Pre-Law

Any student from any college who is interested in attending law school

Group of students laying in a circle

Tips for Advising

The pre-law advising office (Erin Reichelt) works with any student from any college who is interested in attending law school. This could range from an undeclared freshman, up to an alum who graduated 5+ years ago. All prospective law students will eventually register on the Law School Admission Council (lsac.org) where the application process for law school is housed, and where they will register to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Prospective students will see a pre-law advisor based on their undergraduate institution, and all those who are current or former students from the U of M will find Erin Reichelt’s contact information.

Pre-Law Advising is located in 511 Bruininks Hall.

A few notes about being “pre-law” at the University of Minnesota:

  • There are no prerequisite courses for law school. Law schools require that you have a bachelor’s degree, but will and do accept students from a wide variety of majors.
  • There is no preferred major that will make it easier to get accepted into a law school.
  • ALL undergraduate grades are calculated into a new GPA for admission to law school - including repeated courses, PSEO credits, College in Schools courses, and transfer courses. If a course is repeated, both grades will count equally.
  • There are a wide variety of courses dealing with law on campus. The most comprehensive list is available on the pre-law website.  None of these courses are required, but will help a student to know if they enjoy learning about law.

There is an extensive Pre-Law Advising website, and a printed Pre-Law Planning Guide available in 511 Bruininks Hall. If you would like copies of the guide for your office, please contact Erin at [email protected].

Referring Students

APLUS Tag

Tag all students interested in law school on APLUS as "Interested in: Pre-Law", this adds them to the list for the monthly newsletter.  If you feel a student would benefit from an individual referral, use APLUS’s referral to “Pre-Law Advising."

Exploring Law School

Students exploring law school as an option should be directed to the Pre-Law 101 Online Module or drop-in hours (schedule will always be available on the Pre-Law website) with the Pre-Law Peer Advisor to discuss how to explore law through classes and other experiences.

Once the Student has Decided on Law School

Students who have decided on law school, but will not be attending for a few years should attend drop-in hours with the Pre-Law Peer Advisor to discuss planning for the LSAT and a general application timeline. Drop-ins are available in-person in 511 Bruininks Hall or virtually (hours and instructions are available on the Pre-Law website).

They also can take the Applying to Law School module.

Application Process Appointments

Students or alumni who are actively in the application process can make an individual appointment with Erin Reichelt via prelaw.appointments.umn.edu.