The minor in Pre-Law Studies is recommended for all students interested in going to law school after graduating from Russell Sage College. It would also be helpful for students who are interested in a law-related career after college, such as jobs in government or in the courts.
The American Bar Association’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has published a statement on preparation for legal education which has guided the formulation of this minor. According to the ABA, no specific major is or should be required for admission to law schools in the United States. However, undergraduate coursework is recommended that develops skills that can help students prepare for the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and that builds a skills and knowledge base that can help students once they reach law school. The skills referred to by the ABA include: analysis and problem solving; critical reading; writing; oral communication; listening; and, legal research. The knowledge base includes: contemporary political systems; history, political theory; ethics and theories of justice; economics; and human behavior. [18 credits]
Core
Writing Intensive
- Complete one of the following:
Pre-Law Electives
- Complete three additional pre-law courses with advisement from the pre-law minor advisor
Minor Policy
- Minors may be declared any time before the completion of the drop/add period in the first term of the senior year or before completion of 87 credit hours, whichever comes later.
- Successful completion of at least a one course in the minor is a prerequisite to such declaration.
- Only two of the required minor courses may also count toward major or another minor’s requirements. A minimum of half the required credits for the minor must be completed at Sage.
- GPA in Minor required (minimum): 2.200 or higher
Accelerated B.A./B.S. & J.D. Program with Albany Law School
Russell Sage College and Albany Law School have partnered to offer a 3+3 Accelerated Law School program for entering first-year students and rising sophomore students who meet certain requirements. Selected students start at Albany Law School after completion of their junior year at Russell Sage College. Students receive a bachelor’s degree from Russell Sage College at the end of their first year at Albany Law School, spend the normal three years there, then receive a juris doctorate (J.D.) law degree.
Who should apply to the six-year program? Students must be superior prospects to qualify for this program. The admission committees at both Russell Sage College and Albany Law School use grade point average, class rank, SAT scores, and an essay or writing sample as criteria for admission. Russell Sage College and Albany Law School consider students with 1250 or above on the SAT and rank in the upper 10% of high school graduating class. The standards for admission to the 3+3 Program are higher than for ordinary admission; failure to be accepted into this extremely competitive program does not mean that you should not plan to enter Russell Sage College with a plan to attend law school.
How do you apply? Entering first-year students should tell the Admission Counselor with whom they speak that they wish to apply to the 3+3 accelerated law program with Albany Law School. The admission counselors will screen the admission material and, if appropriate, send them to Albany Law School for a final decision. Students in the Accelerated Law program must choose a major that, along with general education courses, can be completed in three years at Sage.
Current Russell Sage College students may seek admission to the accelerated law program after completion of their first year at college. In this case, students must have maintained an excellent GPA during their first year of college level study (3.300 or higher) in addition to the SAT and class rank requirements above.
The following criteria must be met for acceptance to Albany Law School at the conclusion of the junior year of study:
1. Completion of 90 undergraduate credits (minimum) including completion of all general education, liberal arts & sciences, and major program requirements
2. A cumulative GPA of at least 3.300
3. Provide an explanation of all pertinent Character and Fitness issues
4. A score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) that is no lower than the median LSAT score the prior year’s entering Albany Law School class
5. Submission of a completed JD application through www.lsac.org by April 1st of the year you intend to begin law school