Pre-Law at JMU
Dr. David K. Jeffrey, Director
Dean, College of Arts & Letters
http://caal.jmu.edu/prelaw
The ABC’s
And then some
A. Four undergrad years leading to
a degree.
B. Three years of law school leading
to a J.D.
C. ANY undergrad major.
D. Popular majors include: business, English, history, political science,
psychology
E. BUT … a recent W&L first-year class included majors in Latin,
music, chemistry, education, philosophy, art, e.g.
Undergrad Majors
Specific
majors with
at least
1,000
applicants
Selected
other majors
2001 Applicants to ABA
Approved Law Schools
Major
Applicants % of Total % Admitted
Political Science
12,513
16.2%
71.1%
History
5,154
6.7%
76.0%
English
5,109
6.6%
75.3%
Psychology
4,329
5.6%
72.1%
Criminal Justice
3,227
4.2%
51.7%
Economics
2,450
3.2%
77.9%
Sociology
2,126
2.8%
63.6%
Communications
2,028
2.8%
68.0%
Business Administration
1,920
2.5%
60.3%
Finance
1,914
2.5%
71.8%
Accounting
1,765
2.3%
67.8%
Philosophy
1,520
2.0%
80.4%
Biology, General
1,486
1.9%
76.8%
Business Management
1,317
1.7%
58.0%
International Relations
1,239
1.7%
72.7%
Biology, Specialization
548
0.7%
79.7%
Chemistry, General
460
0.6%
78.8%
Environmental Science
436
0.6%
76.6%
Mathematics
303
0.4%
76.2%
Computer Science
204
0.3%
72.1%
Physics
138
0.2%
84.8%
Core Skills And Values That Provide
A Solid Foundation For Legal Education*
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Analytic And Problem-Solving Skills
Critical Reading Abilities
Writing Skills
Oral Communication And Listening Skills
General Research Skills
Task Organization And Management Skills
Values Of Serving Others And Promoting Justice
General Knowledge
a. Broad Understanding of History
b. Fundamental Understanding of Political Thought
c. Basic Mathematical and Financial Skills
d. Understanding of Diverse Cultures
*Report of the American Bar Association Task Force On Law Schools And
The Profession
JMU Courses To Consider
General Education Courses
•
GBUS 160. Business Decision Making In A Modern Society
•
GCOM 121. Fundamental Human Communication: Presentations
•
GCOM 122. Fundamental Human Communication: Individual
Presentations
•
GCOM 123. Fundamental Human Communication. Group
Presentations
•
GHIST 150. Critical Issues In Recent Global History
•
GHUM 102. God, Meaning And Morality
•
GJUST 225. Justice And American Society
•
GPHIL 120 Critical Thinking
•
GPOSC 223. U.S. Government
•
MATH 103. The Nature of Mathematics
Courses for Majors and Minors
Business Law:
BLAW 314. Real Estate Law
BLAW 470. Financial Products: Regulation And Protection
BLAW 495. Contract Law, Sales And Secure Transactions
BLAW 497. Aspects Of International Business
College Of Business
COB 218. Legal Environment Of Business
Communication Studies
SCOM 231. Introduction To Alternative Dispute Resolution
SCOM 240. The Process Of Human Communication
SCOM 242. Presentational Speaking
SCOM 331. Communication And Conflict
SCOM 332. Mediation
SCOM 431. Legal Communication
Economics
ECON 222. Contemporary Economic Issues And Policy Alternatives
English
ENGL 299. Writing About Literature
ENGL 396. Advanced Composition
Courses for Majors and Minors
Justice Studies
JUST 200. Introduction To Justice Studies
JUST 210. Crime And Criminal Justice
JUST 212. Theories Of Crime And Criminal Justice
JUST 221. Social Justice Theories
JUST 332. Understanding Violence
JUST 323. Comparative Criminal Justice
JUST 324. Death Penalty
JUST 326. Victimology
JUST 327. Criminal Law
JUST 372. Ethics And International Politics
Philosophy
PHIL 250. Introduction To Symbolic Logic
PHIL 270. Introduction To Ethics
PHIL 310. Symbolic Logic
PHIL 315. Logic And Legal Reasoning
PHIL 325. Crime, Punishment And Justice
PHIL 335. The Individual, The State, And Justice
PHIL 367. Topics In The Philosophy Of Law
Courses for Majors and Minors
Information Analysis
IA 200. Introduction Of National Security Inteligence
IA 210. Introduction To Global Competitive Intelligence
Political Science
POSC 230. International Relations
POSC 302. State And Local Government
POSC 325. Constitutional Law
POSC 326. Civil Rights
POSC 386. The U.S. Judiciary
