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Academic Preparation for Law School (FAQs)
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Do law schools prefer certain majors?
No. Unlike other professional programs, law schools do not look for students who follow a specific course of study. A wide range of acceptable majors can be found in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, and business. With that in mind, what is most important is to find an academic area that appeals to you and one in which you feel you will do well.
Admissions Committees also consider the rigor of your academic program and look for applicants who challenge themselves with a broad-based curriculum that trains them to analyze, read, speak and write well. If your major is heavily technical or quantitative, you should make a point of enrolling in some writing intensive and/or humanities classes to prove that you are capable of communicating well and have pursued a well-rounded course of study.
Upper-level and.or graduate-level courses further enhance your transcript and demonstrate that you are capable of demanding work. Admissions officers tend to be aware of transcripts that are "padded" with several introductory-level and/or pass/fail casses and evaluate those applications as lacking in rigor.
Is there any prerequisite coursework for law school?
No. There are no specific courses required for admissions. Law schools are primarily interested in your overall academic record. They do like to see a balance of liberal arts courses and are attracted to students who challenge themselves. If you have the opportunity, take upper-level courses or a graduate-level course in your junior or senior year. This demonstrates motivation and willingness to take intellectual risks. A Senior Honors thesis is also a great idea and will very much enhance your academic credentials. These examples are certainly not requirements, but they can complement your application to law school.
What about Legal Studies coursework?
It is common, and perfectly appropriate, to take a few courses in Legal Studies at the Wharton School to gain exposure to the study of law and to help determine whether you are interested in pursuing a law degree. You should be aware, however, that law schools believe it is their role to teach you law, and pursuing a broad and well-balanced undergraduate education is of the utmost importance. In other words, "pre-law" courses are useful in that they introduce you to broad legal principles and may aid you in deciding whether or not you want to pursue a legal education. However, they are usually not taught with the same depth and rigor as in actual law schools. Take Legal Studies courses because you are interested in them, not as a means of improving your application.
What can I do now to prepare for law school?
1. Do the best you can academically. One bad semester will not preclude your chances of getting into law school, but consider resources such as advising, counseling, and tutoring if you need extra support.
2. Develop good relationships with your professors and supervisors. This will help you later on when you need to furnish letters of recommendations for law school.
3. Participate in the Penn Community. Your involvement is judged more by quality than quantity. Select a few activities of interest where you can make a substantial contribution, rather than several activities in which you are superficially involved. Admissions officers are not interested in back-benchers, they like to see evidence of leadership, initiative, communication skills, and commitment.
4. Explore the field. Talk to current law students about their experiences in law school. Obtain legal internships or talk to practicing lawyers about how they spend their work day and what skills they think are important to have in order to succeed in the field of law.
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