Open to all students regardless of major, our preparation for legal career fields program helps you discern how and why you are interested in a career in the legal field before then assisting you throughout the career development process. The legal career fields advisor, a faculty member in the political science department, has experience supporting career development and vocational discernment particularly related to legal career fields.
Legal career fields include, but are more than pre-law school. Students interested in legal career fields find themselves motivated to pursue work as paralegals, legal assistants, attorneys, law enforcement officers, state and local government employees, non-profit organization leaders, policy analysts, policy makers, and many other roles that involve the law.
Preparation for legal career fields begins early, as you work with the legal career fields advisor to understand the variety of different legal careers and the steps needed to explore them. You will construct an individualized road map that starts with developing a vision of your life goals as aspirations and working backward to list next steps. Vocational discernment is a hallmark of this process — you will be asked to reflect deeply on your passions and skills and to consider how they translate into a variety of different careers. You will have space to explore different career possibilities through informational interviews, internships, shadowing, and mentorship. At the end of the discernment process, you will be ready to prepare for your career.
We have students preparing for and alumni working in all aspects of the legal field. Our courses are designed to build your resume for these professions and to build your confidence that you are informed about the next steps along your career journey. Our student organization and honor society bring together students with interests in legal careers to provide focused support and mentoring.
If you are interested in attending law school, the legal career fields advisor will work with you to establish individualized timelines and goals to ensure maximum preparation. This process includes creating lists of potential law schools based on your interests and fit, developing a cohesive narrative conveying why you want to attend law school, discussing test preparation timelines and strategies, crafting an appropriate law school resume and working to strengthen resume experiences, and selecting recommenders. The legal career fields advisor will also guide you through the application process itself, including campus visits, comparing law school options, and negotiating. Our students have graduated from many of the top law schools in the country and are practicing law in a wide variety of different settings.
Students from all majors choose legal career paths. The Department of History and the Department of Political Science offer pre-law concentrations, and the Department of Sociology offers a concentration in criminal justice. The legal career fields advisor can help you select from these and many other majors and minors that will prepare you well for your intended career.
St. Mary’s University School of Law Pathway
TLU has a partnership with St. Mary’s University School of Law to provide a pathway to admission into their full-time, in-person J.D. program. Students who are graduating or who have graduated in the past three years are eligible and must contact the TLU pre-law advisor by September 15 of a given year to express interest in the program. The TLU pre-law advisor will then complete a pre-application vetting process that involves consultation with faculty, discussions about character and fitness, a review of application materials, and checking that the student’s GPA and LSAT score are above the median scores for the previous year’s full-time, in-person class at St. Mary’s University School of Law. Approved students are required to apply to St. Mary’s University School of Law by November 15 to complete the process. Contact the TLU legal career fields advisor for details.
This partnership with St. Mary’s University School of Law provides an early and structured process for pre-law advising and clear target goals for academic performance at all points during your time at TLU, both of which are critical for all pre-law students, regardless of which law school you choose to attend.