If you want to be a lawyer, you've set your sights on a career full of possibilities. The trial lawyer in action, arguing the client's case in open court, is our most familiar image of the profession. But lawyers also specialize in real estate, corporate work, government, tax issues, environmental concerns, family law, entertainment, social action, civil liberties, labor unions, and much more.

Pre-law at Southern helps ambitious, committed students focus their energies in preparing for, getting into, and succeeding at law school and beyond. With the help of expert advisers, the peer support of a highly active Pre-Law Society, and the academic depth of a large public university, Southern students can zero in on building an impressive undergraduate record based on their own interests and personal goals.

What's the best preparation for law school? Strong academic performance in a challenging course of study. There are traditional pre-law majors, like sociology, political science, and business economics, all represented by strong departments at Southern. But law schools accept students from all majors, considering the difficulty of the program and individual achievement. Southern's pre-law advisers believe that students do best when they are in a course of study that genuinely interests them, and Southern has more than 35 major areas from which to choose.

Operated under the auspices of the Department of Political Science, pre-law also offers specific courses in U.S. government, legal systems, and constitutional law, and steers students toward courses throughout the university that help build knowledge and skills critical to success in the law: writing, reading comprehension, reasoning, logic, complex analysis, and presentation. Many departments also offer internship and field work opportunities for motivated students.

Southern's Pre-Law Society is an organization of students that meets twice a month to share ideas, information, and support. A highlight of the group's activities is an annual trip to the Law School Forum in New York City. Since 1994, every member of Southern's Pre-law Society has been accepted to law school. In fact, Southern seniors are admitted to law schools at a rate that exceeds the national average.

Here is a list of some of the law schools attended by Southern graduates:

• Yale University
• Harvard University
• George Washington University
• Pace University
• Quinnipiac School of Law
• Seton Hall University
• St. John's University
• Suffolk University
• Syracuse University
• University of Connecticut
• University of Wisconsin

For more information, contact the Department of Political Science at (203) 392-5665.