A professor speaks to a group of students sitting in the film viewing room with black and white film on the screen over his shoulder.

Pre-Law Studies

Prepare yourself for the rigors of law school

Because the study and practice of law is so diverse, it is difficult to specify any single undergraduate major. The Law School Admission Council notes that law schools prefer "students who can think, read and write well, and who have some understanding of what shapes human experience."

You should select a major that interests and challenges them while furthering their research, writing and presentation skills. Pre-law students often major in Philosophy, Political Science, History, Management, Psychology, English and Sociology, although any major with a judicious selection of electives can prepare a student for success in law school. York College maintains a Pre-Law resource center in the Career Development Center, as well as legal materials in Schmidt Library. The Internet offers access to a wide range of resources suitable for legal studies.

Pre-Law Resource Center Schmidt Library
York College Waldner Performing Arts Center in the fall

Info for Law School

  • Overview

    Choosing a career in law is a challenging and important step. The student should consider all the relevant issues before committing to legal studies. The information outlined below is a basic resource for students contemplating entry into law school. The materials are informed by Law School Admission Council guidelines. For periodic emails about pre-law related information, events, and opportunities, students can register through the Career Development Center.

  • Pre-Law Advising

    To enhance an already elaborate inter-departmental pre-law advising system the college has designated a pre-law coordinator.

    Pre-law students are highly encouraged to consult any member of the Pre-Law Advisory Committee:

    • Kwasi Sarfo, Ph.D., Pre-Law Coordinator, Humanities Center, Room 102, 717.815.1377, ksarfo@ycp.edu
    • Beverly Evans, Assistant Dean, Career Development Center, 717.815.1905, behinger@ycp.edu
    • Dennis Weiss, Ph.D., Humanities Center,  Room 154, 717.815.1513, dweiss@ycp.edu
    • Mike Zerbe, Ph.D., Humanities Center, Room 158. 717.815.1944, mzerbe@ycp.edu
  • Law School Application Procedure

    For information on the Law School Prep Workshop, visit the Career Development Center, Campbell Hall 200. The Center issues a packet that includes a suggested planning guide for pre-law students about course selections and sequencing and the timeline to prepare and register for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).

  • LSAT

    The LSAT is a half-day standardized test administered four times each year at designated testing sites in the United States and around the world. All law schools approved by the American Bar Association and many other law schools require applicants to take the LSAT as part of their admission process. The test consists of five 35-minute sections of multiple-choice questions. Four of the five sections contribute to the test taker’s score. The unscored section is used to pretest new test questions or to preequate new test forms. The placement of this section varies. A 35-minute writing sample is administered at the end of the test. The writing sample is not scored, but copies of the writing samples are sent to all law schools to which the student applies. The LSAT examines in three broad sections:

    • Reading Comprehension
    • Analytical Reasoning
    • Logical Reasoning

    Students should be well prepared before taking the test. The Career Development Center has further information on repeating the test and limitations on test taking and the application process.

    The law school application process begins with registration with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). Most law school candidates learn about the LSAT from the LSAC’s website at LSAC.org. Throughout the year, candidates may register for the LSAT online or by telephone in accordance with the deadlines indicated on LSAC’s website, LSAC.org. Once the candidate registers, a file is created. Candidates may also check the status of their LSAC file online at LSAC.org. For more information on transcript processing, letters of recommendation service, and other evaluation services by the LSAC, visit the LSAC website.

  • Financial Matters and Possible Academic Focus

    Students interested in law school should also focus on the financial implications and how they will finance their law school education. The LSAC has publications about the financial issues in law school education. The information is available on the LSAC website.

    While there is no requirement for a specific major to enroll in law school, a broad based liberal arts curriculum is useful. Students seeking exposure to law courses may consider the Legal Studies minor – an 18 credit interdisciplinary program designed in the Department of History and Political Science and overseen or administered by Kwasi Sarfo, J.D., LL.M, Ph. D, Esq.

  • Recommended Courses

    Students should select a diverse range of courses and electives in conjunction with a major advisor and a pre-law advisor.

    Courses typically recommended include the following:

    • Principles of Law
    • American Government
    • Constitutional Law
    • Business
    • Philosophy of Law
    • Philosophy: Critical Thinking & Logic
    • Political Theory
    • Business Law
    • Logic
    • Speech Communication Rhetoric & Persuasion
    • Judicial Process
    • Criminal Law
Contact Us
History and Political Science Department
Corey Brooks, Ph.D., Chair
Humanities Center, 101
Phone: 717.600.3869
cbrooks4@ycp.edu

Deb Staley, Administrative Assistant
Humanities Center, Room 100
Phone: 717.815.1349
dstaley@ycp.edu