Legal Studies (Supplementary Major)

The School of Public Affairs BA in Legal Studies supplemental major is perfect for students interested in going to law school. The major emphasizes building the skills that you will need to succeed, including critical thinking and effective communication, while also offering an opportunity to gain background information in a variety of areas of law.

There is no recommended set of prelaw courses, and there is no recommended prelaw major. Indeed, legal issues arise in every domain in society, from business to education, artistic creation to construction. So pick a major you love and will do well in. It will be helpful, though, if you use your minor or elective hours to become familiar with the United States legal system and to take additional challenging courses requiring complex reading and writing. Also, courses that introduce you to broad legal principles may present you with enough information to decide whether or not you want to continue with a legal education.

Students considering attending law school will be required to complete the following during the application process:

• your LSAT score,
• your compiled GPA, which includes all undergraduate courses taken at all institutions—even ones you’ve retaken, and
• several written essays.

Your complete application should indicate you have challenged your thinking and reasoning skills in a variety of courses. Above all, you should be able to read and write well.

For additional information and resources on applying to law school, visit the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law School website at ualr.edu/law.

Legal Studies Program Requirements

The Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies is known as a supplemental major. A supplemental major (also known at other institutions as “dependent” or “secondary”) is a type of second major that requires students to have a primary major as well. The primary major determines any university-level requirements. The supplemental major is a particularly good device when designing interdisciplinary programs, such as the study of law. Law plays a role in all areas of experience, from business to poetry. Thus it is appropriate for an undergraduate legal studies degree to be attached or “supplemental” to some other area of expertise. Students will be able to declare the supplemental major in Legal Studies with any primary major.

The major will provide undergraduate students with an opportunity to become familiar with legal ideas, legal institutions, and the legal process. The major is designed to stimulate critical thinking and understanding about the theoretical frameworks, historical dynamics, and cultural embeddedness of law.

General: 120 minimum total hours