Prelaw Program

The Prelaw Program at Slippery Rock University prepares students for a career in the legal field. This University-wide program is designed to assist undergraduate, graduate, and alumni interested in law school and is open to students of any major.

The Prelaw Program coordinator is available to advise SRU students and alumni in the law school admissions process and help with personal statements, choosing the best law school, deciding whether law school is the right choice, financing legal education, and more. Prelaw advisors are also available to assist students in academic advising and course selection that will best prepare them for law school.

Prelaw students at SRU are connected through the Law Society on CORE that provides information to students on events, scholarships, internship opportunities, and more.

The SRU Prelaw program has a great record of placing students in their first choice law schools, but the focus is on ensuring students are prepared to succeed once they enter law school. Check out the student testimonials for more specific information about student success stories.

Pre-Professional 3+3 Agreements

SRU has also entered into early admission agreements with three law schools, which allows students to complete their undergraduate degree and their law school degree in six years rather than the normal seven years.

Fast Facts for All Students

Students choose the specific law school Junior Year
Thirty credits earned in the student’s first year of law school will transfer back to SRU to complete requirements for their undergraduate degree.
Students must meet all major and Rock Studies requirements at SRU by the end of their junior year.
Students must take their LSAT during their Sophomore year
Students must obtain at least 90 credit hours in their first three years
Students must meet with their prelaw advisor regularly at SRU to ensure satisfactory progress
At any time, students may choose to opt out of the 3+3 early admissions program and complete their undergraduate degree at SRU and apply to law school during their senior year.

University of Pittsburgh Law School

Students must obtain at least a 3.5 QPA at SRU
Students must apply to the University of Pittsburgh Law School in their junior year, acceptance is not guaranteed
Students must meet with the Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid during their sophomore year

Widener University Law School

Students must obtain at least a 3.0 QPA in every semester at SRU
Law school application fees are waived
Students who meet the GPA and LSAT score at or above the median for Widener’s prior entering class will be granted automatic admission as long as there are no character or fitness issues that would disqualify them
Applications received after March 31^st will be considered, but admission is not guaranteed

Duquesne University Kline School of Law

Students must apply in the Fall Semester of their junior year
Students must obtain at least a 3.5 QPA at SRU
Students must achieve an LSAT score in the 60^th percentile
Students must schedule and complete an interview with the Dean of Admissions at Duquesne University Kline School of Law during their junior year after taking their LSAT
Students must obtain a recommendation from a selection committee appointed by the Provost at SRU and the Dean of Admissions at Duquesne University Kline School of Law

Law School Preparation

Prelaw students at SRU choose their own major and are encouraged to fill their liberal studies courses with classes that provide great critical thinking, logical reasoning, writing, and reading comprehension skills.

American Bar Association:

The Prelaw Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar acknowledges that there are many different paths that can lead one a student to law school. The Committee "does not recommend any undergraduate major or group of courses to prepare for a legal education"; however, the committee has listed core skills and values, and significant bodies of knowledge that provide a core foundation for a legal education. These include the following:

Analytic/problem solving skills
Critical reading abilities
Writing skills
Oral communication and listening abilities
General research skills
Task organization and management skills
The values of serving others and promoting justice

General knowledge includes the following:

A broad understanding of history, including the various factors (social, political, economic, and cultural) that have influenced the development of our society in the United States
A fundamental understanding of political thought and of the contemporary American political system
Some basic mathematical and financial skill, such as an understanding of basic pre-calculus mathematics and an ability to analyze financial data
A basic understanding of human behavior and social interaction
An understanding of diverse cultures within and beyond the United States, of international institutions and issues, of world events, and of the increasing interdependence of the nations and communities within our world

Law Society

Law Society is the student organization of prelaw students and students interested in careers in a legal field. Students in Law Society travel to law school fairs, visit law schools to tour and sit in on law classes, invite speakers to campus, sponsor webinars concerning the law school admissions process, and administer practice LSAT exams to prepare students.

SRU prelaw students have attended Law Schools Fairs at Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh, Howard University in Washington, D.C., and in Philadelphia, PA.

