What Classes does the Prelaw Center Offer or Recommend that I take?

*There is no prelaw major at BYU and no required courses for law school application. The courses that are offered below are for a student’s benefit – namely to help them decide if law school is the right choice for them and to help them better prepare for law school. Some students choose to take every prelaw course offered while others choose not to take any.  NOTE: MANY OF THE COURSE NAMES HAVE RECENTLY CHANGED.

St. Dev. 198R: Exploring Legal Professions (Formerly St. Dev. 198R Prelaw Seminar—Lecture Series)
This 1.0 credit class is a low workload lecture series where different attorneys come each week and talk about their law school experience and current legal practice. This is an excellent course for freshman-seniors who are considering law and want to find out more about it. 

St. Dev. 398R: Prelaw Review Journal Writing (Formerly St. Dev. 198R Prelaw Seminar—Prelaw Review)
This 1.0 credit class is for the authors and editors of the Prelaw Review.  Students must apply for these staff positions at the end of winter semester and is announced via the weekly newsletter. Students with writing and researching experience are preferred. Only students who are accepted can register for this class, which is why the class is “add with instructor permission only.” This class requires a 2 semester commitment.  You may not sign up for the class half way through the academic year.

St. Dev. 258R: Prelaw Leadership (Formerly St. Dev. 198R Prelaw Seminar—PLSA)
This 1.0 credit class gives credit to PLSA (prelaw club) board members only. Students may apply for a board member position which is announced via the weekly newsletter at the beginning of winter semester. If a student is accepted on the board, he or she may add the class, which is why the class is “add with instructor permission only.”

St. Dev. 260: Constitutional Research (Formerly St. Dev. 198R Prelaw Seminar—Constitutional Research)
This 1.0 credit class studies the Constitution and allows students to work on the Constitutional Resources Project, completing a small editing assignment online each week.  For more information on what “ConSource” is about please visit their website at www.consource.org.  This class is open to freshman-seniors who want to learn more about the Constitution.

St. Dev. 270: Advanced Reading Strategies for College Success (Formerly St. Dev. 214)
This course teaches speed comprehension and reading strategies for all different kinds of texts from science textbooks to poetry. This is an excellent course for those planning on any kind of graduate school program to prepare them to absorb the large amount of information they will be required to read and retain in graduate school. The course is offered fall and winter semesters only.

St. Dev. 496R: Advanced Legal Internship (Formerly St. Dev. 199R Academic Internship)
This 1.0-3.0 credit course assigns students to legal internships within Utah Valley firms. Students must apply for an internship and if accepted, are required to do 3-5 hours of work per week during the fall semester.  Application deadlines will be announced via the weekly newsletter in late August for fall semester and late November for winter semester. We give preference to juniors and seniors with researching and writing experience, but anyone interested is encouraged to apply. Students may also sign up for this class during the spring/summer semesters through self-initiated internships. Please inquire at our office for more information. 

St. Dev. 365: Legal Education and Practice (Formerly St. Dev. 214R Introduction to Law School)
This 2.0 credit course, taught by Prelaw Advisor Catherine Bramble, simulates the first year of law school and is an excellent class for students who are seriously considering law school or have already applied to law school and want to be better prepared when they get there.  In this course you will learn how to brief a case, conduct legal research, do a mediation exercise, and prepare an opening statement. This class is offered both fall and winter semesters. Space is limited to 25 students, so sign up early. 

St. Dev. 364: Mediation Techniques and Practices (Formerly St. Dev. 214R Mediation)
This 3.0 credit course, taught by BYU Law School Professor Tamara Fackrell and second and third year BYU law students, teaches undergraduates basic mediation skills.  Learn mediation techniques and have the opportunity to observe actual teen-parent mediations.

St. Dev. 214, 002: Conflict Resolution
This 2.0 credit course, taught by Professor John Pace, teaches students conflict resolution skills and conflict resolution principles.  It is an excellent course for students who are interested in ADR (alternative dispute resolution).

Philosophy 205, 001: Deductive Logic
This is an excellent 3.0 credit course to help students learn deductive logic, a topic that is heavily tested on the LSAT.  By taking this course you will have a head-start on doing well on your LSAT and learning the material in your LSAT prep course will be that much easier if you have a solid foundation.

Reading/Research/Writing Courses: Any major, any time, any place
Don't forget that though law schools will accept any major, in law school and legal practice you will do A LOT of reading, writing, and research, so take advantage of the intensive writing and research courses in your major and make sure you are constantly improving your reading skills by reading at least 30 minutes a day.

For course times and locations, please refer to the Course Registration Catalogue