In this course we’ll cover the basics of how to get into a good law school and what you’ll have to do once you get there. We’ll talk about which law schools are worth going to, what LSAT score and GPA it will take to get into them, and which majors and classes to take to prepare to be a competitive applicant. I’ll also introduce students to the different LSAT sections (logical reasoning, critical reading, and logic games) to give them an idea of what they’ll eventually have to master in order to go to law school. There will be reading assignments and a few homework assignments. Some will involve answering LSAT questions and the others will be short written assignments intended to make students think.

In addition to that I’ll give students overviews of most of the core areas of law that they’d study in their first year. This will both prepare them for law school and help them figure out whether it’s something they’d like to pursue. I’ll teach them the basics of contracts, which I learned from Amy Chua, the Tiger Mom—we’ll talk about what makes something a legally enforceable contract, what the different kinds of remedies are for breaches of contracts, and when they’re appropriate. We’ll also discuss central ideas in criminal law, which I learned from her husband, Jed Rubenfeld; the main topic will be the purpose of criminal law, and the difference between it and civil law. I’ll teach students about First Amendment law, taught to me by Dean Robert Post, covering when speech is and isn’t protected. Finally, we’ll talk about some of the basics of constitutional law, which I learned from my adviser, Bruce Ackerman, who’s one of the most preeminent constitutional law scholars in the nation—the main topics will be the meaning of the rights to receive due process of law and equal protection of the law.

About Chris Nicholson: He graduated from Yale Law School in 2013. He is currently a PhD candidate in philosophy at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, where he has taught several classes. In the 2017-2018 school year he took a break from his studies to serve as an instructor teaching philosophy and law at his undergraduate alma mater, the University of Alabama; one of his students was recently accepted to Harvard Law School. Lee Academics is proud and fortunate to employ a highly skilled, trained and educated instructor. Our students will benefit from being taught by a graduate of top universities. Yale Law School enrolls 200 students annually and has been ranked number one every year by the US News and World Report. The University of Michigan’s philosophy graduate program is ranked fifth in the world by the Philosophical Gourmet Report and enrolls about five students each year.

In Chris’ junior and senior years at James Logan High School, Dr. Tommie Lindsey invited Chris to coach the JV Parliamentary Debate team. Because he was a high school student then, Chris could not be hired professionally; instead, Dr. Lindsey awarded Chris 200 service credit hours and a fantastic recommendation letter for his exemplary work. As a high school speech and debate competitor Chris won and placed highly at numerous tournaments, competing in parliamentary debate, public forum debate, extemporaneous speaking, and impromptu speaking. Chris coached for the James Logan Forensics Team for five years after high school. His students have won the California state championship and reached the final round of the national championship. As a Lee Academics instructor, Chris taught SAT/ACT and philosophy at James Logan. He has coached the Pioneer High School ethics bowl team in Ann Arbor for three years. His A team reached the quarterfinals of the Michigan state championship in February 2019. His B team defied expectations and went 7-0 to win the state championship and he is preparing to travel with them to North Carolina in April to coach at the national championship.

Discounts for Law School Primer – 10 one-hour lectures

• 2 students – $30 discount per student (with at least one student new to Lee Academics)
• 3 students – $50 per student (with at least 2 students new to Lee Academics)
• 5 students – $70 per student (with at least 4 students new to Lee Academics)
• 6 students – $100 per student (with at least 5 students new to Lee Academics)
• Steep discount for parents attending with their child – half price per parent.
• Additional referral discount applied to the fee of the course of $30 per referral.

Group rates and referral discounts apply when enrolling with students new to Lee Academics.