Why Small Liberal Arts Colleges are Great for Pre-Law. Advice from a Lawyer

How A Liberal Arts Education Helps Students Prepare for A Career in Law

By Ed Wimp

Exposure

My favorite thing about being a lawyer is observing how law fits into our everyday lives. In everything we do, it is quite likely that a lawyer, or a multitude of lawyers, played an active role. Here are a few examples of ways you may be enjoying the work of a lawyer at this very moment:

Let’s say there is music playing as you are reading this; it is likely that lawyers were a key part in negotiating the contracts surrounding the release of the song you’re listening to.

Are you currently sitting in a chair? It is likely that lawyers had to work within the pertinent patent

laws in order for that chair to be brought to market.

Are you reading this at work? If so, you and your employer are currently being regulated under many federal and state laws regarding your employment.

In summary, you will be hard-pressed to find a way that a lawyer is not involved in your

life at any given moment. How does this relate to a liberal arts education, you ask? It’s simple: a liberal arts education provides the student with knowledge of a variety of industries that all require lawyers.

On a daily basis, I use the knowledge from my liberal arts education in my practice of law. Skills learned in my psychology class have helped me read the body language of individuals that I am cross-examining; the foreign language courses I took have helped me broaden my client base by being able to understand non-English speakers; and my religious studies courses have helped me zealously advocate for my clients who have been discriminated against on behalf of their beliefs. These are just a few things among many other useful skills that I am thankful to have learned and continue to implement. I was able to immerse myself in a span of studies while still having the time to get a major in business administration and a minor in political science, and they have all enhanced the impact of my career in one way or another.

Leadership

As lawyers, we are thought leaders. It is our job to absorb a large quantity of facts, decipher the information to determine what is relevant, and craft an opinion that can be explained to a client, jury, judge, or the masses of people. Cultivating these leadership skills during a very formative period of a future lawyer’s life is crucial in order to ensure the student is able to form opinions, as well as effectively articulate those opinions during law school and in practice. Frankly, I was a relatively shy student when I entered undergrad; had I gone to a larger state school, it is unlikely that I would have discovered, let alone held, any leadership positions during college. It has been my experience that the expectation of students at a liberal arts school is to be involved in the school community, and the students are therefore not as likely to get “lost in the shuffle” of a more sizable institution.

A Sense of Community

I attended Monmouth College, a small liberal arts school of around 800 students in Monmouth, Illinois. Monmouth College fosters a strong liberal arts community, and encourages every student to play an active role in the unique brand of the school. Instead of students entering a campus culture, the students create the campus culture. Furthermore, because of the establishment of campus culture by the students, there is an immense amount of pride associated with attending a small liberal arts school that exists long after graduation. The alumni of a liberal arts school generally feel an inherent obligation to give back to the students who wish to follow in their path. I have personally enjoyed the benefits of dynamic alumni mentors who have helped me get to where I am today, and I give back by mentoring students and routinely returning to my alma mater to meet students in person. Alumni have a vested interest in the viability of the school.

As explained in this article, a liberal arts education is a strong route to take to pave your way toward a well-rounded career as a lawyer. I would like to make myself known as a resource to anyone looking to become a lawyer, regardless of where you are in the process. Please do not hesitate to contact me through social media outlets (below), or through my email, info@edwimp.com.

www.EdWimpLaw.com