Pre-Law (prelaw)

St. Catherine University offers no program in pre-law studies, per se, since the training of lawyers is the function of law schools and these schools warn against narrow pre-law studies. Rather, you should design a program giving breadth of study in the liberal arts, allowing yourself to develop the capacity for independent thinking, to achieve the ability to express your thoughts with clarity and force, and to acquire a grasp of the values of their civilization and the workings of the social and political world around you.

No particular undergraduate major is recommended for students intending to study law, although some have traditionally been thought more appropriate. Because lawyers must know how to write and speak well, majors in English, philosophy, or communications are appropriate. Because lawyers operate in a political world and need to develop an understanding of institutions of society and government and a critical grasp of the Western legal tradition, majors in political science or history are often recommended. If you are thinking of specializing in a particular field of law, you might consider a major in a related field; thus, someone interested in business law might major in economics or business, those interested in criminal law might major in sociology or social work and those interested in environmental law in chemistry or biology. Alternatively, you may wish to double major or combine a major with a minor as a way to prepare more broadly or for multiple legal career options.

Whatever major you decide on, you should supplement it with certain courses that can help prepare you for a law career. You should be sure to have a mix of courses from the following list:

COMM 1030 Speaking to Lead and Influence or Oral Communication
ENGL 2305, 3360, 4300 English Composition and Writing
PHIL 2100, 2150, 2200, 3000 Critical Thinking, Logic, Ethics and Philosophy of Law
ACCT 2110, 2130 Accounting
ECON 2610, 2620 Economics
POSC 1710, 2010, 3070, 3750 Political Science
HIST 3200, 3210 History
SOCI 2500, 3210, 3340, 3470 Sociology

Consult with the pre-law advisor, Dr. Garry Pech of the Philosophy Department, to design an appropriate program of study.

Major Requirements: