Pre-Law

Law schools do not prescribe a particular pre-law curriculum, nor do they require specific undergraduate courses. Students are advised to select a major according to individual interest. Because the law touches nearly every phase of human activity, most liberal arts majors can be of value to a lawyer. Of primary importance to a lawyer is the ability to express thoughts clearly and cogently. Courses in composition, communication arts and literature develop these skills. Political science, economics, history, government and sociology courses are of value because of their close relation to law and their influence on its development. Ethics, because of its relationship to legal principles, and philosophy, because of the influence of philosophic reasoning on legal reasoning and jurisprudence, are also of interest. Some knowledge of the principles of accounting and of the sciences is recommended and will prove of practical value to the lawyer in general practice in the modern world. UMBC’s political science department offers especially strong preparation for students interested in law school, including courses in American constitutional and administrative law taught by the case method. The department also offers a Legal Internship Program that places students in legal positions in the Baltimore area. The department operates the Pre-law Resource Office, which is open to all UMBC students. Other parts of the university curriculum offer courses in private law and the history of law. For additional information, students should consult the Pre-law Handbook, published by the Law School Admissions Council and the Association of American Law Schools, available in the Pre-law Resource Office in the Public Policy Building, room 357.

Explore Career Path

Support

Dr. Jeffrey Davis, davisj@umbc.edu
PUP 316
phone: 410-455-2181
on-campus: 5-2181

Experience

The political science program offers students from any major the opportunity to take an internship with courts, law enforcement agencies, private law firms, and other legal institutions. These internships provide students with a realistic view of legal professions and often lead to summer jobs and law school recommendations. Interested students apply in the fall semester for spring internship placement. Students who have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above and have completed at least 60 credits are eligible to apply. Selected students will be given permission to enroll in POLI 438, the 4-credit legal intenrship course. Applications are availalbe through the Political Science Department.

Academics

The department offers the Law and Justice minor to undergraduates of all majors. The Law and Justice minor allows students to develop an expertise in the law, and in how lawyers, courts and judges influence the world. We offer a wide variety of classes in American, comparative, and international law. In addition, the minor features classes that examine the struggle for justice as well as the theoretical foundations of law and justice. The minor is excellent training for students who plan to attend law school, or to work in the many fields where knowledge of the law is a powerful asset. An understanding of law and justice is valuable for students working in politics, business, the arts, science, technology, and engineering. The minor offers students hands-on practical opportunities through legal internships, mock trial, moot court, and legal advocacy.