Pre-Law

The Pre-Law program at Rockhurst is aimed at helping students develop a curriculum and a plan to best prepare them for success on both the Law Scholastic Aptitude Test (LSAT) and Law School. Our goal is to make sure that you have the best and most up-to-date information on everything from admission, to financing, to career options in the legal profession.

Program Overview

In accordance with the guidelines of the American Bar Association, Rockhurst does not direct students to any particular major. Nor is there a specified, one-size-fits-all “Pre-Law program.” Instead, your Pre-Law advisor will help you with not only choosing a major you’re passionate about and can succeed in, but also with supplementing that major with courses best suited to enhance your ability to excel at the skills necessary for a successful legal education and career in law: logical reasoning, close reading, research, written and spoken communication, persuasion, and critical thinking.

3+3 Law Scholars Program

Rockhurst’s Law Scholars program is a partnership between Rockhurst University and three other law schools: The University of Missouri-Columbia, Saint Louis University, and Creighton University. The program allows students to earn a law degree in just six years after entering college. The 3+3 program gives Rockhurst students who meet the required course hours, GPA and LSAT scores set by these respective universities a path for direct entry to law school, allowing them to complete their Juris Doctorate degree a full year sooner!

The program is open to both freshman and transfer students in any degree program. For more information, visit rockhurst.edu/prelawscholars.

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Learning Outcomes

Develop a sound foundation for legal education, the ABA recommends students acquire important skills such as problem-solving, critical reading and writing, oral communication, listening, organization, and management skills
A dedication to serving others and promoting justice
A broad understanding of history, political thought, philosophy, ethical theory, economics, human behavior, and diversity
Understand the law school requirements and admission process
Understand the career opportunities associated with obtaining a law degree
Be accepted to law school

Program Outcomes

At the heart of every Jesuit university is a rich liberal arts curriculum designed to create the ideal balance of breadth and depth necessary to make a difference in a complex, rapidly changing world. When the ancient Roman scholar Cicero coined the expression ars liberales (meaning, literally, the skills/knowledge necessary to be free), he argued success in any meaningful career requires a range of competencies enabling us to truly know ourselves in relation to the natural and social world. Since the 16th century, the Jesuit approach to the liberal arts has sharpened Cicero’s vision by exposing its students to a robust blend of mathematics, physical sciences, philosophy, history, literature, human sciences, fine arts, communication, theology and religious studies with the purpose of forming women and men with the intellectual depth and moral leadership necessary to make a positive difference in the world.

Rockhurst University's Wisdom Core Curriculum, along with the wide variety of majors that the University offers, lays the foundation for success in law school. With the help of the Pre-law advisor, students can select electives aimed specifically at developing the skills necessary for improving their readiness for the LSAT. But even more importantly, Rockhurst University's Jesuit focus on an education preparing graduates to be “women and men for others” will foster those values you will need to assure your legal career will make a positive difference in the lives of those you serve.