Pathway to Law School
If you are interested in pursuing a law degree, Indiana Tech can make it happen for you. Our university has a Pre-Law Advisor, Professor Tiffany Redies, Esq., who will help you identify your options and make a choice that is best for you.
Most law schools require that you obtain a four-year degree before you are able to enter, but that degree need not be in a specific area of study. Additionally, law schools accept students of all different educational backgrounds.
Professor Redies will work with you to determine which degree will best prepare you for law school. As additional preparation, she will also strongly recommend that you add Indiana Tech’s Legal Studies Certificate to your degree program, which can be done in place of or in addition to a minor.
For information about how Indiana Tech can put you on a path to law school, contact Professor Redies by phone at 260.422.5561, ext. 2264, or email TBRedies@indianatech.edu.
Additional Legal Studies Opportunities
A 3+3 JD program or BA to JD program allows students to combine certain requirements of a bachelor’s degree with the requirements of a Juris Doctor degree. Students would then receive their bachelor’s degree after completing the first year of law school.
Indiana Tech collaborates with the following law schools to provide a 3+3 JD program:
Steps to Becoming a Lawyer
Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a standardized test required by most law schools. There is no math on the LSAT. Instead, it tests things like reading comprehension, reasoning and writing. Like the SAT and ACT, a higher LSAT score will open up more law schools and more scholarship opportunities. The highest score one can achieve on an LSAT is 180.
Law School
Law school takes at least three years to complete. They do not have majors, but many students choose classes based on their particular career goals. Law school will teach you to “think like a lawyer,” meaning you will learn to see both sides of an issue and exercise good judgment. No matter what law school you go to, you will learn the basics of law and how to think like a lawyer. Law students graduate as a Juris Doctor (J.D.). However, having the J.D. does not automatically make you a lawyer.
State Bar Exam
The last test you will take before becoming a lawyer is the bar exam. Every state has its own set of laws, and sometimes the details of the law vary from state to state. As such, the bar exam differs from state to state. The test is designed to make sure you have a basic understanding of the law that every lawyer should know, and the specific laws in your state.
Licensed Attorney (Esquire)
To practice law you need a license from the state where you will practice. Once you pass the bar exam, along with a character and fitness exam, you will become an attorney. Just like members of the military and most political leaders, lawyers take an oath to uphold the United States Constitution.