The Pre-Law Program

The Pre-Law program at UAB provides programming to students interested in attending law school and pursuing a career in the legal profession. The program consists of:

• programing focused on pre-professional competencies including reading to comprehend, writing to understand, critical thinking, spontaneity, and speaking to persuade
• pre-law advising
• an academic minor that exposes them to the substantive study of the law
• opportunities to participate in experiential learning through internships with local law firms and the Mock Trial Team
• opportunities to participate in pre-law events
• programming focused on developing professionalism

Scholarships are available for qualified students.

The Pre-Law program is overseen by a program director and supported by faculty members in the Departments of Criminal Justice, Political Science and Public Administration, and Philosophy, and the Collat School of Business. It is also supported by members of the Birmingham Bar Association and the Magic City Bar Association, who give of their time and talent by serving as guest lecturers in various law and law-related classes; overseeing programmatic fundraising and scholarship development; and providing students with internship opportunities in various settings.

Learn more about the Pre-Law Path: Public Administration /Juris Doctorate (MPA/JD Coordinated Degree) and the Pre-Law Path: Public Health /Juris Doctorate (MPH/JD Coordinated Degree). 

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The Legal Affairs Minor

A critical component of the Pre-Law program is its Legal Affairs minor, designed to help students learn to think both critically and creatively about law. Because the curriculum is interdisciplinary and presents law as the subject of liberal inquiry, students in the minor examine law from various perspectives.

The minor also provides students the opportunity to develop a solid foundation of knowledge on topics including:

• the origins and functions of law
• basic rules of law
• comparative legal systems
• law as a social phenomenon
• the influences and effects of the legal profession on
  society
• the impact of societal trends and changes on law