Law Schools do not require any particular undergraduate major. Nonetheless, IU Southeast's Pre-Law program is designed to strengthen the skills and knowledge you will need for the practice of law, including analytical and problem-solving skills, critical reading abilities, writing skills, oral communication and listening skills, and general research skills.
What is Pre-Law?
Advising
Students with an interest in pre-law are encouraged to meet with the campus pre-law advisor during their first year on campus for an initial advising session and so they can be kept informed about pre-law events on campus and within the wider community.
Academic Information
Students pursuing the Interdisciplinary Pre-Law minor will complete three courses emphasizing four of the ABA’s recommended skill/competency areas: problem solving, oral communication/listening, background knowledge, and exposure to the law.
Careers
Students who go on to earn a Juris Doctor (JD) can engage in a wide range of law-related pursuits. These include, but are not limited to, careers in advocacy work for domestic and international non-profit agencies, government agencies, and interest groups along with direct legal participation as an attorney, prosecutor, advocate, mediator, or judge. In addition, many politicians have a legal background and find an understanding of the law to be beneficial when crafting public policy and helping voters to solve legal problems. A background in law can also be beneficial for business owners and managers, counselors and social workers, educators and administrators, and those engaging in the finance, entertainment, sports, communications, defense and national security, health care, and real estate industries, to name a few.
Applying for Law School
Each law school has its own admissions procedures. Data on admission criteria for any specific law school can be obtained from several sources. The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) posts an electronic guide to American Bar Association (ABA) approved law schools on the LSAC Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools webpage. This guide provides information on a wide array of topics including, but not limited to, the campus facilities, the student body composition, financial aid eligibility, and an applicant profile that helps students to determine their likelihood of acceptance based on GPA and Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores. This website will also allow you to enter your GPA and LSAT score so you can see your likelihood of admission across a wide array of law schools.
In addition, students with an interest in law school can obtain basic information about programs, including statistics on the student body composition, the acceptance rate, bar passage rates, tuition costs, and post law-school employment information at the Law School Numbers website. Finally, students can obtain more information about their particular schools of interest by locating the specific website of the program and contacting an admissions representative to set up a campus tour.