Pre-Law Program
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Welcome to the Study of Law at Saint Vincent
The practice of law is more than a career—it's a calling to dedicate your life to justice. If you feel drawn to the study and practice of law, there's no better place to start your journey than Saint Vincent College.
For nearly two centuries, Saint Vincent has been preparing students for the study and practice of law by engaging undergraduates in a rigorous and challenging liberal arts curriculum in the Catholic Benedictine Tradition.
Pre-Professional Programs
Finding a Major that Fits Your Path
In law school, you'll find students from a wide range of college majors—arts, sciences, humanities, and more. At Saint Vincent, any undergraduate major will equip you with essential skills in argumentation, research, interdisciplinary thinking, and ethical reasoning—key competencies for graduate study and a successful career in law. Our approach will best equip you to tackle the complexities of legal problems and serve clients effectively.
Many of our students went on to study in law school after earning degrees in these majors:
With that in mind, nearly any Saint Vincent College degree can prepare you for future studies, thanks to additional support provided across the College.
Pre-Law Resources, Support, and Related Programs
Saint Vincent not only offers a rigorous curriculum to prepare you for law school, but also provides additional support to help you succeed and become an effective advocate for justice.
- Legal Studies Minor: This 18-credit program gives you a deep understanding of the history, philosophy, and application of law within society as part of your undergraduate studies.
- Legal Practice Certificate: This certificate enhances your practical legal skills by focusing on analyzing and applying legal principles, drafting legal documents, and understanding various legal practices to best serve clients. It includes four classes— including two online and one internship—within your undergraduate curriculum.
- Saint Vincent Trial Moot Court Team: The team competes with other colleges to develop skills in oral advocacy, courtroom etiquette, and evidentiary principles. The team has achieved notable success in recent years.
- Appellate Moot Court Team: The team competes nationally by arguing constitutional law cases before a panel of judges and then presenting these cases at other venues. This experience closely resembles crucial training for first-year law students.
- Constitutional Litigation & Analysis: This unique course lets students tackle current constitutional law issues, write an appellate brief, and argue before judges—offering rare direct preparation for law school.
- Law School Advancement Fund: Thanks to our graduates and the legal community, this fund helps cover the cost of LSAT prep courses, crucial for the law school application process.
- Law School Advisor: Bruce Antkowiak, a Saint Vincent alum and Harvard Law graduate with over 40 years of experience, who has served as a tenured professor in an ABA accredited law school prior to returning to Saint Vincent, offers expert guidance on the law school application process.
Student Spotlight
"I am thankful for the internship opportunities [with two federal judges] that Dr. Foss and Dr. Jividen helped me find. Those experiences, along with my time on the Mock Trial team, solidified the idea that the field of law is where I want to be. … The thing that stands out the most about my Saint Vincent College experience is how supportive everyone was and still is. I was a first-generation college student and now am a first-generation law school student, and I never once felt as though I was at a disadvantage because every time I needed advice, a friend, alum or professor was there, ready to help.”
Delaney Fox C'24