Academic Preparation

Major
Tulane University neither requires nor recommends a prescribed prelaw major or curriculum. "Prelaw" simply notes a student's intention to pursue admission to law school following completion of the baccalaureate degree. Legal careers vary widely and therefore call for vastly differing skills, thus law schools accept students with diverse majors. There is a common consensus that a broad based academic experience well grounded in liberal arts provides the best preparation for law school.

In choosing a major, students should concentrate in a discipline which holds genuine interest for them and in which they will be motivated to produce their best work. The range of under-graduate majors is broad. Seek intensity and depth in an under-graduate program, thereby demonstrating a capacity to perform well at an academically rigorous level.

Writing
In planning a prelaw curriculum, note that spoken and written words are the principal tools of the legal profession. Students who intend to study law must develop an excellent knowledge and grasp of the English language, as well as a clear and concise style of expression. Motivated students seek courses which require substantial writing assignments and provide thorough critiques.

General Coursework
Courses in literature, foreign language, speech, composition, philosophy, and logic are directly concerned with developing the skills necessary for success in law school and the legal profession. The study of history, political science, economics, and statistics helps students understand the structure of society and problems of social ordering with which the law is concerned. Examination of human behavior in sociology and psychology aids a prospective law student in understanding the types and effects of human behavior law involves. The systematic ordering of abstractions and ideas acquired by studying logic and the sciences contributes to a student's capacity to analyze and rationally organize his or her thoughts.