Pre-Law Advising Center for OHIO Students

The Center for Law, Justice & Culture provides numerous opportunities for pre-law advising, both on a one-on-one basis and in the context of group programs.

Explore Justice

Advising Resources

Getting Ready for Law School

Law-Related Events

Virtual Walk-In Wednesdays

Center for Law, Justice & Culture Assistant Director and Pre-Law Advisor Larry Hayman, Esq. does pre-law advising on Wednesdays and Thursdays. During this time, Hayman advises students on preparing for law school, internships, the law school application process, legal education, the bar exam, and legal practice. In order to schedule a time to speak with him, schedule a time to meet with him here on Handshake by selecting Ohio University Career and Experiential Learning, and then selecting law school. Please email him at hayman@ohio.edu with questions.

Legal Internships

The center places select students in legal internships.

Law Fair

The Center for Law, Justice & Culture hosts a Law Fair each fall. This event features law school admissions representatives from across the United States who come to Ohio University. Students have an opportunity to meet with school representatives who are able to provide guidance and information and answer questions about law school admissions.

Pre-Law Days

Each year, the Center for Law, Justice & Culture holds annual Pre-Law Days. This two-day event kicks off with a keynote address on Thursday evening by a legal professional who has made a significant contribution to the legal field. The second day features an opportunity for OHIO students to learn about the legal profession from OHIO alumni.

Pre-Law Days provide a unique opportunity for OHIO students to interact with OHIO alumni who have gone on to have successful legal careers. This event fosters a better understanding of careers in the legal professional and ever-present place law has in our society. OHIO students are able to network and build professional relationships with legal professionals who can then serve as mentors to students as they move forward in their careers.

Yvette McGee Brown

In 2014, the center hosted former Supreme Court of Ohio Justice and OHIO alum Yvette McGee Brown as part of Pre-Law Days. Among many of her accomplishments, McGee Brown served as the first African American female justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio. Listen to her keynote, where she highlights the value of a law degree and the important role that lawyers continue to play in our society.

Mock Law School Classes

One of the best ways to learn about something is to experience it firsthand, so the center hosts actual law school faculty who teach mock first-year law classes on the Athens campus. This experience gives OHIO students interested in law school an understanding of what the first-year law school experience is like.

During 2014-15, the Center hosted Geoffrey C. Rapp, Harold A. Anderson Professor of Law and Values at the University of Toledo College of Law. Professor Rapp taught a mock torts class. The center also hosted Associate Professor of Law Dana K. Cole from the University of Akron School of Law.

Law School Application Workshops

The center hosts several events during the year to guide students throughout the law school admissions process. These workshops assist students in writing their personal statements, drafting their resumes, and advice on explaining negative information on their application.

Pre-Law Advising & Majors

Ohio University undergraduate students have a host of options available to them with respect to pre-law advising. Several academic departments have pre-law advisers. In addition, the Center for Law, Justice & Culture provides professional pre-law advising.

Departmental Pre-Law Advisers

African-American Studies:

Center for Law, Justice & Culture (university-wide): Larry Hayman, J.D.

English: Dr. Paul Jones

Geography: Brad Jokisch, Ph.D.

History: Dr. Kevin Uhalde, Ph.D.

Political Science:

Philosophy: Arthur Zucker

Sociology: Dr. Bruce Hoffman

Pre-Law Majors at Ohio

There is no one major or set of classes that is necessary to enter law school. Successful law students and attorneys come from all academic disciplines and majors. Reflecting this, Ohio University has a long tradition of providing excellent law-related majors. Some majors that tend to send a relatively high number of students to law school have designated a specific "pre-law" major in their department.