James C. and S. Maynard Turk Pre-Law Program

Law schools do not require undergraduate students to major in a specific field of study, and most colleges and universities - Roanoke College included - do not offer a pre-law "major." Instead, Roanoke College encourages its students to pursue majors that will engage them intellectually, teach them to think critically, and train them to be effective writers. "Shortly stated," observes the Association of American Law Schools, "what the law schools seek in their entering students is not accomplishment in mere memorization but accomplishment in understanding, the capacity to think for themselves and the ability to express their thoughts with clarity and force."

The Turk Pre-Law Program is ideal for students who seek outstanding preparation for law school because it is designed to permit students to pursue a major of their own choice (and master the essential skills listed above) while simultaneously offering a host of law-related courses as well as pre-law advising. Whether students are majoring in English, History, or Political Science, the pre-law program offers a variety of different classes - including Business Law, Constitutional Law, Civil Liberties, Criminal Law, and Judicial Process - which teach our students how to "think like lawyers" and exposes to them to the substantive study of law.

Our students' education does not end, however, in the classroom. Whether it is through visiting speakers, internships with local judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys, or independent studies which afford students the opportunity to research important legal policy issues, students are challenged to make connections between lessons learned through coursework and the realities of the modern legal system.

The Turk Pre-Law Program also supports students as they prepare to take the LSAT and apply to law school. Funds are available to provide financial assistance for our students who want to take LSAT preparatory courses, attend law school fairs, and travel to visit specific law schools.

Preparing you for law school admission

Roanoke College students Emily Huston and Sarah Seufer with retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor during her visit to Roanoke College.

Admission to law school is competitive. The
pre-law program at Roanoke develops students' critical thinking and writing skills, which are key to success at the next level. Those skills are developed in any major, though students frequently choose majors in political science of criminal justice.

Practice sessions for the standardized law school admittance exam, the LSAT, are
offered on campus. A representative from the testing firm meets with each student to review the results of the tests and make recommendations for how to improve. Typically, Roanoke College pays half of the
fee for popular preparatory courses.

Recent Law School Acceptances

• Duke University
• George Mason University
• Oklahoma City University
• Penn State
• Stetson University
• The College of William and Mary
• University of Richmond
• University of South Carolina
• University of Virginia
• Valparaiso University
• Wake Forest
• Washington and Lee University
• West Virginia University

Roanoke College students on a recent trip to the United States Supreme Court