There has never been a tougher time to be an aspiring lawyer than the present. Law schools are boasting record median GPAs and LSAT scores, and amid a renewed public interest in the legal profession, more people are interested in going to law school than ever. That means more competition and a higher bar to clear if you want to attend your dream law school.
Navigating the admissions process as an undergraduate can feel daunting, but of course, that’s why pre-law programs exist at various undergraduate institutions — to make sure that applicants feel as though they don’t have “dream” schools, but rather have “target” and “reach” schools, preparing undergraduates to take on the rigors of law school with the strongest possible application. A good pre-law program is, in my opinion, not just a program that makes students feel supported and well prepared to navigate the process of applying to law school. It also must offer educational, informative and clinical experiences in law itself, even to those simply considering law school.
UTD’s pre-law program is advanced in this regard; however, amid attacks on education and universities as a whole, the threat of funding cuts looms large. Administrators may decide to take funds away from the pre-law program as the university restructures its budget. I urge them to reconsider.
If you’re chronically online, you’ve certainly seen those memes on Instagram that pit UTD against other colleges. Quips along the lines of “What is Harvard doing in this comparison” and “I would never take Stanford over the MIT of the South” are admittedly pretty funny. But as a pre-law student, I genuinely think that UTD is an amazing place to prepare for the arduous process of applying to and succeeding at law school, despite the size of the pre-law program and despite the fact that UTD is known for the strength of its STEM programs.
Organizations like the John Marshall Pre-Law Society, Moot Court and Mock Trial have been historic pillars of the program, giving students the ability to engage directly with the practice of law, providing opportunities to connect with attorneys, know the ins and outs of law school admissions and even participate in LSAT workshops. In recent years, students have created new organizations like Women Pursuing Law and the Undergraduate Law Review.
Students’ efforts have even resulted in the creation of Legal Research and Writing, RHET 4320, taught by professor Erin Kelley. Kelley is one of only six professors in the country to offer the this kind of legal research and writing to undergraduates. Forget the MIT of the South moniker — I’m surprised UTD’s not also labeled the Yale of the South.
But for all the visible strengths of entering pre-law at UTD, I have concerns about the program’s continued excellence, particularly because of funding concerns. With the budgets of many graduate programs at UTD cut as a result of the Trump administration’s slashing of federal funding to universities, fears have arisen that these cuts would trickle down to the undergraduate level. As the university continues to prioritize funding for STEM disciplines, the pre-law department may be next in line for programs that will have their funding slashed.
Without funding, the programs and organizations that I, and many others, have devoted extensive time and effort to will be severely damaged. As someone very involved in these pre-law organizations as both a student leader and active member, I’ve felt the impact of that funding: it allows our Mock and Moot programs to travel to competitions at a low personal cost. It’s what allowed the John Marshall Pre-Law Society to schedule a law school tour to the University of Texas School of Law. These formative experiences are essential for budding lawyers.
We’re a small group, sure, but I think that we’re overachieving by being nationally ranked Moot Court against schools like Yale and Berkeley. We continue to advance further and further in Mock Trial competitions. And, an accomplishment that is particularly dear to my heart as Editor-in-Chief of the Undergraduate Law Review, we published the very first undergraduate law review issue in the country without an accompanying law school. These achievements are gems in UTD’s crown. But the community that has accomplished these things will not be able to go further if we don’t have the money.
When push comes to shove, will UTD gut funding to a rapidly developing program, with dedicated and trailblazing students? I’d strongly urge funding officials to look at what we’ve accomplished, and what we will accomplish. All the programs in pre-law are getting better and better and are laying the foundation for UTD’s strong standing as a destination for students interested in law school. I have no doubt that the pre-law program exceeds expectations in terms of how much it deserves its funding.
I’d also urge all of you to learn more about pre-law at UTD; ours is a program and community focused on achievement and rooted in collective empowerment. Making sure that UTD is strong, not just in STEM but across a variety of disciplines, is key to making the overall university stronger. And perhaps most importantly, amid trying times, we need people interested in law and interested in how to enact change for the betterment of society. The future of pre-law at UTD is bright; I hope that the light that UTD is giving to its students will never become darkened.