Pre-Law
A pre-law support program provides valuable opportunities to interact with law professors, attorneys, judges and other professionals. It also offers specific insights into the legal profession as well as the law school application process. Even if you end up not applying to law school, participating in a pre-law program can sharpen your ability to think creatively and critically, communicate effectively and explore issues from multiple perspectives.
Common career paths: attorney, paralegal, legislative assistant, judge, government relations officer, human resource professional, corporate counsel, compliance officer
Established in 1981, the Frank G. Raichle ’68 Pre-Law Center—named for one of the best trial lawyers in New York State—is home to the region’s most comprehensive pre-law program. While not an academic major, our pre-law support program provides the foundational knowledge, hands-on experience and expert guidance you need to make the transition to law school. You can major in any academic discipline, but if a law degree is one of your long-term goals, enrolling in our program is an important first step.
3+3 Accelerated BA or BS plus JD Track
The Raichle Pre-Law Center offers an accelerated option for those who want to earn their bachelor’s degree and juris doctor in 6 years. This fast-track program, in partnership with the University at Buffalo School of Law, is open to students who major in classics, communication studies, criminal justice, environmental studies, history, philosophy, political science, psychology or sociology.
Wisdom from the Nation’s Top Legal Minds
For 30 years, the annual Frank G. Raichle Lecture Series has hosted brilliant scholars and jurists from across the country, including six US Supreme Court Justices: the Honorable William Rehnquist, Sandra Day O’Connor, Antonin Scalia, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Byron R. White and John Roberts. Open to both our pre-law participants and the Western New York legal community, the annual event is a unique opportunity for students to meet VIP guest speakers as well as local attorneys and judges.
Internships and Career Mentoring
Our faculty play a key role in matching qualified pre-law students with high-profile internships at law firms, corporate counsel’s offices and US courts. The Desmond Law Society, made up of alumni and attorney friends of Canisius University, also provides valuable career mentoring. The pre-law chapter of the international Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, the largest law fraternity in the United States, is another valuable resource. Students can connect with active members in other chapters across the country and make informed decisions about careers in the legal profession.
Inspiring Outcomes
With a nearly 90% acceptance rate, Raichle pre-law students go on to study at top law schools throughout the country. The career paths of our alumni reflect the rich diversity of the legal profession, including corporate law, criminal prosecution and defense, as well as civil and human rights litigation.
Recent law school acceptances include Harvard, Notre Dame and Columbia.
Endowed Scholarships for Law School
To make it possible for talented pre-law students to attend law school, the Raichle Center offers several partial scholarships, including the Frank G. Raichle, Esq. ’68 Endowed Scholarship and the Albert R. Mugel ’40 Scholarship.
Distinctions
Pre-Law students are invited to join the pre-law chapter of the prestigious Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, network with other law students and professors, and compete for several pre-law scholarships. Students will build familiarity and analytical skills through mock trial exercises (for course credit) and active internship opportunities. Students can attend the prestigious Raichle Lectures series, which have included six justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. Graduates that enrolled in Canisius Pre-Law are regularly accepted into top law schools across the country, and have enjoyed successful careers as lawyers in many fields, politicians, and state Supreme Court Justices.
