Why Should Pre-Law Students Study Philosophy?

If you are wondering how a Philosophy major/minor can prepare you for pre-law studies, consider the recommendation of the Association of American Law Schools:
The Association, without suggesting any particular pre-law major, calls for an education which emphasizes the development of the following:

Since these skills are essential for success in law school, the Law School Aptitude Test (LSAT) is designed to test your abilities to do the following:

The best pre-law program for you will be one in which you will have the best opportunity to develop and sharpen certain skills.

 

Philosophy is a disciplined study that uses the specific methods of logical and critical reasoning. In using these methods in your philosophy courses, you gain the following skills: 

• understand conceptually complex issues
• analyze issues critically
• interpret and synthesize diverse theories
• express yourself well

These skills are emphasized by the Association of Law Schools and are needed to score well on the LSAT. In learning the skills of critical reasoning by studying philosophy, you will study many topics of perennial human interest. Philosophy studies include:

• the nature of value
• the nature of right and wrong
• the nature of knowledge
• the nature of reality
• logic and the nature of correct reasoning
• legal reasoning and the nature of law

Other benefits of philosophy for pre-law students include:

• The Department of Philosophy encourages you to get a broad, flexible education that includes the study of language, literature, history, economics, science, and politics. This broad education contributes to intellectual development and helps you develop the reasoning skills that are crucial to your success in law school.
• The Department of Philosophy maintains small classes to provide more opportunity for classroom discussion, the development of your writing skills, and more personal attention from professors.
• As a pre law student, you are highly motivated and intellectually curious. Philosophy challenges you and nourishes your intellectual curiosity.
• Studying philosophy and correlative areas will give you great flexibility in preparing for your career, even if you should decide to alter your career plans while at ISU. While preparing for law school, you will also acquire the educational foundation for a possible career in medicine, business, computer science, or education.