What is the GVSU pre-law program?
Grand Valley State University's pre-law program, in keeping with the recommendations of U.S. law schools and LSAC (Law School Admissions Council), is not one major that is defined as pre-law. As law school officials point out, students will learn the law in great detail once they attend law school. As undergraduates, pre-law students should focus on gaining a broad liberal arts education.
"There is no pre-law curriculum of required courses that corresponds to the pre-med courses a student must take before being admitted to medical school. Law schools prefer that you reserve your legal study for law school and fill your undergraduate curriculum with broad, diverse, and challenging courses. Pre-law courses that introduce you to broad legal principles may present you with enough information to decide whether you want to continue with a legal education, but they are rarely taught with the same depth and rigor as actual law school courses. A pre-law curriculum that is designed to encompass a broad array of liberal arts courses, however, can be excellent preparation for law school" (LSAC 2001, 32)
GVSU's approach to pre-law encourages students to pursue majors that will complement their law degree while providing the diverse intellectual foundation necessary for success in the field of law. GVSU also recommends that students experience several pre-law courses, courses related directly to law, to help students understand if they are suited for a career in law.
What is LEAP?
There are LEAP programs in political science, business, and legal studies. This answer mainly addresses PLS LEAP. For more information on the others, check with the Seidman School of Business or the Legal Studies Program. The Legal Education Admission Program (LEAP) provides an opportunity for GVSU’s political science undergraduate students to earn both degrees in about six years of full-time study (three years of political science studies plus three years of legal studies). The program was developed by Grand Valley State University’s Political Science Department and Michigan State University College of Law (MSU Law). For more information, click here.
What is the Legal Studies program?
Grand Valley offers a major and minor in Legal Studies. While neither of these options are “pre-law” programs in a traditional sense, they offer students the opportunity for in-depth study of law, the legal system, and the legal field at the undergraduate level. While some students with an interest in law school choose the Legal Studies major or minor, there is no single major that prepares students for law school or enhances their chances for admission to law school. Successful law school applicants and lawyers come from a wide variety of majors, including Legal Studies. For more information, see the GVSU Legal Studies website.
What is the role of MSU Law at GVSU?
There are several GVSU-MSU Law Dual Degree programs, including the dual MBA-JD, and the LEAP Programs (dual bachelor's degree in political science, legal studies or business from GVSU plus a JD from MSU in 3+3 years.
What should I major in if I am interested in law?
For GVSU students planning to attend law school, the choice of major is limited only by the imagination. GVSU encourages students to consider majors that, when combined with a law degree, make our students stand out among other job candidates by uniquely qualifying them for the area of law in which they specialize.
Students choose political science to gain an understanding of the politics of the institutions that make and implement the law. Students may choose Legal Studies to focus directly on the processes of law making, implementation, enforcement, and practice. The Legal Studies program also prepares students to be legal assistants, also known as paralegals, who may not provide legal services directly to the public, except as permitted by law (see above question on Legal Studies). GVSU students interested in corporate law choose majors such as business, economics, engineering, computer science and biology, among others. The combination of a B.S. in computer science and a law degree is outstanding preparation for a career as a patent lawyer. For international law, a language major such as Chinese, French, or Spanish is an excellent choice. Students who want to work in corrections management combine our criminal justice major with a law degree. Social science disciplines such as economics, psychology, sociology and anthropology explain human behavior. History and Classics provide lawyers with the context necessary to understand the development of our common law legal tradition. Philosophy cultivates the logical reasoning skills that are integral to a successful legal career. Communications, English and Writing refine oral and written communication skills.
Should I take courses related to law or focus on broadening my education?
There are two schools of thought here. One is that you should not take anything related to law, and instead obtain an education that emphasizes breadth and theory. Harvard Law School recommends broad, analytic majors over practical ones. The second school of thought is that by taking a few courses related to law, you will be better prepared when you deal with these topics for the second time in law school. This may ease the transition to law school and improve your performance. My own view is that you can gain a broad education and learn about the law. GVSU requires all undergraduates to obtain a fairly broad education. Taking a few courses related to law will help you to better understand if you are truly interested in law as a career and improve your preparation for law school.
What are some of the courses at GVSU that are related to law?
Classics 287 Roman Law
Philosophy 330 Legal Philosophy
Women and Gender Studies 310 Sexual Orientation and the Law
Women and Gender Studies / Criminal Justice 320 Crimes Against Women
Women and Gender Studies / Legal Studies 370 Women and the Law
Criminal Justice and Legal Studies: entire curriculum. Examples include:
CJ 302 Criminal Law
CJ 305 Constitutional Rights and Civil Liberties
CJ 325 Criminal Justice and Human Rights
CJ 340 - Courts Process
CJ/LS 408 White-Collar and Corporate Crime
CJ/LS 444 Forensic Behavior and Law
LS 201: Introduction to Law
LS 324: Legal Research and Writing
Graduate Course: CJ 602: Legal and Ethical Issues
Political Science:
206 American Constitutional Foundations
306 Constitutional Law I (Federalism and Separation of Powers)
307 Constitutional Law II (Civil Rights and Liberties)
308 American Judicial Politics
314 International Law
Many other political science courses cover how laws and policies are made.
Seidman College of Business:
Business 201 Legal Environment for Business
Accounting 317 Federal Income Tax Theory and Practice-Individual
Accounting 318 Federal Income Tax-Corporations, Partnerships, and Fiduciaries
Management 334 Labor and Employment Law
Management 355 Diversity in the Workforce
Management 432 Grievance Arbitration and Collective Bargaining
At the graduate level there are many Seidman College of Business courses related to law. Examples include:
Accounting 624 and 625 Corporate Tax I and II
Accounting 612 The Accountant's Legal Environment
Business 531 Legal Environment for MBA Students
Management 637 Labor and Employment Law for MBA Students
