal novel and movie about a first year law student who attempts to balance adjusting to the difficult first year with a romance (with the daughter of one of his stern law school professors).
Kahlenburg, Richard and Robert Coles. Broken Contract . A compelling account about the transformation of students who enter Harvard Law School committed to the ideals of social justice and public interest lawyering and leave the school assuming jobs in the corporate sector.
Stracher, Cameron. Double Billing: A Young Lawyer's Tale of Greed, Sex, Lies, & the Pursuit of a Swivel Chair. Cautionary tale of life as a first-year associate at a New York law firm.
Turrow, Scott. One-L. A true account by novelist Scott Turrow (Presumed Innocent) about his first year at Harvard Law School. Similar in tone to The Paper Chase but with a bit more cynicism.
A Few Good Men. Aaron Sorkin's screenplay about a young attorney (Tom Cruise) representing two soldiers in a court martial trial for murder is about more than just "You can't handle the truth." Beautifully written and well-acted, the movie holds up even after being played a million times on TBS.
The Firm. Movie version of John Grisham's novel, featuring Tom Cruise as a bright young lawyer drawn into the web of a corrupt firm that represents the mob.
Legally Blond. A surprisingly insightful and entertaining movie which raises some of the major tensions in the law and law school.
My Cousin Vinny. Marisa Tomei won an Oscar for her New York accent and for keeping Joe Pesci in line, but this movie about a murder trial in the South also contains one of the most accurate depictions of criminal trial procedure in movies.
Paper Chase. The movie version of John Osborn's book is THE movie about law school, but its emphasis on fear, intimidation and cutthroat competition is, happily, no longer as apposite as it once was.
12 Angry Men. One of the best movies about the law, this movie stars Henry Fonda as the lone man holding out for a not-guilty verdict in a jury room and trying to persuade his peers to deliberate instead of rushing to judgment. The remake of the film isn't bad either, but check out the original.
The Verdict. Paul Newman plays an alcoholic lawyer down on his luck in Boston. When he's hired to try a personal injury case against the Catholic Church, justice for his client isn't all that's at stake.
