Pre-Law Advising Services Blog

In honor of America’s 250^th celebration, we take a look at the rich legal history of our country by highlighting some of the earliest years of the U.S. Supreme Court and perhaps the most important case to date. 

Be sure to read to the end for a fun summer bonus!

The Early Years 1776 – 1803

In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed, giving birth to the United States of America. It would, however, take a war and over ten years before the U.S. Constitution was created in 1787, establishing the Judicial branch of government through Article III of the Constitution. Later, Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789, giving greater definition to the judicial branch of government, including establishing the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) and the lower federal court system.

Holding its first session in 1790, the Supreme Court was not initially viewed as the prestigious institution it is today.  In the initial years, the Supreme Court lacked the same perceived level of responsibility and authority as the other two branches of government; justices were tasked with traveling across the country to the various federal circuit courts, and the court lacked consistent leadership, hosting four Chief Justices within the first few years. The first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was John Jay, who left the Supreme Court to serve as Governor of New York after only a few years!

DID YOU KNOW?  The original Supreme Court was comprised of six judges, not nine.  Over the years Congress has changed the number of judges from as few as five to as many as ten.  The current nine judge structure was created in 1869 following the Civil War.

One aspect of the Supreme Court that has been true from the very beginning is its ability to make substantial and impactful decisions – some of which invite strong criticism and controversy.  A perfect example is the early case Chisholm v. Georgia (1793), which held that states could be sued in federal court by citizens of another state.  This decision was viewed widely as a threat to state sovereignty and led to the ultimate adoption of the Eleventh Amendment!  

Despite some significant decisions in the early years, arguably the most important case in American Legal history, Marbury vs. Madison, was decided in 1803, reshaping the role of the U.S. Supreme Court forever.

It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is. 

Chief Justice John Marshall– Marbury v. Madison

In Marbury vs. Madison, the Supreme Court held that a provision of the Judiciary Act of 1789 conflicted with the scope of original jurisdiction provided by Article III of the Constitution. The court held that the Congressional provision in the Judiciary Act of 1789 could not supersede the Constitution and “struck down” the conflicting provision of the Judiciary Act as unconstitutional.  The Court’s act of constitutional interpretation of a Congressional act established the principle of Judicial Review and solidified the concept of “checks and balances” within the federal government, providing the Court the unique ability to determine the constitutionality of legislative acts. 

Learn more about the “Midnight Judges” and the Groundbreaking case Marbury v. Madison

• Marbury v. Madison
• Marbury v. Madison | BRI’s Homework Help Series
• Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. (1 Cranch) 137 (1803): Case Brief Summary | Quimbee
• Marbury v. Madison Case Brief Summary | Law Case Explained
• Introduction – Marbury v. Madison: Primary Documents in American History – Research Guides at Library of Congress

Beyond Marbury v. Madison…

Marbury v. Madison established the authority upon which the modern U.S. Supreme Court operates today, but it is only one in hundreds of Supreme Court decisions that have played a profound role in shaping our understanding of the U.S. Constitution and informing every aspect of our society today.

Important legal cases demonstrate the critical relevance of the Judiciary and help illuminate the impact lawyers can have through their professional work. Learning about the history of the Judiciary helps us understand its importance and also appreciate its role in our greater democracy.

Learn More!

• National Archives | Home
• Research Guides at the Library of Congress
• Sources for Early American Legal History – Research Guides at Harvard Library
• The D’Angelo Law Library – The University of Chicago Library
• Charters & Constitutions – American Legal History Online Sources – Library Guides at UChicago
• American Legal History Research Guide – Guides at Georgetown Law Library
• Historic American Law – Research Guides at Library of Congress
• American Society for Legal History – https://aslh.net/
• American Legal History Podcast – https://alhtji.libsyn.com/
• The Court and Its Traditions – Supreme Court of the United States
• The Supreme Court History and Traditions

Law on the Screen…

It can also be very inspiring to see the work of lawyers and the court come to life on the big screen. In fact, many prospective law students cite TV shows or movies (we see you, To Kill A Mockingbird) as serving as early inspiration for their interest in law. Whether based in real life, inspired by real issues of our time, or completely fictional (we are looking at you, Legally Blonde), there is often nothing like a good courtroom movie for those who love the law. In honor of the summer season of blockbuster movies, we have compiled a highlight of some great movies featuring legal cases (most real, some not so real)!

The Professional Development Series is designed to offer insights to students preparing for success in the professional world. It can often be hard to know where to start; this series will explore creating connections, non-academic experiences, and securing internships.

“Legal networking refers to the process by which lawyers and other legal professionals establish and maintain connections within their field. This involves interacting with peers, mentors, and potential clients to share information, resources, and support. The primary aim is to create a web of contacts that can provide mutual benefits in terms of knowledge, opportunities, and professional growth.” – American Bar Association

As pre-law students, you have likely heard about the importance of networking in the legal field and may feel pressure to begin building legal connections as early as possible. Networking is an important tool in building a supportive network that will directly contribute to helping you achieve professional goals, navigating professional challenges and opportunities, and offering trusted guidance and insights throughout your career. The act of “networking” takes many forms and is an important professional skill that you will continue to develop throughout your academic and professional journey. Because networking plays an important role for all professions, the prospect of networking can be daunting for undergraduate students, especially those interested in law who may feel that professors, judges, and attorneys are inaccessible to students. However, understanding that in its simplest form networking fundamentally comes down to the first step of creating and building connections can lessen anxiety.

