Pre-Law Advising

Explore your options

To practice law, you must attend law school, earn a JD, and pass the state bar exam.  However, there are many other jobs that relate to law and that do not require a JD. To find out if a law degree would complement your area of interest, do some career exploration to identify your skills and values.

First, Decide if law is right for you

The UofL Career Development Center has online assessments (the Cards Career Navigator) or you can make an appointment to meet with a career counselor.  These assessments can help you choose your career based on your strengths and interests. They can also connect you to internship, shadowing and part-time employment opportunities so you can get a sense of what different jobs are actually like.

Choosing an Undergraduate Major

Most majors at UofL can prepare you for a career in law, whether you study languages, business, social work, philosophy, environmental sciences or other subjects. You'll want to choose a major that focuses on critical thought, logic, rhetoric, writing and problem-solving. Talk to your advisor about the options most interesting to you! You'll also want to consider admissions requirements for specific law schools of interest. 

Recommended Preparation 

• Search the Academic Catalog to find course requirements for each major. Pre-law faculty recommend that students take Phil 311 Introduction to Logic.  Advanced writing courses such as English 309, English 306, or WR writing intensive courses will strengthen your writing skills for law school.
• Strengthen your reading, writing, and analytical skills with philosophy, logic and ethics courses.
• Take rigorous courses.
• Maintain a solid G.P.A.
• Meet with your advisor! Your academic advisor can help you decide what choices might serve you best as a pre-law student.
• Explore the American Bar Association's suggestions about how you should prepare for law school. 

Choosing a School That's Right For You

• Check out the American Bar Association's list of ABA-Approved Law Schools.
• Consider your career after law school in the long-term. Look at the employment numbers for full time, long term employment. This data is usually available on the website of each school.
• Visit each school you are accepted to and talk to the faculty and staff.