Pre-law pathway
Earlham’s specialized advising pathway in pre-law attracts many students who are interested in a career in law. Students who expect to attend law school after receiving their B.A. should know that the best law schools welcome students who have had the sort of broad liberal arts education that Earlham offers.
Many Earlham students attend law school after graduating from Earlham, and are now enjoying successful legal careers after having majored in diverse fields such as politics, philosophy, English, history and economics (to name a few).
According to HEDS, Earlham is ranked in the 89th percentile among institutions of higher learning in the U.S. in the percentage of graduates who go on to receive doctorates in law.
Pre-Law Advising Pathway
Earlham offers a challenging undergraduate education in a variety of majors that prepare you for entry into law school. Like most colleges and universities, Earlham does not offer a major or minor specifically called ‘pre-law,’ because there is no single path to a legal education.
Students may choose to major in subjects considered to be traditional preparation for law school, such as history, English, philosophy, politics, public policy or economics. However, successful candidates come from every discipline, which means students won’t hurt their chances by studying art, music or science. Instead of fixating on a specific major, we encourage students to pursue an area of study that interests and challenges them.
An Earlham education is well-designed to prepare students to excel in law school because we emphasize developing research and writing skills. To succeed in their legal education and as legal professionals, students must have exceptionally well-honed abilities in these critical areas.
The day-to-day work of practicing attorneys is overwhelmingly dedicated to conducting legal research and writing various legal documents, ranging from briefs to contracts to wills. The best attorneys are those who also have the skills necessary to develop complex legal arguments to support their clients’ interests.
At Earlham, much of our curriculum is dedicated to developing these competencies. This begins in the first year, as students complete Earlham Seminar I and II. While these seminars introduce students to successful participation in a learning community and encourage new ways of engaging with and understanding the world, they also begin the process of teaching students to construct scholarly arguments effectively and write persuasively.
The foundation laid by these seminars is built upon in upper-level writing-intensive and research-intensive courses, which are found within every major at the college. Finally, the curriculum is rounded off with the Senior Capstone Experience, where most students have an opportunity to take on a lengthy research paper that hones skills gained during their four years. By the time our students leave campus, these various components of their Earlham education have prepared them for successful legal research and writing.
Several courses within the college’s overall curriculum can help students decide whether attending law school is a good decision. These include classes on the basic structure of the American legal system, our system of mass incarceration, and judicial politics.
Students can examine major court decisions, the structure of the nation’s legal system, and the theoretical and philosophical assumptions about the law. They can also gain additional skills and knowledge important for law school success, including critical reading and thinking, verbal communication, collaborative work, and perhaps most importantly, an understanding of key social justice issues.
By navigating the recommended courses and taking advantage of opportunities for legal internships, students will also be in an excellent position to decide whether to pursue a law degree after completing their undergraduate education.
Students considering law school should plan on speaking to the pre-law advisor to find out what courses are currently being offered that will help them in their discernment process.