Pathway to Law School

If you are interested in pursuing a law degree, Indiana Tech can make it happen for you. Our university has a pre-law advisor, Professor Tiffany Redies, Esq., who will help you identify your options and make a choice that is best for you.

Professor Redies will work with you to determine which degree will best prepare you for law school. As additional preparation, she will also strongly recommend that you add Indiana Tech’s Legal Studies Certificate to your degree program, which can be done in place of or in addition to a minor.

For information about how Indiana Tech can put you on a path to law school, contact Professor Redies by phone at 260.422.5561, ext. 2264, or email TBRedies@indianatech.edu.

Legal Studies Opportunities

Indiana Tech has partnered with three regional law schools to offer a 3+3 (also known as BA to JD) degree program, which gives qualifying students a unique and accelerated educational opportunity. Once a student completes three years of a bachelor’s degree at Indiana Tech, they can move onto law school and use their first year of law school courses to satisfy the fourth-year requirements of their bachelor’s degree. Instead of taking seven years to obtain both degrees, it will only take six. An Indiana Tech student from any major can enter a 3+3 program, provided they complete our legal studies certificate or obtain a minor in legal studies.

Indiana Tech has 3+3 JD agreements with the following law schools:

• Ohio Northern University Petit College of Law
• The University of Akron School of Law
• The University of Toledo College of Law

Steps to Becoming a Lawyer

Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a standardized test required by most law schools. There is no math on the LSAT. Instead, it tests things like reading comprehension, reasoning and writing. Like the SAT and ACT, a higher LSAT score will open up more law schools and more scholarship opportunities. The highest score one can achieve on an LSAT is 180.

Law School

Law school takes at least three years to complete. They do not have majors, but many students choose classes based on their particular career goals. Law school will teach you to “think like a lawyer,” meaning you will learn to see both sides of an issue and exercise good judgment. No matter what law school you go to, you will learn the basics of law and how to think like a lawyer. Law students graduate as a Juris Doctor (J.D.). However, having the J.D. does not automatically make you a lawyer.

State Bar Exam

The last test you will take before becoming a lawyer is the bar exam. Every state has its own set of laws, and sometimes the details of the law vary from state to state. As such, the bar exam differs from state to state. The test is designed to make sure you have a basic understanding of the law that every lawyer should know, and the specific laws in your state.

Licensed Attorney (Esquire)

To practice law you need a license from the state where you will practice. Once you pass the bar exam, along with a character and fitness exam, you will become an attorney. Just like members of the military and most political leaders, lawyers take an oath to uphold the United States Constitution.