A note from the pre-law advisor, Dr. John M. Whelan, Jr., Professor of Philosophy

Naturally I'm biased, but I believe the Lycoming College Pre-Law Program is unique, and I believe it gives our students an advantage in the highly competitive law school admissions process. Recent graduates have been accepted to law school at Duke, NYU, Vanderbilt, Washington and Lee, William and Mary, Dickinson, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Tulane, Villanova, and the University of Pittsburgh, among many others.

Most law schools reject 50% of their applicants, and the better-known schools reject a much higher percentage. Your grades in college and your score on the Law School Admissions Test, a three-hour exam similar to the verbal and writing sections of the SATs, are the most important factors determining whether you'll be accepted to the law school of your choice.

I’m assuming that students interested in law will do what it takes to achieve good grades. But, Lycoming has a program designed to help you do well on the LSAT, too. Beginning in your freshmen year you'll take a practice LSAT. After we have the results, you and I will build a flexible, individualized, four-year plan of courses and internships designed to enhance your chances for admission to law school.

You'll also be able take practice LSATs your sophomore and junior years, and again, we'll meet after each to refine your plan. In the spring of your junior year, you'll be eligible to take a special mini-course designed to further hone your LSAT skills. When you finally take the LSAT for real, usually in the summer of your junior year, you'll be ready to do your best.

Preparation for law school is is more than getting good grades and preparation for the LSAT. And Lycoming pre-law program has more to offer. In your freshmen or sophomore year, as part of the Lycoming College SHARE program, you will be able to work for a month in an area law firm. (A number of firms are located within easy walking distance of the campus.) In your junior year, you'll be eligible to complete a semester-long internship in a law firm, the District Attorney's Office or with Legal Services. Or, spend a semester in Washington DC, as part of Lycoming's Washington Semester.