1997-1998 - The University of Scranton

PRE-LAW PROGRAM
The University is justly proud of its tradition in providing students seeking careers in the
law with a solid preparation for the demands of legal study and practice, based on an undergraduate
curriculum rooted in liberal education. Graduates of the University in all regions of
the nation have achieved distinction in virtually every area of the law, including as local, state
and federal judges. In Northeastern Pennsylvania, nearly half of the legal community hold
undergraduate degrees from the University of Scranton.
The clearest measure of the strength of the University’s Pre-Law Program is the
remarkable success its graduates have had in winning admittance to law school throughout the
country. Recent graduates have been admitted into some of the most prestigious law schools in
the country, such as Columbia, Cornell, Georgetown, Harvard, and the University of
Pennsylvania, as well as more than thirty other public and private law schools across the nation,
including American University, Boston College, Catholic University, Dickinson, Fordham,
Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Temple, Villanova, Widener, and William &
Mary.
Pre-Law Curriculum—No specific undergraduate major is required for admission to law
school; the American Bar Association in a 1996 statement does not recommend any particular group
of either majors or individual courses, noting that “the law is too multifaceted, and the human mind
too adaptable, to permit such a linear approach to preparing for law school or the practice of law.”
The ABA statement, however, does describe certain skills and values which are essential to success
in law school and to competent lawyering. These are: Analytic and Problem Solving Skills,
involving critical thinking and the ability to structure and evaluate arguments for and against propositions;
Critical Reading Abilities, derived from substantial experience in the close reading and critical
analysis of complex texts; Writing Skills, developed through rigorous practice in preparing and revising
original pieces of substantial length; Oral Communication and Listening Abilities, based on
experience in giving and evaluating formal presentations; Research and Time Management Skills,
involving the ability to plan a research strategy, to undertake substantial library work, and to organize
large amounts of information within a fixed period of time; and, not least of all, a Commitment to
Serving Others and Promoting Justice, based on significant experience in service projects while an
undergraduate.
While, in recent years, most students at the University who have gone on to law school have
majored in history or political science, the skills noted above can be acquired by students majoring in
many other fields. Students majoring in English, languages, management, any of the social sciences,
and even the natural sciences have enjoyed success in the study and practice of law. Ultimately, the
best preparation for law school comes from taking difficult courses from demanding professors.
In addition to these skills and values, the ABA has identified several more specific areas of
knowledge that pre-law students should acquire as undergraduates. The University’s Curriculum
2000 provides a framework whereby all can be acquired through the General Education requirements
applicable to all majors:
-- a broad understanding of American History (HIST 110-111)
-- a fundamental understanding of political thought and the American political system
(PS 130-131)
-- a basic understanding of ethical theory (PHIL 210)
-- a grounding in economics, especially microeconomic theory (ECON 153)
-- an understanding of basic pre-calculus mathematics (MATH 106 or equivalent)
-- a basic understanding of human behavior and social interaction (PSYC 110
or SOC 110)
-- an understanding of diverse cultures within and beyond the United States (the sixcredit
cultural diversity requirement in Curriculum 2000)
Pre-Law Internships—Interested students with a Grade Point Average above 3.00 at the time
of application may, with the approval of the Dean, receive academic credit for internships
served in the offices of either private law firms or various legal agencies such as the District
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