Pre-Law Club

There is no such thing as a prelaw curriculum. Law schools accept students from all majors and backgrounds. You should be preparing to succeed in law school, not preparing to succeed at getting into law school. This means you should be working toward the strongest possible college record you can achieve. But like it or not, law school admissions is a numbers game; your undergraduate GPA and your score on the LSAT are the two most important factors determining the likelihood of acceptance into the law school of your choice.

But having the numbers to get in to law school does not guarantee you will be able to master a demanding law school curriculum if you haven’t honed the skills you need. You need strong writing skills and demonstrable ability in communication and reasoning. Lawyers must analyze complex and often conflicting cases and statutes which demand logical and analytical thinking, and the ability to express their reasoning with clarity and precision. Seminar format courses that accentuate writing and discussion usually contribute to developing these skills. Math, philosophy and engineering majors may find they are developing logical skills that may not have a specific application to the law, but will be of enormous use in general application to the study of law. If you feel your major does not adequately prepare you to write well or to think logically and analytically, you should take electives that will. Take challenging courses, and exercise the self-discipline to do well in those courses.

Additional Tips

Much of the information found here is more extensively and ably handled in resources available at the Academic Resource Center (ARC) in the Vogel Library: the LSAT/LSDAS Registration and Information Book, The Official Guide to U.S. Law Schools, law school catalogs, and publications on the suggested reading list. We invite you to come to ARC and use our resources, and to talk with us about your questions, concerns and plans for a future in law.Here are links to some helpful resources if you are considering law school and the legal profession:

• The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website has LSAT registration information.
• The American Bar Association has over 400,000 members and is committed to “supporting the legal profession with practical resources.”
• National Jurist calls itself the “voice of legal education.”  It has helpful information regarding legal education and the legal profession.