Highlights
- The pre-law program provides guidance for all students interested in law, with many benefits that include the option to earn a minor in pre-law by taking specific courses to prepare you for the rigors of law school.
- You will have access to resources designed to help you gain admission to the law school of your choice, with preparation for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), guidance to navigate the application process and more.
- Our pre-law program helps you choose a major that works well with the pre-law minor to give you the critical reading and analytical thinking skills needed for success in law school and your future career.
- While a major in political science or criminal justice is a logical choice for preparing for law school, you will learn how a wide range of disciplines in the liberal arts — from philosophy and religion, to economics, English, and history — are just as effective at preparing you for law school.
- You will work with the College’s pre-law advisor who will provide individualized guidance and advice as you develop a plan of study at IC.
- Through our program, you will have the ability to register with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), a national organization that facilitates the admission process for prospective law students.
- You will have access to resources and mentors to help you carefully research a range of law schools to find a good fit for your interests.
- Illinois College Pre-Law Club is a student-run organization that will bring you together with other students interested in legal careers. The group organizes trips to nearby law schools and sponsors talks and presentations from practicing attorneys.
- Working with staff, you will find the resources to help you secure an internship with a local law firm and connect with lawyers who are leaders in their field, many of them graduates of Illinois College.
- The Illinois College pre-law program regularly takes students to law school forums where you can engage personally with admission representatives from many different law schools.
- Generous scholarships and awards, including the Judge Richard Mills Scholarship and the Richard L. Pratt Memorial Award, support pre-law students. The Roger Huson Endowed Fund for Pre-Law Preparation gives students financial support to prepare for the LSAT.
Outcomes
Illinois College students who participate in our pre-law advising program have a high success rate in securing acceptance to law school. The most popular destinations for alumni from the program remain the law schools at Southern Illinois University and Saint Louis University. In recent years our students have also chosen the University of Michigan, Baylor University, the University of Chicago, American University and Loyola University of Chicago.