Joshua Pereira
What year did you graduate from the University of Minnesota, and what was your major and minor?
BA in Political Science, minor in Management '16
What law school do you attend?
Georgetown University Law Center
What year are you?
1L, Class of 2021
Did you take time off between undergrad and law school?
Yes
If you took time off between undergrad and law school, what did you do during that time?
Paralegal at the New York County District Attorney's Office
Share one thing you wish you'd known about law school as an undergrad.
The one thing I wish I knew was that a little effort really goes a long way. Visiting a professor during office hours a couple of times during the year and raising your hand in class is something that does not require a lot of effort, but will teach you how to be successful in law school classes and may help you get a letter of recommendation.
How did you choose your law school?
I chose Georgetown mainly because of it's location and ranking. Being in D.C. is extremely advantageous- you study law where the laws are made. As well, the school is blocks from the Supreme Court and I have also seen 3 Justices come to the school to speak. Secondly, I knew I may want to work for a big law firm after law school, and realized that many of the firms hire from schools with high rankings.
What advice do you have for students/recent alums as they begin the application process?
The first two things I would focus on before the application process are your GPA and LSAT. Unfortunately, law schools put a huge emphasis on these two numbers, and many times, if you are not in a school's range, they will not consider your application. On the other hand, if you are in the range, the application process becomes a little easier. The other thing would be to apply as early as possible! Admissions is on a rolling basis and to have an application ready to go right away makes things less stressful later on. Finally, for the personal statement, I would try to draft a story that makes you sound genuine and unique- writing passionately about a "boring" topic that means a lot to you and shows your strengths goes a lot farther than straining to sell a topic that you are apathetic about, but think sounds impressive to an admissions officer.
