Philosophy Pre-Law - Certificate

The Department of Philosophy offers a Pre-law Certificate that is primarily guided by the published recommendations of the American Bar Association (A.B.A.).1 The A.B.A. encourages prospective law students to pursue classes that cultivate a set of skills that will enhance the study of law. To this end, Philosophy’s Pre-law Certification requires that students take classes that typically cultivate the A.B.A’s recommended skill set:

  1. Problem Solving involves “courses and other experiences that will engage [students] in critical thinking about important issues, challenge ...  beliefs and improve ... tolerance for uncertainty and criticism.”1
  2. Critical Reading involves “close reading and critical analysis of complex textual material.”1
  3. Writing and Editing involves “preparing original pieces of substantial length and revising written work in response to constructive criticism.  [...] Language is the most important tool of a lawyer, and lawyers must learn how to express themselves clearly and concisely.”1
  4. Oral Communication and Listening involves “the ability to speak clearly and persuasively... and excellent listening skills.”1
  5. Research involves “undertaking a project that requires significant library research and the analysis of large amounts of information obtained from that research.”1

Students pursuing the certificate must enroll through an advisor before completing 105 credit hours.

1 https://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/pre_law.html