The Prelaw Program and Law Society sponsored the following activities:

Invited Speakers:

Judge Jean Wright
General Assembly Representative Jared Gibbons
Kirk Bloodsworth, first person exonerated from death row by DNA evidence, presented, "Charged, Convicted, Sentenced to Death, Innocent"
Butler County ADA Ben Simons
SRU alum and attorney Paul DiTomasso
Attorney Matt Kavasic
Butler County public defender's office
Widener Law School
University of Pennsylvania-Dickinson
Duquesne University

Law Society has toured the following law schools:

Cleveland Marshall
Howard University
Duquesne University
University of Pittsburgh
West Virginia University
University of Pennsylvania-Dickinson
Temple University
Drexel University

Speaking Events and Trips:

Visit to Butler County District Attorney's office and Butler County jail to observe trials, speak with Assistant District Attorney Ben Simon, and tour the county jail
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at Duquesne University Law School
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Pittsburgh

Prelaw Program Coordinator and Webinar Presentations:

Expert Advice for Law School Applicants
Career Options and Market Outlook for Attorneys
Insights into the Law School Admissions and Financial Aid Process
Preparing for the LSAT
Tips for Strengthening Your Law School Application
Law School Financing
Creating a Roadmap for Freshmen and Sophomores Considering Law School
Writing Your Perfect Personal Statement
Crafting Your Best Personal Statement
Cracking the LSAT
Career Options After Law School
Expert Advice for Writing Your Law School Personal Statement
Is Law School the Best Choice for You?

Internships

SRU prelaw students have been placed in a number of legal internships, including the following offices:

Butler County District Attorney's Office
Washington County Court of Common Pleas
California State Assembly Member Rocky Chavez
DNC Regional Field Organizer
Organizing for America
Wayne H. Hundertmark Law Office
Stepanian and Menchyk Law Offices

Student Testimonials

Tierney Peprah Profile Tierney Peprah,
SRU Class of 2013, Political Science and Philosophy double major
Class of 2016, University of Maryland School of Law

I decided I wanted to be a lawyer toward the end of my freshman year at SRU. When I made that decision I was without a framework of where to start. Up to that point I had not known any legal professionals who could give me direction. I changed my major to Political Science and Philosophy, and began learning much of what it would take to gain admissions to law school, as well as the academic background to apply to a legal education. My prelaw advisers at SRU advised me on what classes to take to enhance my critical thinking skills, offered me advice on the law school application process, gave me references, and also gave me feedback on my law school admissions essays. Because of the guidance I received from the Prelaw program at SRU I was able to gain admission to the University of Maryland School of Law. This year I graduated from law school, enrolled in a Masters of Law degree program at Loyola University School of Law in Chicago, and passed the New Jersey Bar.

Zach Coblentz
SRU Class of 2015, Criminology major, Political Science minor
Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Houston, TX Class of 2019

I went to Dr. Frederick's office and told her I was thinking about going to law school. She told me to rearrange my work schedule so I could take the Constitutional Law class. That was most solid advice I received at SRU, because after taking that class I was sure I would go to law school. Dr. Frederick helped me through the process of getting an internship, a scholarship, and applying to law schools. I am extremely grateful for her help and encouragement while at SRU and after I graduated.

SRU students have been admitted to a number of regional and national law schools, including the following:

Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Cleveland, OH
Cleveland Marshall School of Law, Cleveland, OH
Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
Duquesne University Law School, Pittsburgh, PA
Loyola University, Chicago, IL
Pennsylvania State University: Dickinson, Carlisle, PA
Pennsylvania State University: University Park, University Park, PA
Stetson University School of Law, Tampa Bay, FL
Temple University School of Law, Philadelphia, PA
Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX
University of Charleston School of Law, Charleston, SC
University of Maryland School of Law, Baltimore, MD
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Pittsburgh, PA
University of Richmond School of Law, Richmond, VA
University of Toledo College of Law, Toledo, OH
Villanova University School of Law, Philadelphia, PA
West Virginia University Law School, Morgantown, WV