Pre-Law

Overview

The College of Wooster has a network of Pre-Law advisers committed to assisting students in constructing an appropriate academic program, selecting and applying to law schools, and examining career opportunities in law. The Pre-Law Advising Committee includes both faculty members with interest and experience in law and attorneys in private practice, as well as community and staff members with legal backgrounds. In addition to a network of advisers, Wooster offers a diversified, demanding, and traditional liberal arts curriculum which is most effective in developing the necessary skills to be successful in law school and the legal profession.

Law schools and the American Bar Association point out that there is no correlation between academic major and success in law school. Extremely successful legal careers have been launched by Wooster graduates from a wide variety of academic majors, ranging from history, philosophy, and political science to communication, biology, and economics. Wooster graduates have pursued law degrees at a wide variety of institutions, including Harvard University, Columbia University, Georgetown University, University of Virginia, Ohio State University, Case Western Reserve University, University of Michigan, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and Stanford University. Wooster graduates have gone on to distinguished and successful careers in the judiciary, private practice, corporate counsel, government, academic administration, and public interest work.

The Pre-Law Advising Program provides various sessions that focus upon practical advice for students preparing for law school and a legal career, including such themes as “Considering Law School,” “Applying to Law School,” and “Choosing a Legal Career.” The Program also aids students in their preparation for the LSAT by offering a Mock LSAT on campus.

In addition, the Pre-Law Advising Program sponsors co-curricular programs that expand students’ understanding of law and provide exposure to the legal profession. Wooster has an active Moot Court Program. One of the unique features of the College’s Moot Court Program is that students are guided in their preparation not only by Wooster faculty but also by local attorneys and judges. The Pre-Law Advising Program sponsors “The Bell Lectureship in Law,” an annual lectureship endowed by Jennie M. Bell and Federal Judge Samuel H. Bell (‘47). The purpose of the Bell Lectureship is to engage students, faculty, members of the legal profession, and members of the community in a legal issue that has broad implications for society.

Pre-Professional Advising and Dual-Degree Programs at The College of Wooster

The College of Wooster provides pre-professional advising programs to support and assist students who want to combine the study of the liberal arts with preparation for a specific profession. Professional schools in a variety of fields, from architecture and business to law and medicine, recognize the value of the range of skills that a liberal arts background provides. Wooster students have excellent success in pursuing advanced degrees in architecture, business, engineering, forestry and environmental studies, health care (e.g., dentistry, medicine, nursing, and veterinary medicine), law, seminary studies, and social work.

The pre-professional advising programs at Wooster provide students with advice on the development of an appropriate academic program, co-curricular and volunteer experiences that expand a student’s understanding of a given profession, guidance on summer research opportunities, lectures by leaders in the various professions, and information regarding the process of applying to graduate/professional schools. In addition to the pre-professional advising programs, the College also has established formal cooperative relationships with a number of leading universities to offer dual degree programs.