UND’s Department of Philosophy & Religion announces new pre-law concentration; celebration reception open to all

David L. Dodds

Document Type

News Article

Publication Date

3-25-2014

Campus Unit

College of Arts & Sciences

Abstract

The University of North Dakota's Department of Philosophy & Religion is pleased to announce a new pre-Law concentration; students may enroll immediately.

The new concentration is intended for students who want a competitive advantage for law school applications, and for those who aim to enter law school with a strong and relevant skill-set. The Pre-law concentration will increase the odds of student success in the very demanding law school environment.

The department will be hosting a reception to celebrate the new concentration at 5 p.m., Thursday, March 27, in the UND Memorial Union's River Valley Room. The reception is free and open to all. Philosophy and Religion is the ideal department to host the pre-Law concentration. Philosophy majors consistently have the highest scores on the LSAT (The Law School Admissions Test). Also, philosophy, as a major, boasts one of the two highest acceptance rates for law school admissions. The new Pre-Law concentration relies on the traditional philosophy curriculum but refocuses it for more efficient preparation for law school. Philosophy majors enter law school with a distinct advantage in analytic thinking, problem-solving, critical thinking, critical reading, advanced writing abilities, oral communication, listening skills, and research skills. They have a strong sense of public service, an ethical point of view, and a commitment to justice. Jack Russell Weinstein of the Department of Philosophy & Religion said, "there is a myth that philosophy majors are not prepared for work life. Nothing can be further from the truth. They are strong, flexible thinkers, with a wide range of desirable skills. More and more employers value the humanities and many look for philosophers specifically. In fact, with respect to those graduates with a B.A., philosophy majors have amongst the highest lifetime income."

Technically, under UND's terminology, pre-Law is a "concentration," not a major, but this is an advantage from the students' point of view. Graduates receive a B.A. in "Philosophy and Religion: Pre-Law," meaning that if they changed their minds and chose not to pursue law school, they would still have a credential recording their comprehensive and in-depth liberal arts education. Pre-law is one of three existing concentrations in the Department; the other two are Philosophy and Religion.

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