Helpful Classes for Law Preparation Part I.
Since there are no “Pre-law” designated classes at UB — given there is no single-path or particular academic background required for Law School — it can be somewhat daunting for students to choose courses with the intent of furthering themselves in the field of law. Common questions I am asked include:
1) Are there specific courses that will be helpful in preparing for law school?
2) Are their specific courses that will improve chances of admission?
3) How about classes that will help me perform better on the LSAT or strengthen my application generally?
4) Are there courses here that I can take to help me decide whether Law School is right for me or not?
To start with 1) today (and the following parts to cover the other questions), the American Bar Association has a good overview of Pre-Law, and has a nice section regarding course selection. Following the link, you’ll see they then break-down the various different categories too. They assign “skills and values” as general core abilities one should obtain while in college:
Core Skills and Values:
* Analytic / Problem Solving Skills
* Critical Reading
* Writing Skills
* Oral Communication / Listening Abilities
* General Research Skills
* Task Organization / Management Skills
* Public Service and Promotion of Justice
Keep in mind that any major is ok for Law School. Students with a background in science for example have an excellent foundation in problem-solving and critical thinking abilities that will serve them well in law school (and possibly qualify them for certain specialty areas non-science majors wouldn’t qualify for). Social Behavioral Sciences majors such as Psychology or Political Science are also very sound disciplines to consider, as is Business or the Humanities. Below are just some thoughts to complement your major of choice in addition to your major classes.
So in summary, there are numerous courses at UB that are applicable to the foundational skill sets Law School will demand. To summarize it as effectively possible, however, your writing abilities should be positively top-notch. Secondly, reference and research paper writing know-how is critical. Try to take a few upper-level courses that require a thesis of some sort. Thirdly, being able to effectively absorb and comprehend large quantities of reading material is enormously helpful. When your law professors give you a stack of 100 cases to go through for the next couple of weeks, you’d better have some keen organizational skills in place and the ability to concentrate and absorb data on an impressive scale.
At UB, therefore, consider taking some Humanities courses that stress reading and writing. Any English literature courses at the 200-level is a very good beginning. Classics, Philosophy, History, etc, that focus intensely on paper assignments are great. Also, additional, advanced-level courses that stress research papers would be a wonderful follow-up to these initial classes. As a very integral by-product, a lot of these courses have a strong discussion and participatory requirement. Oral communication skills are very critical to your success in Law School. A lot of your law classes will be discussion-based.
For this Fall, here are some examples of writing / discussion / linguistic analysis courses that should prove beneficial (note that content is contingent on instructor’s intent and changes from year to year and are just examples from a variety of different programs on campus at the 200-level).
AAS 290 - Race & the Law
AMS 207 - US in the World
CL 222 - Greek Civilization
COL 226 - Memory as Art
ENG 253 - Lit Types - Novel
HIS 220 - Culture & Arts East Asia
LIN 207 - Lang Society & Individual
PHI 215 - Deductive Logic
SSC 221 - Writing in the Law
MFC 334 - Legal Research and Writing
These courses are by no means ‘necessary’ and are based on individual interest level and are just relatively random examples, given the absolute plethora of good options. Also, keep in mind that research and Independent Study credit are also excellent ways to enrich your academic experience. For Independent Study credit, consult your departmental adviser. There may also be research or internship hours available for credit. There is also a wonderful resource on research projects available on the CURCA Web site (Center for Research & Creative Activities).