CATALOG • 2009-2010

Pre-Law – Program

For information, contact Dr. Kim Spiezio.

The pre-law advising program is designed to provide students with individualized assistance in regard to all phases of the law school admission process while also ensuring that students contemplating a career in law are exposed to the seminal ideas and fundamental values that have informed the pursuit of justice within the context of the Western tradition.

Substantively, the pre-law program adheres to American Bar Association guidelines on undergraduate education -- a multidisciplinary course of study intended to provide students with an intellectual foundation for the study of the relationship between law and civil society. Faculty advising and support services for students enrolled in the program include course scheduling, completion of the law school application process, and preparation for the law school admissions test.

Upon successful completion of all required coursework, a student will have an opportunity to enroll in a Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) prep course to be made available by the college at no charge to the student. To qualify, a student must have earned a grade of “C” or better in each course comprising the pre-law program and a student must have compiled a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.30. Students wishing to enroll in the LSAT prep course must submit a request in writing to the Director of the pre-law program. Final approval is made by the Director of the Pre-law Program in consultation with the Provost.

Successful completion of this program also satisfies the requirements for a minor in Political Science.

Requirements for the Pre-Law Program (18 credits)

Foundational Courses – Complete both (6 credits)

PHI 200 Ethics

PSC 202 Law and Justice

Diversity & Justice – Select 1 from the following (3 credits)

HIS 232 The African-American Freedom Struggle

PSY 224 Women in the Workplace

REL 227 Islam in America

SWK 300 Community Organizing

Globalization & Justice – Select 1 from the following (3 credits)

ANT 310 Women in the Developing World

ECO 222 Economic Geography

PSC 211 Globalization and International Law

SOC 222 Social Justice: A Global Perspective

Law & Order – Select 1 from the following (3 credits)

CRJ 206 Class, Race, Gender and Crime

CRJ 316 Crime and Public Policy

PSC 300 Topics in Law and Public Policy

PSY 309 Forensic Psychology

Law & Society – Select 1 from the following (3 credits)

CST 234 Media, Law and Ethics

ECO 201 Government, Business & Society

PHI 320 Biomedical Ethics

PSC 210 American Public Policy

To apply transfer credits toward the completion of these requirements, students must have earned a grade of “C” or better in each course to be transferred. Courses completed more than ten years ago will not be accepted for purposes of completing the requirements of the program.