Preparing for Law School
Course Work
In order to build a strong skills and knowledge base, pre-law students take classes in a wide variety of subjects. These courses, in conjunction with the requirements for your major, are what constitute your "pre-law program." For those who plan to undertake the study of law upon completion of their undergraduate work, course work should be chosen carefully, with the assistance of both your major department and pre-law advisors.
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 classes, and exercise the self-discipline to do well in those courses.
Don't neglect extracurricular activities that will help to separate you from other applicants with similar numbers. Any responsible leadership role you have taken helps to show admissions committees you have varied talents beyond your academic ones. Study-abroad experience, honors you accumulate, jobs, internships--all enhance your application.
Choosing a major
Law school admission policies do not favor one major over another, provided the majors contain equally substantive courses. Therefore, students can choose to major in whatever discipline they desire. Law schools require strong writing and clear thinking. You can gain these skills in any major that will challenge you in these areas. Choose a major that you enjoy. If you enjoy what you are studying, you are likely to make better grades, which in turn betters your application to law school.
Pre-law status
The term "pre-law" does not designate an academic major at ASU. Students that are admitted without having a specific preference in majors are considered "Pre-law, No-preference" (undecided) students. These students must select a major (by seeing the advisor specific to that major) by the time they reach 45 credit hours. Students who have declared a major need to inform their advisor that they have pre-law aspirations so that appropriate resources can be discussed and the student enrolls in the MyASU Pre-law Community site.
Pre-law curriculum
Law school programs do not have prerequisites. As a pre-law undergraduate, choose courses that are intellectually challenging for you and which broaden and deepen your understanding of the world (see Skills and Qualities and Knowledge and Insights). Also essential are classes in which you develop your skills in writing, critical thinking, reading comprehension, research, oral communication and public speaking, analysis, and logic. Consider the following types of courses to develop these skills:
- Writing/Reading
Comprehension/Critical Thinking: Take as many Literacy and Critical Inquiry
(L) courses as you can, to learn to write accurately and effectively.
Rather than courses
that simply test your ability to recall facts via multiple choice or true/false
exams, choose classes that test your analysis and synthesis skills through
essay exams and research papers.
- Speaking:
Choose classes in which you speak your thoughts and views in front of an audience.
- Listening:
Select classes in which you have to develop an ability to comprehend others'
ideas.
Also select courses that develop strong quantitative skills that will assist you in analyzing and synthesizing data. Choose courses in which you practice comparison/contrast, and/or courses in which you critique viewpoints and data.
Limit taking too many classes with a "Y/E" (pass/fail) grade designation. Law schools are unable to assess applicants' academic qualifications in pass/fail classes.
Ultimately, the most important aspect of any pre-law curriculum is the time and effort you invest in each class. Do more than simply satisfy course requirements; rather, seek to understand the deeper significance of course materials and identify how each class contributes to an intellectual and skills base that will be the foundation of your law school experience and career in law.