Pre-Law Scholars Program

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Jocelyn Cummings
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1 Pre-Law Scholars Program Joining the Program Students may only join the program as incoming freshman. Students must join the program before the first day of classes of their freshman year. Student must apply to join the program. Standards for Admissions to the Program Students must have a score of 30 on the ACT or 1320 on the SAT and a 3.6 high school GPA (weighted or not weighted). All Freshman students must attend the Law School Dean s presentation in the Foundations of Law class in September of their Freshman year. Standards for progression in the program: 3.5 SLU GPA at the end of the student s freshman year 3.6 SLU GPA at the end of the student s sophomore year **Students must maintain the 3.6 GPA throughout their remaining years as SLU undergraduates. Course Requirements Pre-Law Scholars must complete PLS 291 Foundations of Law during the fall semester of their junior year. Pre-Law Scholars must also take and complete two of the five courses listed below, by the end of their junior year: 1. ECON 190 Principles of Economics 2. PHIL 406 Logic for the Pre-professional 3. PHIL 433 Philosophy of Law 4. MGT 218 Legal Environment of Business 5. ACCT 220 Financial Accounting

2 Additional Requirements for Participation: Freshman: Pre-Law Scholars must attend two events during the school year in addition to the required class with the Law School Dean in September. Events can be: Lunch with the Lawyer programs offered by the PLS program Phi Alpha Delta Legal Speakers Various Law School and University Events, as indicated by the Pre-Law Program Director Sophomores through Seniors: Pre-Law Scholars must attend at least two programs per year from a series of events. Events can be: Lunch with the Lawyer programs offered by the PLS program Phi Alpha Delta Legal Speakers Various Law School and University Events as indicated by the Pre-Law Program Director Pre-Law Scholars must submit a one page summary detailing what they have learned from the event attended. Failure to submit the required summaries may result in a student being placed on probation or being dismissed from the program. Completion of Pre-Law Scholars Program All students meeting the requirements of the Pre-Law Scholars Program earn a seat in the fall class of Saint Louis University School of Law directly following their graduation, contingent upon: 1. Certification by Director of Pre-Law Scholars Program at the end of student s junior year; 2. Submission of the student s Saint Louis University School of Law Application file, including the satisfactory completion of: a. The LSAT b. The LSDAS file c. The character and fitness requirements of Saint Louis University School of Law d. Student Personal Statement e. Student Resume 3. As a courtesy, Pre-Law Scholars are not required to submit letters of Recommendation and the application fee is waived

3 Certificate in Legal Studies A certificate in legal studies program is being made available to all Saint Louis University undergraduate students. Pre-Law Scholars are not required to earn the certificate but are encouraged to do so. The certificate in Legal Studies provides students the opportunity to study legal ideas, legal research, legal institutions, and the legal process, while improving the student s ability to critically analyze issues, balance conflicting interests, and articulate legal arguments clearly in written or oral communications. The purpose of the program is not the training of legal professionals (which requires at least three years of graduate legal studies at a law school); rather the program is offered to the students as a field of critical inquiry within the framework of their undergraduate education. Program Characteristics *24 hour program *Only current SLU undergraduates are eligible for the program Required Coursework for Certificate in Legal Studies (24 required hours) ACCT 220 Financial Accounting 3 hours OR ECON 190 Principles of Economics 3 hours PLS 333 Law and Government 3 hours PHIL 406 Logic for the Pre-professional 3 hours PLS 400 Legal Certificate-Capstone Course- Comparative Legal Systems 3 hours (Pre-Law Students only) OR PLS 410 Foundations of Law 3 hours (Pre-Law Scholars only) Minimum one course-oral and written communications PLS 290 Mock Trial Practicum PLS 293 Introduction to Trial Practice PLS 295 Introduction to Appellate Practice 3 hours Minimum one course-public Service/Promotion of justice PLS 340 Law: A Service Learning Experience POLS 418 Legal Internships* *Pre-Law Program Director approval of internship site required 3 hours

