Declare prelaw

Question

HiWhat does it mean when someone declares oneself prelaw?That he/she wants to study law?

Englishmaven · Accepted Answer

University students have to pick a major (and usually a minor). If a person wants to be an engineer, she will major in engineering. She will declare herself an engineering major.

This is true for undergraduate and graduate degrees. The universities have degree plans (the required courses for the various majors) which the student must follow. The student must take all the courses listed in the degree plan to graduate.

Law school is a kind of graduate school. The law schools have certain entrance requirements (courses students must take and pass in order to attend a law school.) University students who plan to study law need to meet the course requirements, so it is necessary that they declare majors as soon as possible. Many students aren't sure of what field they want to pursue; that is fairly common. Most universities have about 2 years' of general studies (courses almost every student must take to graduate) It is often during these 2 years, that students declare their majors.

Newguest · Answer

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Anonymous · Answer

Law school in the US is a graduate program. There are only two requirements for admission to law school in the US: a bachelor's degree, and the LSAT (Law School Admission Test). The bachelor's degree can be in anything: music, mathematics, art, theater, chemistry, physical education, biology, psychology, etc.

A few colleges in the US have a pre-law major (a major heavy in political science, economics, literature, and other "law-related" courses), so "declaring oneself prelaw" might mean that the person has decided that his undergraduate major will be pre-law.

This might also mean that a student at an undergraduate college with no formal pre-law major has chosen some undergrad major (say, physics, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, etc.), but has also indicated to his academic advisor that he plans to apply to law school after he graduates. This would typically be done at a school that has a pre-law advisor. The pre-law advisor will then be available to offer guidance to the student with respect to the process of applying to law school, and also with things like what courses to choose in his major that will help him in law school (but there are no required undergraduate courses for admission to law school in the US; the LSAT tests general knowledge and reasoning only).

Declare prelaw

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