Law

In its final report, a study commission of the American Bar Association recently wrote that it does "not recommend any particular group of undergraduate majors, or courses, that should be taken by those wishing to prepare for legal education...The law is too multifaceted, and the human mind too adaptable, to permit such a linear approach to preparing for law school or the practice of law." The report continued by identifying important skills (e.g., analytic and problem solving, critical reading, writing and oral communication) and values (e.g., serving others and promoting justice), as well as significant bodies of knowledge, that students ought to acquire prior to law school. It concluded that "taking difficult courses from demanding instructors is the best generic preparation for legal education." For those reasons, Luther does not offer a prescribed program of prelaw study, but encourages students to take a rigorous liberal arts curriculum and to choose a major that is both interesting and challenging. We encourage students to consult with a prelaw advisor, either John Moeller or Steve Holland, as well as their regular faculty advisor in planning their program, and to take advantage of occasional prelaw forums on campus.