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Studies & Degrees in Pre-Law

Pre-law is the undergraduate preparation for law school in the United States. It is not a law degree and does not allow anyone to practise. In the US system, law is studied after a first degree: according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), becoming a lawyer usually takes 7 years of full-time study after high school, 4 years of undergraduate study followed by 3 years of law school, where students earn the Juris Doctor (J.D.).

In Spain and in most of Latin America, by contrast, law is a first university degree entered directly after secondary school, so there is no separate pre-law stage. A US pre-law student completes a bachelor's degree in a subject of their choice and, alongside it, prepares the law school application with the help of an adviser.

Qualifications and levels

The BLS notes that most law schools do not require a specific bachelor's degree for entry; common undergraduate fields include law and legal studies, history and social science. Colleges organise pre-law in several ways.

  • Pre-law advising next to any major: the most common form. Purdue University has a pre-professional advising office that guides students through the law school application, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a technological university, has a pre-law programme for entrance into the legal profession.
  • A pre-law minor: Azusa Pacific University offers a 21-unit prelaw minor with courses in political science, criminal law, constitutional law and political philosophy.
  • An associate degree for transfer: North Idaho College awards an Associate of Science in Political Science and Pre-Law, equivalent to the first two years of a bachelor's degree in political science. The college notes that political science is the path many choose towards law school, but that other disciplines can be equally successful.
  • Combined bachelor's and J.D. programmes: Arcadia University, in partnership with Drexel University, has a six-year (3+3) BA/JD option, which removes one year of undergraduate study, and a seven-year (4+3) option with assured admission to Drexel's law school for students who meet the academic and admission criteria.

Whatever the format, the skills that matter are the ones the admission test measures: reasoning, close reading and clear writing. Courses with a lot of reading, argument and research are a good preparation.

Getting into law school

Law schools may consider the applicant's score on a national exam whose questions cover reasoning, writing and other aptitudes needed for the study of law, the BLS explains. This is the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). According to Purdue's advising office, students who want to start law school straight after graduating usually take the LSAT in the summer before their final year and apply in the autumn; students who do well typically spend several hundred hours preparing.

Applications typically open in August or September. Transcripts and letters of recommendation are collected in a Credential Assembly Service (CAS) account, and applicants typically need 2 to 3 letters.

Applicants with a degree from outside the United States should ask each law school how it evaluates foreign transcripts. Lawyers who already hold a law degree from another country usually look at a different programme, the Master of Laws (LL.M.); the University of Miami School of Law, for example, offers the J.D., LL.M. programmes and options for foreign-trained lawyers.

From law school to the bar

Most states and jurisdictions require lawyers to earn a J.D. from an accredited law school. Graduates must then be admitted to the bar: most states require applicants to pass the written bar exam and to be found by an admitting board to have the character to represent and advise others. Each state's highest court sets its own rules.

Many jurisdictions use the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), coordinated by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), which gives a portable score that can be transferred to other UBE jurisdictions. Between July 2026 and July 2028, most jurisdictions will move from the current UBE to the NextGen UBE, according to the NCBE.

Where to study pre-law

SpainExchange lists 44 active schools for pre-law, all of them in the United States. They range from community colleges such as North Idaho College to universities such as Purdue University, Arcadia University, Azusa Pacific University and the University of Miami. Teaching is in English.

When comparing schools, look at the pre-law advising, the choice of majors with strong reading and writing requirements, opportunities such as debate, mock trial or internships, and any agreement with a law school.

Careers

Lawyers advise and represent clients on legal proceedings or transactions. The BLS counted 863,700 jobs for lawyers in the United States in 2025 and projects growth of 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 28,700 openings each year.

A law degree can also be a background for careers in government, business, higher education, healthcare and communications, as Purdue's advising office points out.

Frequently asked questions

Is pre-law a degree?

Usually not. At most colleges it is an advising track followed alongside a major; some offer a pre-law minor or an associate degree in political science and pre-law.

Which major is best for law school?

Most law schools do not require a specific bachelor's degree. Law and legal studies, history and social science are common, and other disciplines can be equally successful.

How long does it take to become a lawyer in the United States?

Usually 7 years of full-time study after high school: 4 years of undergraduate study and 3 years of law school, followed by the bar exam.

When do pre-law students take the LSAT?

Students who plan to start law school right after graduating usually take it in the summer before their final undergraduate year and apply that autumn.