How to Prepare for Law School
Written by Sarah Borger
Interested in pursuing law but not sure how to get started? Welcome to Hillsdale College’s Guide to Preparing for Law School.
Though it might sound strange, your major isn’t as important as the courses and subjects you study. Education is for your life, not just pre-professional training. Dr. Nathan Schlueter, director of the pre-law program, actually recommends that you don’t major in pre-law or politics but instead focus on taking courses that challenge you to think critically and write often.
At Hillsdale College, the core classes cover theology, philosophy, the history of the western world, logic and rhetoric, the great books, languages, politics, and more, giving every student a strong foundation with which to approach law school. According to Michael Murray, former director of Career Services, “A student coming out of Hillsdale as a senior is at the same place in terms of their intellectual abilities to problem solve and critically think as a student coming out of their first year of law school.”
Beyond the core classes, Schlueter recommends taking a microeconomics class, a language (Latin, if you’re indifferent), Shakespeare or other similar works, and philosophy courses that discuss Aristotle, Plato, and Aquinas.
The Law and Society class at Hillsdale is also a great choice for those considering a future in law. This course helps students prepare for law school by ensuring they’re on schedule with their preparations, assisting students with admissions processes, administering practice LSATS, and teaching rhetoric. It can also help students decide whether law is for them before they go through all of the applications for law school.
Schlueter recommends that you begin taking several practice LSATs as a sophomore to get a basic idea of which schools you might want to apply for, adhere to a disciplined schedule of study for the LSAT the summer before your junior year, and start applying for law schools during your senior year.
During your junior year, you’ll also want to start talking about which schools might be good fits for you. This depends on your ambitions, geographical preferences, financial situation, and career ideas. Your advisor, professors, and the career services office can help you learn more about where you might want to apply.
By keeping this information in mind, you’ll be on your way to law school. For more information on how you can prepare for a law degree, visit Career Services or send them an email at [email protected].
Sarah Borger, ’18, is an English major.