Summer Pre-Law Program for Undergraduates (PLAW)
Due to ongoing concerns about COVID-19, the Summer Pre-Law Program has been cancelled for Summer 2020. We hope all interested students continue to take precautions to remain safe and healthy. We'll see you in Summer 2021!
As Chicago’s only public school, UIC John Marshall is committed to promoting diversity in the legal profession and providing access and opportunity to all people interested in pursuing the study of law, but we know the transition from undergrad to law school can feel a bit overwhelming. With that in mind, we created the Summer Pre-Law Program for Undergraduates (PLAW) to make law school a realistic possibility for all students, especially students from historically underrepresented communities who might not have considered a career in law.
About PLAW
Open to rising sophomores and junior majoring in any subject from any college or university, PLAW will:
- Introduce you to the role lawyers play in society.
- Expose you to the study of law and how lawyers think and write.
- Guide you on how to effectively prepare for the LSAT, the law school entrance exam.
- Provide you with role models and potential mentors to guide you through the law-school application process and beyond.
- Prepare you to present a strong law school application for admission.
Additional Details
Enrollment
Students interested in PLAW must submit a pre-admission questionnaire. Once your questionnaire is reviewed, you’ll be contacted for a short interview (in person or via SKYPE). Upon acceptance into the program, you’ll be provided registration information. All rising sophomore and juniors from any college or university are welcomed in PLAW, regardless of undergraduate major.
Registration Fees
The cost to attend PLAW is just the tuition and fees for the two courses. All course materials are provided for free. Note that financial aid, including Pell grant funds, may be available. Please consult your home undergraduate institution with any questions about financial aid.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about PLAW not otherwise covered on this webpage, please contact:
Sonia Bychkov Green
Associate Professor of Law
Director, Pre-Law Summer Program
UIC John Marshall Law School
sbgreen@uic.edu
PLAW Courses
PLAW students must register and concurrently take two required courses: Survey of American Law and Legal Analysis & Communication. These are both three-credit, graded courses that have been approved for credit by UIC. Students at UIC and other undergraduate institutions should check with their undergraduate departments to see if these courses count toward their undergraduate elective requirements.
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Course Information
Course Credit: 3 Credits
Prerequisites: Must be taken concurrently with Legal Analysis & Communication.
Instructor: Professor Sonia Bychkov GreenSurvey of American Law provides an overview of substantive legal issues and what it’s like to study law as a law student. Taught by a law professor, this course is geared toward students who may not have had any exposure to legal topics and provides an introduction to topics from a legal perspective.
The goal of the course is to make the topics interesting and relevant, to engage the students in conversation, and to spark their curiosity about the varied aspects of the U.S. legal system. The course includes some lectures; however, it also includes group discussions, group projects, and a variety of interactive components. Course readings include cases, statutes, and short legal articles and newspaper articles about various legal topics. Students will discuss how these topics are relevant to them and how they impact their communities. Students will also experience how attorneys develop hypothetical legal scenarios by creating and answering legal questions.
Course materials are provided for free, either electronically or as handouts.
This is three-credit, graded course has been approved for credit by UIC. Students at UIC and other undergraduate institutions should check with their undergraduate departments to see if these courses count toward their undergraduate elective requirements.
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Course Details
Course Credit: 3 Credits
Prerequisites: Must be taken concurrently with Survey of American Law.
Instructor: Assistant Dean Tania A. LumaLegal Analysis & Communication simulates various types of work performed by attorneys, especially junior attorneys. Students prepare to act as a junior attorney representing a client under the supervision of a senior attorney (the legal writing professor). The course centers around a client problem. Students begin by interviewing a client to hone their listening and critical thinking skills. Students then conduct a client interview to unravel the client’s injury and relevant facts. From there, the senior attorney will debrief and further develop the relevant issues within the client problem.
As students navigate the client problem over the four-week course, they examine a body of case law to develop reading comprehension, logic and analytical reasoning, and problem-solving skills. Students participate in comprehensive writing by completing objective and persuasive legal memorandums. Students continually absorb relevant case law in their reading and apply legal analysis to provide objective conclusions while preparing arguments for possible solutions.
Students engage in evaluating their mindset and non-cognitive approach to their work. An appropriate mindset is critical to sustained, high-academic performance. The legal writing professor will also set aside time to meet 1:1 at least once during the course to give individual feedback and engage in dialogue about the course in the context of each student’s needs.
Course materials are provided for free, either electronically or as handouts.
This is three-credit, graded course has been approved for credit by UIC. Students at UIC and other undergraduate institutions should check with their undergraduate departments to see if these courses count toward their undergraduate elective requirements.
Summer Schedule
PLAW is a four-week program offered in early summer. (Summer School Session I for UIC students.)
Classes generally meet Monday–Thursday, although there are occasional exceptions. Finals and final projects will be completed by the last day of class.
Sample Daily Schedule
| 10:30 a.m.–1 p.m. | Legal Analysis & Communication |
| 1–2:30 p.m | Break to meet with professors, student mentors, etc. Some informal sessions with practitioners, judges, etc., when possible. |
| 2:30–5 p.m. | Survey of American Law |
| 5–7 p.m. | Evenings reserved for LSAT prep session, sessions with practitioners, and sessions on the law school application process. |
Additional Free Programs for PLAW Students
Beyond the PLAW courses, we will offer some lunchtime conversations with lawyers, panels by law school professors and students, and other practical information. We will also host sessions about choosing a law school, the law school application process, financial aid, and preparing for the LSAT. All of the programming beyond the two courses will be free for all PLAW students, and we hope that all of the PLAW students will take advantage of these extra opportunities.