The Center for Law & Society (Prelaw)

The Center for Law & Society provides numerous opportunities for students interested in pursuing a law degree upon graduation from St. Bonaventure.

The center, the university's most direct prelaw track, promotes the values of St. Bonaventure University's Franciscan heritage by preparing students to commit to lives of citizenship and service.

We work closely with students to provide them with the best opportunities to be successful law school applicants and be prepared for the rigors of law school. We accomplish this through one-on-one advising, a minor in law & society, workshops, internships, and the opportunity to participate in mock trial competitions.

The center provides these opportunities for all students, regardless of major. As the American Bar Association (ABA) notes, there is no preferred undergraduate major for students who intend to apply to law school. It is necessary for students to engage in a rigorous undergraduate program, choosing courses that develop writing skills and stress the ability to reason logically and analytically.

In addition, the ABA recommends courses that provide prelaw students with a general understanding of economics, politics and social institutions. The law & society minor offers you the opportunity to take courses in these various areas, adding to the skills and knowledge gained in your major area of study.

Program information

Minor in law and society

The law and society minor involves students in the multi-disciplinary study of law and society, focusing on the interaction of law and legal institutions with social, economics, and political systems.

Students will examine the historical, philosophical, sociological, and political foundations of law and the social forces influencing law and society. The law and society minor is designed to help students gain an understanding of the role of law in society, approaching questions from a multi-disciplinary perspective.

Requirements for the law and society minor

SBU mock trial students excel at regional tournament

Feb 11, 2020

The SBU mock trial teams competed at the American Mock Trial Association’s Buffalo Regional Tournament Feb. 8-9, with a number of students earning individual awards and one team advancing on to the next stage of competition.

The St. Bonaventure A Team was one of only five in a field of 20 teams advancing to the AMTA Opening Round of the Championship Series (ORCS). The team will compete March 6-8 in the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, opening round tournament, one of eight such tournaments held across the nation.

This is the fourth time in the past seven years that an SBU team has advanced to ORCS. In addition to the team’s success, seven SBU mockers received individual awards. Ten witnesses competing at the tournament were recognized as “all regional witnesses.” Three SBU mockers received this distinction: Theresa Rabbia, Kelly Bailey and Makenna McCartney.

Eighteen attorneys were recognized as “all regional attorneys.” Four SBU mockers received this distinction: Hanna Oleski, Daniel Bakowski, Brandy Morse and Hannah Merges.

The A Team also received the coveted Spirit of AMTA Award. This award is given to the team that best exemplifies the ideals of honesty, civility and fair play. Teams rate their competitors on a 10-point scale. An overall score of 30 represents a perfect score. The SBU A Team received a perfect score.

This is the fourth time this year that an SBU team has received the tournament Spirit Award.

“This speaks volumes about the character of the students on our teams and how highly they are regarded by those with whom we compete. I could not be more proud of our mock trial teams,” said Dr. Steven Nuttall, associate professor of philosophy and director of the Center for Law and Society at St. Bonaventure.

The following is a list of SBU mockers who competed in the regional tournament: Landon Allison, Kelly Bailey, Daniel Bakowski, Nathan Dasilva, Leah Gale, Ian Joseph, Bryce Kelly, Makenna McCartney, Hannah Merges, Brandy Morse, Trevor North, Hanna Oleski, Elias Petri, Theresa Rabbia, Julia Schneider, and Selena Vazquez.

Dr. Alex Gillham

Co-director of The Center for Law & Society

Assistant Professor of Philosophy

(716) 375-2292

Send an email

Plassmann Hall 312

Dr. Elizabeth Tillman

Co-director of The Center for Law & Society

Assistant Professor of Political Science

(716) 375-2026

Send an email

Plassmann Hall 305

For more information about the Center for Law & Society and/or prelaw studies at St. Bonaventure University, please contact Dr. Gillham and Dr. Tillman at lawandsociety@sbu.edu.