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Pre-Law Program

Academics > Departments & Programs > Department of Humanities > Program Majors & Minors > Pre-Law Program

Student Testimonial: Emily Youngman

“I believe that my four years at Flagler allowed me to walk into law school with my head high and my feet solidly planted."

Laura Mauldin
University of Virginia
"I received a 50% scholarship and I love Notre Dame, but nothing can compare with the mentoring I received at Flagler."
Michelle "Mo" Kundmueller
Notre Dame Law School
"Flagler's pre-law program definitely prepared me."
Diana Martin
Washington and Lee School of Law and University of Florida College of Law

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Program Description

Regardless of your field of study, the pre-law program is an excellent option if you plan on applying to law school after you graduate. Flagler's pre-law program provides a deep understanding of the institutions that develop law in a rigorous undergraduate curriculum, and also helps develop your abilities to read for a clear understanding of content and relationships, to reason logically and think critically, to solve problems given specific factual situations, and to write and speak with clarity, precision, and style. In addition to these skills, the pre-law program can assist you in maximizing your ability to achieve a high score on the LSAT, required for admission to most elite law schools.

Flagler offers an outstanding pre-law program where classes are designed to simulate those at law schools, students intern with the courts, the State Attorney's Office, and private law firms, and graduates are accepted to law schools all across the country. As a pre-law student at Flagler, you can expect to prepare for law school through a rigorous program of course work; informed advising specific to gaining admission to law school; LSAT preparation; field trips, forums, and internships; and WESTLAW, a computer-assisted legal research service available online in the Proctor Library.

The Frank D. Upchurch, Sr., Endowed Pre-Law Program at Flagler College is designed to give qualified students the rigorous undergraduate preparation needed to master the academic requirements of law school. The Program is named in honor of Frank D. Upchurch, Sr., by his family and friends as an enduring memorial to commemorate his contributions to the legal profession, St. Augustine, and the State of Florida. He served as City Commissioner and Mayor of St. Augustine, Representative to the Florida House of Representatives, and as a member of the Florida Senate. He was an ardent preservationist and helped establish the St. Augustine Restoration Commission to help preserve, restore, and interpret colonial St. Augustine for future generations.

10 Components Which Constitute the Pre-Law Program

  1. Several courses using law school textbooks and taught by a lawyer using the Socratic Method.
  2. Individual counseling for each Pre-Law Student.
  3. Internships with a private practitioner, public defender, prosecutor, judge or a selected legal agency.
  4. Observations of trials at various courthouses.
  5. Observations of actual law classes at accredited law schools.
  6. Lectures by deans of public and private law schools.
  7. Legal professionals explaining career options.
  8. Advice concerning LSAT preparation.
  9. Access to WESTLAW, a computer-assisted legal research program.
  10. A Pre-Law advisor who has experience and training in law.

Learning Outcomes

The Pre-Law Program is also intended to provide a competitive opportunity for students to gain acceptance into law school. The skills needed for law school are those which all liberal arts students should pursue. These skills include the capacity to read for a clear understanding of content and relationships; the ability to reason logically and think critically; the capacity to solve problems given specific factual situations; the ability to write and speak with clarity, precision, and style; and an understanding of the institutions that develop law. The course of study prescribed for pre-law students is designed to enhance these needed skills.

Law Schools Where Flagler Grads Accepted

  • University of Virginia
  • University of Michigan
  • University of Alabama
  • University of North Carolina
  • University of Pittsburg
  • University of New England
  • University of Arizona
  • University of Memphis
  • University of Tennessee
  • University of Georgia
  • University of South Carolina
  • University of South Dakota
  • University of Maryland
  • University of Kentucky
  • University of Louisville
  • University of Nevada
  • University of Mississippi
  • University of Kansas
  • University of Cincinnati
  • University of Baltimore
  • University of Maine
  • University of Missouri
  • University of Houston
  • University of Hawaii
  • University of Arkansas
  • University of Baltimore
  • University of California-Davis
  • University of California-Hastings
  • UCLA
  • University of Chicago
  • University of Cincinnati
  • University of Connecticut
  • University of Denver
  • University of Iowa
  • University of Richmond
  • University of Tulsa
  • All Florida Law Schools
  • Northwestern University
  • Indiana University
  • Brooklyn Law
  • American University
  • Loyola University – Calif & N.O.
  • Ohio State University
  • Duke University
  • Fordham University
  • Tulane University
  • Boston College
  • Benjamin Cardozo
  • Wake Forest University
  • Boston University
  • Cornell University
  • Columbia University
  • Vanderbilt University
  • Washington and Lee
  • William and Mary
  • Penn State University
  • Emory University
  • Pepperdine University
  • Villanova University
  • Georgetown University
  • George Washington University
  • George Mason University
  • Georgia State University
  • St. Louis University
  • San Diego University
  • Temple University
  • Southern Methodist University
  • Northeastern University
  • Samford University
  • St. Johns University
  • Vermont Law
  • Baylor University
  • Duquesne University
  • Regent University
  • Roger Williams University
  • Louisiana State University
  • Northern Kentucky University

General Information

Students applying for participation in the Pre-Law Program should present SAT scores of at least 550 in the verbal and 550 in the math (or their equivalent on the ACT). Students who are interested in the Pre-Law program should contact the Pre-Law Director for an application to the program or for additional information. A program of events is scheduled each year for pre-law students. Central features of the program include Pre-Law Forums; visits to area law schools; visits by law school Deans of Admission, judges, and attorneys; attendance at courtroom trial proceedings; mock LSAT exams; student meetings on topics related to preparation for law school and the legal profession; and the computer assisted legal research service known as WESTLAW. Pre-law students should either enroll in an LSAT preparatory course during the junior year or follow the LSAT preparatory guidelines established by the Pre-Law Director.

Flagler College also has an active Pre-Law Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta, an international legal society which fosters interest and disseminates information about pre-legal education and the legal profession. Phi Alpha Delta has become an important part of the Flagler College Pre-Law Program. All pre-law students are encouraged to join.

General Requirements

Students who wish to participate in and complete the Pre-Law Program must satisfy the following conditions:

  1. pursue and complete a major within the field of their choice;
  2. pursue and complete a required curriculum of seven prelaw courses;
  3. earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 by the end of the senior year;
  4. attend courtroom trial proceedings under the direction of the Assistant Pre-Law Director;
  5. attend a minimum of two Pre-Law Program events during each academic year;
  6. complete an LSAT preparatory program;
  7. complete at least four semesters as a full-time student at Flagler College; and
  8. become proficient on the computer assisted legal research program, WESTLAW, at the Proctor Library.

Minor and Course Requirements

A total of 21 credit hours is needed to complete the course requirements. Students who complete these course requirements satisfactorily will be given credit for a Pre- Law minor. PLA 470 and either PLA 381, PLA 419, or PLA 420 are required for the minor.

Helpful Links

Pre-Law Faculty

  1. Moser, Christine
    Assistant Professor, Assistant Director of Pre-Law Program
  2. Poland, Judge Richard
    Professor, Director of Pre-Law
 

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