4 Minimum 6 elective credit hours (One must be from this list)the other three credits can be one of the alternate courses above. (24 Required Hours) THEO 361 Social Justice HIST 370 Constitutional and Legal History of the United States POLS 317 The Legislative Process PHIL 343 Philosophy of Law POLS 364 International Law PLS 350 Environmental Law PLS 100 Introduction to Law (A co-enrollment course with U101) OR BUS 100 Or as designated by the Pre-Law Program Director 6 hours Course Descriptions ACCT 220: Financial Accounting An introduction to financial reporting of results of operations, cash flow and financial position of corporate entitles through general-purpose financial statements. An emphasis is placed on the real world environment of business and the use of financial accounting information for management decision making. ECON 190: Principles of Economics Analysis of how individuals, firms, and nations make choices given limited resources; determinants of decision making in market economies; the political economy of income, employment, and inflation in the aggregate; the role of government and the Federal reserve. PLS 100: Introduction to Law The purpose of this course is to provide students an introduction to the law and legal principles. The structure of the court system, civil litigation, and methods of alternative dispute resolution will be examined. Elements of the following areas of substantive law: torts, contracts, property, trusts and estates, corporations, family law, and criminal law and procedure will be examined. PLS 100 would be a co-enrollment course that would only be available to freshman in their fall semester and would be taken in conjunction with whatever U101 or BUS 100 course they were taking. PLS 333: Law and Government This course has two main objectives (1) to introduce students to the basic of legal research and (2) to introduce students to the fundamentals of legal reasoning and analysis. Students will be required to write a research paper that will include a variety of reference sources including some legal references. This course is an introduction to legal research and does not contain the depth of research and analysis that a student would find in a research and writing course in law school.

5 PLS 350: Environmental Law This course will provide an overview of environmental law. The course will address the following environmental laws: National Environment Policy Act; the Clean Air Act; the Water Pollution Control Act; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act and common law environmental remedies. Students will be taught the basic provisions of these laws and how to identify when factual situations trigger the applications, requirements, and restrictions of these laws. PHIL 406: Logic for the Pre-professional This course is designed to provide pre-law (and pre-professional) students with a comprehensive treatment of logic, including prepositional logic, Aristotelian logic, predicate logic, and theory of definition. PLS 400: Capstone Course-Pre-Law Students Comparative Legal Systems Students will study various legal systems: religious, civil, common law, international. They will examines issues and compare and contrast different legal treatments of these issues. Students will be required to write a page paper in this course. PLS 491: Foundations of Law Pre-Law Scholars Only This course is only open to Pre-Law Scholars. This is a seminar conducted by faculty of the School of Law. A final paper and class participation are major determinants of the grade. PLS 293: Introduction to Trial Advocacy This course is taught as a preparation for the National Intercollegiate Mock Trial Competition held each Spring. The aim of the course is to teach students the fundamentals of trial performance and includes several mock trials. The theory and practice of common procedures in the United States is thoroughly analyzed. PLS 290: Mock Trial Practicum This course is a continuation of Introduction to Trial Advocacy and includes the participation is several qualifying meets and in the Annual Intercollegiate Mock Trial Competition. Prerequisite: PLS 293 PLS 295: Introduction to Appellate Advocacy In this course, each student will prepare and give an oral argument on both sides of a legal issue. Students will be provided with the information they need to develop these arguments. The instructor will also teach students about the appellate process. Students will engage in a competition offered by the American Collegiate Moot Court Association.

6 PLS 340: Law: A Service Learning Experience In this course, students will engage in a service learning experience that will involve a teaching opportunity at a local inner city high school. Students will teach about public policy and how to use the law to achieve that policy, legislative and judicial proceedings, and mediation as a form of conflict resolution. POLS 418: Legal Internship Interns work in private legal service agency and federal, local, and state judicial systems. In selecting their internships, students are directed by the Pre-Law program and the Political Science department. Ideal for students interested in a legal career. THEO 365: Social Justice This class focuses on Catholic social teachings. Current social issues will be considered in light of these teachings. HIST 370: Constitutional and Legal History of the United States This course examines the origins, drafting and ratification of the U.S. Constitution and its subsequent history as revealed in landmark Supreme Court decisions and in constitutional crisis from Nullification to Watergate. Attention will also be given to the growth of American law and the development of the legal profession. POLS 317: The Legislative Process Structure, role, procedures, of national lawmaking body, presidential leadership; congressional offices; committee system; investigating committees; party discipline; rules; proposal for change; comparative practices in Great Britain and state legislatures. Use of primary sources. PHIL 343: Philosophy of Law This course undertakes a critical survey of the major Western conceptions of the nature of law and examines the relationship between law and morality. POLS 364: International Law Nature of the international legal system, application of international law, sources, major legal issues and how the system copes with them; state territory; nationality, jurisdiction; international agreements; state responsibility; international claims. Plan for Program Administration The certificate will be overseen by the Pre-Law program. Courses will be taught by the Pre-Law Program Director and Adjunct faculty. Many of the courses will be offered in other colleges and schools across the university. Plan for Evaluation Student Learning/Program Outcomes Assessment Pre-Law Program

