Agnes Scott students interested in law enjoy a sound foundation for the pursuit of their goals and chosen career. A challenging and broad liberal arts curriculum develops just the sort of skills and qualities law schools seek in applicants. An active pre-law club and knowledgeable and approachable faculty and pre-law advisers provide legal programming and advice to support students throughout the admissions process. Agnes Scott’s Atlanta location in a major legal hub offers abundant opportunities for students to observe or get directly involved in the legal process.
What should my major be?
In line with the best liberal arts colleges and the preferences of law schools, Agnes Scott College does not have a major or program specifically designated as “pre-law.” Instead, law schools advise students intending to pursue law as a career to major in a liberal arts subject of their choosing. There is no favored major; rather, law admissions officers advise students to select any major that appeals to them as long as that major will challenge them and teach them to read carefully, write and speak effectively and think analytically.
Are there courses that I should take to prepare for law school?
Many courses in our liberal arts curriculum, while not directly focusing on law, offer valuable preparation for law school. For example, Philosophy 103: Introduction to Logic teaches the kind of logical analysis tested on the LSAT and necessary in the study and practice of law. But rather than concentrating narrowly on one course or discipline or a narrow set of courses, law schools advise students to take a variety of electives. This broad array of majors and electives desirable for law school preparation is exactly the type of liberal arts curriculum that Agnes Scott offers.
Several courses, while not strictly necessary as preparation for law school, give students a chance to get a “taste” of law to test their interest in studying and practicing in that field. For example, Political Science 203: Constitutional Law builds an understanding of legal reasoning and the development of law on issues of individual rights. Students read and discuss cases using the Socratic method followed in law school. Women’s Studies 235: Women and the Law examines selected constitutional and statutory aspects of the law with particular impact on women’s lives, culminating in a moot court simulation arguing an as-yet unsettled contemporary legal issue.
What should I do outside of classes to prepare for law school?
Agnes Scott has an active pre-law club, Publius, which meets frequently to discuss admissions-related questions. Publius also sponsors regular programs focusing on the law. Many programs focus specifically on law school admissions and often feature visiting law school admissions officers; other programs give students opportunities to learn more about career options in law by bringing to campus panels of practitioners, such as attorneys in various types of firms, judges, legal advisers to organizations and legal activists. In addition, a committee of pre-law faculty advisers works with the pre-law club and are available to advise students about law school and legal careers. Two of the current three members have law degrees, and the third has extensive and personal knowledge of the field of law.
Why should I prepare for law school at Agnes Scott?
- Pre-Law Activities and Admissions Assistance
An active pre-law club, programs bringing law school admissions officers and attorneys to campus and qualified faculty pre-law advisers help students learn more about legal careers and navigate the admissions process.
- Practical Legal Experience
Atlanta offers students numerous possibilities to test out their career aspirations by doing legal work. Some students have had externships with legal organizations. For example, Agnes Scott students have done research for the ACLU, while others have worked in the office of the DeKalb County Prosecutor. Other possibilities include working for private law firms in Decatur or Atlanta. Many Agnes Scott students earn extra money observing their chosen career while working in area firms as receptionists, secretaries or clerks.
- Sound Academic Preparation
The liberal arts curriculum offered by Agnes Scott College is exactly what law schools recommend and is the right academic preparation for law school and the practice of law.
- Proven Success
Agnes Scott students, majoring in disciplines such as political science, English, history, economics, math and other fields, have been accepted at law schools as close as Emory, Georgia, Mercer and Georgia State, and as far away as Harvard, Stanford, and Gonzaga. Naturally, many attend public and private law schools in the Southeast, including Florida and Florida State, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Vanderbilt and Duke. Recent graduates have also applied and been accepted to a wide range of schools ranging from Northeastern to Cornell to Indiana to Loyola of New Orleans.