Pre-Law Plan of Study
Bachelor of Arts or Science: Pre-Law Concentration
“The American Bar Association does not recommend any particular group of undergraduate majors or courses that should be taken by those wishing to prepare for legal education; developing such a list is neither possible nor desirable. The law is too multifaceted, and the human mind too adaptable, to permit such a linear approach to preparing for law school or the practice of law. Nevertheless, there are important skills and values, and significant bodies of knowledge, that can be acquired prior to law school and that will provide a sound foundation for a sophisticated legal education.” (Original Pre-Law Committee for the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar)
Following the above statement, Lourdes University does not require any specific courses for the pre-law program beyond those required for the Core Curriculum or General Education.
Admission to law school does not require a specific undergraduate program of study. Therefore, students can choose any major and still apply to law school. In order to receive the Pre-Law Concentration designation on official transcripts, students at Lourdes must take a minimum of 18 hours of coursework from recommended courses, but students are encouraged to take as many courses for the concentration as their majors will allow. To obtain the designation of Pre-Law Concentration, a student must successfully complete the following requirements from each category:
Total credit hours: 18
Communication and Critical Thinking Skills
Foundational (Pick 1):
ENG 220 Structures of English
ENG 316 Foundations of Rhetoric
ENG 352 Professional Writing
ENG 353 Introduction to Digital Humanities
ENG 440 Studies in Rhetoric
PHL 102 Introduction to Critical Thinking
Capstone (Pick 1):
ART 490 Senior Thesis in Art History
BUS 490 Business Policy
ENG 490 Senior Research
HST 490 Historical Methods
IDS 491 B.A.I.S. Capstone
PSY 490 Psychology Capstone
SWK/SOC 413 Practice Oriented Research
SOC 490 Capstone: Criminal Justice
SOC 491 Capstone: Sociology
THS 490 Senior Integrative Seminar
Understanding of the U.S. Legal System
History of U.S. Legal System (Pick 1):
PLS 122 American National Government
PLS 310 The Constitution and the Supreme Court
Any 300 or 400-level US history course
Application of U.S. Legal System (Pick 1):
SOC 208 Constitutional Law in Criminal Justice
BUS 330 Legal Environment of Business
HRM 440 Employment Law
ENV 418 Environmental Policy
PLS 250 Introduction to the Legal Profession
PLS 299 Trial Practice
PLS 492 Pre-Law Internship
Foundation in Ethics and Social Justice
Ethics (Pick 2):
PHL 103 Introduction to Ethics
SOC 324 Ethics and Criminal Justice
BUS 430 Business Ethics
SWK 312 Social Welfare Systems
SWK 412 Contemporary Social Welfare Policy and Services
THS 265 Christian Ethics
THS 435 Peace, Justice, and Forgiveness