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Though there is no specific pre-law major, there are courses that pre-law students may consider taking. These classes will help you evaluate whether a law career is right for you, increase your knowledge about law and courts, and/or help you develop skills necessary to do well on the LSAT.
Constitutional Law - Political Science 322
This course is probably the closest thing to law school you will find at the undergraduate level. You will read judicial opinions in major Supreme Court cases and discuss the legal thought, rationale, and theory underlying these decisions. The course includes a discussion of government regulation of the economy, federal-state government relations, and criminal justices issues (ie. search & seizure law, death penalty, etc.) This is a good class to test how interested you really are in studying the law. If you take this class and really get into it, there's a good chance you'll thrive in law school. On the other hand, if you dislike con law then you'll probably REALLY dislike law school. Consider this course a good barometer for law school suitability.
Civil Liberties and Rights - Political Science 323
Same as PSC 322 Constitutional Law. However, the focus in this course is on freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to privacy and abortion, and civil rights/equal protection issues.
Seminar: Judicial Process and Behavior - Political Science 408
This course discusses the judicial decision making process, exploring central questions about what factors influence judges' decisions. Also reviewed are civil procedure, criminal procedure, the role of the jury in court, and the structure of the federal and state court systems. Though the class focuses upon the politics of the judicial system, students may find that they learn lots of useful "nuts and bolts"-type information about the U.S. legal system.
Logic - Philosophy 110
A good class for all majors, this course will help you develop your critical thinking and analytical skills. Students learn to utilize reason to develop arguments and critiques.
Philosophy of Law - Philosophy 326
Discuss issues of justice, freedom, citizen responsibility, and crime and punishment. Like Logic, this class will give students a good intellectual workout.
Statistics
This is another good class to help all majors develop their analytical skills. It is also especially useful since attorneys often deal with the presentation, analysis, and discussion of statistical information. Consider taking one of the statistics courses offered by a number of departments, such as:
Research Methods - Political Science 349
Economic Statistics - Economics 332
Research Methods - Psychology 210
Intro. to Research Methods - Sociology 206
Business Statistics - Management 210
Speech Communications - English 270
Whether it's making an argument before a jury or delivering a presentation to a client or their fellow peers, attorneys often must speak before groups. A course in public speaking is extremely useful in developing and practicing this very important skill. | 