The History Department offers a Legal History Certificate, open to all majors who meet the application criteria, which provides a strong foundation for a law school education. It is ideal for undergraduates who plan to apply to law school or are considering a legal career.
The Legal History Certificate program is specifically focused on the skill set future lawyers need. The American Bar Association (ABA) and the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) have identified background historical knowledge as an essential foundation for a law school education. Lawyers must understand historical precedent, the historical context in which laws were made, and the evolution of legal doctrine. The ABA and the LSAC also emphasize the importance of critical reading, research, and writing skills as important preparation for an advanced legal education.
The Legal History Certificate prepares students in all of these areas. Students learn about the historical development of the U.S. legal system, read legal documents, perform legal research, and practice argumentative writing. The certificate provides students with an advantage in the admissions process and positions them to succeed in law school.
The Legal History Certificate is open to all majors. Students must have at least a 3.0 GPA and have completed no more than 105 credit hours when they apply to enroll in the certificate. It may be pursued concurrently with the Philosophy Pre-Law Certificate, although there is no overlap in the two certificates’ requirements.
The Legal History Certificate requires 12 hours of coursework:
- Two required courses: HIST 447 (Law and Society through Reconstruction) and HIST 448 (American Law since 1865). The history department offers HIST 447 every fall and HIST 448 every spring. Legal History Certificate students are guaranteed spots in these classes. Students must receive a C or higher in these classes.
- Two history electives from the following list: HIST 225, 230, 258, 301, 305, 307, 308, 317, 319, 323, 365, 368, 369, 370, 371, 372, 373, 374, 444, 452, 455, 456, 462, 464, 473. Students must receive a C or higher in these classes.
- HIST 485 (0 credits) in the final semester of the certificate. In the last semester of the certificate, students must register for HIST 485 (Directed Studies) for zero credits with Dr. Unterman. To fulfill this final requirement, they must submit a legal history writing sample using primary source research. This may be a paper already submitted for another class. Revisions may be requested. They must also submit a one-page report for each of their two Legal History Certificate electives connecting these classes with legal history concepts from HIST 447 and/or 448.
If you have any questions about the Legal History Certificate, you should contact the program’s primary faculty sponsor, Dr. Katherine Unterman (unterman@tamu.edu).
To apply to enroll in the Legal History Certificate, please write to the history advisor, Robyn Konrad (robyn-konrad@tamu.edu).