What is the Pre-law Program?

The Political Science Department has a number of courses and extra curricular activities that collectively constitute what the Political Science Department calls its Pre-law Program. Although many pre-law students major in Political Science, it is not necessary to declare a major in Political Science in order to take these courses or participate in these extra curricular activities.

Advising

The department's pre-law advisor is available to meet with students who anticipate applying to law school in order to:

• Advise students about relevant courses in the Political Science Department and other departments

• Supply information about the LSAT (the standardized test required for admission to all law schools)

• Supply information about the process of applying to law schools

• Advise students on how to obtain information about particular law schools

• Provide information about the Pre-law Club and various pre-law activities sponsored by the Political Science Department

Pre-law Club

The Pre-law Club is an official University club open to all students interested in a career in law. Its activities include:

• Sponsoring speakers who address topics related to the legal profession

• Sponsoring judicial candidate forums

• Holding study sessions to prepare students for the LSAT

• Organizing social activities to enable pre-law students to interact and share information with each other.

Advisor:  Dr. W.R. Mack, Phone: 465-1130, wrmack@usi.edu

Pre-law Mentoring Program

This program pairs pre-law students with local attorneys. Permission to participate in the Pre-law Mentoring Program is granted only to those students whose academic record, maturity, and character suggest they will benefit from this experience. Students participating in the program will:

• Meet periodically with a local attorney in order to learn more about the legal profession, law schools, and career opportunities

• Shadow a local attorney in order to observe the practice of law

Pre-law Internship Program

The Pre-law Internship Program provides an opportunity for students to receive course credit while working as an intern for an attorney or a judge. Students who want to intern for a judge need to enroll in POLS495 (Judicial Internship).  Students who want to intern for an attorney need to enroll in POLS496 (Legal Internship).

Course Work

The Political Science Department offers several courses that are taken by most students interested in attending law school:

• POLS 208 Law, Courts, and Justice (3) Sources, types, purposes, and sanctions of American law; functions of courts; problems of legal justice in the United States. No prerequisites.

• POLS 399 Indiana Constitution Law (3) An Analysis of significant decisions made by the Indiana Supreme Court with particular attention to civil rights and liberties.

• POLS 405 Constitutional Law (3) The growth of the American constitutional system by analysis of leading Supreme Court decisions; the role of the Court decisions; the role of the Court in American politics, evolution of the federal system, civil rights, problems of statutory interpretation, and judicial review of administrative action and regulations. Supplementary reading includes judicial biography and commentaries on the court. No prerequisites.

• POLS 406 Constitutional Rights (3) Analysis and discussion of leading decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court, with special attention given to civil rights, including the rights of persons accused of crime; freedom of speech, press, assembly, religion, separation of church and state, equal protection of the laws, and property rights. No prerequisites.

• POLS 473 International Law (3) A systematic study of the origins, objects, sources, and theories of international law. Foremost in importance is the aim to enable students to analyze basic premises and principles of international law and to develop an awareness of the major international legal problems. No prerequisites.

• POLS 495 Judicial Internship (3) Internship in a court for a minimum of 150 hours of supervised, professional work. The internship experience will provide students with the opportunity to master and critique social science concepts and theories pertaining to the operation of judicial bureaucracies. Prereq: junior or senior status and consent of instructor.

• POLS 496 Legal Internship (3) Students work as interns in a law office or other law-related organizations for 150 hours. Students also must complete various academic requirements. Working in a law office or other law-related institution provides a pre-law student direct contact with the practical realities of the legal profession and the applications of the law in society. This experience also helps a pre-law student decide whether to commit to law school. Thus, a legal internship is a valuable component of pre-law education. Prereq: junior or senior status and consent of instructor.

• POLS 498 Research in Political Science (3) Independent investigation of selected political problems under supervision of instructor. Research or internship in any area of political science including legal research and internships with an attorney or judge. No prerequisites but must have the consent of the instructor.

