UT students applying to law schools look to the Liberal Arts Career Services, where they can talk to a pre-law advisor about resources to pursue a law degree. However, the search for any official pre-law programs provided by COLA or any other college abruptly ends there.
While some students are taking the steps to be pre-law, they lack support from UT because there are no pre-law pathways that directly correlate to a degree plan.
Anyone can claim to be pre-law — any major or minor, not just students within COLA. This opens doors for differing interests and majors, but it can leave some students behind because there’s no coursework or sequence to help them.
“There is this pressure that, ‘If I want to be pre-law at UT, I have to do this.’ The reality is you don’t,” said Karintha Fenley, the assistant director of pre-law services.
Even students within COLA have little to no directly linked coursework helping them with law school, and no official “pre-law” track giving them direction.
UT should implement more programs, pathways and elective coursework for students who want to pursue law because they need to know what law school entails, and help build the skills that will be expected of them.
“I think UT should offer more programs, because right now, the main source for pre-law students is (pre-law) email (announcements) … I feel like some sort of program would be better, just so more students can get more access to opportunities,” said Chloe Jones, a government and sport management senior, and intends to go to law school.
UT is the No. 4 feeder University for law schools post graduation. Over 2,500 undergraduates at the University of Texas will pursue a law degree, which is why it’s essential that more pathways are built by the University to help support these students.
Joining certain student organizations on campus is one way in which students can pursue their pre-law interests; however, it does not replace curriculum-level coursework in terms of preparation.
“I think UT could endorse some sort of program that’s across all majors and colleges,” Jones said. “(Like a) program that’s more hands-on experience with opportunities to network with lawyers.”
Implementing elective coursework or even summer preparation programs would be a start at leveling the playing field for students of different backgrounds and majors to begin their law school journey, so they don’t walk in blind.
For such a large population of pre-law undergraduates, UT should have real pre-law programs to support their students’ future endeavors.
Petry is a government and journalism junior from Rowlett, Texas.
