The Pre-Law Studies Minor at Montclair State University is designed to enhance the preparation of students planning to seek admission to law school by promoting the development of abilities which are considered to be particularly important in the study and practice of law:
- To reason logically
- To analyze complex ideas involving intricate interrelationships
- To read with understanding and accuracy
- To write with clarity and precision
Pre-Law Studies is an interdisciplinary program emphasizing critical reasoning, writing and analytical skills. The program offers students a balanced and varied background, enriching the student’s academic major, in the acquisition of skills essential for success in the field of law.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| JURI 210 | Perspectives on Law | 3 |
| or LAWS 200 | Introduction to Law | |
| LAWS 302 | Legal Research | 3 |
| LAWS 362 | Legal Writing | 3 |
| Essential Skills Courses | ||
| Select 6 credits from the following: | 6 | |
| Introduction to Public and Professional Writing | ||
or WRIT 204 | Style and Editing | |
or ENWR 205 | Creative Nonfiction | |
| Language of the Law | ||
or LNGN 250 | Language of Propaganda | |
| Legal Reasoning | ||
| Statistical Methods in Business | ||
or STAT 109 | Statistics | |
| Logic | ||
or PHIL 264 | Critical Reasoning and Arguments | |
Select 0-6 credits from the following: | ||
| English Vocabulary: Classical Roots | ||
| Essentials of Jurisprudence | ||
| Conflict and Its Resolution | ||
| American Government and Politics | ||
| Law in Society: Civil Law | ||
| Background Courses | ||
| Select 6 credits from the following: | 6 | |
| Fundamentals of Accounting | ||
or ECON 101 | Applied Macroeconomics | |
| Introduction to American Studies | ||
or HIST 118 | Emergence of the Modern United States | |
| Special Topics in Jurisprudence | ||
or LAWS 497 | Pre-Law Internship | |
or LAWS 499 | Special Topics in Law | |
| Seminar in Law and Literature | ||
| American Constitutional Law: The Federal System | ||
or POLS 323 | American Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Liberties | |
| Human Rights Law | ||
or PHIL 212 | Social and Political Philosophy | |
or PHIL 310 | Knowledge, Belief and Truth | |
| Feminist Jurisprudence | ||
| Total Credits | 21 | |