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Academic Advising Center

Pre-Law Involvement Opportunities

Making the decision to go to law school can be a difficult and confusing one. Most students have questions about how to prepare for the law school admission process. The below resource page is intended:

  • To help you decide whether a career in law may be a good fit for you
  • To assist in deciding which law schools you should apply to based on assessment of your needs
  • To help with all aspects of the law school application process
  • To guide you as you consider various majors/minors and programs at UF that can enhance your preparation for Law School

Contact us to find a pre-law advisor or for general questions.

Student involvement activities

Being involved is a critical part of the Law school admission process. Opportunities for involvement can help fulfill professional development needs of students. We have various pre-law organizations on campus. These organizations can help build professional, academic and social networks for members. The groups are focused on making sure that UF students amply prepare themselves for law schools. They are open to all students currently enrolled at UF who have pre-law interests. Members have opportunities to showcase their goals, aspirations, and questions pertaining to Law school. With the guidance and support of faculty, pre-law advisors and students alike, these organizations seek to enrich, guide, and prepare students for the much anticipated law school admissions process.

Learn more from the student group website.

Internships

You can gain valuable experience related to law and legal issues through participating in an internship. Numerous opportunities are available both locally and in your home town. Internships can be full-time or part-time positions; paid or volunteer positions. Many pre-law students seek experience in a law firm. Most law firms reserve internship positions for law school students however they do allow undergraduate pre-law students in their offices for shadowing opportunities. Despite not having the capacity to handle actual cases, many clerical or shadowing positions available for undergraduates, are useful because they build transferable skills for law school and the experience can help affirm if law school is a fit for you. You do not need prior experience in the field of law. Law school itself will prepare you for practicing law.

See the Career Connection Center for more information.

Community Service

Community service provides an opportunity to prepare students to become productive citizens and take on roles of leadership and service. Pre-law students involved in community service are able to develop, plan, carry out, and evaluate projects that improve the quality of life in their communities. Community Service helps young people build skills for career, and community roles. It also encourages young people to develop positive character traits such as respect, responsibility and citizenship, all of which are pertinent to law school admission. If you are interested in community service or volunteer opportunities to enhance your undergraduate education as you prepare for law school, please refer to the Center for Leadership and Service .

Study Abroad

Study abroad is an enriching experience, where learning extends to the world beyond college. There is a lot to learn from living and studying in a foreign country. As a student you can gain in-depth knowledge of another culture’s customs, people, and language. In addition, studying or living in another country can help develop important skills that can be of interest to law schools. As a prelaw student study abroad can help in the following 3 areas:

Personal Growth and Development
Study abroad can help students grow and enrich their lives. Students are exposed to new ways of thinking which encourages growth and independence. Through study abroad students have a chance to engage in a new culture and experiencing the challenges of learning in a new environment. These experiences are recognized by Law schools.

New Perspectives on World Affairs
Study abroad can broaden intellectual horizons and deepen knowledge and understanding of political, economic and international issues. Students report a more informed and accurate view on world affairs and knowledge of how other cultures approach everyday life. The experience has led students to have an appreciation of international cooperation which are vital skills that could assist with law school admission.

Career Enhancement
Study abroad can enhance career prospects, especially in the fields of law among others. Professional schools are increasingly seeking graduates who have studied abroad. They know that students who have successfully completed a study abroad program are likely to possess international knowledge and often second-language skills. Such students are also likely to have other transferable skills that can be useful in pursuing a legal education.

Please see the Study Abroad Office to explore study abroad opportunities.

Minority Resources

According to the Law School Admission Council, the legal profession is still a relatively non-diverse profession. Minorities are still under-represented. The purpose of minority pre-law resources and activities is to help diversify the legal profession. These resources are engineered to help prospective students prepare for the first year of law school and develop adequate study habits that will ease this transition. They are dedicated to ensuring that, once admitted into law school, students will successfully complete their respective programs of study.

Some useful resources: