Pre-Law
Pre-Law at Baylor University is not a major, but instead consists of two academic designations,‘Pre-Law’ and ‘Pre-Law Interest.’ There are no course prerequisites for attending law school. Rather, experts recommend that Pre-Law students maximize their education by taking the most rigorous and demanding classes possible. Students planning to attend law school should select a major that reflects their interests and aptitude. Pre-Law students thrive in many of Baylor’s diverse academic programs but should carefully choose courses that will prepare them for law school success. A well-rounded Pre-Law curriculum will include courses that require substantial writing, under close scrutiny, the development of analytical reasoning skills, reading comprehension and oral expression, and courses relevant to a student’s specific legal interests. Pre-Law students may want to consider adding a minor in Legal Reasoning and Analysis (see College of Arts & Sciences-Multidisciplinary Programs). Although not required for law school, this minor is designed to ensure optimal preparation for the academic rigors of law school.
Baylor Pre-Law helps students navigate this interdisciplinary preparation. The function of the Pre-Law program is to help students from all academic majors to explore the possibility of attending law school, move through the application process, and prepare for success in law school, and the legal profession. One-on-one professional advising is available to help Pre-Law students begin to prepare for law school. All designated students have access to the program’s resources from the time they enter as freshmen. Regular workshops and speakers, connections with lawyer-alumni, and internship opportunities enable Pre-Law students to gain a realistic understanding of the legal profession, and to begin to develop the skills they need to succeed as future lawyers.
All students may add the ‘Pre-Law’ designation prior to the completion of 24 residential credit hours, at Baylor. Following the completion of the required 24 credit hours, students must hold, and maintain, a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2. Those who do not meet this minimum GPA requirement cannot add, or retain, the Pre-Law designation beyond the completion of those initial 24 credit hours. However, they may choose the alternative ‘Pre-Law Interest’ designation, which does not require a minimum GPA and can be added at any stage of a student’s undergraduate studies, regardless of their cumulative GPA. Exceptions are made only in rare circumstances, and at the discretion of the Pre-Law Program Manager.
Students should note that regardless of their designation as either ‘Pre-Law’ or ‘Pre-Law Interest,’ they will have full access to the services and resources of the Pre-Law program. However, students who do not meet the academic requirements are encouraged to meet with the Pre-Law Program Manager to discuss their goals and how to improve their academic performance. The minimum GPA required for the ‘Pre-Law’ designation (3.2) will be assessed at the conclusion of each spring semester, allowing students who fall below the requirement at the end of the fall semester to retain the designation until the end of the spring, allowing them the chance to bring their cumulative GPA back up to the required 3.2.
More information about the services Baylor Pre-Law offers can be found at http://www.baylor.edu/prelaw or by contacting the Pre-Law Manager.
The adoption of either the ‘Pre-Law’ or ‘Pre-Law Interest’ designations does not restrict a student’s career options in any way and as such, all students who are considering careers in the legal profession should add the full Pre-Law designation to their student records upon arriving at Baylor. Adding either the ‘Pre-Law’ or ‘Pre-Law Interest’ designations gives students access to Baylor Pre-Law emails and events and other Baylor Pre-Law resources. Students wishing to add or delete the Pre-Law designation on their student records should contact the Pre-Law Program Manager, or their academic advisor.
The Legal Reasoning and Analysis (LRA) minor is ideal for students interested in preparing for the Pre-Law track. It provides a solid foundation for legal education and exposes students to the type of reasoning that law students and lawyers use. It also includes the core skills and values that the American Bar Association recommends for success in law school and the legal profession.
Students who are not Pre-Law may choose to minor in LRA to understand how law and reasoning affect their chosen major or field of study. However, if chosen for Pre-Law preparation, the LRA minor also prepares students for academic success on the LSAT.
Courses include Critical thinking, Argumentative and Persuasive Writing, Contemporary Ethical Theory, Law and Economics, and Economics of Poverty & Discrimination.
