Preparing for Law School at SJC:
The Pre-Law Committee of the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar notes, "The ABA does not recommend any undergraduate majors or group of courses to prepare for a legal education. Students are admitted to law school from almost every academic discipline. You may choose to major in subjects that are considered to be traditional preparation for law school, such as political science, history, English, philosophy, economics or business, or you make focus your undergraduate studies in areas as diverse as art, music, science and mathematics, computer science, engineering, nursing or education. Whatever major you select, you are encouraged to pursue an area of study that interests and challenges you, while taking advantage of opportunities to develop your research and writing skills. Taking a broad range of difficult courses from demanding instructors is excellent preparation for legal education."
In this spirit, the pre-law program is not under the direct charge of any single department but a Pre-Law Advisor is available for consultation with individual students. Students interested in attending law school are strongly encouraged to discuss course selection, and preparing for admission to law school, with the Pre-Law Advisor. This should be done as early as the freshman year.
Saint Joseph's College students have been admitted to some of the finest law schools in the United States. These include: University of Chicago, Harvard, Indiana University, New York University, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Washington University, and William and Mary.
Following their graduation from law school, our students have succeeded in obtaining prestigious clerkships at both the federal and state levels. These clerkships are as follows: United States Supreme Court; United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; Indiana Supreme Court; and the Iowa Supreme Court.
Further information about pre-law at Saint Joseph's College can be obtained from the College's Pre-Law Advisor, Dr. Jody Taylor Watkins, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Sociology. Professor Watkins can be contacted at jwatkins@saintjoe.edu.
