The American Bar Association (ABA) does not prescribe a particular major as a prerequisite for admission to law school. Rather prospective law students are free to choose among the wide variety of majors including humanities, social sciences, sciences, arts and other disciplines. Consider pre-law as a state of mind, rather than a major.
Although any major will prepare you to enter law school, it is very important to talk to those who know about law as a profession and about applying to law school as you work out your career plans and goals. One step along this path is to select courses that will help you develop the skills necessary to succeed as an attorney. To facilitate this selection process, the ABA has identified the following skills:
Analytical thinking
Critical reading
Oral communication
Problem solving
Research
Task organization and management
Writing
You should select courses that you find both interesting and intellectually challenging. Since law school admission is highly competitive, it is important that you attain a high grade point average and that you also prepare for the possibility of a career outside of law.
Courses to Consider
Students interested in law school might consider classes in any of the following areas:Courses in English that emphasize the skills of reading and writing will help you to master this important means of communication.
Courses in political science and history will help you develop an understanding of government institutions.
Courses in economics, statistics, accounting and computer science are valuable preparation for any profession.
Courses in philosophy, psychology, religious studies and sociology are also good preparation for studying law as a social science.
- Writing Intensive courses in any of the subjects above also underscore the skill of writing and are extremely helpful.
Pre-law Advisers
Elizabeth Bonina
Business
Michael Burke
Philosophy
Peter Maust
History
Joseph Pascarella
Criminal Justice
Benedick Turner
English
S. Margaret Buckley
Education
Frank LaTerra
Office of Career Development
Lilly Shmulevich
Office of Career Development
events
Each semester, the Pre-Law Committee hosts several events for students. Past events have included LSAT review and personal statement workshops, graduate school fairs and the Best of Brooklyn Internship and Job Fair.
March 12
Kaplan LSAT Prep Workshop
12:40 p.m., Touhy 216
April 11
Law and Justice Society Guest Speaker
12:40 p.m., Tuohy Auditorium
April 16
Personal Statement Workshop
12:40 p.m., Touhy 216
April 18
“Preparing for a Career in Law”
12:40 p.m., Alumni Room
May 2
Law and Justice Club Debate
12:40 p.m., Alumni Room
