Pre-Professional Program - Pre-Law

The Pre-Professional programs are planned for two groups of students-those who want one or two years of college work prior to entering an occupation, and those who want to do pre-professional work for one, two, three, or four years before entering a professional school, university, or college.

The programs described are not to be considered unalterable. They represent patterns that generally agree with the requirements of many professional schools. Since there are many variations in the requirements of the professional schools, students should, after consulting the CWU catalog, select courses required by the institution from which they expect to earn a degree.

Pre-Law is a non-degree advising program through which a student can prepare for admission to a professional program at another institution. CWU does offer all prerequisite courses necessary for successful admission to such a program.

The attainment of a law degree ordinarily involves a seven-year program-the completion of an undergraduate degree (four years), followed by three years at law school. Before winter quarter of one’s senior year, a future law student should take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and apply to law schools.

Law schools do not require a particular major or courses as a condition for admission. Common undergraduate majors found in the law school population are history, English, economics, business, political science, and philosophy. No specific major will ensure admittance to law school. The most important criteria are a students GPA and the score on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). The pre-law student should seek a course of study, which enhances their verbal comprehension and analytical thinking. Critical understanding of the human institutions and values with which the law deals is also very helpful.

The law and justice department offers an advisory program designed to assist students in choosing and gaining admission to law schools, with several advisors having law degrees. The pre-law student should carefully plan their program in close consultation with an advisor.