Information on Choosing Law and the Pre-law Program

Coordinator Susan A. Lentz  J.D., Ph.D.

                My office is Room 108 Leifson Physics, the door with all the law-related information and announcements. My phone number is (775) 784-4701. The best way to contact me is via email at   lentz@unr.edu.

                As noted in my vita, I have both a Juris Doctor, a graduate degree or Doctor of Law, and a Ph.D. or Doctor of Philosophy in History. Although I would not recommend for everyone spending as much of your life ‘in school’ as I have, education is a lifetime experience. As a licensed attorney in Nevada, I complete Continuing Legal Education classes every year. They keep me current and involved in the law. For myself, history and law combine well for the law touches so much of our lives and institutions and history tells us where we and those institutions have been and may be going.

CHOICES AND MORE CHOICES

                As law touches so many aspects of our society, choices in the profession of law are varied and numerous from representing businesses in contract issues to tax law and corporate governance (you all have probably heard of ‘insider trading’) to representing victims of industrial accidents or product malfunction such as manufacture or design errors. In criminal justice, students often think of prosecutors and public defenders, but there are also civil rights attorneys and others who represent victims of crime in the civil courtroom. Most of law, in fact, does not involve the courtroom at all. Lawyers are advocates, researchers, writers, negotiators, mediators, and often counselors. The variety and types of law are vast and you will likely find yourselves pulled in many directions. In fact, after completion of the standard required law school courses, students invariably have difficulty choosing from among the dozens of specialized courses and more ‘hands on’ clinical programs. Such options are something to savor and explore. They may send you directions that you never anticipated.

                And, you should not expect to select just one direction for your entire career. Skills and experiences often lead to new avenues. Not only are there many types or subjects in law but there are opportunities to work a variety of settings from the public sector at the local, state, and federal government levels to the vast private sector of law firms and in-house counsel for businesses or non-profit organizations. 

                A caveat: while a ‘passion for the law’ is not a prerequisite for going to law school, it certainly can make the experience more fun and interesting.

To explore these choices, the American Bar Association is a great source of information and a link is provided here,  www.abanet.org .  The American Bar Association is the largest, national membership organization for attorneys. It accredits laws schools and pursues a variety of activities.

THE CJL PROGRAM     

                As noted on the departmental webpage, our mission is to produce practitioner/philosophers. Nowhere is this more evident than in the law option with an interdisciplinary focus which requires skills-based course work as well as courses in the social sciences, jurisprudence and philosophy of law. This is a rigorous major for students who wish to better understand the context of law in society. You are encouraged to read the required course descriptions provided on the departmental webpage and to explore additional course options. 

                While a minor is not required, CJL students do often select minors for their particular focus either in subjects or areas of personal or career interest or in developing particular skills. Whatever a student’s major, a minor can add breadth and depth to a person’s experience and sometimes lead to new options. 

                It is also important to note that for those students who intend to pursue a career in law that law schools do not recommend any particular major. A student’s course of study is examined for its focus on acquiring skills in critical reading and analytical written communication. In addition, a course of study proving a broad knowledge base is recommended. This is not a matter of picking the ‘easy’ way, as law schools quickly see through that; rather, is it a question of selecting a rigorous course of study that challenges and engages you.

For more information on selecting a pre-law course of study consult the American Bar Association statement on “Preparation for Legal Education” available at the ABA website under the education link to “Getting a Law Degree,”   www.abanet.org/education.html  or by request from the CJL coordinator.