7 Goals and Objectives of the Program/Methods and Measurements of Achievement 1. Scholarship and Knowledge Goals and Objectives: a. Students will have gained an understanding of the structure of the United States federal government system. They will know the three branches of the federal government system. They will understand the relationship between the federal and state branches of government. b. Students will understand the typical structure of state government. c. Students will be familiar with the primary sources of law and how that law is established by the various branches of the federal and state government. d. Students will know the basic areas of the law and some rudimentary principles that apply to those basic areas. e. Students will be provided an opportunity for real practice through our legal internship program. Method of Achievement: All of these items will be taught in PLS 330, Law and Government. They will be reviewed again with the students in the final capstone course. Measure of Achievement: Students must achieve a B average in their certificate courses in order for the certificate to be awarded. Student must receive at least a B in their capstone course in order to receive the certificate. 2. Intellectual Inquiry and Communication Goals and Objectives: a. Students will have a preliminary understanding of how to locate the law through computer based legal research and paper based index searching. b. Students will develop strong reading comprehension skills. c. Students will know how to engage in the critical thinking process of legal synthesis, including strong analytical and logical reading skills. d. Students will have developed clear and cogent legal research, writing, and communication skills. d. Students will be taught how to listen carefully and to empathize with an individual s concerns and needs. Students will also learn how to listen within the framework of a legal analysis and how to guide the conversation to ascertain the nature of those facts that are determinative in the legal analysis.

8 Methods of Achievement: A writing requirement will be mandatory in all PLS courses. One of the writing assignments must require that the student conduct independent legal research for inclusion in the paper. Measure of Achievement: Students must achieve a B or higher on writing assignments in the two courses in order to receive the certificate. Students will be given rewrite opportunities on their papers in these courses. 3. Community Building/Leadership and Service a. Students will graduate with a better understanding of the St. Louis and surrounding area community. b. Student will learn to work with other people from different backgrounds and income levels. c. Students will devote their time and effort to help others in need. Methods of Achievement: All students will be required to engage in at least three volunteer, internship or service learning opportunities during the course of their undergraduate studies. At least one of the community service projects must be within the context of an internship or service learning class. Current volunteer opportunities available to students include legal education in the St. Louis City public schools, serving as a Victim Advocate with the St. Charles county Prosecuting Attorneys office, Student Conduct Advocate at St. Louis University, and legislative internships. Internship opportunities are available and include St. Charles Prosecuting Attorneys office, various city and state legislators, and various service organizations in the St. Louis area. Students may also take Law: A Service Learning Experience. We work with inner city high school students to prepare them for Missouri Bar competitions. We will also hold a fall and spring meeting where students will present and discuss details of their volunteer experiences. We will also have representatives from the various organizations describing their agencies and their mission. We will also use this meeting as an opportunity for these agencies to recruit volunteers. Measure of Achievement: Student and Program Effectiveness-Focus groups on volunteer opportunities will provide feedback. Formal reflection requirements in the internship and service learning course will also provide a source of information about student learning outcomes from service to the community.

9 4. Spirituality and Values a. Students will have a rudimentary understanding of the basic ethical principles that apply to legal professionals. b. Students will be required to observe a strict code of academic ethics. c. Students will learn self-reflection. Methods of Achievement: Legal ethics will be addressed in the capstone course. Students will take a test in the capstone course that requires students to analyze legal issues and apply the rules of professional responsibility. The internship and service learning courses for credit will contain a substantial reflection requirement. In the internship courses student will be asked to journal their experiences. They will also be required to submit a paper at the end of their internship describing their experience, detailing lessons learned and outlining ideas for improvement to the community served by the organization. In the service learning course, there will be one class period between each high school presentation. This time will be used to reflect on the previous week s experience. We will discuss what went wrong, what went wrongs, strategies to continue and strategies for improvement. We will also use this time to prepare for the following week s discussion and use what we have learned to make our next presentation more effective. Students will also be graded on their presentation materials including case studies formulated to provoke high school student discussion groups. Students will also be required to write a reflection paper at the end of the course. We will also hold bi-annual discussion groups for pre-law students to present and discuss their volunteer experiences. We will also include Directors of local service organizations to talk about their organizations. Measure of Achievement: Students must achieve a B or higher on the Ethics test in order to achieve their certificate. Retakes will be allowed to achieve this requirement. Whether such retake will be applied to the grade for the Foundations of Law or capstone course will be up to the individual instructor. We will review and consider the reflection papers and focus groups held with students to gauge the impact of their service learning experiences.

FIELD PLACEMENT PROGRAM: COURSE HANDBOOK

FIELD PLACEMENT PROGRAM: COURSE HANDBOOK COURSE OBJECTIVE: The Field Placement Program aims to bridge the gap between the law on the books and the law in action for law students by affording them the opportunity