This FAQ is maintained by Dr. Mark Richards.

I am a professor in the political science department and I am a pre-law advisor for GVSU. I am not a lawyer and nothing on this FAQ should be interpreted as legal advice. I have created this FAQ to answer some of the many questions that you may have if you are thinking about a career related to law. The FAQ consists of links to the most useful pre-law websites, and a list of my answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ). Ultimately, you are the one that must make the choices and do the research. You wouldn't take out a mortgage without researching the house, the neighborhood and the community. Financing your law degree is basically like taking out a mortgage, so get ready to do some research. Be sure to read the section on law school, as people are raising some serious concerns about employment opportunities, salaries and job satisfaction. The best tool you can use as you approach this major life decision is information.

Please email me for my current office hours: [email protected].

Pre-Law Advising Guide
Our pre-law advising guide is an excellent starting point for any GVSU student interested in pre-law. 

GVSU Pre-law Google Group
All GVSU students interest in pre-law should join the GVSU Pre-law Google group to receive periodic e-mail updates.

1. Sign into your GVSU student e-mail. Make sure you are signed out of any other Google accounts. 

2. Send a message to [email protected] and leave everything else blank. Delete your signature.

3. Look for a message in your GVSU student e-mail with subject “Join request for gvsuprelaw”

4. Open the “Join request email” and click the blue “Join This Group” button. If adding from a mobile device you may need to click desktop version in the footer.

5. Once your request has been approved, you will receive a message confirming you have been added to the group

6. If you have any problems joining the group you can email Dr. Mark Richards for assistance ([email protected]). You can unsubscribe at any time.

Law Society student organization

GVSU Law Society is a student-led group that hosts speakers from law schools and the legal community, plans events, and provides networking opportunities. To join Law Society, go to the Law Society page on Laker Link, sign in and join the group: https://gvsu.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/law-society

Official guide to law schools. (Click on UGPA-LSAT Search for a tool that calculates likelihood of admission based on GPA and LSAT score.)
GVSU Pre-law Official Page
Earn a GVSU PLS BS + A MSU JD in 3+3 years with: GVSU LEAP Program

Official LSAT site. 
LSAC Law Hub
Khan Academy LSAT Prep site 
LSAT preparation and resources: GoGrad's LSAT Guidebook. 
Law school rankings and research:
Law School Numbers
Top Law Schools
Public interest law: Equal Justice Works 
Legal career site: NALP.
The Vault (career information). 
Pre-law and legal career information at Findlaw. 
 

What is the GVSU pre-law program?
Grand Valley State University's pre-law program, in keeping with the recommendations of U.S. law schools and the American Bar Association (ABA), is not one major that is defined as pre-law. As law school officials point out, students will learn the law in great detail once they attend law school. As undergraduates, pre-law students should focus on gaining a broad liberal arts education.

"There is no single path that will prepare you for a legal education. Students who are successful in law school, and who become accomplished professionals, come from many walks of life and educational backgrounds. ... Students are admitted to law school from almost every academic discipline" (American Bar Association, 2024).

GVSU's approach to pre-law encourages students to pursue majors that provide the diverse intellectual foundation necessary for success in the field of law. GVSU also recommends that students experience several pre-law courses, courses related directly to law, to help students understand if they are suited for a career in law.

What is LEAP?
There are LEAP programs in political science, business, and legal studies. This answer mainly addresses PLS LEAP. For more information on the others, check with the Seidman School of Business or the Legal Studies Program. The Legal Education Admission Program (LEAP) provides an opportunity for GVSU’s political science undergraduate students to earn both degrees in about six years of full-time study (three years of political science studies plus three years of legal studies). The program was developed by Grand Valley State University’s Political Science Department and Michigan State University College of Law (MSU Law). For more information about this program, click here.

What is the legal studies program?
Grand Valley offers a major and minor in legal studies as well as a certificate in paralegal studies.  While these options are not “pre-law” programs, they offer students the opportunity for in-depth study of law, the legal system, and the legal field at the undergraduate level. While some students with an interest in law school choose the legal studies major or minor, there is no single major that prepares students for law school or enhances their chances for admission to law school. Successful law school applicants and lawyers come from a wide variety of majors, including legal studies. For more information, see the GVSU legal studies website. 

