Pre-Law
The Undergraduate Program
The pre-law program at SUNY Brockport is not a degree-granting major. We have made a conscious decision not to institute a major in pre-law for several reasons. The most important is that in our discussions with Deans of Admissions from various law schools we have learned that law schools do not want students to major in pre- law. Not unreasonably, law schools believe that teaching students about the law is a job best done by the law schools themselves. What law schools do want is for student to major in fields that stress reading comprehension, analytical skills, logic, critical thinking, and writing and oral communication. Nearly every major at SUNY Brockport will provide exactly that kind of instruction. In addition, SUNY Brockport believes that you should have the flexibility of choosing any major that excites you as you prepare for law school. Students perform better when they major in fields that interest them and maintaining a high grade point average is key to getting into the law school of your choice.
What the pre-law program at SUNY Brockport does is introduce students to law, the legal profession, and help develop key foundation skills, enabling them to make a more informed choice about a legal career. In addition, the program helps students prepare so they have a better chance of being accepted into law school and of succeeding in their legal studies and career.
Recommended Courses
- PLS 320 Introduction to Legal Studies
- PLS 324 Constitutional Law I
- PLS 326 Constitutional Law II
- PLS 320 Law and Legal Process
- PLS 490 Moot Court Seminar
- CRJ 305 Adjudication Process
- CRJ 311 Criminal Law
- CRJ 455 Legal Traditions
- CRJ 475 Legal and Justice Research Methods
- CRJ 495 Law and Evidence
- BUS 375 Business Law I
- BUS 376 Business Law II
- ENL 305 Advanced Composition
- PHL 104 Critical Thinking
- PHL 202 Logic (This class will help sharpen critical thinking and writing skills, which are essential for law students and lawyers)
Legal Internship: Every student in the pre-law program will participate in a legal internship program. This experiential requirement is designed to insure that students gain insights into the practice of law. Before committing yourself to law school you should have a realistic understanding of the requirements of a legal practice.
Co-curriculum Activities
SUNY Brockport negotiated a special reduced-cost fee with Kaplan for our students. In addition, the Provost and Dean of Letters and Sciences have each agreed to rebate $100 dollars to students who take the Kaplan class and meet certain requirements. This campus-wide effort to ensure that students are able to afford preparatory classes is evidence of the deep commitment of SUNY Brockport to insure that those of our students who wish to go to law school are able to do so.
Law Related Social Activities
The pre-law social activities include events such as our annual Law Day celebration. Although events vary from year to year, a typical Law Day includes visits from Brockport alumni who are currently practicing attorneys and others who are in law school. We have also had panels with Deans of admissions from various law schools and representatives from the many law offices where we place interns. Other social activities include our new “Court TV in the Dorms” nights in which professors and students get together to view an episode of Court TV and discuss the proceedings. We also have an active pre-law club run by students.
Campus Pre-Law Advisor
SUNY Brockport has a campus Pre-Law Advisor who will be available to assist you throughout your entire undergraduate experience. If you plan to visit school and would like to set up a meeting with the pre law advisor send an email to Dr. Chadsey at mchadsey@brockport.edu, or contact me at (585) 395-2320. Check out our pre- law web site here.You should feel very confident that in choosing SUNY Brockport you are selecting a university that will do an exceptional job of preparing you for law school.