Please be advised that the ABA offers a scholarship opportunity for those considering law school. It is a $5,000 financial assistance annually to a person attending an ABA-accredited law school. Interested persons can find details and an application at the scholarship website. Awards are based on your qualifications, and it doesn't matter which law school you plan to attend. The application is due March 1, 2012. The purpose of the scholarship is to encourage racial and ethnic minority students to apply to law school. Best of luck!
Welcome to the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Pre-Law Program website. Currently, SIUE does not have a Pre-Law major or minor, but a Pre-Law minor is under construction, and we hope it may be live during fall 2012. Please be aware that there is no one major that is best suited for the study of law. Instead, you should consider identifying classes that speak to a certain skill set, such as critical thinking, logic, analytical skills, writing, and communication. This could include classes in Philosophy, Political Science, Math, Speech, Physics, Biology, Sociology and Criminal Justice Studies, History, and English to name only a few possible departments. These will be critical skills for you to develop for a potential legal career.
Please join us as a friend on facebook at the SIUE Pre-Law Program Group
However, SIUE is committed to providing information and assistance to students who are considering whether a legal career may be a good fit for them, or who have already decided to pursue this professional degree after graduation. To accomplish this, SIUE has established two areas of contact for students, College of Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Advising, and the Pre-Law Mentor.
Any student interested in Pre-Law should go to the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) Undergraduate Advising office. CAS Undergraduate Advising has professional academic advisors working with the 19 academic departments within the College of Arts & Sciences. The academic advisors will be able to help you determine the appropriate classes to take to prepare for law school, and will connect you with campus resources related to Pre-Law.
Contact one of the following academic advisors for more information:
| Advisor | Danette Griffith | Brian Hinterscher |
| dagriff@siue.edu | bhinter@siue.edu | |
| Phone | (618) 650‑5525 | (618) 650‑5525 |
| Office | 1315 Peck Hall | 1315 Peck Hall |
In addition, Ann Dirks-Linhorst, J.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor in Sociology and Criminal Justice Studies, is the contact person to whom you will be referred when you register through the Law School Admission Council process (LSAC). She is happy to discuss whether law school may be right for you, or which law school may provide the best fit, answer questions about the law school application process and/or the LSAT preparation and testing process, offer reviews of personal statements as you move through the law school application process, discuss your options once you receive your LSAT results, or to just talk about the law school experience, the practice of law, or the wide range of legal careers. I keep law school brochures in the Pre-Law cabinet directly outside my office door at 1211 Peck Hall. Feel free to stop by and browse through brochures from a number of schools around the country. There also are informational brochures available from the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) in the Pre-Law cabinet, free for the taking!
Reach Dr. Dirks-Linhorst by:
| pdirksl@siue.edu | |
| Telephone | (618) 650‑5694 |
| Office | 1211 Peck Hall |
You will also find helpful information about the entire law school process through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). You must register with the LSAC to begin the law school admission process, as they coordinate the LSAT, and provide the Credential Assembly Service which collects your applications, letters of recommendation, transcripts, and any other required information, and then provides it to each law school to which you apply.
When is the next LSAT (or Law School Admission Test) testing date?
| June 11, 2012 | Register by April 25, 2012 |
Visit LSAC for additional testing information. The cost for the 2011-2012 LSAT is $139. Check the LSAC website for information about a possible fee waiver — you'll find an application if you qualify. Please note that you may also want to pay $124 to subscribe to the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) which will collate your law school applications for each school you designate.
Several law schools are in or close to the Metropolitan St. Louis area. Links to their websites are provided below:
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale School of Law | www.law.siu.edu |
| University of Illinois | www.law.illinois.edu |
| Saint Louis University | www.law.slu.edu |
| Washington University | www.wustl.edu |
