Advising Guide

Students can pursue ANY undergraduate major with an interest in attending law school. There is not a specific pre-law major nor a specific major that will make you more competitive for law school. The American Bar Association may have resources that will help you identify academic selections, skills, etc. For more information on academic programs at UB, consult the Undergraduate Catalog.

There are therefore no required pre-law courses for students who want to attend law school. Of course, in some fields of legal specialization, it is important to have certain knowledge or skills. For instance, if you are interested in patent law, it will be helpful to take science or engineering courses. Fluency or deep understanding of at least one foreign language might be important if you are pursuing international law (international law is a catch-all term however for a lot of different and broad legal opportunities). See the selecting courses page for more information on choosing helpful classes for preparation for the LSAT, law school, and career specializations.

Excelling academically is very important, so choose a major that interests you. UB offers numerous majors and minors, and students also have the option of pursuing a special major, if they are unable to find a major that meets their interests. UB does offer majors in political science (public law), and social sciences interdisciplinary (legal studies), but students should not limit themselves to these areas. Further, majoring in these areas does not give an advantage over students in other majors. A competitive grade point average for most law schools is around a 3.5 GPA, so mainly A’s and B+’s.