GPA & LSAT:
According to most law schools, GPA and LSAT score are the two most important factors in your law school application. While the law school admissions committees will review all aspects of your law school application, the GPA and LSAT are the factors will likely be reviewed first and they can either “open the door” or “close the door” on your admissions chances. Multiple sites exist for Pre-Law students to learn about a law schools GPA and LSAT averages, but the resources that we most strongly recommend viewing are listed below.
GPA and LSAT Averages of Law Schools
- LSAC’s UGPA/LSAT Score Search – enter your Undergraduate GPA and LSAT score and see your chances of admission at different law schools
- LSAC’s Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools – search by Undergraduate GPA, LSAT, state, region, keyword, etc. and also includes links to all law schools’ websites
- ABA’s Standard 509 Reports – These reports provide the most current and comprehensive data from the American Bar Association (ABA) including LSAT score and GPA ranges for each law school in addition to other admissions data; tuition and fees, living costs, and financial aid; conditional scholarships; enrollment data, including academic, transfer, and other attrition; numbers of full‐time and part‐time faculty, professional librarians, and administrators; class sizes for first‐year and upper‐class courses; number of seminar, clinical and co‐curricular offerings; employment outcomes; and bar passage data.
- NAPLA’s Law School Locator (pdf) – This printer friendly tool can help you assess the LSAT and GPA expectations of different law schools.
Majors for Law School Preparation:
There is no “one” major for law school nor any specific set of courses need to prepare for law school. In other words, you can be any major! Law schools want you to choose a major that you will enjoy. The top five majors for law school applicants from UCF last year were (in alphabetical order):
- Criminal Justice
- History
- Legal Studies
- Political Science (all tracks)
- Psychology
- Minor Program: Writing and Rhetoric
Instead of focusing on “major”, Pre-Law students should focus on developing “skill sets” while in college that will be of great benefit to them in law school and as a lawyer. These skill sets include:
- Reading and Listening
- Analyzing
- Synthesizing
- Advocating
- Counseling
- Writing and Speaking
- Negotiating
For more information about skill sets, read the LSAC’s Lawyers and Their Skills.
Meaningful Electives:
PREFIX | COURSE TITLE | PRE-REQS |
|---|---|---|
CCJ 3014 | Crime in America | Sophomore standing and ENC1102 |
CPO 3103 | Comparative Politics | ENC1102 or POS 2041 or C.I. |
ECO 4751 | Law and Economics | ECO 2013 and 2023 |
ENC 3241 | Writing for the Technical Profession | C or better in ENC 1102 or C.I. |
ENC 3311 | Essay as Cultural Commentary | C or better in ENC 1102 or C.I. |
ENC 3315 | Argumentative Writing | C or better in ENC 1102 |
GEO 3471 | World Political Geography | ENC 1102 or POS 2041 or C.I. |
HSC 4652 | Health Law and Ethics | ENC 1102 and junior standing, or C.I. |
MMC 3200 | Mass Communication Law | SPC 1608 or SPC 1603C or COM1000, or C.I. |
PHI 2101 | Formal Logic I | |
PHI 2108 | Critical Thinking | |
PHI 2630 | Ethics | |
PHI 3131 | Formal Logic II | PHI 2101 |
PHM 3100 | Freedom and Justice | Junior standing or PHI 2101, or C.I. |
PHM 3401 | Philosophy of Law | PHI 2010, PHI 2630, PHI 3670 or POS 2041 |
PLA 3014 | Law and the Legal System | ENC 1101 |
PLA 3108 | Legal Research | ENC 1102 |
PLA 3155 | Legal Writing | PLA 3108 |
PLA 3205 | Civil Practice and Procedure | ENC 1102 |
PLA 3277 | The Law of Torts | ENC 1102 |
PLA 3306 | Criminal Law | ENC 1102 |
PLA 3309 | Criminal Procedure | ENC 1102 |
PLA 3615 | Property and Real Estate Law | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4020 | Law and Society | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4240 | Negotiation Alternatives in Law | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4263 | Evidence | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4424 | The Law of Contracts | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4464 | Bankruptcy Law | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4472 | Employment Discrimination Law | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4485 | Administrative Law | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4530 | Legal Issues of the Elderly | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4554 | Environmental Law | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4583 | Cyber Law I | |
PLA 4607 | Estates and Trusts | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4703 | Professional Ethics and Liability | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4764 | Law Office Practices | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4806 | Domestic Relations Law | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4813 | Juvenile Law and Procedure | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4823 | Sports Law | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4825 | Entertainment Law | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4830 | World Legal Systems | ENC 1102 |
PLA 4910 | Trial Advocacy | ENC 1102 |
POS 4603 | American Constitutional Law I | ENC 1102 or POS 2041, or C.I. |
POS 4604 | American Constitutional Law II | ENC 1102 or POS 2041, or C.I. |
* C.I. = Consent of Instructor
Additional Resources:
- LSAC (Law School Admissions Council) – LSAC helps prospective law students with easing the law school admission process. Pre-Law students will register for the LSAT and apply to law schools from the LSAC website.
- ABA (American Bar Association) – Founded in 1878, the ABA is committed to supporting the legal profession with practical resources for legal professionals while improving the administration of justice, accrediting law schools, establishing model ethical codes, and more. Membership is open to lawyers, law students, and others interested in the law and the legal profession.
- NALP (National Association for Law Placement – NALP is the premier resource for information on legal employment and recruiting. Analysis of data sources such as the Employment Report and Salary Survey, the Associate Salary Survey, the NALP Directory of Legal Employers, and others allows NALP to provide comprehensive information on a variety of topics.