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Admissions
Pre-Law Program (PLUS)
Students are invited to participate in the Pre-Law Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS) Program, sponsored by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and operated by Villanova University School of Law (VLS) in Villanova, Pennsylvania in collaboration with Pepper Hamilton LLP. The goals of the PLUS Program, which is funded by the Law School Admission Council, are:
- To provide a legal preparatory program for students who seek admittance into law school.
- To prepare the participating PLUS students for success on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).
- To provide the participating PLUS students with a curriculum that requires critical thinking, critical reading, problem solving, analytical writing, informational and persuasive speaking.
More specifically, the PLUS program aims to enhance the ability of students to think logically, critically analyze challenging reading material, solve problems through creativity and reason, write with precision, engage in precise oral argument, and argue persuasively in a manner critical to success in a law school and professional environment.
Eligibility
The program is open to students from groups that are underrepresented in the legal profession and who have completed either their freshman or sophomore years. Those who have completed their junior year will be admitted if space permits.
Students must have an interest in pursuing a legal career and a grade point average of 3.25 or above. Preference is also given to students who have come from a disadvantaged background or who have overcome significant odds to achieve.
Stipend
Students will receive a stipend of $150 per week. Students must attend all classes and participate in all program activities to receive the stipend.
Program Length and Location
The program will run for four weeks, beginning on May 28 and concluding on June 25, 2008. Classes will be held at the Villanova University School of Law, and students will reside in dormitories on the Villanova University campus.
Core Curriculum
The rigorous program curriculum will emphasize the critical, analytical, mathematical, and problem-solving skills necessary to succeed in law school. The centerpiece of the curriculum will consist of two classes:
- Exam Taking and Lawyering Skills. The purpose of this course is to improve your reading and analytical skills. These are the skills most needed as a law student and as a lawyer. Your ability to read critically, to make inferences from your reading and to analyze and evaluate the reasoning and arguments of others is what will be tested in law school exams and are what testing administrators of the LSAT exam are evaluating.
- Logic for Lawyers: Students will be taught skills of critical reading, analytical and logical reasoning, and problem solving.
Other Academic Program Components
- Legal Analysis and Writing - Junior Law Review: Students will participate in an intensive writing seminar class to prepare them to write a memorandum of law. Each student will be required to write a publishable legal memorandum that will appear in a PLUS program publication called the Junior Law Review. Part of this seminar will focus on Sources of Law/Legal Research. In addition, students will learn legal writing techniques required for the Courtroom Strategy course.
- Courtroom Strategies: Students will be taught the skills of oral advocacy by being required to debate current legal issues each week and participate in a Moot Court program.
- Sources of Law/Legal Research Techniques: Students will become familiar with the research techniques employed by legal professionals and will master the process of utilizing the appropriate sources of law. Primary and secondary sources will be introduced and students will have the opportunity to use them during the course of legal research and to prepare for the Courtroom Strategy course. Interactive exercises will reinforce these skills.
Time Management and Study Skills
Students will participate in workshops on time management, effective use of study skills, and stress management designed to provide them with the skills to improve their performance in undergraduate courses and put them in the best position for graduate study.
Exposure to the Legal Profession
Students will be exposed to members of the legal profession through workshops, seminars, lectures, conferences, field trips or law fairs.
Law School Application and Financial Aid Process
Students will participate in workshops providing an overview of the law school admissions and financial aid process.
PLUS Program FAQ's
Click here to see that answers to frequently asked questions about the program.
Application
Click here to apply for the PLUS Program.
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