- ALLISON VICK, adviser
Department of History and Politics Law schools require no specific undergraduate curriculum for admission. No particular major is necessarily the best preparation for the study of law. Law schools seek students who have strong conceptual and analytical skills, high verbal facility, and the ability to think creatively. One means of measuring these abilities is the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) used by all law schools to evaluate prospective candidates for admission. These LSAT scores, college grades, and letters of recommendation are the usual criteria for admission to law school. There is no better preparation for success on the LSAT and in the study of law than a rigorous, broad, liberal arts program.
The aspiring law student should pursue a program that requires diligent reading, analysis, critical thought, and ample written and oral expression. Pre-law students often choose majors in accounting, English, finance, history, politics, philosophy, religion, sociology or economics—all of which provide strong training in the necessary skills.
At Converse, pre-law students follow courses of study that meet their particular needs and interests. The success of our students in gaining admission to law schools verifies the soundness of this approach. Individuals interested in pre-law should consult the pre-law adviser, who, working in conjunction with academic advisers, helps pre-law students plan their programs.
The following are suggestions that have proven to be good preparation in the past.
Recommended Upper Division courses
to be taken sophomore through senior years:
Although none of these courses are required, we believe that they are particularly useful both for understanding the nature of the legal profession and preparation for success in law school. Individual students should make selections according to her personal academic interests and the areas of law which she may be contemplating. Students interested in international law might take more courses in international subjects in politics, history, economics, etc; those interested in environmental issues might emphasize the several courses in this area in the sciences, history, politics, etc.; those interested in gender issues could pursue relevant courses in women’s studies, history, politics, English, sociology, psychology, and religion; those interested in business would emphasize work in this area and should take at least two courses in accounting; those interested in social welfare areas might consider psychology, sociology, or related areas. Many other concentrations exist as well.