Requirements for a Minor in Legal Reasoning and Analysis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Eighteen semester hours, nine of which must be at the 3000-4000 level, including the following: | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| Logic | ||
| PHI 1306 | Logic | 3 |
| or PHI 1307 | Critical Thinking | |
| or PHI 4345 | Intermediate Logic | |
| Analytical Reasoning | ||
| Select three semester hours from the following: | 3 | |
| Survey of Accounting | ||
| Issues in Economics for Non-Business Majors | ||
| Introduction to Economic Analysis and Policy | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Statistics | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| Introductory Statistical Methods | ||
| Probability and Statistics | ||
| Social Statistics | ||
| Areas of Study | ||
| Twelve semester hours from the following categories. Courses must be taken from four of the six areas of study below: | 12 | |
| Additional Requirements | ||
| A grade of C is required for all courses in the minor. | ||
| Note: Business classes are not generally available for non-business majors. | ||
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Areas of Study
Background Knowledge & Exposure to Law
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Aviation Law | ||
| Legal Environment of Business | ||
| Employment Law | ||
| Cyberlaw | ||
| International Business Law | ||
| Law and Economics | ||
| Literature and Law | ||
| Environmental Law | ||
| Expert Witness Testimony | ||
| American Revolution and Constitution | ||
| The American Civil Rights Movement | ||
| Law and Ethics of Journalism | ||
| Neuroscience and the Law | ||
| Philosophy and Constitutional Issues | ||
| Philosophy of Law | ||
| Criminal Justice and Community Law Enforcement | ||
| Criminal Law | ||
| Law and Religion in the United States | ||
| American Political Thought | ||
| Law, Justice and the Community | ||
| Washington Internship | ||
| International Law | ||
| Administrative Law | ||
| Public Policy and the Courts | ||
| American Constitutional Law | ||
| International Organization | ||
| American Constitutional Law | ||
| Contemporary Political Thought | ||
| Forensic Psychology | ||
| Juvenile Delinquency | ||
| Sociology of Law | ||
| Criminology |
Commitment to Justice
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| World Food Problems | ||
| Climate Anthropology | ||
| Child and Family Policy and Advocacy | ||
ECO 3355 | ||
| The U.S. Through Immigrant Eyes | ||
| Literature, Medicine, & Public Health | ||
| The American Civil Rights Movement | ||
| Moral Philosophy | ||
| Nonprofits, the Social Sector, & Philanthropic Innovation | ||
| Philanthropy, Civil Society, & the Public Good | ||
| Writing for a Better World | ||
| Writing for Social Change | ||
| Christian Ethics | ||
| War and Peace in the Christian Tradition | ||
| Disability Ethics | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Bioethics | ||
| Race, Racism, and Religion in America | ||
| The Sociology of Race and Ethnicity | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Stratification in Society | ||
| Social Problems in Modern Society | ||
| Foundations for Social Justice | ||
| Human Trafficking |
Critical Reasoning & Problem Solving
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropological Theory | ||
| Greek and Roman Mythology | ||
| Roman Republic | ||
| Greek History and Civilization | ||
| Introduction to Programming I | ||
| Politics and Communication | ||
| Rhetorical Theory | ||
ECO 4317 | ||
| Game Theory | ||
| History of Critical Theory | ||
| Contemporary Critical Theory | ||
| How We Read: Understanding Narrative Forms | ||
| Theory and Practice of Satire from the Classical Period to the Present | ||
| Environment and Society | ||
| The Environment and Political Processes | ||
| Confession and Autobiography | ||
| Semantics and Pragmatics | ||
| Epistemology | ||
| Contemporary American Philosophy | ||
| Intermediate Logic | ||
| Philosophy of Language | ||
| Contemporary Ethical Theory | ||
| Social Philosophy | ||
| Civic & Community Innovation | ||
| Classical Political Philosophy | ||
| Western Political Thought: Modern | ||
| International Political Economics | ||
| Special Topics in Political Philosophy | ||
| Terrorism | ||
| Bioethics | ||
| Social Theory |
Oral Communication
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Argumentation, Discussion, and Debate | ||
| Introduction to Rhetorical Theory and Criticism | ||
| Advanced Public Speaking | ||
| Interviewing | ||
| Legal Communication | ||
| Persuasion and Communication | ||
| Introduction to Model Organization of American States | ||
| Advanced Model Organization of American States | ||
| Managerial Communications | ||
| Professional Selling and Communications | ||
| Negotiating and Conflict Resolution | ||
| Moot Court | ||
| Model United Nations | ||
| Any 3000-4000 level course in ARB, CHI, FRE, GER, GRK, ITA, JPN, LAT, SPA, RUS | ||
Research
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Applied Anthropology | ||
| Directed Reading in Environmental Studies | ||
| Readings in European History | ||
| American Legal History to 1877 | ||
| Readings in American History | ||
| Advanced Reading and Research in Latin American Studies | ||
| Independent Study in Linguistics | ||
| Special Topics in Philosophy | ||
| Research Writing: Political Science Methods | ||
| Reading Course in Political Science | ||
| Applied Sociology | ||
| Methods of Social Research | ||
| Special Topics in Sociology |
Writing & Editing
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Business Communications | ||
| Modern English Grammar | ||
| Sociolinguistics | ||
| Introduction to Linguistics | ||
| Editing | ||
| Writing for Media Markets | ||
| Philosophical Writing, Research and Oral Presentation | ||
| Persuasive and Argumentative Writing | ||
| Studies in Public and Civic Writing | ||
| Undergraduate Research and Publication | ||
| Writing for Social Change | ||
| Special Topics Lecture in Writing and Rhetoric | ||
| Writing Internship | ||
| Any 3000-4000 level course in ARB, CHI, FRE, GER, GRK, ITA, JPN, LAT, SPA, RUS | ||