What is the role of MSU Law at GVSU?
There are several GVSU-MSU Law Dual Degree programs, including the dual MBA-JD, and the LEAP Programs (dual bachelor's degree in political science, legal studies or business from GVSU plus a JD from MSU in 3+3 years. See the GVSU catalog.

What should I major in if I am interested in law?
For GVSU students planning to attend law school, the choice of major is limited only by the imagination. Law schools want incoming classes made up of a wide range of majors. In choosing a major, students should consider their strengths and passions, as well as areas where growth is needed. Students should looks for majors that develop skills in analysis, critical thinking, research, writing and verbal communication. 

Pre-law majors at GVSU include, but are not limited to:

• Business: accounting, economics, finance, international business
• Humanities: classics, communication, English, history, philosophy, writing, languages such as French and Spanish
• Sciences: biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, physics
• Social and behavioral sciences: anthropology, criminal justice, geography, legal studies, international relations, political science, psychology, sociology

Should I take any courses related to law?
Taking one to three courses related to law will help you to better understand if you are truly interested in law as a career and improve your preparation for law school.

What are some of the courses at GVSU that are related to law?

Classics
CLA 367 Thinking Like a (Roman) Lawyer

Criminal Justice and Legal Studies, examples include:
CJ 302 Criminal Law
CJ 305 Constitutional Rights and Civil Liberties
CJ 325 Criminal Justice and Human Rights
CJ 340 Courts Process 
CJ/LS 408 White-Collar and Corporate Crime 
LS 101: Law in our Lives
LS 224: Legal Research
LS 226: Civil Litigation
LS 324: Legal Research and Writing 
Graduate Course: CJ 602: Legal and Ethical Issues

History:
HST 328 U.S. Constitutional and Legal History

Philosophy:
PHI 330 Crime, Morality, Punishment: Philosophy of Law

Political Science: 
PLS 206 American Constitutional Foundations
PLS 306 Constitutional Law I (Federalism and Separation of Powers) 
PLS 307 Constitutional Law II (Civil Rights and Liberties)
PLS 314 International Law 
Other political science courses cover how laws and policies are made and implemented.

Seidman College of Business, examples include:
BUS 201 Legal Environment of Business
MGT 334 Employment and Labor Law
MGT 432 Grievance Administration, Arbitration, and Collective Bargaining 
Graduate courses, examples include:
ACC 624 and 625 Corporate Tax I and II
ACC 612 The Accountant's Legal Environment
BUS 531 Legal Environment for MBA Students

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies:
WGS 310 LGBTQ Rights and the Law
WGS/CJ 320 Crimes Against Women 
WGS/LS 370 Women and the Law

What is the Law Society?

GVSU Law Society is a student-led group that hosts speakers from law schools and the legal community, plans events, and provides networking opportunities. To join Law Society, go to the Law Society page on Laker Link, sign in and join the group: https://gvsu.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/law-society

What is the LSAT? 
The LSAT is a standardized test required for admission to almost all law schools.

What is the GRE? 
The GRE is a standardized test required that is accepted by some law schools as an alternative to the LSAT. For other questions about the GRE, visit the official GRE site.

What is the timeline for the application process?

• There’s nothing wrong with working after graduation. In fact, it can help you.
• This timeline will focus on students who want to go directly to law school but can be adapted by others.
• Junior year: focus on LSAT prep leading up to test.
• Senior year : Take LSAT in August, September or October.
• Aim for November for applications. Why? Rolling admissions and scholarships.
• “If You’re On Time, You’re Late” – Access Lex study 2023
• “The predicted likelihood of a late applicant receiving a law school admission offer is 24% compared to 40% for early/on-time applicants.”
• “Late” = on/after Feb. 1.
• Winter/spring of senior year: Visit law schools and evaluate offers

When should I take the LSAT?
I recommend taking it in the summer or fall of the year that you will apply. For example, if you plan to apply in fall of 2027 (to begin law school in fall 2028), you should take the LSAT in the summer or fall of 2027. Certainly you should not take it later than October. Most law schools operate on a rolling admissions basis, which means that they give first consideration to the applications received first. 

How should I prepare for the LSAT?

Success on the LSAT is absolutely critical to your admission prospects. Your ability to improve your score will depend primarily on how hard you practice and study. The Khan Academy LSAT Prep site and LSAC's Law Hub are good starting points. In terms of other options, prep courses can be helpful, but they are expensive and your success will ultimately hinge on how much effort you put into the course. Another option is to buy an LSAT prep book (The LSAT Trainer by Mike Kim or the PowerScore "Bibles" are recommended) and work through it. Take as many practice tests as possible (Law Hub provides some free tests and additional tests are available through the Law Hub Advantage subscription). Some students perform better if they have the external stimulus of a prep course or tutoring. Be sure to take your practice tests under the required time constraints in order to simulate actual conditions.

*For a more detailed overview of LSAT preparation and resources, see GoGrad's LSAT Guidebook. 

What are the costs and what can I do about it?
You will need to pay a fee for the LSAT and another fee for the LSAC Credential Assembly Service, which compiles your transcripts, letters of recommendation and score reports and sends them to your chosen schools. You can request fee waivers on the lsac.org site.

Can I retake the LSAT?
Yes, but you should only take the LSAT if you are completely prepared. Every time you submit a score report to a law school, all of your scores are included. Some law schools simply average the two scores, although according to a Kaplan survey reported in preLaw, fall 2007, 74 percent of 170 ABA-accredited law schools now use the candidate's highest score, due to a change in the way the ABA collects data.

For all other questions about the LSAT, visit the official LSAT site. 

Do I really want to go to law school?
Ultimately, you have to answer this question for yourself. Be aware that to obtain a law degree, you will likely take on a large debt, there is an excessive supply of lawyers resulting in jobless law grads, and starting salaries show a bimodal distribution, with many salaries clustering around $40,000-$50,000. On average, lawyers do not show a high level of job satisfaction.

When should I apply?
You do not need to attend law school directly after graduation. Some law schools prefer that applicants have work experience. Generally you should apply almost one year before you plan to begin law school. For example, you would apply in fall of 2026 if you planned to start law school in the fall of 2027. Most law schools operate on a rolling admissions basis, which means that they give first consideration to the applications received first. Reasons to delay application might include waiting for an additional semester or grades to be included, or waiting to retake the LSAT.

Where should I apply?
There are a few basic principles to consider. One is that you should try to get into the best school possible. A highly regarded school will not be much harder for you than a lower ranked school but it will improve your employment prospects and earning potential. Another consideration is that as you move down the rankings, less highly regarded schools tend to feed firms in that region. Generally, submitting 5-10 applications is a good idea, including applications to one or two "safety" schools.

Be very cautious and do your research before choosing a law school. The Above the Law website covers the latest news about law schools, including some of the difficulties faced by some law schools.

All law schools are required to report data on attrition, employment (placement), and bar passage. These data are available for each school via the LSAC Official Guide site. All of these factors should be key parts of an informed choice.

It's so expensive to apply! What do I do?
Be aware that you can request that the schools waive or reduce their application fees.

How can I find out more about graduation rates, employment, bar passage rates, scholarships, etc.?
Go to the Searchable Edition of the ABA-LSAC Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools.

How do I know a school's rank?
Law School Numbers
Above the Law
Top Law Schools
US News

How do I know what GPA and LSAT score I need to get into a school?
Click on the UGPA-LSAT Search link at the Searchable Edition of the ABA-LSAC Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools. You can input your GPA and LSAT score and find out how likely you are to be admitted at any law school.

How do I find a public interest law school? 
Check out the Equal Justice Works website.   

How important are the personal statement and letters of recommendation?
Generally, GPA and LSAT scores are the most important factors. If the decision over your application is close, a well-written personal statement and excellent recommendations can tip the balance in your favor. This will vary depending on the schools you are considering.

How should I approach the personal statement?
Most importantly, tailor your statement to the guidelines of the school to which you are applying. Some schools encourage more creativity than others, and some have more specific guidelines. Make sure the statement is polished and professional. Avoid being too personal; do not disclose inappropriate information or make jokes. Essays that state why you want a law degree at a particular institution and what you plan to do with it can be very persuasive. This is also a chance for you to attest to any difficult circumstances such as discrimination or economic hardship that you have overcome in your life. However, those themes could also be addressed via a diversity statement if the school provides that option. Avoid turning the statement into a laundry list of your accomplishments. If you can relate a single experience, event or story in a well-written manner, that can be a very effective way to convey information about your character. Although events in childhood or during high school can be part of the story of why you are motivated to study law, consider also showing how you have grown and developed academically during your time in college. It is helpful if you include a paragraph at the end of your statement that is tailored to the question of why you are interested in each school. In other words, review the school's materials and indicate at least one program, specialty, or extracurricular activity offered at the school that interests you. Be aware of length requirements. Normally the statement should be limited to two pages, double-spaced, with 12 point font.

