Many different majors at Utah Valley University can offer students great preparation for law school, particularly those in the humanities and social sciences that emphasize clear and effective written and oral communication skills. It would be difficult to argue, though, that any major is superior to philosophy in developing skills not only of great value for students studying law, but unlike many majors, developing skills that will put students at a real advantage in preparing for the LSAT. The great hero of the western philosophical tradition Socrates famously said with regard to his own life dedicated to the pursuit of philosophy that the greatest good for a person is to discuss virtue every day, and those other things about which you hear me conversing and testing myself and others, for the unexamined life is not worth living. In philosophy, we converse, test, and examine ourselves, our views, our beliefs, and the views and beliefs of others, in the pursuit of the truth and of wisdom. We try to examine complex issues from many different perspectives, and evaluate those competing views. What better way to prepare for the practice of law?
If you do choose to major in philosophy as preparation for law school, you will be in fine company! From Pete Buttigieg to former British Prime Minister David Cameron; from Supreme Court Justices Steven Breyer and David Souter, to the first female, and longest serving Chief Justice of the Canadian Supreme Court Beverley McLachlin, from giants of civic and public service such as member of the US House of Representatives and civil rights icon the late John Lewis, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, to 'founding father' Thomas Jefferson; all used their education in philosophy as a foundation to build their careers and life work upon, in crafting, practicing, and adjudicating law and jurisprudence in the United States and around the world. Many of our UVU philosophy majors have gone on to study at prestigious law schools themselves, like Courtney Whittier JD, University of Southern California Gould School of Law.
Of course, you don't have to major in philosophy to take advantage of philosophy courses that will really help you in your preparation for law school, and also for the LSAT. The courses outlined below are particularly well suited in this regard.
To further develop the kind of skills that will help you prepare for the LSAT and excel in your law school course work, we have developed the following course streams that will not only help you in your law school preparations, but also earn you a minor in Philosophy! For students seeking particularly strong preparation for the logical and analytical reasoning sections of the LSAT, we strongly encourage PHIL 2000.
For more information on philosophy and preparing for law school, contact Professor Pierre Lamarche or Professor Karen Mizell.