Pre-law students are strongly advised to take other Political Science course that provide information about the structure of the American political system:

• POLS 102 Introduction to American Politics (3) Explores the basic elements of the American political process and the institutions of American national government. Provides a foundation for the study of American government and politics. No prerequisites.

• POLS 202 Introduction to Public Administration (3) Examination of the major theoretical approaches to the study of public policy and policymaking at the federal, state and local levels in the United States. The course focuses on critical elements of the policy process such as the definition of public problems, agenda setting, policy formulation, policy implementation, oversight, and policy change. No prereq.

• POLS 203 Introduction to the Policy Process in the United States (3) Examination of the organizational dynamics and external pressures that affect the administration of government institutions in the United States. Theories and concepts are discussed that pertain to a number of the administrative practices in national, state, and local government organizations: planning, budgeting, staffing, decision making, communicating, implementation, controlling, and evaluation. No Prereq.

• POLS 305 State and Local Government (3) The framework of states and their local governments in the United States. Indiana government is compared with that of other states. The course stresses the most important contributions of local governments to the federal system. No prerequisites.

• POLS 307 Urban Government and Politics (3) Governmental organization, current problems, and the political process in urban America. No prerequisites.

• POLS 330 Introduction to Public Administration (3) Government in action. The methods and procedures used by governments; bureaucratic organizations, finance, personnel/staffing relations, headquarters and field relations, and intergovernmental relations. No prerequisites.

• POLS 427 State and Urban Administration (3) A study and analysis of the major issue areas of state and urban administration such as finance, organization, public welfare, insurance regulation, parks and recreation, housing, and redevelopment. No prerequisites.

Pre-law students with an interest in international law are advised to take some Political Science courses from the list that follows that focus on foreign governments and the international political system:

• POLS 271 International Politics (3) An introduction to the study of interstate political relations, power, nationalism, and international organizations; discussion of current trends in international affairs. No prereq.

• POLS 281 Comparative Politics (3) Introduction to the comparative study of government and politics. Includes case studies of the political systems of selected nations with particular emphasis on Western Europe. No prereq.

• POLS 371 The United Nations (3) An examination of the UN as an organization, UN functions, regional perspectives, and current issues. Prereq: One political science course or consent of instructor.

• POLS 382 Politics in Canada (3) Detailed study of the Canadian federal system, with emphasis on parliament, parties and elections, the provinces, and the Ottawa bureaucracy, and foreign policy. No prereq.

• POLS 383 Government and Politics of Latin America (3) Comparative analysis of Latin American political structures, political movements, and political thought with emphasis upon constitutional structures; local, state, and national governments; the military; revolutions; organized labor; and contemporary affairs. No prereq.

• POLS 384 The Middle East (3) Government and politics of nation/states in northern Africa and western Asia, with special attention to Israel, Iran, and members of the League of Arab States. No prereq.

• POLS 433 American Diplomacy to 1900 (3) The history of United States relations with foreign nations from the Revolution to 1900. Emphasis is upon the diplomacy of independence, neutral rights, the Monroe Doctrine, Manifest Destiny, the Civil War and Imperialism. This course is cross/listed as History 433. No prereq.

• POLS 434 American Diplomacy Since 1900-(3) United States relations with other nation/states from 1900 to the present. Emphasis is on foreign policy relating to World Wars I and II, intergovernmental organizations, Latin America, the Cold War, Vietnam, and China. This course is cross/listed as History 434. No prereq.

• POLS 471 International Organizations-(3) An examination of the development and functioning of intergovernmental organizations with special emphasis on the United Nations, its specialized agencies, and regional arrangements. No prereq.

• POLS 473 International Law-(3) A systematic study of the origins, objects, sources, and theories of international law. Foremost in importance is the aim to enable students to analyze basic premises and principles of international law and to develop an awareness of the major international legal problems. No prereq.

• POLS 481 Politics of the Developing Nations-(3) Comparative study of problems of political change and modernization in the developing nations. No prereq.

Advice regarding appropriate courses for pre-law students offered by other departments can be obtained from the Pre-law advisor, Dr. W.R. Mack, Phone: 465-1130, wrmack@usi.edu .