Pre-Law is offered through the BGSU College of Arts and Sciences.  

prelaw
  • Bachelors Available
  • Bachelors Available

Pre-Law preparation at BGSU

The BGSU pre-law advising resource is offered through the College of Arts and Sciences at Bowling Green State University. We offer a variety of help and resources to students as they build the skills, focus and broad-based education that will steer them towards successful admission to a law school and a career in the legal profession.

“Pre-law" is a term used to describe students who plan to enter law school after graduating from college. You should know that there is rarely, if ever, a “pre-law" major at any college.

If you have any questions about the pre-law advising program at Bowling Green State University, please contact Pre-Law Faculty Advisor Dr. Renee Birnbaum at 419-372-2917 or rbirnb@bgsu.edu.

The right track to a career in law

A student can choose any major and still go to law school after an undergraduate degree so long as they have:  

1) Taken the Law School Admission Test (LSAT);
2) Maintained a strong overall college GPA; and
3) Have a well rounded academic experience.

Common academic majors for students in pre-law include political science, history, philosophy, psychology and English.  

Pre-law students should enroll in courses that will allow them to develop strong writing and critical-thinking skills. They should also consider pursuing opportunities to observe a court in session and to volunteer or work in a law office environment.

Pre-law advisors assist students during the law school application process.  

Stand Out in courses like

  • Legal Research and Writing
  • Constitutional Law: Powers and Relationships
  • Environmental Law
  • Philosophy of Law
  • International Law
  • Law and Society
  • Civil Liberties

Curriculum

To build insight into legal systems, BGSU's pre-law track has programmed several events, clubs and resources to build your skills and speed you towards law school.

Intercollegiate Mediation Team
The Intercollegiate Mediation Team team at Bowling Green State University is a group of students who work as a team to learn more about the different types of alternative dispute resolution and to develop improved listening, critical reasoning, and public speaking skills. 

Intercollegiate mediation reflects real world practice, involving a mediator and the two conflicting parties and their advocates working to create a mutual agreement. The team competes in annual tournaments held by the International Academy of Dispute Resolution (INADR).

How to join Intercollegiate Mediation Team
Contact coach Neil Browne at nbrown2@bgsu.edu or 419-372-2379 to express your interest.

BGSU's Pre-Law Program offers a variety of subject matter.

As an attorney, you need to develop skills that enable you to assimilate new material quickly so that you can advise your client. The College of Arts and Sciences provided me with these skills.

Jerry Baker

Class of 1965

Law Society

The Law Society is a student-run club open to all BGSU students interested in learning more about the law.  

The Law Society hosts group activities and guest speakers, such as judges, law school administrators, and attorneys, at their monthly meetings. Membership is free.

Application to law school assistance

Application to law school is a rite of passage for those considering a career in law. The LSAT entrance test is a demanding half-day exam that tests comprehension and verbal reasoning and writing skills. Graded up to 180 points, with a minimum passing score of 120, your score alongside a graduating GPA, letters of recommendation and an application essay are required to gain entry to law school, where you will study for a Juris Doctor (J.D.) qualification.

The Juris Doctor degree, also known as the Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, is typically a three-year graduate-entry professional degree in law. In the United States, Australia and Canada, the Juris Doctor is earned by completing law school.

All accredited law schools in Ohio, like most accredited law schools throughout the country, require a college degree for admission. A college degree and a law degree are also prerequisites to taking the Ohio Bar Examination and the bar examinations for most other states. 

Law schools emphasize the value of a broad, general program of arts and sciences for the prospective law student. Above all, they stress the importance of acquiring certain intellectual skills and abilities rather than a particular body of information. Foremost among these skills are facility in writing and speaking, logical reasoning and the use of abstract concepts. 

Because the student can develop these skills in a variety of courses, there is no rigid and detailed "pre-law curriculum." In fact, the American Bar Association does not recommend any particular major.

Go Far in your career

  • Human rights lawyer
  • Criminal lawyer
  • Corporate lawyer
  • Public prosecutor
  • Family lawyer
  • Trial lawyer
  • Securities lawyer
  • Tax lawyer

BGSU Arts and Sciences white

Pre-Law is offered through the BGSU College of Arts and Sciences.   

Additional BGSU Pre-Law Events and Resources

Pre-Law Virtual Academy

June 28-July 2, 2021

Are you interested in law and what it takes to become a lawyer? Can you picture yourself in front of a court room? Then start your journey now with the BGSU’s Pre-Law Virtual Academy and experience what it is like to be a part of the legal community. 

The Pre-Law Academy is a summer program offered for high school students. You’ll have the chance to hear from law students, law professors and other legal professionals from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines within the field, including criminal law, corporate law and public interest law. Academy members will learn about legal concepts and language, explore a law library and test their skills in a mock trial event.

Returning attendees are welcome as the program has been redesigned for its fourth year! There are also paid counselor opportunities for BGSU undergraduate students.

Students Will:

  • PREPARE for a career in law by learning the language of the profession
  • PARTICIPATE in an interactive mock trial experience
  • ENGAGE with the Wood County Law Library and the historic Wood County Courthouse
  • CONNECT with BGSU Alums and those practicing in alternative areas of law
  • MEET with Forensic experts and tour the Bowling Green Bureau of Criminal Investigations Lab
  • WITNESS an actual crime scene facility

Learn more about Pre Law Virtual Academy



* Job placement and salary information was compiled by the Office of Academic Assessment through the Graduation Survey from AY2015-2018. The data are gathered around the time of Commencement and a follow-up survey six months post Commencement. For the salary question, data for programs with fewer than fifteen responses are not included. Salaries for those programs are from the National Association of Colleges and Employers Summer 2019 Survey. For questions regarding the data, contact assessment@bgsu.edu.

Updated: 04/13/2021 08:23AM