PRE-LAW TRACK
The Association of American Law Schools recommends a general liberal arts education for pre-law students because “many of the goals of legal education are also goals of liberal education.” The Association recommends a Pre-Law curriculum which aims toward these objectives:
- Comprehension and Expression in Words. “The purpose here is to gain both perception and skill in the English language. Language is the lawyer’s working tool. In oral and written advocacy a lawyer must be capable of communicating ideas convincingly and concisely.”
- Education for Critical Understanding of Human Institutions and Values. “The purpose here is to develop insight into, rather than merely information about, the institutions and values with which man is concerned. Lawyers are a force in the operation and shaping of these institutions. They must necessarily gain insight into the nature of man and the physical world, the economic systems of societies, the political organization of societies, the democratic processes in Western Societies, the social structure of societies, and the cultural heritage of Western societies, including Religion, History, Philosophy and Ethics.”
The following statement is taken from a letter sent to college presidents by the Clerk of the Supreme Court of South Carolina.
“The Constitution of South Carolina imposes upon the Supreme Court the responsibility of determining those persons who shall be admitted to the practice of law in this State. In an effort to improve competency on the part of members of the Bar, the Court has provided in its Rules, among other things, that pre-law student advisors in all colleges and universities in South Carolina should be advised that the Court has found the following subjects highly beneficial in taking the bar examination and for the pursuit of a career as an attorney:
- English Composition
- Public Speaking
- United States History
- Accounting
- Economics
- Logic
- Literature
- Political Science
- Philosophy
Students expecting to practice law successfully in South Carolina should be urged to take as many courses as practical in the subjects listed above.” For more information, please contact Dr. Laura Roost, Political Science Program Chair and Pre-Law Advisor.
Recommended Track for Prospective Law School Students:
- The required Core Curriculum courses.
- Law schools accept any major. Newberry College students usually major in one of the following: Business Administration, English, History, or Political Science.
- All prospective law students are strongly urged to take as many of the following courses as possible:
Accounting 210; Communications 370; Business Administration 210; Criminal Justice 310, 312, 314; Economics 210 and 220; English 220, 230, 233, 234, 250, 255, 260, 270, 458; Forensic 212; History 120, 211, 212, 323, and 340; Humanities 250; Mathematics 200; Philosophy 101, 110, 120, 212, 220, 304, 312, 320, 322, 330, and 482; Political Science 121, 222, 228, 262, 310, 343, 348, 450, and 462; Religion 122; Speech 110, 203, 310, and 348; Social Sciences 220 and 230; and Sociology 101, 208, 228, and 308; Sports Management 331
Some of the courses may satisfy Core and/or major requirements.