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University of Toledo

HOW DO I BECOME A PRE-LAW STUDENT AT UTOLEDO?

  • Meet UToledo's general admission standards.
  • Choose a major on the admission application to UToledo. (It’s called an academic area of interest on the app.) You may use either the UToledo app or the Common App.
  • Choose the pre-law concentration on the admission application.

It's that easy.

You can declare as pre-law at any time during your undergraduate career.

To learn more about the pre-law track, contact advisor Sam Nelson at 419.530.4974; sam.nelson@utoledo.edu or John Schlageter, III, J.D. at 419.530.7748; john.schlageter@utoledo.edu.

DO I HAVE TO DECLARE AS PRE-LAW TO GET INTO LAW SCHOOL?

No. Law schools require no special courses or curriculum when applying to law school.

But declaring as pre-law at UToledo will allow you to receive extra perks that could help you get into law school:

  • Expert, attentive advisors who  counsel you according to your goals, interests and strengths. They help with
    • Course and major selection
    • Applying and getting into law school
  • Invitations to seminars, workshops and other special events geared to those with an interest in law
  • College of Law events. It's a big advantage to be in the pre-law track on a campus with its own law school. The College of Law plays an active role in helping UToledo undergraduates prepare for law school. It sponsors
    • Workshops
    • Mock entrance exams
    • Guest lectures
    • Debates on current topics

3+3 PROGRAM: FINISH LAW SCHOOL AT UTOLEDO A YEAR EARLY

3 YEARS OF UNDERGRAD + 3 YEARS OF LAW SCHOOL

Save time and money — Earn a bachelor's degree and a law degree in six years instead of the usual seven.

  • No academic requirements to enroll in this accelerated pathway.
  • Must choose a major in the College of Arts and Letters.
  • Enrolling as a first-semester freshman is strongly advised. You want to make sure you are prepared and eligible to begin law school by your fourth year.

How to Apply

The 3+3 program does not require a separate application. To participate, speak with a College of Arts and Letters academic advisor during new student orientation.

Once you decide to participate, you must meet the minimum requirements when applying to UToledo's Law School — a 3.3 GPA and an LSAT (law school admission test) or GRE (graduate record examination) equivalent score at or higher than the 50th percentile.

WHAT ARE THE BEST PRE-LAW MAJORS?

Law schools accept qualified applicants from virtually any major. But if you want an advantage on the LSAT or GRE entrance exams and in law school, choose a major that helps you cultivate:

  • Analytic and problem-solving skills
  • Critical reading abilities
  • Good writing skills

LIBERAL ARTS MAJORS, COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS

Choose a broad, challenging course of study that you're passionate about, and do well in it. Liberal arts programs are great ways to learn logic, critical thinking and writing. They give you the background in the humanities and social sciences that law students need.

Nine of the top 10 majors of students who take the LSAT are found in the College of Arts and Letters (source: Law School Admissions Council). They include these UToledo majors:

PARALEGAL STUDIES, COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Paralegals assist lawyers in interviews, investigations and trial work.

  • A degree in paralegal studies is an excellent pre-law major.
  • Our legal and paralegal studies program is an Ohio Board of Regents Program of Excellence and one of the nation's best. It serves as a model for other programs in the U.S.
  • Learn from attorneys in an on-campus, state-of-the-art courtroom.
  • The curriculum includes courses that promote critical thinking and analytical skills.
  • Complete an internship in the legal field.
  • Courses include civil procedure, contracts, legal research and writing, torts, estate and probate. See plan of study.

LAW AND SOCIAL THOUGHT, COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS

  • UToledo is one of the few universities in the region — and the only state-supported university in Ohio — to offer a major in law and social thought.
  • Law and social thought is a robust interdisciplinary program. Course are taught in many university departments.
  • The degree focuses on
    • Connections between law and morality, politics, language, history and power
    • Critical and creative thinking
  • Our graduates are well-suited to succeed in the all-important first year of law school and have high acceptance rates to law and graduate schools.

POLITICAL SCIENCE, LEGAL STUDIES CONCENTRATION, COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS

  • A political science degree is excellent preparation for law school.
  • The program focuses on:
    • Law
    • Legal processes
    • Legal institutions
  • Courses related to law include:
    • Constitutional Law and Politics
    • Principles of Law
    • Contemporary Legal Issues
    • Inside/Out Prison Exchange
    • International Law

HOW TO STRENGTHEN YOUR LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION

Extracurriculars are important when applying to law school. UToledo has more than 400 student organizations, including these law-related options:

  • Mock Trial — There's no better way to explore the inner workings of litigation and trial procedure and develop confident public speaking skills. Our mock trial team has been national champion 10 times, qualified for the finals 13 times and competed internationally.
  • Phi Alpha Delta — a pre-law student organization that offers programs, workshops and support
  • Undergraduate Law Society — focuses on law-related learning experiences and activities to promote personal development and growth; sponsors speakers, field trips, service projects and the mock trial team.
Last Updated: 8/7/24