Pre-Law, Minor
A minor in Pre-Law will provide students from across disciplines the opportunity to enrich their intellectual pursuits through the study and application of law and its impact on society. Particular emphasis will be placed on legal principles and terminology, critical thinking and the development of legal research and writing skills. This minor will be an appropriate choice for students who are majoring in or planning to work in fields that are affected by legal regulation and who are interested in attending law school or pursuing graduate studies. These courses are not mandatory for law school admission and do not guarantee admission to or success in law school or other graduate programs. The American Bar Association maintains that there is no prescribed set of undergraduate courses that prepare students for law school.
Learning Objectives of the Pre-Law Minor
- To apply critical thinking and reasoning to the analysis of legal and societal issues
- To provide students with fundamental knowledge of legal principles and terminology
- To emphasize the development of students’ legal research and writing abilities
To fulfill a minor in Pre-Law, students must complete a minimum of 18 semester hours of coursework with 12 hours upper-division. Depending on a student’s major, a student pursuing a minor in Pre-Law might exceed the total number of attempted hours that can be applied toward financial aid. Students must submit to the Office of the Registrar a minor application along with the degree graduation application by the published graduation application deadline. Minors may only be awarded in conjunction with a baccalaureate degree. Minors will not be awarded after the baccalaureate degree has been posted to the academic transcript.
A grade of "C" or higher is required in all courses in the minor. At least two upper-division (3000-4000 level) courses in the minor must be completed at Clayton State University to fulfill residency requirements. Courses used to fulfill Area A - E of the core curriculum cannot be applied to the minor.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Division Required Courses | 6 | |
| Introduction to Law & Ethics | ||
| Legal Research & Writing | ||
| Upper Division Required Courses | 6 | |
| LGST 4910 | Pre-Law and Lawyering Skills | 3 |
| POLS 4425 | Constitutional Law I: Institut 1 | 3 |
| or POLS 4426 | Constitutional Law II: Civil L | |
| or LGST 3220 | Judicial Process | |
| Upper Division Electives | 3 | |
| Choose two from the following: | 3 | |
| ENGL 3210 | Advanced Grammar | 3 |
| ENGL 3220 | Argumentative Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 3230 | Practical Grammar | 3 |
| HIST 3120 | Establishment-US 1607-1800 | 3 |
| Any one-two 3000-4000 level LGST course(s) | ||
| Any one 3000-4000 level PHIL course | ||
| POLS 4425 | Constitutional Law I: Institut | 3 |
| POLS 4426 | Constitutional Law II: Civil L | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 18 | |