The pre-law minor is built to prepare you for law school and legal careers, but the knowledge of legal procedure you gain by minoring in pre-law can greatly benefit any profession.
These courses highlight the some of the ideas you will consider as a government major at Belmont Abbey College.
This course will examine the historical basis of the American Legal System in the Common Law traditions of England. Attention will be given to the creation of the Common Law, the drafting of the Magna Carta, the development of the Parliamentary Procedure, the evolution of the Adversarial System of Justice, and the birth of modern Law Enforcement. The course will culminate in a trip during Spring Break to London. Here, the students will visit the British Library to see the Magna Carta, tour Parliament, observe a criminal trial in the "Old Bailey" courthouse, and visit New Scotland Yard and the Middle Temple of the Inns of Court. Visiting these sites will help students understand that the connection between the British and American legal systems is still strong and provide students with a unique perspective that cannot be gained in the classroom.
This course focuses on one of the three subsystems of the Criminal Justice system. Students study the intricacies of the state and federal criminal court systems, particularly the responsibilities and challenges faced by prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, and juries. Students are also exposed to criminal procedure within the courts and to applicable constitutional law.
A study of the individual rights and liberties protected by the U.S. Constitution, as viewed through Supreme Court cases and other materials. The primary focus will be on the First Amendment rights of freedom of speech, press, and religious liberty, as well as on the 14th Amendment's guarantee to each person of "the equal protection of the laws." The course will also consider the jurisprudence surrounding rights of political participation and the constitutional protection of property and privacy.
Certain majors are usual precursors to law school. We recommend majoring in English, History, or Government and Political Philosophy, because these disciplines hone the particular skills needed for success in law school. However, since a high cumulative grade point average in a student's undergraduate studies considerably improves his or her chances for admission to any law school, students should major in any field that genuinely interests them and in which they excel.