Pre-Law
December 3, 2014 2025-12-05 12:19Pre-Law
Build a Foundation for Law School
Pre-Law
Develop skills and knowledge for a career in law.
Pre-Professional Program in Law
The Pre-Law Advising Track is not a major — it’s a specialized advising layer that works alongside any academic program at the University of Lynchburg. Because law schools welcome students from a wide variety of academic backgrounds, this track focuses on helping you build the skills, experiences, and academic foundation needed for success in the law school admissions process.
Whether you major in political science, philosophy, history, business, the sciences, or the arts, the Pre-Law Advising Track ensures you have the advising support, course guidance, and experiential opportunities to prepare for the LSAT and law school. The track is designed to help you strengthen critical thinking, communication, logical reasoning, and analytical writing — all competencies central to legal education and the legal profession. Students receive individualized preparation for the law school application timeline, personal statements, letters of recommendation, and LSAT study strategies.
Our goal is to help you develop a clear path toward your legal career, regardless of the major you choose.
How to Declare a Pre-Law Advising Track
To officially join:
- Contact the Office of Academic Advising.
- Request to declare the Pre-Law Advising Track.
- You will be connected to a faculty advisor with pre-law expertise.
Declaring helps ensure you receive regular updates, application support, and course guidance tailored to your goals.
Recommended Majors
Law schools accept applicants from nearly every academic discipline. At Lynchburg, students in the following majors frequently pursue the Pre-Law track:
- Political Science (BA)
- Philosophy (BA)
- History (BA)
- International Relations and Security Studies, English, or Economics
Students majoring in business, communication studies, criminology, or the sciences can also pursue this track with strong results. Your pre-law advisor will help you tailor your academic path to your strengths and long-term goals.
Recommended Coursework
Law schools do not require specific prerequisite courses, but they consistently recommend:
- Writing-intensive courses
- Philosophy and logic
- Political science
- Economics
- History
- Communication studies
- Ethics and social sciences
- Literature and reading-heavy courses
Lynchburg’s curriculum allows you to choose courses that strengthen your reasoning and writing — the two most important LSAT and law school skill areas. Strong pre-law preparation comes from core courses in:
- Political science
- History
- Philosophy
- English
- Communications
What Jobs Can I Get With Pre-Law?
Pre-Law can open the door to a variety of careers that require strong critical thinking, research, and communication skills. While you might not be practicing law right away, there are plenty of job options available that make use of the skills gained during a Pre-Law program. Here are 10 job options, along with their average salaries based on national data:
- Paralegal: $56,230 per year (BLS)
- Legal Assistant: $51,560 per year (Glassdoor)
- Court Reporter: $63,450 per year (BLS)
- Legal Secretary: $52,000 per year (Indeed)
- Compliance Officer: $71,000 per year (Glassdoor)
- Human Resources Specialist: $61,920 per year (BLS)
- Risk Management Analyst: $79,000 per year (Glassdoor)
- Title Examiner: $56,500 per year (BLS)
- Policy Analyst: $66,000 per year (Indeed)
- Public Relations Specialist: $62,800 per year (BLS)
Salary and job projections come from national averages in the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other sources, including Glassdoor, Indeed, and industry-specific posts and publications. The data is meant to provide you with an idea of career options and salary ranges, not as a guarantee of obtaining these positions after graduation. These represent national averages and may vary by source and time frame collected. Actual salaries vary by region. Some jobs may require additional training or graduate education.
