Calvin College Pre-Law Program

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The Legal Profession and Calvin's Pre-Law Program

The legal profession dates back thousands of years to the early orators of ancient Athens, though these first "lawyers" were prohibited from accepting a fee for their representation. Laws developed as countries developed, and the need for individuals trained in the requirements and technical aspects of the legal field grew and changed around the world.

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Throughout history, there have many prominent figures who studied law and practiced the legal profession, among them Sir Francis Bacon, Robespierre, Abraham Lincoln, Robert Louis Stevenson, Clarence Darrow, Gandhi, Lenin, Franz Kafka, Thurgood Marshall, Nelson Mandela, and John Grisham. And there were countless more whose names are not commonly known.

The field of law today encompasses a wide variety of professions, including private legal practice, public service and teaching, with activities broadly ranging from commercial transactions, tax advice, and estate planning -- to criminal representation in court, judgeship positions, government service, and legal prosecution. Globalization has brought about new changes and growth in the practice of law, legal issues, and technical requirements -- both domestically and internationally.

The number of attorneys in the United States includes more than one million individuals. Approximately half of all law students in the country are women, with roughly about one-quarter of students attending law school identifying themselves as members of a minority group.

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The Calvin College Pre-Law Program assists students in gaining an excellent education in the liberal arts as they earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. There is no prescribed program for students planning to enter law school after

graduation; legal programs accept individuals from various fields and interests, with diverse undergraduate degrees. The common requirement for every law school is that applicants have earned an undergraduate degree and have taken the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).

Calvin's Pre-Law advisor holds a general information meeting early each fall semester for students interested in the Pre-Law Program, and is available to advise students on suitable electives and to help them plan their individual program to prepare for law school. Throughout the year, the Pre-Law Program sponsors and publicizes lectures and events of interest to students who are considering the field of law.

Various printed information, including LSAT materials, are available in the hallway rack near the lobby seating area on the second floor of the DeVos Communication Center. Additional materials are available in the Political Science library (DC273A).

This web site is designed to assist Calvin College students who are thinking seriously about law school, as well as those who have already decided to follow a Pre-Law Program. It contains answers to many basic questions about the legal profession, about law school, and about how Calvin prepares students to enter law school, provides information about additional resources, and includes a calendar of events and activities for the year.

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