Prelaw Advising

Are you interested in attending law school or pursuing a career in the legal profession? The prelaw advising service in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 270 Lincoln Hall, has information at all stages of an undergraduate career for students enrolled in any college on campus.

Since "prelaw" is more a "state of mind" than a specific curriculum, students have great flexibility in pursing an undergraduate degree program and in selecting courses to prepare themselves for law school. Admission is based primarily on the undergraduate grade point average and the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), which students should plan on taking in the summer between their junior and senior years. Law schools admit students from almost every undergraduate background; for instance, among the students applying to law school from the University in a recent year, no less than forty-nine separate undergraduate majors were represented, and students were accepted from every college.

On the other hand, if law schools could advise students as to what they should do, they would emphasize that students take a good, broad liberal education, and they would urge students to challenge themselves by moving to advanced-level courses as soon as they find a subject in which they have significant interest. Since law study places a high emphasis on verbal and analytic skills, course work in areas that develop such skills is often chosen; specifically classes in the humanities and social sciences that emphasize writing and reading comprehension are helpful. The LAS Student Affairs Office has a one-page handout which suggests some courses that students interested in a career in law might find helpful. Also, students in the general curriculum and in sciences and letters majors in LAS can request a prelaw coding. Although this coding has no curriculum implications, it enables students to be placed on a mailing list which permits them to receive information mailed from the prelaw adviser. Students from other colleges without access to the prelaw coding can be placed on the mailing list by providing the prelaw secretary in 270 Lincoln Hall with their current addresses each semester.

The prelaw secretary also oversees a "Letter of Recommendation Service" that students planning to apply to law school can use from the beginning of their undergraduate program. Letters of recommendation can be solicited from faculty and be placed on file until the individual is ready to send off applications. Details can be obtained in 270 Lincoln Hall.

When the student is ready to apply to law school, the prelaw adviser can help in overseeing the application process and in answering questions about specific schools and their programs, about forms and procedures, and about where and when to apply. The adviser also can review with a student the personal statement and make students aware of special programs and opportunities, such as visits to campus from representatives of the law schools.

The prelaw adviser also keeps a library of material from law schools and from Law Services, which oversees the administration of the LSAT. LSAT booklets also are available in 270 Lincoln Hall. Additionally, admission statistics at all of the nearly 180 American Bar Association-approved law schools are available not only in The Guide to U.S. Law Schools published by Law Services, but also from the data compiled by the prelaw adviser. The Prelaw Handbook, which answers the most asked questions, and a pamphlet on the application process also can be obtained from the prelaw adviser. Some information on careers in law and on alternative directions with a law school education also can be found in the prelaw advising service.

An informational meeting for freshmen prelaw students takes place in the fall of every year, and a similar meeting for third year students who will be in the process of applying to law school in the fall of their senior year is conducted each spring. Students can make an appointment with the prelaw adviser at any stage of their undergraduate programs to discuss these or other concerns.

Teacher Education Curricula (Secondary)

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Education have developed a coherent set of experiences on campus, in schools, and in communities that will prepare our students to become skilled, knowledgeable, and committed teachers. There are two ways that students may obtain teacher certification through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Students preparing for teacher certification in biology, chemistry, earth science, English, mathematics, physics, and social studies: These students complete a teaching option offered through an LAS major and the Teacher Education Minor in Secondary School Teaching. Upon completion of the option and the Teacher Education Minor in Secondary School Teaching, students will earn a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences as well as teaching certification. Conferral of the degree of Bachelor of Science or Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences prior to completion of the minor requires approval by petition to the LAS Student Affairs Office.

Students preparing for teacher certification in any of five foreign languages (French, German, Latin, Russian, and Spanish): Students following these programs complete the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in the Teaching of French (or German, etc.) Education courses and other courses required for teacher certification are integrated within each curriculum.

More detailed information pertaining to specific course requirements for each of the programs in both groups is provided by academic advisers. Only through regular communication with the teacher education adviser may the student be assured of the appropriateness of his or her program. Students are advised that certification requirements may be altered at any time by the State Teacher Certification Board or by the legislature. In such cases, students may be compelled to satisfy the new requirements to qualify for the University's recommendation for certification. Also see the Council on Teacher Education section for information pertinent to all teacher education and specific areas of teacher education listed in the LAS Programs of Study section of this catalog.

Teaching of Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, English, Mathematics, Physics, and Social Studies

Students following any of the teaching options in the Sciences and Letters Curriculum must complete all the course requirements for that curriculum. When they select their major, they may also select a "Pre-Teaching professional indicator," which reflects their intent to complete the requirements for teacher certification as part of their undergraduate program.

Transfer into the Teaching Option within a major can be made only by students who have received approval to complete the Teacher Education Minor in Secondary School Teaching. Approval for the Teacher Education Minor in Secondary School Teaching is gained by successful application to the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education, upon recommendation by the subject area committees of the Council on Teacher Education.

Two prerequisite courses must be completed before transfer to the Teaching Option in any major: EPSY 201 and EPS 201. Additionally, each major stipulates other prerequisite courses that must be completed before admission to the Teaching Option. Interested students should see the academic advisers in the major for information on prerequisite courses.

Illinois law and Council on Teacher Education policy require that all candidates for admission to a teacher preparation program pass the Illinois Certification Testing System test of Basic Skills prior to admission.

Some students will be able to complete all the prerequisite courses for transfer into the Teaching Option of their major by the spring of their sophomore year; those students may be able to complete the requirements for the Bachelor's degree in LAS, the Teacher Education Minor in Secondary School Teaching and all other requirements for teacher certification in four years.

Illinois law and Council of Teacher Education policy require that all candidates for certification pass the appropriate Illinois Certification Testing System test in their content major prior to student teaching.

Students who establish eligibility to transfer into the teaching option of their major in the spring of their junior year will need five years to satisfy the requirements for teacher certification. Those students, however, may be able to convert up to 15 hours of course credit in excess of the minimum required for the Liberal Arts and Sciences Bachelor's degree into graduate credit.

General Education Requirements

Teaching of Foreign Languages

Illinois law and Council on Teacher Education policy require that all candidates for admission to a teacher preparation program pass the Illinois Certification Testing System test of Basic Skills prior to admission. Illinois law and Council of Teacher Education policy require that all candidates for certification pass the appropriate Illinois Certification Testing System test in their content major prior to student teaching. Illinois law and Council on Teacher Education policy require that all candidates for certification pass an oral proficiency test in their content major language prior to student teaching.

General education requirements of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences must be fulfilled by students pursuing teacher education curricula in that college (see General Education requirements listed above). If the requirements of the teaching major satisfy the general education requirements in an area, they will be noted in the curriculum statement. For more information, consult the certification officer (505 East Green Suite 203).