Pre-Law Minor
BROCHURES DESCRIBING THIS PROGRAM ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH CAS ADVISING, GENERAL ADVISING, PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS, AND THE PRE-LAW COORDINATOR!
This 21 hour Pre-Law Interdisciplinary Minor allows exposure to a variety of skills identified as crucial to success in the study of law and a variety of legal career settings. Skills such as written and oral communication, critical thinking, logic, analytical skills, problem solving, self-development, and citizenship are useful for the study of law, and have been recommended as areas of study by the Law School Admission Council. The Pre-Law Interdisciplinary Minor allows you to structure a minor outside of your identified major that further readies you for the rigors of a legal education. The Pre-Law Interdisciplinary Minor allows you to select from courses in over 15 departments at SIUE identified as building those critical skills. The acquisition and integration of knowledge and skills from a variety of departments across campus can enhance your overall experience at SIUE, and bring you into contact with other Pre-Law students. All students declaring the Pre-Law Interdisciplinary Minor will be encouraged to become active in the Pre-Law Association, a student organization here at SIUE.
Whether law school is your ultimate goal, this Interdisciplinary Minor can spark your interest in justice issues. You may take no more than two courses from a specific department to fulfill the minor requirements, and must take a minimum of four courses at either the 300 or 400 level here at SIUE to successfully complete the minor. Many of the identified Pre-Law courses also meet the requirements of the Lincoln General Education Plan, so this Interdisciplinary Minor can easily fit within your four year undergraduate degree program.
PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS :
The strength of SIUE's Pre-Law Interdisciplinary Minor is the collaboration between academic departments, representing a unique set of courses available to you to help you build necessary skills to pursue the study of law or justice. Participating departments include (in alphabetical order);
Accounting
Anthropology
Construction
Economics
English Language & Literature
Environmental Science
Historical Studies
Mass Communications
Mathematics & Statistics
Philosophy
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology & Criminal Justice Studies
Speech Communication
Theater & Dance
ADMISSION AND RETENTION REQUIREMENTS
Students must meet the following prerequisites in order to declare the Pre-Law Interdisciplinary Minor:
1. Grade of C or better in ENG 102 and RA 101.
During their course of 21 hours of study for the Pre-Law Interdisciplinary Minor, students must:
1. Earn a Grade of C or better in all Pre-Law Interdisciplinary Minor coursework;
2. Take no more than two courses from a specific department to fulfill the requirements of the Minor.
3. Take a minimum of four courses at either the 300 or 400 level at SIUE in order to successfully complete the Minor.
4. Complete one required introductory course to the Minor: CJ 348/PHIL 348/POLS 392, Law and Society, with a Grade of C or better.
5. Select one course from each of the five skill set areas: Written Communication; Oral Communication; Critical Thinking, Quantitative Reasoning, Logic; Principles of Law; and Theory or Application of Law. The Pre-Law Interdisciplinary Coordinator and the CAS Pre-Law Advisors have a complete listing of the potential courses which meet these requirements.
6. Select one Elective Course from over 25 courses from 15 departments.
Students should note that you may be able to select courses which satisfy both the requirements of the Pre-Law Interdisciplinary Minor and General Education requirements. In addition, some IS (or Interdisciplinary Studies courses) may also satisfy the elective option. The Pre-Law Interdisciplinary Minor Coordinator can help.
WHY SELECT A PRE-LAW INTERDISCIPLINARY MINOR?
There are a variety of legal career opportunities which you may want to consider. Some students may pursue a law school education earning a Juris Doctorate degree (J.D.) (an additional three years post baccalaureate degree from SIUE) in order to practice law in any number of capacities. Areas such as corporate, probate, civil, criminal (either from the defense or prosecution perspective), patent law, employment, housing, discrimination, products liability, medical malpractice, or public interest law are just a few of the potential career paths. Other students may wish to consider legal research, legal assistants, or paralegal work in and around law firms, court houses, and local, state and federal agency opportunities. Still others may choose to put this education to use by running for public office, or working in local, state or federal government.
WHO DO I CONTACT FOR INFORMATION, INCLUDING A COMPLETE LISTING OF COURSES WHICH COUNT TOWARD THE PRE-LAW INTERDISCIPLINARY MINOR?
- Tim Kalinowski - Pre-Law Coordinator and Mentor
- tkalino@siue.edu
Brian Hinterscher , CAS Pre-Law Advising
1315 Peck Hall
618.650.5225, or bhinter@siue.edu
TO SEE A COPY OF THE PRE-LAW INTERDISCIPLINARY MINOR BROCHURE, CLICK HERE!
HERE ARE THE CLASSES THAT COMPRISE THE PRE-LAW INTERDISCIPLINARY MINOR:
