Grand Valley State University's pre-law program, in keeping with the recommendations of U.S. law schools and LSAC (Law School Admissions Council), 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.

GVSU's approach to pre-law encourages students to pursue majors that will complement their law degree while providing 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.

Pre-Law Faculty Advisors
Adrian Copeland, J.D.
Assistant Professor of Legal Studies 253C DeVos (616) 331-7173 [email protected]

Mark Richards, Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science 1106 AuSable Hall (616) 331-3457 [email protected]

John Uglietta, J.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Philosophy B-3 209 Mackinac Hall (616) 331-2846 [email protected]

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

Pre-Law FAQ
Professor Mark Richards of the Political Science Department maintains the Pre-law FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) site, which is highly recommended for anyone contemplating pre-law. Please visit for more information about pre-law at GVSU, GVSU courses in law, the Law Society student organization, the LSAT, and links to many helpful pre-law resources.

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.

LEAP
The Legal Education Admission Programs (LEAP) provide an opportunity for GVSU's business, legal studies and political science undergraduate majors to earn bachelor's and juris doctor degrees in about six years of full-time study (three years of undergraduate studies plus three years of law school). The programs were developed by Grand Valley State University's Seidman College of Business, GVSU's Political Science Department, GVSU's Legal Studies program and Michigan State University College of Law (MSU Law). For more information, visit the Political Science LEAP site, the Legal Studies site or the Seidman College of Business site.

Legal Studies
Grand Valley offers a major and minor in Legal Studies. While neither of these options are pre-law programs in a traditional sense, 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.