How should I approach the letters of recommendation?
Generally, law schools prefer writers who can speak to your academic qualifications. However, letters from employers or supervisors at volunteer organizations can be a helpful supplement. If a school requests three letters, I would recommend at least two be from professors. Almost every school requires that you register for LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS), which compiles your transcripts, letters of recommendation, and LSAT score reports, and sends them to the schools to which you are applying. The CAS website contains a form for references. You should complete the form for each letter writer, and waive your rights to see the letter. LSAC will then send an electronic prompt. You should get everything to your reference at least several weeks in advance. As a guideline for how to write the letter, schools desire to know how long the reference has known the applicant, the context of their relationship, how well the reference knows the applicant, and relevant information about the applicant's characteristics and achievements. Detailed examples are helpful. In order to facilitate this process, students should give their references:
-a resume
-a copy of their personal statement
-a list of courses that you have taken with the professor, with your grade and the semester you took the course
-a deadline.

Other resources

Check out your law school's financial aid office for scholarship information. Also, click on the diversity link of this FAQ for diversity scholarships.

For questions about a specific law school, contact the admission counselors at that school. They are very helpful and have the particular information that you need

Why does diversity matter?
Diversity is essential to a school's educational mission, promotes learning outcomes, better prepares students for a diverse workforce and society, and improves professional preparation. The American Bar Association has identified diversity as one of its key priorities. 

What is the role of diversity and inclusion with respect to pre-law at GVSU?
GVSU is a diverse institution, and diversity and inclusion are key components of GVSU's mission. (Click here for GVSU's list of diversity-related links.) As students focus intensely on the study of law once they are in law school, a liberal undergraduate education is the critical component in promoting intellectual and cultural diversity. Following the recommendations of the Law School Admissions Council, GVSU does not have a single pre-law major. Through pre-law advising and the Law Society student organization, GVSU strives to help students of any major who are interested in attending law school or becoming involved in the legal profession in other ways such as being a paralegal.

How can the pre-law advisors help with diversity?
Three professors at GVSU work as pre-law advisors. (See GVSU Pre-law website for contact information.) The pre-law advisors are available for individual advising regarding course and major selection, LSAT preparation, the law school application process, and networking. Many law schools request students to reflect on diversity in their personal statements, and students are encouraged to consult with a pre-law advisor while working on their application essays.

What are some resources for diversity scholarships and opportunities?

Local:

The Grand Rapids Bar Association offers a LSAT preparation scholarship as part of its diversity initiatives.

Miller Johnson offers a Diversity Law School scholarship via https://www.grfoundation.org/.

Warner, Norcross & Judd provides two different diversity scholarships, including one for students taking the LSAT. 

Varnum offers a LSAT prep scholarship and a pre-law internship.

Other:

• ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund 
• AccessLex
• The Council on Legal Education Opportunity has a list of Financial Aid Programs for Minorities and Disadvantaged Students in Law School  
• Gates Millenium Scholars Program
• Hispanic College Fund 
• The Hispanic Lawyers of Illinois offer a scholarship for first year law students. 
• National Black Law Students Association has scholarships listed on their site. 
• National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Law Foundation has scholarships available 
• Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund 
• United Negro College Fund 

Examples of programs available to help students transition to law school:

• CLEO Scholars
• Michigan State University College of Law Pathway Scholars Program
• NYU School of Law and Harvard Law are offering a pre-law preparation program called Trials.

For an excellent overview of the legal system including information on what lawyers and judges do, I highly recommend Lawrence Baum's American Courts: Process and Policy.

Character and fitness and bar admissions
National Council of Bar Examiners site. Keep in mind that some states require you to register while still in law school in order to have enough time to conduct background checks. For potential law school students with past or present legal issues, it may be advisable to consult with an attorney regarding questions how to comply with disclosure requirements.

Legal career resources
NALP
The Vault 
Careers and salaries at Findlaw.