Pre-Law Program - Kendall College of Arts and Sciences

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Pre-Law Program

The TU Pre-Law Program offers students ample resources to learn about and to prepare for law school and careers in the law. From political science to psychology, students are admitted to law school from almost every academic discipline. You may choose to major in subjects that are considered to be traditional preparation for law school, such as history, English, philosophy, political science, economics or business, or you may focus your undergraduate studies in areas as diverse as art, music, science, mathematics, computer science, engineering, nursing or education. Whatever major you select, you are encouraged to pursue an area of study that interests and challenges you, while taking advantage of opportunities to develop your research and writing skills. Taking a broad range of difficult courses from demanding instructors is excellent preparation for legal education.

Students should not think of pre-legal education as the pursuit of a particular major, or even of specific, law-related courses. Pre-legal preparation involves the selection of a broad range of rigorous courses that emphasize the following skills:

  • Analytical and Problem Solving Skills – Students should seek courses and experiences that challenge their beliefs, engage them in critical thinking about important issues and improve their tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity.
  • Critical Reading Skills – Students should gain substantial experience reading complex textual material closely, analytically and critically.
  • Writing Skills – Students should engage in rigorous and analytical writing, including comprehensive, in-class essay exams and papers of substantial length.
  • Oral Communication and Listening Skills – Students should develop the capacity to speak clearly and persuasively through classroom participation and formal presentations. They should regard lectures and discussions in and out of the classroom as opportunities to develop the ability to understand and contend with competing viewpoints.
  • Research Skills – Students should develop the capacity to conduct significant library research and to analyze the large quantity of information obtained from scholarly investigation.
  • Pre-Law Sessions

    To enable students to make an informed decision regarding the appropriateness of law school and a legal career, the College of Law and the Department of Political Science offer organized sessions and panels every semester on such matters as the law school application process, the law school experience, and careers in the law.

  • The Distinguished Alumni Lectureship in Law and Politics

    This biennial lecture series features graduates of The University of Tulsa who have distinguished themselves in careers in law or politics.  Through informal question and answer sessions, students benefit from the insights of persons who preceded them at the university.  Past lecturers include:

    • Elizabeth Dewey (B.A. 1990), Pro Bono Partner, DLA Piper, and Co-Founder and Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Gender and the Law
    • Jeff Oldham (B.S. B.A. 2000), Partner, Bracewell and Giuliani, Former Counsel to the Attorney General, United States Department of Justice, and Former Law Clerk for William H. Rehnquist, Chief Justice, United States Supreme Court
    • Matthew Wilburn King (B.A. 1998), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of International Activities, United States Department of Commerce
    • Melissa Cox (B.A. 1999), Partner, Jenner & Block, LLP, and Former Law Clerk to the Honorable Stephanie K. Seymour, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
    • Nicholas Carnes (B.A. 2006), Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, and author of White Collar Government: The Hidden Role of Class in Economic Policy Making
    • Suzanne Schreiber (B.A. 1995, J.D. 1999), Special Projects Program Officer of the Tulsa Community Foundation, Board Member and Vice President, Tulsa Public Schools, and Former Law Clerk for Stephanie K. Seymour, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
  • Programs offered

    Arts & Sciences + JD Accelerated Degree

    Through a collaborative program with the College of Law, selected students at the Henry Kendall College of Arts and Sciences can complete their undergraduate degree and a J.D. in six years.

    Business + JD Accelerated Degree

    Through a collaborative program with the College of Law, selected students at the TU Collins College of Business can complete their undergraduate degree and a JD in six years.

  • The Lectureship in Politics and Law

    This biennial lecture series features scholars and political and legal figures of note who speak to matters of interest to pre-law students.  Past lecturers include:

    • Gerald N. Rosenberg, Associate Professor of Political Science and Lecturer in Law, University of Chicago, and author of The Hollow Hope: Can Courts Bring about Social Change?
    • Howard Gillman, Professor of Political Science and Law, University of Southern California, and author of The Votes that Counted: How the Court Decided the 2000 Presidential Election
    • Michael Walzer, The Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton University, and author of Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations
    • William Schabas, Director, Irish Centre for Human Rights, National University of Ireland, Galway, and author of Genocide in International Law: The Crime of Crimes
    • Justice Richard J. Goldstone, Former Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, and Chief Prosecutor of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda
    • Ian Shapiro, Sterling Professor of Political Science, Henry R. Luce Director of the MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies Yale University, and author of The Moral Foundations of Politics
    • Martin Shapiro, James W. and Isabel Coffroth Professor of Law, School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, and author of Law and Politics in the Supreme Court: New Approaches to Political Jurisprudence
    • Dean Baker, Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, Washington, D.C., and author of Getting Back to Full Employment: a Better Bargain for Working People (2013)
  • TU College of Law

    Students considering law school should take advantage of the resources available at The University of Tulsa College of Law. Undergraduates are welcome to speak with admissions counselors, make an appointment to attend a class, utilize the resources in the Mabee Legal Information Center and attend the lectures of jurists and scholars who visit campus throughout the academic year. Students should feel free to contact April Fox, Associate Dean and Director of Admissions, TU College of Law, at april-fox@utulsa.edu.

  • Law Schools Attended by TU Graduates

    TU students have been admitted to many of the best law schools in the country including:

    • Yale University
    • Harvard University
    • Stanford University
    • Columbia University
    • University of Chicago
    • Northwestern University
    • University of Michigan
    • University of Texas – Austin
    • University of Notre Dame
    • University of Pennsylvania
    • Duke University
    • University of Virginia
    • Georgetown University
    • Washington University – St. Louis
    • Vanderbilt University
    • American University
    • Emory University
    • University of Illinois
    • University of Iowa
    • University of Kansas
    • University of Tulsa
    • Saint Louis University
    • Boston College
    • Washington and Lee University