Pre-Law at Chapman University

A well-rounded undergraduate education based in the liberal arts is the best foundation for students interested in attending law school.  With its strong grounding within the liberal arts, Chapman University has a long history of successfully preparing its undergraduates for law school and eventually a legal career.  In recent years, Chapman graduates have attended such top-ranked law schools as the University of Chicago, University of California-Berkeley, University of Virginia, Cornell University, Georgetown University, UCLA, University of Southern California, and Vanderbilt University.

According to the American Bar Association, there is “no single path” that prepares students for law school.  As such, the ABA does not recommend any particular major for undergraduates to pursue, since students are admitted to top law schools from every academic discipline.  However, political science is one of the most common majors for pre-law students since it is based on the study of government, institutions, and the state, all of which relate directly to the law.  Traditionally, other majors such as history, English, philosophy, economics and business are also regularly chosen by pre-law students nationwide.

Pre-law students are encouraged to pursue a rigorous academic curriculum that will develop strong research and writing skills, strong analytical and critical thinking skills, and strong communication skills, all of which will help in preparation for law school.  In addition to a high grade point average and LSAT score, law school admissions committees also look for both rigor and depth within the major and breadth across the overall curriculum.  While there are no required undergraduate courses that a student must take in preparation for law school, there are several recommended courses that Chapman students will find helpful as they prepare for their legal education.  A few of these courses include:

Political Science 110– Intro. to American Politics
Political Science 343 – Constitutional Government
Political Science 344 – Constitutional Rights
Business 215 – Legal Environment of Business
Business 216 – Business Ethics
Communication 101 – Public Speaking
English 305 – Business Writing
English 400 – Advanced Rhetoric
History 323 – The Western Legal Tradition
Math 203 – Introduction to Statistics
Philosophy 104 – Introduction to Ethics
Philosophy 203 – Logic
Philosophy 318 – Political and Legal Philosophy

Chapman University also has an active Pre-Law Society, which sponsors pre-law related events on campus to better inform students about law school admissions, preparation for the LSAT, and careers within the legal field.