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Pre-Law

100%
OF INCOMING FIRST-YEARS & TRANSFERS
Receive scholarships or grants
14:1
RATIO
Of students to faculty
96%
EMPLOYMENT RATE
of surveyed alumni within 9 months of graduation

Stepping stone for future leaders

Develop critical skills for legal analysis.

Students pursuing law school after graduation can start with Mount Mercy's pre-law minor.

A pre-law minor can be earned alongside any major at Mount Mercy and is an especially great addition for those working toward a degree in criminal justice, political science or any of the traditional law majors such as English, philosophy or history.

Curriculum

Courses drawn from a variety of relevant disciplines.

Pre-professional programs are undergraduate tracks that prepare you for a professional degree after your bachelor's. These aren't academic majors, they're a set of specialized courses that are typically required before you can be accepted into your next program. Your advisor will help you decide the best major to pair with your pre-professional program and prepare you for your career goals.

Mount Mercy’s pre-law program includes courses which develop strong communication and argumentation skills critical to legal practice. Students also become familiar with various aspects of the U.S. legal system throughout their studies.

Dedicated faculty are committed to providing course guidance and helping students prepare for the LSAT and apply to law school.

What courses will I take?

Pre-Law Minor

Required:
PL 141Logic (suggested in spring of junior year to prepare for LSAT)3
EN 210Writing And Analysis Of Literature4
BA 203Principles of Law3
CJ 297Criminal Law3
PO 203The U.S. Supreme Court and the American Judiciary3
or PO 301 Constitutional Law I: Structure of Government
or PO 302 Constitutional Law II: Civil Rights and Liberties
PL 269Introduction to Ethics 13
Total Hours19
1

Course also satisfies a Core requirement.

Academic Requirements

Transfer students must complete a minimum of 9 semester hours in the pre-law minor at Mount Mercy. A grade of C or above (C- does not count) is required for each course in the minor.

Courses

LW 420 Pre-Law Internship: 6 semester hours

This is an academically oriented practical experience gained through supervised work assignments with various law firms and legal-related placements. The student will have the opportunity to contrast their studies in the minor with practice in the field. The internship is open to legal studies minors of junior and senior status and with the consent of the pre-law advisor. A student may enroll in and complete a maximum of (6) semester hours, although credit does not apply to the minor (but does apply toward credits for graduation). Prerequisites: at least one of BA 203, CJ 297 or PO 203; junior or senior in good standing; completed and approved application; and consent of the pre-law advisor. Students can earn 1 - 6 semester hours.

John Kalis smiling for the camera

Part of the adventure is that I don’t know what will come next, but whatever comes my way, I know that my time at Mount Mercy equipped me to face the next chapter with confidence.

John Kalis '04
Pre-Law, Computer Science, Computer Informatics, & Applied Philosophy

Law school partnership

Excel your learning potential.

Mount Mercy University has an agreement in place with the University of Iowa College of Law that allows an undergraduate student at Mount Mercy to earn both their bachelor’s and law degrees in just six years, rather than the usual seven.

The 3+3 program allows qualified undergraduates admission into the U of I College of Law after the conclusion of their junior year, applying credits earned during their first year of law school to their undergraduate degree. 

In order to participate in the 3+3 program, students must:

  • Meet Mount Mercy University requirements as outlined in the Academic Catalog.
  • Be admitted to The University of Iowa College of Law by the end of their junior year. Admission to U of I College of Law is not guaranteed for students hoping to participate in the 3+3 program.

What are the next steps?

Mount Mercy offers competitive tuition and generous scholarships.

We also encourage all students to apply for federal, state, and other kinds of financial assistance.

Learn more about:

We make it easy by accepting applications year-round! No deadline, no fee, no pressure.

  1. Create your application
  2. Apply under standard admissions criteria or go "test optional"
  3. Request official transcripts from all institutions previously attended. Mail to:

  Mount Mercy University Admissions
  1330 Elmhurst Drive NE
  Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402

For more detailed instructions on how to apply, see our Admissions page.

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