Degrees & Programs Pre-Law

Welcome to the Westmont College Pre-Law webpage.

As the campus Pre-Law Advisor, I serve all members of the Westmont College community who are interested in studying law. I seek to provide advice and resources that will help students gain admission to law school and prepare them to succeed once there. In addition to organizing a number of special law-oriented events each year, I meet frequently with students to discuss how to discern if law school is right for them, what courses will best prepare them for legal studies, how to prepare for the LSAT, factors to consider in choosing a law school, and how to write a personal statement.

At Westmont, students from every major successfully pursue law school and legal careers. There is no single major that best prepares students for law school. Law schools will train students into all of the necessary areas of legal knowledge and practice. What they are looking for is a specific kind of mind—one that is orderly, and can think and communicate clearly, logically, and critically. Students should always pursue the major that is most interesting to them. Various departments, however, do offer courses that specifically address areas of specific legal interest, including courses in Constitutional Law, Business Law, International Law, Criminology, and Legal Philosophy. More importantly, Westmont's liberal arts curriculum emphasizes developing excellence in writing and analytical thinking—skills that are critical to successfully applying to and excelling in law school.

Whether you are considering Westmont College, are a current student here, or are an alumnus exploring law school, please use this site as a resource for your pre-law questions and planning. Of course, if you have further questions, please feel free to contact me.

Edward Song
Campus Pre-Law Advisor
edwardsong@westmont.edu

While students from any major can pursue law school, several departments at Westmont College offer special pre-law tracks or major concentrations designed to prepare students for law school. The College Catalog provides details for each of these programs and below are links to each department's web page.

Business & Economics
Philosophy
Political Science
  • COM-015 Public Speaking
  • COM-101 Theories of Rhetoric and Communication
  • COM-103 Communication Criticism
  • COM-115 Advanced Public Speaking
  • COM-130 Argumentation and Advocacy
  • EB-105 Business Law
  • EB-116 Antitrust and Regulatory Environment of Business
  • EB-117 Economic Analysis of Law
  • ENG-002 Composition
  • ENG-104 Modern Grammar and Advanced Composition
  • ENG-143 Topics in Writing
  • English Writing Minor
  • PHI-012 Critical Reasoning and Logic
  • PHI-133 Political Philosophy
  • PHI-137 Justice and Public Policy
  • PHI-138 Philosophy of Race
  • POL-010 American Government
  • POL-104 Constitutional Law
  • POL-112 International Organizations and Law
  • PSY-001 General Psychology
  • PSY-131 Abnormal Psychology
  • SOC-001 Introduction to Sociology
  • SOC-110 Social Problems
  • SOC-177 Interpersonal Violence
  • SOC-182 Sociology of Deviance
  • SOC-189 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity

Westmont Pre-Law Success

Law School

 U.S. News & World Report Ranking
Yale University 1
Harvard Law School 2
University of California-Berkeley 9
Northwestern University School of Law 12
Cornell University Law School 13
Georgetown University Law Center 13
University of Texas, Austin, School of Law 15
University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law 16
Washington University, St. Louis, School of Law 18
George Washington University Law School 20
University of Minnesota Law School 20
University of Southern California, Gould Law School 20
University of Washington School of Law 24
William and Mary Law School 24
Notre Dame Law School 26
Boston University School of Law 27
University of Georgia School of Law 29
Arizona State University, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law 31
Wake Forest University School of Law 31
Boston College Law School 36
University of California, Davis, School of Law 36
University of Illinois College of Law 40
University of Colorado Law School 43
Washington and Lee University, School of Law 43
George Mason University School of Law 46
Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law 51
Pepperdine University School of Law 54
University of California, Hastings, College of the Law 54
University of Connecticut School of Law 54
University of Houston Law Center 58
University of Miami School of Law 61
Loyola University of Chicago, School of Law 68
Seton Hall University School of Law 68
University of Denver Sturm College of Law 68
American University Washington College of Law 72
Chicago-Kent College of Law 72
Lewis and Clark Law School 72
University of Tulsa, College of Law 72
Loyola Marymount University, Loyola Law School 87
Seattle University School of Law 87
Northeastern University School of Law 93