Do It Your Way: Prelaw at NYU

No Single Path to Prelaw at NYU

What is the best prelaw curriculum? At NYU, that’s entirely up to you.

NYU doesn’t have a designated prelaw major. Instead of following a specific prelaw track, students are encouraged to choose a major that genuinely suits their interests. This is by design. Law schools aim to admit a diverse group of students each year. They’re far more interested in applicants with strong interests, excellent academics, and sharp analytical, writing, and research skills than in specific majors.

For Lauren Ariz, NYU’s lack of prelaw coursework offered an irresistible academic advantage. She’s an International Relations major with a minor in Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology. “I knew I wanted to go to law school and be in entertainment law,” she says. “And I was looking to get experience with music contracts and licensing. NYU has such an arts focus, so I was able to meld my interest in music with the legal aspects of licensing music.”

For Sofia Baker, NYU’s broad academic options offered a similar gift. Sofia is an International Relations major with minors in Latino Studies and Public Policy. She hopes to pursue a career in immigration law. “The world is our oyster,” she says, “and that’s one thing I loved about NYU: I didn’t feel boxed in.” And Politics major Payton Boroski agrees: “NYU’s location, its reputation, and the sheer scale of what it offers made it feel like the right place to figure out what kind of lawyer I want to be.”

A Resource-Rich Experience

Even without a structured prelaw curriculum, NYU prelaw students have access to an abundance of resources. After all, NYU offers more than 270 areas of study. Most NYU colleges offer prelaw advising, and all students can attend events and panels at the NYU School of Law. Plus, there’s the Lawyer Alumni Mentoring Program (LAMP), a mentorship program housed within the College of Arts and Science (CAS).

“Finding out that NYU had a structured mentorship program specifically for prelaw students was a big deal to me,” says Payton. “It signaled that the school was actually invested in helping students get to law school, not just handing you a list of resources and wishing you luck.”

For many students, simply being in New York City is a huge draw, providing an ideal opportunity to sharpen their skills and expertise before applying to law school. As a global hub for entertainment, sports, media, and finance, the city offers endless opportunities for professional internship experience.

For example, Beatrix Bisceglia, a Public Policy major with a minor in Business, has used internships to explore her prelaw interests. She’s interned with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, a member of Congress, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Goldman Sachs. Next up? Driven by an interest in sports business, she hopes to secure an internship with the New York Yankees.

“Figure out your interests and how you can combine them with things you’re good at,” Beatrix advises. “If your heart’s in the right place, you’ll get yourself to where you need to be.”

Find Community Through Clubs

Without a specific major or designated coursework, what connects prelaw students at NYU? Many build community through clubs and networking groups.

There are tons of on-campus clubs that help prelaw students navigate the road to law school. The Undergraduate Law Society (ULS), for example, hosts attorney panels, admissions chats with deans from competitive law schools, and résumé workshops. For Sofia, a ULS board member, the group organically connects her with prelaw students across NYU. “We have students from all over the University; our board alone has students from Stern, Steinhardt, CAS, and Gallatin,” she says. Beyond ULS, students can join coed prelaw fraternities, The Undergraduate Law Review, the BIPOC Legal Society, and a mock trial team, among others.

Payton views all club experience at NYU—prelaw or otherwise—as beneficial for her future law career. She is a member of Phi Alpha Delta, the prelaw fraternity, as well as Girls Who Code, the ASL Club, and the Feminist Society. “I really believe that all your involvement matters, not just the prelaw-branded stuff,” she says. “Law is fundamentally about people and communication and collaboration. Every leadership role, community you build, and cause you show up for is sharpening skills you’ll use as a lawyer.”

Finding Your “Why”

For many prelaw students, the journey is as important as the destination. Today, it’s increasingly common for students to take a gap year or two before applying to law school. That way, they can gain professional experience and boost their chances of admission. In fact, at NYU School of Law, roughly 70% of incoming students have been out of college for one to four years.

“People shouldn’t be so focused on making their résumé look good for law school,” says Sofia. “Schools are looking for the most authentic version of you, for someone with passion.” Payton agrees, adding, “Do the things you actually care about. Your ‘why’ for wanting to be a lawyer usually lives in the rest of your life, not just your prelaw résumé.”