The College of Charleston’s Pre-Law Program is offering more events than ever before in an effort to prepare students for admission to law school. Since no specific coursework is required for law school, a pre-law or law major is not offered, which is why students depend on the Pre-Law Program to give them information through advising and extracurricular activities.

On October 20, 2011 students will have the opportunity to hear from young lawyers about their experience and advice. “From Undergraduate to Lawyer,” a panel discussion with young lawyers, will be held from 4:15 to 5:30 p.m. in the Jewish Studies Center, room 209. The panel features Evan Guthrie ’04 of Evan Guthrie Law Firm, Rose Osborne of Michael Tanner LLC  in Bamberg, S.C., and Sarah Schulte in admissions with Regent University School of Law.

Evan Guthrie, a 2004 College of Charleston graduate, says, “Going to the College was definitely an advantage. My adviser was the pre-law adviser and told me what classes and grades I needed each semester to put me in the best position to go to law school. Taking the right classes, not necessarily in my major, helped me build skills to prepare me for law school. The pre-law program also put on wonderful events to expose me to law school and what I needed to do to get there and I am glad I am able to give back by participating in this event.”

Each year, more than 100 College of Charleston students apply to law schools across the country. Many major in traditional feeders for law schools (political science, history, English), some choose majors that correlate with higher LSAT scores (economics, philosophy), and some choose majors that are simply popular at the College (business, communication). The College does offer a minor in crime, law and society and a concentration in politics, philosophy, and law is being developed.

Guthrie’s advice for students is to concentrate on the less obvious aspects of being a lawyer. He says to in act an honest and trustworthy manner, including obeying all laws (you must disclose all criminal activity on your law school and bar applications, even expunged matters) and maintaining a good reputation (in real life and online: Facebook posts have kept some from attending law school).

“The ideal of a liberal arts education is one in which an undergraduate experience of purely academic inquiry is understood as the best preparation for a career, for citizenship, and for a meaningful life,” says Larry Krasnoff, director of the Pre-Law Program. “The law is an especially useful topic for exemplifying that ideal:  it is simultaneously a career path, a flashpoint for current social and political controversies, and a traditional object of academic study.”

The Pre-Law Program sponsors a wide range of extracurricular programming for the entire campus. Some events are tied to advising, offering students insight into being a law student and eventually a lawyer. Other events are tied to academics, educating the community about current issues in the law. Upcoming events, like a lecture on the Boeing/NLRB case, can be found here: http://prelawadv.cofc.edu/events/index.php.

For more information, contact Larry Krasnoff at krasnoff@cofc.edu or 843.953.4987.