Legal Studies
Pre-Law Advisor: Dr. Paul Kramer, JD, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science
Maclean Hall 354
(218)477-4022
Email: kramerp@mnstate.edu
Click here for more information on MSUM's Legal Studies Degree
MN State University Moorhead offers several options for the student interested in pursuing a legal career, either in a professional or paraprofessional capacity. The student who desires to attend law school and become a practicing attorney, legal scholar, or instructor may wish to consider a more traditional liberal arts curriculum as opposed to a more applied or professional path of study.
Law schools are much less interested in an applicant's specific knowledge of particular subject matter, especially law courses, than they are with an individual's ability to solve problems, read effectively, write convincingly, and communicate complex ideas in a comprehensible manner. The "pre-law school" student is advised to sample from a variety of courses and disciplines, including but not limited to, political science, economics, mathematics, statistics, speech and communications, English, philosophy, history, and sociology. Those students intending to seek admission to law school are strongly encouraged to meet with the pre-law advisor to plan a major and/or general course of study that will best allow them to acquire those skills most prized by law schools and the legal profession.
Admission to law school is a highly competitive process. Admission status will be based on a combination of university grade point average (GPA), results of the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), and, to a lesser degree, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, and breadth of course work. Advice as to the law school admission process, including the LSAT and the specific standards of particular law schools, is available from the pre-law advisor. Students intending to apply to law school should begin planning for this process somewhere between the sophomore and junior years.