Making connections is something that you already do in other aspects of your life almost daily. Networking is about developing and refining your existing skills of connection building for a professional setting and through a professional lense. It is also important to think about the types of individuals with whom connections can be beneficial to your goals and growth – appreciating that building connection with different types of professionals and individuals can all assist you. Finally, as you begin efforts to create connections – you should set realistic goals. Your networking efforts should not be centered solely on what you can gain from those individuals either now or ultimately in the future. Networking is about creating long-term relationships that start simple with creating a connection to build upon.

As you explore future law school and legal careers, you likely want to learn more about the legal profession or get your feet wet by speaking with an attorney. You can start developing networking skills early by taking intentional steps to establish connection and building professional relationships that focus on both the legal profession, but also other aspects of your professional and academic development.

• Create strategies to create initial connects and build relationships with professors, upper-level students, supervisors from all types of jobs and professional experiences, advisors, administrators, and other individuals who know you from different aspects of your life.
• Engage in different types of activities – attending receptions, open office hours, or seek out informational interviews. Use these interactions as a chance to hone social skills and practice communicating professionally, learning how to address others in a professional manner, especially prior to a job, internship, or interview.
• Have a goal of developing a wide range of connections that can assist you with common reasons to network such as gaining guidance and mentorship, securing recommendations or references needed for an internship, scholarships, awards, and, inevitably, support for law school applications.

Professionals, especially those in the legal field, are eager to support students, emerging leaders, community members, and individuals who are up-and-coming in their industries. Approach initial interactions with the goal of taking advantage of their knowledge and insights only – trying not to focus on the result of a future letter of recommendation or a job opportunity. In fact, the best networking relationships happen when you are genuine, authentic, and show sincere interest in what the other person says and does.

Continue reading to gain insights on how other students have created meaningful professional connections!

Summer is a strategic time to begin prioritizing and making meaningful steps toward your goals for attending law school.

For those considering the “right” timeline for law school, it is essential to remember there is no single best timeline to apply to law school. Every individual should consider the best timing for their application and start to law school recognizing that an alternative timeline can often be the key decision in long-term success.

For students entering their final year of undergraduate study, a decision may have already been made that one or more growth (gap) years prior to law school is the best path forward. Summer in this scenario is well spent researching and planning what activities might best support personal, academic, and professional goals. Whether focused on preparing for law school, gaining meaningful work experience, or simply confirming if law is the right fit -growth years should be tailored to each individual. Use summer to begin researching opportunities that are ideally suited and connect with career experts to help you develop a plan.

For those committed to applying in the upcoming cycle, the summer “pre-application” period, when used strategically, offers an opportunity to complete simple steps that can have a profound impact on the overall manageability and success of your application process.

Keep reading for our top suggestions for summer application preparations…

The Professional Readiness Series is designed to offer insights for building skills and pursuing experiences for success in the professional world. Because it can be challenging to know where to begin, how to search, what to prioritize, and which opportunities to pursue – this series will help guide students through creating connections, recognizing the value of diverse experiences, and exploring a wide range of internships and professional roles.

Continue reading Professional Readiness Part I: Finding Value in Different Types of Experiences

The 2025–2026 academic year was once again both demanding and rewarding, marked by numerous achievements alongside the expected challenges of navigating the undergraduate experience, professional opportunities, and another highly competitive admissions cycle. We are incredibly proud of the perseverance, resilience, and successes demonstrated by our Illini pre-law students and alumni throughout the year and congratulate our entire Illini pre-law community on another fantastic year!

On behalf of PLAS, we thank our Illinois pre-law student & alumni leaders, law expert volunteers, and all who supported our pre-law Illini this academic year! Per tradition, we have compiled highlights from the year to celebrate all that has been achieved. We hope you’ll take a few minutes to enjoy and celebrate with us as the academic year draws to a close!

Check out this year’s highlights in the video below!

---

Read below for some highlights from this year!

Continue reading 2025 – 2026 PLAS Year in Review

How do STEM and law intersect?

Did you know that STEM majors can (and do!) go to law school? While it may be true that liberal arts majors, including political science, are the most common majors associated with future interest in law school, do not be fooled! Many practicing lawyers and law students obtained undergraduate and/or graduate degrees in STEM subjects. While STEM stands for Science – Technology – Engineering – Mathematics, there are numerous unique majors that may fall within these broad categories, including majors related to Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Earth Sciences, Health Sciences, Information Technology, Mathematics, and Physics!

Continue reading The Intersection of STEM and Law

It’s time to get excited about Summer and Fall courses! Each semester, we receive many questions from pre-law students regarding courses helpful in preparation for law school. Each semester Pre-Law Advising creates resources with suggested classes that pre-law students might find useful and interesting when planning and exploring a legal education.

In general, students interested in going to law school should take classes that focus on analytical and critical thinking, communication, research and writing, and, when possible, legal topics of interest. Additionally, pre-law students should consider courses in topics that will help foster knowledge in topics helpful to learning law, such as business, history, technology, and more! Finally, students should also focus on developing skill sets in areas that will support future success in law school and the legal profession, including personal development.

The general recommended course lists include classes from many disciplines that might serve one or more of the goals articulated above. We encourage you to consider departments that offer courses in areas you would like to further explore!

Continue reading Pre-Law Course Planning & Recommendations