Santa Clara University

What is Pre-Law Education?

Being a pre-law student does not mean pursuing a "pre-law major." There is no pre-law major at Santa Clara, nor do law schools favor such a curriculum. Law schools prefer students with a broad academic background---in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. It is simply false that law school admissions officers are impressed by multiple appearances of the word "law" on an applicant's transcript.

Unlike pre-med preparation, no specific courses of study are required of pre-law students, and law school admissions representatives recommend that you choose a major---ANY MAJOR---that personally interests and challenges you. An examination of the majors of those who are accepted to law school shows that no single major is preferred over others. Rather, your goals as a pre-law student should be:

1. To build excellence into your program by taking challenging courses;
2. To do your best work at all times (for yourself and for superior faculty recommendations to law school);
3. To develop your strengths and knowledge in the following three areas:
4. • written and verbal communication skills---the ability to communicate with a high degree of clarity and precision;
   • analytical skills---the ability to analyze, interpret, and evaluate facts, data, ideas, and texts in a logical and methodical manner;
   • broad awareness of our society and the world at large---the ability to understand human institutions and values in view of the comprehensive nature of the law.

Even though law schools are not looking for specific courses, they are looking for certain qualities in your course work. A publication by the Law School Admissions Council sums it up nicely:

"Legal educators agree that the development of skills and habits conducive to legal reasoning is more important than subject matter. The student's college courses should be geared, therefore, to the development of:

• Habits of thoroughness, intellectual curiosity, and scholarship;
• The ability to organize, critically analyze, and communicate ideas and information;
• A broad understanding of human nature, human institutions, and values;
• Mastery of a specific body of knowledge or discipline."

The development of these skills and abilities is precisely the goal of the core curriculum and a liberal arts education at Santa Clara.