Legal Studies Concentration

Students interested in attending law school should contact the Legal Studies Advisor, Dr. Richard Dougherty, as soon as possible to get more information regarding the Legal Studies Concentration.

Dr. Richard Dougherty
Associate Professor of Politics
Legal Studies Advisor

Office Location: Braniff 206
Office Phone: 972-721-5043
Fax: 972-721-4007
Email: doughr@udallas.edu

About the Legal Studies Concentration

A broad liberal arts background, such as that offered in Constantin College, provides solid preparation for success in Law School. Buy supplementing this background with opportunities to sharpen oral skills through participation in Moot Court, and to focus on applications of the law in wider contexts, the Legal Studies Concentration allows interested students to deepen their understanding of the Legal Profession.

Requirements for the Concentration

Five courses, including:

POL 3323. Constitutional Law
POL 3324. Public Policy
POL 3327. Civil Rights
ECO 4340. Law & Economics

And one of the following:

PHI 5331. Philosophy of Law
BUS 3340. Legal Environment
Or a substitute approved by the Legal Studies Advisor.

Participation for credit in at least two semster of GST 1122: Moot Court, or completion of an internship appropriate for legal studies. Such internships must be approved in advance by the Legal Studies Advisor, must be for credit, and must follow the process specified in the catalog for receiving academic credit.

Regular consultation with the University's Legal Studies Advisor.

Membership and regular activity in the University's Pre-Law Society.



A study of languages  both classical and modern  is also very beneficial to those contemplating law school. The languages will help students to develop the kind of analytical skills they need to succeed on the LSAT exam, will help them to discipline their minds in preparation for legal study, and will (in the case of modern languages) provide them with additional tools once they embark upon legal practice.

Outside of coursework, what else should Legal Studies Concentration students be doing?

First, make sure to stay in contact with the University's Legal Studies Concentration Advisor, Dr. Dougherty (phone ext. 5043; doughr@udallas.edu). This can be especially beneficial when applying to law school, as Dr. Dougherty knows and is in frequent contact with the deans and admissions officials at the law schools where U.D. students traditionally apply.

Second, participate in the occasional events sponsored by the pre-law society. This society will invite to campus law school deans of admission, local judges and attorneys, and other speakers who will be of interest to those preparing to begin a legal career.

Finally, consider participating in U.D.'s Moot Court team. This is a great preparation for law school, and its competitions take place at law schools in the region to which U.D. students frequently apply. For more information on Moot Court, contact the coach, Dr. Dougherty.

Keep in mind: Extracurricular activities are useful for a variety of reasons, but no extracurricular activity is more important than your grades. Unlike the admissions process for getting into college, the law school process does not place nearly as much emphasis on extracurricular activities. Law schools rely heavily upon your GPA in making admissions decisions. Therefore, while extracurricular activities are to be encouraged, you should only engage in them to the extent that your grades do not suffer.

How successful are U.D. students at getting into law school?

U.D. regularly places students at Notre Dame, U.T. Austin, University of Houston, Baylor, SMU, Texas Tech, and Ave Maria.

U.D. students have also been admitted to top schools such as the University of Virginia, University of Chicago, and Northwestern University, among others.

Success in law school admissions comes not only from the University's reputation for excellence in the liberal arts, but also from the high LSAT scores of its students. The median LSAT score for U.D. students reporting their scores is normally around 158, which puts U.D. into the upper tier of colleges and universities nationally