Career Opportunities for English Majors: Law School

Law schools require no special undergraduate courses. Their admissions committees usually like to see a transcript that reflects broad interests. On the other hand, some law-related courses, such as History of the Constitution (History Department), Philosophy of Law (Philosophy Department), Law and the Political Community (Political Science), and Constitutional Law (Political Science) might give a student some sense of her or his aptitude and interest.

The important credentials for law school are a high GPA and a high score on the Law School Admissions Test (LAST), given four times a year. Most students take the October test in their seventh semester. Then, if they don't score high, they can re-take the test in December and still enter law school the following September.

The LSAT asks four kinds of questions, but essentially they all test the student's ability to read fairly difficult material with sharp understanding. The test measures aptitude, not information, so no special preparation can help a great deal, though some preparation helps a little. Students should choose courses that require challenging reading and should engage in class discussion as much as possible.

The Pre-law Committee, chaired by Professor Davis of the Political Science Department, has its office in Monteith 132 (phone 486-3165). Various materials on law schools and their admission requirements are on file there. Students should visit that office and make the acquaintance of Prof. I. Ridgway Davis.