Law school is an investment in your career and your future. You’ve likely heard that law school tuition can be expensive, but you may not know about the “surprise” expenses that add up before, during, and even after your time as a law student. Luckily, there are strategies and resources to help you budget for this major investment and set yourself up for success as both a student and an attorney.
Application Costs
First, start thinking strategically about the application process and the costs of applying to one or more schools. Your chances of being admitted may increase significantly if you apply to more than one school, but you still want to be thoughtful about your application choices.
Consider the initial expenditures in this process: taking the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and registering for LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS). As an LSAT score and CAS subscription provide essential components of an application to most law schools, plan to pay for these and/or apply for LSAC’s waivers for under-resourced individuals. You should also plan for additional application fees required by each law school, transcript fees collected by your university or college, and study materials and/or prep courses for the LSAT. Because these expenses must be paid out of pocket and will grow based on the number of applications you submit, it’s wise to research the schools you’re interested in, visit them in person if you can (which is another expense!), and consider your chances for admission before submitting your applications.
Enrollment Costs
After you’ve received your acceptance letter(s), your decision on where to enroll will have financial consequences. In most cases, you’ll have to pay a “seat deposit” (sometimes two) that could be hundreds of dollars. You may also incur moving expenses depending on where you decide to matriculate.
Cost of Attendance
Once you’re officially a law student, you’ll be responsible for tuition and fees, textbooks, and living expenses (such as rent, groceries, transportation, clothing, etc.). You can typically find the estimated cost of attending each law school online, but remember, there are many variables to the actual costs based on individual experiences. When budgeting for these costs, consider that many law schools provide scholarships that reduce tuition and fees, and you may be able to work to make money during the school year and summer breaks. When comparing offers, you should compare total cost of attendance, rather than just scholarships. A school may offer more scholarship funds, but tuition and/or living expenses may be higher, making the overall cost higher. Therefore, comparing each cost of attendance minus scholarships offered will provide the full picture.
Additionally, most law students qualify for student loans from the federal government or other sources, such as a private lender. Note that educational loans are for the nine months you are in school, not for the 12 months of a year. So, to make your money last for the full year, you may want to divide your fall and spring disbursements by 6 so your money lasts the full year. You can also receive loan assistance if you are taking summer classes.
Costs After Law School
At the end of your law school career, you may face additional unexpected expenses. First, there may be costs associated with graduation, such as graduation regalia. Most law school graduates do not start their first job immediately, instead spending time to study for the bar exam. For the bar exam, you'll have an application fee and may need to purchase study materials. You will also need to continue paying your living expenses while you study. While some graduates use left over student loan funds from their final year of law school, you may be able to obtain private "bar study" loans to bridge the gap.
Obtaining a legal education is a major commitment of time, energy, and, as you now know, resources. It is impossible to anticipate every expense at the very beginning of your law school journey, but developing a strategic plan early on will help you minimize surprise expenses and feel confident investing in your future career as an attorney.