Pre-Law FAQ

No. Few undergraduate institutions offer a pre-law major, because a well-rounded, liberal arts education provides students the opportunity to develop their analytical and critical reasoning skills, which are essential to any successful attorney.

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT ) is a half-day standardized test required for admission to all 202 law schools that are members of the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). It provides a standard measure of acquired reading and verbal reasoning skills that law schools can use as one of several factors in assessing applicants.

If you intend to begin law school immediately following completion of your undergraduate degree, you should plan to take the LSAT in June after your junior year. If you intend to take a few years off before you apply to law school, you can take the LSAT any time as your score will stay current for five years. In general, you should start preparing for the exam at least a year in advance.

Multiple scores are averaged by the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS), so you don’t necessarily gain much by taking the LSAT multiple times. If you feel you need to take the test again, discuss your reasons with your pre-law advisor.

If you intend to begin law school immediately upon graduation from Butler, you should have your applications complete and ready to file by November 1st of your senior year.

Admissions decisions are based most heavily on an index score consisting of your GPA and LSAT score. After these numbers, the admissions committees look at the personal statement, letters of recommendation and extracurricular activities.