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Pre-Law

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Be an Agent of Change, Justice, and Fundamental Rights

The practice of law is an ancient tradition, one that thousands of F&M alumni have gone on to thrive in. By engaging as a pre-law student at F&M, you’ll be distinctly prepared to navigate the legal profession and make a difference to the world around you.

About Legal Professions Advising: Pre-Law

The pre-law program is offered through F&M’s Legal Professions Advising as a supplement to your chosen major. While you won’t declare this major until your sophomore year, your pre-law advising experience will begin the moment you step on campus. As a pre-law student, you’ll enjoy guidance on which courses to take and specialized programming, resources, and more to help you develop the skills and experiences you need to be a competitive applicant to the nation’s top law schools.

Law School Admission Test (LSAT) Preparation

If you plan to attend law school after graduating from F&M, you will need to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). The LSAT is a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council and is a key factor in law school admission decisions. With the help of Legal Professions Advising at OSPGD, you can prepare for this exam with a recommended study timeline, customized study and preparation strategies, test preparation resources, and guidance on test registration.

Law School Application Support

We will guide you through each step of the law school application process, including the timeline and the required materials for each institution you choose to apply to.

Internships and Fellowships

Gaining hands-on experience now will allow you to explore law prior to entering the field and help you build your portfolio to gain a competitive advantage. We encourage you to work with F&M’s Office of Student and Post-Graduate Development (OSPGD) to search for and land opportunities. Pre-law students also have access to two funded internships: 

Thomas J. Tourish Memorial Endowed Fund Internship

The Thomas J. Tourish Memorial Endowed Fund Internship enables two F&M students to work as interns during the summer with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C. The fund was established by Deborah L. Dokken, P’11, and honors her late husband, Thomas J. Tourish, Jr. P’11. The fund’s goal is to advance Tourish’s dedication to the law and public service.

Steinwurtzel Environmental and Legal Fellowship at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation

The Steinwurtzel Environmental and Legal Fellowship allows an F&M student to work as a paid fellow with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Environmental Protection and Restoration Program. The fund was established by Robert Steinwurtzel, Esq., ’75, P’16, and honors Professor Grier Stephenson.

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Research Opportunities

While most undergraduate institutions reserve research opportunities for their graduate students, we want you to engage now — not later. At F&M, you’ll dive into practice and enjoy hands-on experience in and out of the classroom.
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Clubs & Organizations

Clubs and organizations offer a fun and exciting way to get involved while supplementing your academic experience. Pre-law students have several options, including the John Marshall Pre-Law Honor Society and Mock Trial Club.

John Marshall Pre-Law Honor Society

The John Marshall Pre-Law Honor Society is an exclusive, student-based organization that brings together pre-law students to enjoy law-oriented functions and other programming to foster their personal growth and development. 

Mock Trial

In Mock Trial, you will simulate a real trial and work as a team to develop well-planned, competitive case strategies. Mock Trial is a fun way to deepen your knowledge of law, build public speaking skills, and meet other students who share a similar passion.

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Success Beyond F&M

F&M graduates are equipped with exceptional verbal and written communication skills. During their four years here, they learn to think critically and reason logically, construct and respond to evidence-based arguments, and build the habit of recognizing and addressing unresolved problems. 

Graduate School

It is not uncommon for our pre-law students to graduate with an exceptional GPA and LSAT score. In recent years, qualified applicants (3.0 GPA, 154 or better on the LSAT) were accepted to law school at a rate of 99%. They’ve gone on to law school at some of the top institutions in the country, including: 

  • Columbia University School of Law
  • Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law
  • Duke University School of Law
  • Harvard Law School
  • Penn State University, Dickinson Law
  • Roger Williams University School of Law
  • Rutgers Law School
  • University of Pennsylvania Law School 
  • Vanderbilt Law School 
  • Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
  • Yale Law School

Career Paths

Many F&M alumni are leaders in the legal field. They hold positions such as:

  • Attorney
  • Deputy Attorney General
  • District Attorney
  • Federal Judge
  • Federal Prosecutor
  • General Counsel
  • Law Associate
  • Law Clerk
  • Law Professor
  • State Judge
Discover the lasting value of an F&M education »

Student Spotlight

Future Lawyer Expands Her Resume With Hands-on Legal Experience

Senior Morgan Hovan, a math and economics major and pre-law student, was eager to embark on the experiential branch of F&M’s Legal Studies Certificate. “You must either participate in Mock Trial or complete a legal internship. I decided to pursue both to immerse myself in the certificate as much as possible,” she said. Hovan captained one of F&M’s Mock Trial teams and interned in Harrisburg, Pa., for the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General in the Civil Investigator Unit. “I am truly thankful for F&M being able to provide this opportunity,” she said.
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Alumni Spotlight

“I wanted to get involved with something that really made a difference.”

At age six, Erin Maxwell '22 attended her first protest. A passion for civic engagement has followed since. A government and history double major on the pre-law track, Maxwell said, "Coming to F&M, I knew I was going to be a government major from the get-go, and I wanted to get involved with something that really made a difference." Maxwell is eyeing a career in corporate law. She was accepted into Georgetown University Law Center and New York University School of Law.
Read More »

Related Fields of Study

Government

F&M’s Department of Government has earned a reputation as one of the finest in the country. Study government at F&M and examine power, politics, justice, equity, and change while developing skills in language, economics, mathematics and philosophy.

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Legal Studies (Certificate)

This certificate enables you to engage and evaluate legal discourse and argument as informed citizens. Drawing upon exploration of legal doctrines, reasoning, and policies in both public and private law, you will critically examine legal controversies from literary, economic, philosophic, and cultural perspectives.

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Philosophy

Learn to think clearly and creatively about the big questions: the nature of meaning, morality, justice, art, the mind, knowledge, language, and reality. By studying philosophy at F&M, you’ll search for understanding while discovering how to value the reason for an answer as much as the answer itself.

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Beyond Career Services

Legal Professions Advising is offered through F&M’s Office of Student and Post-Graduate Development (OSPGD). Pronounced “os-puh-god,” OSPGD prepares F&M students and graduates for success in every aspect of life beyond college.

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