Pre-Law Preparation
Preparation for Law School
The professional training of a lawyer requires a minimum of three years in an American Bar Approved (A.B.A.) law school to earn the Doctor of Juris Prudence (J.D.) Degree. Lawyers can choose from agricultural law, antitrust law, civil law, communications law, constitutuional law, contract law, corporate law, criminal law, employee benefits law, entertainment law, environmental law, family law, geriatic law, health law, human rights law, immigration law, information technology and privacy law, intellectual property law, international and comparative law, internet law, labor law, mental health law, maritime law, municipal law, native law, patent law, personal injury, poverty law, public policy law, real estate law, securities law, tax law, telecommunications law, trial law, and trust and estate law.
Admission into a law school requires a bachelor’s degree within any academic area.. The selection of a major area of study should reflect a career that a student might pursue without considering law school.
Pre-law is not a major or minor at Iowa State. There are not specific courses required to be admitted into law school. The content of the courses listed below can assist students in developing the skills, values, and knowledge that are essential to become a competent lawyer. Appropriate skills would include logical reasoning, critical thinking, debate, persuasion, advanced writing, research, and listening and communication skills. Coursework which explores societal morals and values is necessary for developing cultural awareness and appreciation. A general knowledge base of the humanities, social sciences, and business is needed to comprehend the pluralistic society within the United States. The courses listed below do not represent all courses that might be applicable to a student considering law as a profession. Students should check with the prelaw adviser to determine if courses not listed on this handout would be applicable. As students consider these courses, they need to check for prerequisite courses.
- Accounting ( ACCT 215, ACCT 316 )
- Advanced Writing ( ENGL 302, ENGL 309, ENGL 310, ENGL 313, and ENGL 418 )
- Communication Studies ( COMST 102, COMST 218, and COMST 310 )
- Criminal Justice Studies ( CJ ST 240, CJ ST 241, CJ ST 320, CJ ST 332, and CJ ST 340 )
- Economics ( ECON 101, ECON 102, ECON 301, and ECON 302 )
- History ( HIST 221and HIST 222 )
- International Studies ( INST 235)
- Philosophy ( PHIL 206, PHIL 207, PHIL 230, and PHIL 332 )
- Political Science ( POL S 215, POL S 230, POL S 235, Pol S 319, POL S 320, POL S 420, POL S 421, POL S 430, and POL S 431)
- Speech Communication ( SP CM 110, SP CM 212, SP CM 322, SP CM 323, SP CM 324, and SP CM 327)
- Statistics and Research Methods ( STAT101, STAT 104, STAT 227, PSYCH 301, SOC 302, and POL S 301)
Selection of applicants for law schools is based upon consideration of the academic record (GPA), Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores, letters of recommendation, curricular and extra-curricular activities, and a personal essay. Students send an application directly to each law school under consideration. All other application materials are sent to the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS). Law school related materials are available through Bruce Allen, Pre-law Adviser - 102 Carrie Chapman Catt Hall. Bruce can be reached by phone at (515-294-4831) or by email at allenbs@iastate.edu. Please access www.lsac.org for LSAT information. Students can also access the "Prelaw" website on campus at www.las.iastate.edu/academics/plawinfo.shtml
Application deadlines vary among law schools. Students typically apply 12-16 months prior to the fall semester in which they want to enter law school. Many law schools have a rolling admission policy. Recent enrollment trends indicate a record number of law school applicants. It is best to apply as early as possible.
It is strongly recommended that students interested in attending law school join the the Pre-law Club. The Pre-law Club will provide students with a forum in which they can learn the steps to be admitted to law school and the strategies which will allow them to reach this goal. Robert Bauer, can be reached at rbauer@iastate.edu for more information. First year students and transfer students with freshman or sophomore status interested in attending law school, should enroll in LAS 101.
