Pre-Law Program

A legal career can be a rewarding profession. At its best, legal practice challenges the intellect, demanding the exercise of reason and judgment. The ethics of the profession requires attorneys to promote justice, fairness and morality; thus, legal careers can bring particular satisfaction to those who seek to work to promote social justice within the law.

The Pre-Law program at Saint Xavier University assists students in all majors who plan to seek admission to law school or a legal career after graduation. It recommends courses to better prepare students for the Law School Aptitude Test (LSATs) and provides advising, mentoring, various activities and resources to support academic and career planning efforts.

Saint Xavier University provides a Pre-Law Handbook for students considering the legal profession, or legal study, and for candidates applying to law school. This handbook is designed to help students at every stage of their undergraduate studies at SXU.

Recommended Courses for Pre-Law Students

According to the American Bar Association, there are no recommended undergraduate majors or groups of courses designated as "pre-law" education. Students are admitted to law school from almost every academic discipline. However, undergraduate students who consider entering a law school and pursuing a legal career are encouraged to take an area of study that interests and challenges them, while taking advantage of opportunities to develop their research and writing skills.

An excellent way to prepare for a legal education is to take a broad range of difficult courses. These courses include those which cultivate and enhance basic skills of analytic problem solving, critical reading, writing, oral communication, general research and task organization and management. Also strongly recommended are those that offer a broad understanding of history and the development of American society, a fundamental grasp of political thought and the contemporary American political system, some familiarity with mathematics for financial and evidentiary analysis, a basic understanding of human behavior and social interaction, and fundamental knowledge of international institutions, world events, and globalization.

Thus we recommend that students take these courses as part of and/or in addition to their general education courses at SXU:

For Basic Skills

ENGL 350: Advanced Writing
ENGL 354: Business and Professional Writing
MATH 135: Introduction to Statistics
PHIL 210: Logic and Argument
PHIL 306: Early Modern Philosophy
POLSC 264: Mock Trial I
POLSC 265: Mock Trial II

For Broad General Knowledge Base

CJ 214: Law, Courts and Justice
HIST 103: United States History to 1877
HIST 104: United States History Since 1877
POLSC 101: U.S. Government
POLSC 308: American Constitutional Law

Students are highly encouraged to take other law-related courses at SXU.

Planning for Law School Admission

Students who plan to seek admission to law school should maintain a 3.30+ GPA throughout their undergraduate education and obtain a 150+ LSAT score. Generally, the average LSAT for law schools is 150. And mid-tier law schools have average scores ranging from 155 to 165. See the Top 100 Law Schools, Average LSAT Scores and GPA from Juris Education. Additionally, among the 191 ranked law schools that submitted grade data to U.S. News & World Report in an annual survey, the average median GPA of entering law school students in 2021 was 3.55. See What is a Good College GPA for a Law School Applicant? from U.S. News & World Report for more information.

In addition to recommended courses, the Pre-Law program at SXU also provides:

One-on-one pre-law advising and mentoring
Internship opportunities
LSAT preparation
Law school application workshop

The pre-law program works closely with the Career Development Center and the student-sponsored "Pre-Law Society" to sponsor various legal career related events and activities on the main campus.

Mock Trial

SXU has a Mock Trial Team, which competes in American Mock Trial Association Regional Tournament. Please send email inquiries to prelawFREESXU.

Contact the Office of Admission

773-298-3050
Toll Free: 844-GOTO-SXU (844-468-6798)
Fax: 773-298-3076
Email: admissionFREESXU
M-F: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Pre-Law Advisors

Dr. Arthur Morton (Philosophy, Religious Studies and Theology Department)
Dr. Jacqueline Battalora (Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice Department)
Dr. Matthew Costello, Director (History and Political Sciences Department)
Dr. David Parker (Graham School of Management)

For more advising information, please contact prelawFREESXU.

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