Program Structure

Pre-Law Minor (24 credits)

We believe that all graduates, whether from the Minor or Certificate, must possess the ability to undertake self-directed intensive research, to be familiar with a wide range of competencies and skills and to be aware of interpretive and methodological applications of their knowledge and skills.

Our pre-law minor is constructed to allow students to acquire a deep knowledge in their chosen Major or Honours and to develop general, transferable skills relevant to careers in law but also other areas. The skills development comes from taking courses that emphasize the competencies required for the LSAT exam which are: Logical Reasoning, Analytical Reasoning, Writing Proficiency and Reading Comprehension.

The courses selected for the minor come from a wide variety of disciplines and students must choose two courses from the list provided for Logical and Analytical Reasoning and three from Writing Proficiency and Reading Comprehension. The courses taken for the minor will serve to augment the competencies acquired through their Major or Honours program and can be taken throughout their years of study. Students must also take the capstone course, which is a course designed with a practical component through which the competencies developed will be applied to some sort of simulated legal problem or situation, such as a mock trial.

In the capstone course, students are able to delve deeper into substantive areas of law, develop their interest and commitment to specific areas of practice, and gain exposure to real-world practice from faculty, alumni, and leaders in particular legal fields. The course would be designed to focus on the history, theory, and practice of the particular field of law – and, if applicable– across disciplinary boundaries.

Pre-Law Certificate (30 credits)

Our pre-law certificate is constructed for graduate students who would like to focus exclusively on the competencies required for the LSAT exam and entry into law school. The certificate can be completed within one year. It requires students to choose a variety of courses from the list provided and within each category. They must also take the capstone course offered in the winter semester.

Sample courses:

SOC 235 Women and the Penal System

PHI 101 Introduction to Logic and Reasoning

Sample capstone courses:

ENG321 Seventeenth Century Poetry and Prose is a course that takes Paradise Lost as its primary text but organizes the course around a trial Satan is prosecuted for Crimes Against Humanity in an International Criminal Court (ICC).

HIS 300 The Law of the Land: Indigenous Treaties with Canada is a course that explores the history of Indigenous/settler relations in Canada through the various treaties that have been signed between the two groups. It includes a mock trial of Crown negotiators on behalf of Canada as brought forward in a complaint by Indigenous representatives.

Ready to join us?

Need more information?

For the complete list of courses and more details, see the Pre-Law program section of the Academic Calendar.

Questions?

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Bruce Gilbert, Program Coordinator
bgilbert@ubishops.ca
819-822-9600 ext. 2075