POSC 395. International Law
Psychology
PSYC 250. Introduction To Abnormal Psychology
PSYC 255. Abnormal Psychology For Law Enforcement Personnel
PSYC 312. Forensic Psychology
PSYC 314. Police Psychology
PSYC 316. Human Development And Crime
Courses for Majors and Minors
Public Policy And Administration
PPA 200. Introduction To Public Policy
PPA 415. Legal Environment Of Public Administration
Social Work
SOWK 330. Corrections
Sociology
SOCI 325. Criminology
SOCI 327. Juvenile Delinquency
Spanish
SPAN 360. Law Enforcement Spanish
SPAN 370. Legal Spanish
Writing, Rhetoric And Technical Communication
WRTC 250. Ethical And Legal Issues In Technical And Scientific Communication
WRTC 311. Rhetorical Analysis
WRTC 320. Writing In The Public Sphere
WRTC 411. Legal Writing
PRE-LAW SOCIETY
PHI ALPHA DELTA
Deans of Admissions
Financial Officers
Lawyers
KAPLAN
LSAT Practice Tests
Average LSAT Scores and GPA’s
Of JMU Students and Alumni
Accepted at Selected Law
Schools, Fall of 2008
Schools
American University
Appalachian School of Law
Catholic University
Florida Coastal University
George Mason University
Hofstra University
Penn State - Dickinson
Temple University
University of Alabama
University of Arizona
University of Pittsburgh
University of Richmond
University of Virginia
Wake Forest
Washington and Lee
West Virginia University
William and Mary
LSAT
160
150
156
150
164
159
156
164
161
160
160
159
167
161
163
157
165
GPA
3.51
3.19
3.31
3.30
3.60
3.30
3.46
3.51
3.40
3.30
3.59
3.49
3.87
3.45
3.52
3.39
3.52
For helpful links and
information about
law schools and the
process of applying
to them, go to the
Pre-Law Website:
http://caal.jmu.edu/
PreLaw
Law Schools That Admitted
The Most JMU Students
2008-09 Academic Year
American University
4 students Thomas Jefferson School of Law
5 students
Appalachian School of Law
6 students University of Baltimore
8 students
Catholic University
8 students University of Miami
4 students
Charleston College
7 students University of Richmond
8 students
Florida Coastal School
14 students University of Virginia
4 students
George Mason University
4 students Washington and Lee
4 students
Hofstra University
4 students West Virginia University
4 students
New England School
7 students Widener University
8 students
New York Law School
7 students William and Mary Law School
4 students
Penn State - Dickinson
4 students
Other Schools
Two or three JMU
students were admitted
to these schools:
Albany
Arizona State
Brooklyn
California Western
Campbell
Cleveland State
Cornell
Duke
Emory
Florida State
Fordham
Georgia State
John Marshall
Michigan State—Detroit
North Carolina Central
Northeastern
Notre Dame
Pace
Quinnipiac
Rutgers-Camden
Rutgers-Newark
Suffolk
Syracuse
Thomas M. Cooley
University of Alabama
University of Arizona
University of Arkansas
University of Dayton
University of District of
Columbia
University of Florida
University of Iowa
University of Maine
University of Nebraska
University of North Carolina
University of Oregon
University of South Carolina
University of Tulsa
Valparaiso
Vanderbilt
Villanova
Wake Forest
Acceptance Rate
•
•
•
Last year, 165 JMU students or
alums applied to law school.
118 were accepted to one or more
law schools.
Our acceptance rate is 72%.
Getting into Law School
•
•
80% of getting into law
school depends on two
numbers, your LSAT score
and your GPA.
20% has to do with your
recommendations, personal
statement, extra-curricular
activities, internships or
summer employment in law
firms or law-related
businesses.
GPA
(Grade Point
Average)
3.0 is a B average
The LSAT
• Three and one-half hour test
• Given in February, June, October, December.
• Four Parts
•2 Logical Reasoning
•1 Reading Comprehension
•1 Analytical Reasoning
• Scores
•120-180
• Breakdown of most recent scores:
•150,633 students took the test.
•.06% scored 175-180 (i.e., 904 students)
•2.4% scored 170-174 (i.e., 3,612 students)
•19.5% scored 160-180 (i.e., 30,120 students)
•Mean Score: 152.6
•Average UGPA: 3.26
Sample Question
The crux of creativity resides in the ability to manufacture variations on a theme.
