As the Law School Admission Council and American Bar Association state in their Official Guide, “the ABA does not recommend any undergraduate majors or group of courses to prepare for a legal education.” Instead, they recommend “taking a broad range of difficult courses from demanding instructors” as the best preparation for law school. The LSAC and ABA emphasize the importance of a curriculum that teaches “analytical and problem-solving skills, critical reading abilities, writing skills, oral communication, and listening abilities, [and] general research skills.”
At Puget Sound, while there is no specific undergraduate pre-law major, our students have successfully applied to law school with majors from over a dozen departments—everything from Politics & Government to Computer Science to Religion. This diversity of academic backgrounds demonstrates that a wide range of majors can provide the foundational skills necessary for law school. Additionally, Puget Sound offers many minors that allow students to explore law-related topics while still undergraduates, including those within the Politics & Government Department and the exciting new Crime, Law, & Justice Studies minor.
In their early years at Puget Sound, students interested in law should focus on taking challenging courses in the disciplines that intrigue them, with the understanding that multiple academic paths can lead to success in law school. As students progress to their junior year, they should begin to research and prepare applications to law school and take the Law School Admission Test. To help students determine whether a law career is right for them, Puget Sound also offers an annual fall Law Fair and connects them to important online law school forums around the world. The Office of Academic Advising is available to assist with these tasks.
Students interested in discussing their academic work or career path in the law are encouraged to contact the current pre-law advisor, Chris Kendall, in the Politics & Government department to set up a time to chat.