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 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 (PDF) for students considering the legal profession, or legal study, and for candidates applying to law school. This handbook (PDF) is designed to help students at every stage of their undergraduate studies at SXU.
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.
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. Undergraduate students who consider entering a law school and pursuing a legal career are encouraged to major in a liberal arts discipline that interests and challenges them, providing opportunities to develop their research and writing skills. An excellent way to prepare for a legal education is to take a broad range of challenging courses that cultivate analytic problem solving, critical reading, writing, oral communication, general research, and task organization and management. Strongly recommended are courses 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.
The following courses are highly recommended; many of them may be taken as part of general education course work.
For Basic Skills
- ENGL 220: Advanced Writing
- ENGL 224: Professional Writing and Communication
- MATH 131: Finite Mathematics
- MATH 135: Introduction to Statistics
- PHIL 210: Logic and Argument
- PHIL 306: Early Modern Philosophy
- POLSC 240: Major Issues in Political Philosophy
- POLSC 241: American Political Thought
- POLSC 264: Mock Trial I
- POLSC 265: Mock Trial II
For Broad General Knowledge Base
- CJ 101: Introduction to Criminal Justice
- 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 102: World Politics
- POLSC 203: Introduction to Public Policy
- 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 3.3+ GPA throughout their undergraduate education and obtain a minimum 156 LSAT score.
Pre-Law Program Resources
- One-on-one pre-law advising and mentoring
- Mock Trial Team
- Internship opportunities
- LSAT preparation
- Law school application workshop
- Career preparation events
- Affiliation with the Pre-Law Society (student organization)
For additional information, please email prelaw@sxu.edu.