It’s time to get excited about Spring courses! Each semester we receive many questions from pre-law students regarding courses helpful in preparation for law school.. Pre-Law Advising has made a helpful chart with suggested classes 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. The recommended course list includes classes from many disciplines that might serve one or more of these goals. Look at the chart to find courses that interest you and will help build the necessary skills for law school.
Click HERE for the list of spring 2025 courses!
Note: The Course Recommendation Charts are in Canvas. Self-enroll in the course by clicking here.
Please keep in mind that these lists should not be viewed as exhaustive as there are many beneficial courses offered each semester. These lists should be used to highlight courses of particular interest only. There are no required courses for law school and any courses should first foremost serve your individual interests and goals.
Want to learn more?
See what Pre-law Advisory Council Members say are some of their favorite pre-law-related courses at Illinois…
Savannah Missius
Savannah is currently an At-Large Representative of the PLAS Advisory Council. She shared the following perspectives on her favorite pre-law-related course…
- PHIL 421 – Ethical Theories – Ethical Theories is unique in its ability to facilitate deep, high-level, philosophical thinking between students in class. I found it extremely helpful to collaborate with my peers in understanding the main parts of our readings every day because they were quite challenging. We read Kant, Aristotle, Arendt, and more. However, the professor, Dr. Zach Biondi, tries to spend an abundance of time on each philosopher, so it is difficult to feel lost and behind if all the lectures are attended and active listening takes place. I enjoyed speaking about multiple female philosophers throughout the semester as female philosophy is rare in these courses. I gained a vast amount of knowledge on how to live a good life, how to be a good friend, how to find self-fulfillment, and how to react to negativity. These topics and skills not only helped my writing skills and critical thinking processes, but they also improved my quality of life by discussing real-life concepts that have been philosophized about for centuries and providing new perspectives.
Lauren Anderson
Lauren is currently an At-Large Representative of the PLAS Advisory Council. Here is her perspective on her favorite pre-law-related courses…
- SOC 275 – Criminology – I highly recommend to all pre-law students that they consider taking any sociology course, as the theories you will learn in these classes are intertwined into every aspect of the legal field. SOC275 in particular stood out to me, as learning more about theories of deviance was extremely interesting and applicable to my other legal studies courses. If you are a freshman or a sophomore, this would be a great class to take to see if a Criminology, Law, & Society minor is something you might be interested in. If you are otherwise interested in the criminal justice system as a pre-law student, this class is definitely for you!
Kaitlyn Cicatello
Kaitlyn is currently an At-Large Representative of the PLAS Advisory Council. She shared the following perspective on her favorite pre-law-related courses…
- LAW 303 – Living the Law – The textbook is written like a storybook and is extremely enjoyable to read. It builds on the content from Law 301 (Introduction to Law – offered in the fall!) but goes into more detail and allows you to engage in the work more. The discussions are focused on “law labs” that give you facts and details about a case or issue related to that week’s chapter, and you work with a group to come up with an outcome that follows the laws we learned about. It helps you learn not just the law, but how to apply it. You also write a large paper on a topic of your choosing and receive a lot of valuable feedback from the TAs.
- SOC 375 – Criminal Justice System – This class was so insightful for anyone interested in the criminal justice system and just generally interested in pursuing litigation. The professor is very lighthearted but knowledgeable and really encourages everyone to engage with the material. The best part was our two trips to the Champaign County Courthouse, where we sat in on felony proceedings. This was a great learning experience, and we got to see how a court operates for different proceedings. We were able to see sentencings, pleas, and a criminal and civil jury trial. It was great exposure.
- BADM 300 – The Legal Environment of Business – This class was very comprehensive in terms of covering many areas of the law, and did a great job helping you engage with the concepts. The course is all online, but the assignments and the textbook were very informative and helped you engage with the concepts. After taking LAW 301/303 this class felt even more interesting because it expanded on some of what we learned in those classes, but added new perspectives and prompted us to engage with real-world scenarios.
- FIN 230 – Introduction to Insurance – This class touched on a lot of legal ideas and topics, and was overall a great overview of an industry that does hinge a lot on laws and legal processes. The materials are very applicable to the real world and require you to actually learn about the industry. As the class goes on you can draw many parallels from the insurance industry to the legal field.
Kyla Osborne
Kyla is currently an At-Large Representative of the PLAS Advisory Council. This is her favorite pre-law-related courses…
- PS 370 – Justice in the Law – I highly recommend enrolling in PS 370: Justice in the Law, with Professor Miller. Professor Miller is an excellent professor. He is very understanding of students needs and he challenges his students to think deeper. The course is very thought-provoking. It challenges you to think more theoretically about Supreme Court cases and pushes you to explore questions about justice and liberty. In the class, students are responsible for writing case briefs. These case briefs are not traditional law school case briefs; however, they are very demanding and force you to think critically about the implications of Supreme Court decisions on society. Though the case briefs are difficult and at times frustrating, their unique approach prepares you for more advanced legal studies and provides you with an understanding of how law interacts with justice in the real world. Overall, I learned so much from my time in PS 370 and I recommend the course to anyone who wants to challenge themselves and gain valuable analytical skills.
Lauren Strojny
Lauren is currently an At-Large Representative of the PLAS Advisory Council. These are her favorite pre-law-related courses…
- PSYC 339 – Restorative Justice Principles – Although this is a psychology class, it is open to all majors. I was aware of the restorative justice movement before I took this class, but I was unsure of the core values, beliefs, and motives at its foundation. This class does a phenomenal job of introducing students to restorative justice and the criminal justice system at any level of understanding. The readings are extremely engaging and will allow you to build a confident understanding of the restorative justice movement, and what it looks like in practice. As an aspiring public defender, I absolutely love this class, and I have found the course materials to be extremely beneficial to expanding the beliefs and values that fuel my passion for public defense.
- PSYC 464 – Psych and Law – This class explores the relationship between psychology and law. We covered topics such as systemic racism and race and policing, eyewitness testimonies, implicit bias, recidivism, forced testimonies, and more. This class was extremely eye-opening to all of the psychological processes that are embedded in our legal system. The projects, assignments, and lectures were very engaging and interesting as a psychology major who is interested in pursuing a
career in criminal law. I loved this class, and it is also open to all majors!
Still not sure what to take?
Schedule a pre-law advising meeting to discuss course options!
