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It would be unwise and, perhaps, impossible to prescribe a specific course of study and assert that it is the best one can receive in preparation for entering law school. Therefore, there is no established major for pre-law students. In 1988, the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) expressed the view that the “quality of education is concerned with the development of basic skills and insights. It thus involves education for: 1) comprehension and expression in words; 2) critical understanding of the human institutions and values with which the law deals; 3) creative power in thinking; 4) knowledge of computers and word processing.” While no one major embraces all of these characteristics and, while personal development in these areas is an individualistic effort moulded to one’s particular strengths, weaknesses, and interests, the University offers numerous courses which give training in these skills. The following areas of study encompass these recommendations and suggest courses which prepare students for the study and practice of law. • Computer Science: In an age where information storage and problem solving is increasingly accomplished by computers, a lawyer cannot afford to venture into the future without a working knowledge of computers. • Business: When an individual becomes a lawyer, he/ she also become a member of the business community; hence, classes in business are beneficial to the prelaw student. Competence in this field can make the difference between an organized, successful lawyer and a bewildered, ineffective one. Furthermore, the practical judgment one develops in business classes frequently allows one to penetrate the legal maze and to quickly reach the important issues of any case. • History and Government: We are a product of yesterday in our society, our customs and our laws. Without a general understanding of history and how it relates to our present state, the lawyer cannot appreciate the intimate relationship laws have with our culture. • Criminal Justice: The Division of Criminal Justice includes three law courses in its core curriculum and offers the option of additional law and constitutional theory courses among its electives. The department offers intern placements in law related positions. Law courses are instructed in the case study method used in law schools. This instruction allows a student to determine their level of interest and aptitude for legal studies while still an undergraduate. Several members of the teaching faculty are attorneys, and law courses are taught by attorneys licensed by the bar. In addition, the major in criminal justice offers a general orientation to the justice field and provides students a suggested pre-law course of study engineered to provide an excellent foundation for the study of law. • Economics: As the AALS asserts: “Economics is a science that calls upon the student to master patterns of thought, to explore questions of causation and to probe potentials for solutions.” Since many legal problems ultimately involve economic issues, a study of economics will benefit the pre-law student.
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