If we look at the history of science, for instance, we see that every idea is built upon a
thousand related ideas. Careful analysis leads us to understand that what we choose
to call a new theme or a new discovery is itself always and without exception some
sort of variation, on a deep level, of previous themes.
If all of the statements in the passage are true, each of the following must also be
true EXCEPT:
(A) A lack of ability to manufacture a variation on a previous theme connotes a
lack of creativity.
(B) No scientific idea is entirely independent of all other ideas.
(C) Careful analysis of a specific variation can reveal previous themes of which it
is a variation.
(D) All great scientific discoverers have been able to manufacture a variation on
a theme.
(E) Some new scientific discoveries do not represent, on a deep level, a variation
on previous themes.
Law School Curriculum
First Year Law Courses,
All Normally Required
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Civil Procedure
Contracts
Torts
Property
Criminal Law
Constitutional Law
Legal Research and Writing
Second and Third Year Courses
•
•
•
•
Primarily Electives
Moot Court
Mock Trial
Law Review
Law School Specialties
• Corporate Law
• Antitrust Law
• Intellectual Property
Law
• Family Law
• Tax Law
• Labor Law
• Criminal Law
• Public Interest Law
• International Law
• Securities Law
• Environmental Law
• Real Estate Law
• Tort Law
• Sports Law
• Entertainment Law
• Health Services Law
What Do Lawyers Do?






or, Where Will I Work?
The Large Law Firm
• 200 + including Partners and Associates
Small Firms/Solo Practice
Government
• Federal: Justice, Defense, JAG, IRS,
NASA, SEC, Fed, FCC, FTC.
• State/Commonwealth Attorney, state
regulatory agencies (banking, insurance,
securities, public utilities)
Businesses/Corporations
Judicial Clerkships
Others:
• Law Schools, Colleges/Universities, Foundations, Hospitals, Bar
Associations, Consulting Firms.
2004 Law School Survey





42 law schools surveyed
13,000 students across the country
Roughly 30% 1L, 2L, and 3L
Roughly equivalent male and female
Approximately 2/3rds enrolled directly
from undergraduate college or within
1-2 years. (17% enrolled 3-5 years
later; 10%, 6-10 years later; 8% after
10 years.)
2004 Law School Survey





82% rated their law school experience good or excellent
68% spent more than 20 hours per week preparing for class
76% indicated their school stressed the ethical practice of law
82% reported their classes emphasized applying
theory/concept to practical problems
88% said their law school emphasized academic work and
studying
2004 Law School Survey
Education and personal growth
Between 50 and 90% of students reported
these gains from law school:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Acquiring a broad legal education;
Thinking critically and analytically;
Developing legal research skills;
Writing clearly and effectively;
Learning effectively on one’s own;
Speaking clearly and effectively;
Acquiring job- or work-related skills and knowledge;
Understanding oneself.
Where do JMU grads
who become lawyers work?
EVERY STATE IN THE USA.
GREAT BRITAIN.
US AND STATE ATTORNEY GENERALS’ OFFICES.
Where do JMU grads
who become lawyers work?
MAJOR FIRMS IN MAJOR CITIES.
DC:
Williams & Connolly; Skadden; Orrick; Woodley & McGillivary;
Shearman & Sterling; Heller Ehrman; Watt, Tudor, Hoffar &
Fitzgerald; Hogan & Hartson; Sharp & Assoc.; Morgan Lewis; Latham
& Watkins; Morrison & Foerster; Jones Day; Cleary Gottlieb; Kenyon
& Kenyon; Cohn & Marks; Greenberg Trauig; Arent Fox; Ropes &
Gray; Seyfarth Shaw; Reed Smith.
RICHMOND:
Hunton and Williams; McGuire Woods; Saunders Cary &
Pallerson; Williams Mullen; Sands Anderson Marks & Muller; Kutak
Rock.
Where do JMU grads
who become lawyers work?
MAJOR FIRMS IN MAJOR CITIES.
NEW YORK CITY:
Harris Beach; Morgan Lewis, Bernstein Litowitz Berger &
Grossman, O’Melveny & Myers; Cassin Cassin & Joseph.
BOSTON:
Riemer & Braunstein; Morrison Mahoney; Robinson & Cole.
DALLAS
NEW ORLEANS
PHILADELPHIA
ST. LOUIS
SAN DIEGO
Pre-Law at JMU
Dr. David K. Jeffrey, Director
Dean, College of Arts & Letters
http://caal.jmu.edu/prelaw