There’s a reason your friends and family find your aspirations to become a lawyer impressive and ambitious. The course of study you’ll undertake in law school is rigorous, and the admissions standards can be exceptionally high. Luckily, Lander University has a proven track record of producing graduates who are routinely accepted into their law schools of choice and lead fulfilling legal careers across the country.
Before taking the LSAT and applying to your law school of choice, you’ll need a strong educational foundation that will successfully prepare you for journey towards a legal career. A comprehensive university like Lander is the right place to start. Law schools look for students with academic diversity, critical thinking and communication skills, and active participation in co-curricular activities.
At Lander University, you’ll take classes in a variety of academic disciplines. Your classes will encourage you to think critically about the most pressing issues in our world today, and what lessons we can learn from the events of the past. You’ll learn how to listen and respond to others who may have opposing points of view. And, with over 85 on-campus clubs and organizations, there’s no shortage of opportunities to engage in student life at Lander.
You won’t be alone in beginning your law school journey at Lander. Our B.S. in Political Science is the most popular major for future law students, but students have also majored in business, English and history, to name a few. By adding Lander’s pre-law minor to your program of choice, you’ll have the right courses to equip you with the right skills you’ll need for your next chapter.
Below, you’ll hear from seven Lander alumni who used their Lander degree as their first step towards a legal career. Some of them are currently studying at some of the country’s best law schools, and some of them are already practicing law in their communities.
Ready to get started? Apply now at www.lander.edu/apply
Ryan E. McNulty ’13
After completing his B.S. in Political Science at Lander, Ryan McNulty attended the Georgetown University Law Center and received his J.D. in 2019. He is an attorney of Foley & Lardner LLP in Jacksonville, Florida, where he is a member of the firm's Transactions Practice Group. McNulty immediately recognized the ample faculty support he would receive at Lander University while attending his new student orientation session. A faculty member spent over an hour of their time helping Ryan build out his schedule so that it would help him meet his exact academic and career goals.
"I left that day knowing that the people at Lander cared and would support me however they could," McNulty said. "Lander prepared me for law school by developing my skills as a critical reader and critical thinker. I use the skills I developed at Lander every day in my career."
Angela S. Strickland ’02
Angela Strickland is the managing partner of the South Carolina office of Bowman and Brooke LLP. She graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2005 and moved straight into a judicial clerkship prior to joining the firm of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough. A few years later, she was a part of team that opened Bowman and Brooke’s South Carolina office. Strickland graduated from Lander in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. Since graduating from Lander, Angela has served as the president of the Columbia Alumni Chapter for Lander, as well as a member of the Lander Alumni Board of Directors. Since 2016, she has served on the Lander University Board of Trustees.
“Being a student at Lander was wonderful preparation for law school, and my eventual legal career,” Strickland said. “Attending Lander, with its smaller class size, allowed for me to interact more with my peers and my professors. As a political science major, my advisor played a huge role, not only in my academics at Lander, but also in my preparation for the application process to law school. He was able to advise me on the types of classes I should take, including an independent study through the library on legal research, which I never would have thought to take on my own. The smaller, more hands-on environment at Lander was just what I needed for 4 years prior to entering law school.”
Courtney Cannon ’19
Courtney Cannon currently serves as an environmental justice and equity specialist for the South Carolina Environmental Law Project, where her role is to provide community outreach on issues surrounding environmental justice. Originally from Greenville, South Carolina, she graduated from Lander with a B.S. in Political Science and completed her J.D. from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 2020. While in law school, she was an ocean law and policy intern and legal extern for the Earth Law Center, where she researched sustainable business practices, as well as community-based management and customary law in Hawaii. Her work helped develop legal standards and principles for the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in ocean governance.
Cannon said Lander’s small student/faculty ratio gave her a personalized educational experience. The class sizes allowed professors to use the Socratic method in teaching her upper level coursework, which encouraged students to fully engage with course material and required students to address concepts they didn’t quite understand. “This method can be intimidating at first, but it is heavily used in law school,” Cannon said. “Therefore, by the time I attended law school, I was used to this method of engaging with material.”
Hayley Gibson ’17
Hayley Gibson graduated from the Honors College of Lander University with a B.S. in Political Science. In 2018, she made the decision to attend North Carolina Central University School of Law in Durham, North Carolina, where she participated in various organizations on campus, including the Trial Advocacy Team, the Women’s Law Caucus and the American Association for Justice Trial Competition Team. Gibson held multiple internship positions, most notably serving as a clerk for Judge Doretta Walker and as a legal intern for the Law Office of John C. Fitzpatrick. After passing the Universal Bar Exam and moving to Texas, she became a criminal defense attorney with the State Counsel for Offenders (SCFO). She recently moved to the Washington, D.C. area, where she interned as a student at Lander, and currently serves as an assistant public defender for Prince George’s County in Maryland.
Gibson started her Lander journey as a nursing major, but quickly found that nursing wasn’t her true calling. She credits Lander with offering her a wide variety of academic and co-curricular opportunities that helped her realize law school was a possibility. “Lander provided classes with professors that were willing to listen to my concerns and assist in finding solutions,” Gibson said. “It helped me find my passion and begin the foundation for my future… Without Lander University, I would not have known that I was interested in becoming a lawyer. I would not have been brave enough to attend an out-of-state school for law school, nor provided the opportunity to extend my network to other states. I am forever grateful for my time at Lander University.”
Brad E. Rader ’98
Brad Rader completed a B.S. in History at Lander and served as a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He continued his studies at Widener University Commonwealth School of Law in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he earned his J.D. with a concentration in Law and Government. Rader later accepted a position with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of General Counsel as an attorney, and thereafter as Chief Counsel in the HUD Richmond Field Office. He now serves as the Deputy Regional Counsel in the Philadelphia Regional Office for the Mid-Atlantic Region.
In recognition of his commitment, service and, contribution to HUD’s mission, Rader received the 2020 Secretary’s Award for Excellence and the HUD Office of General Counsel’s 2023 Leigh Curry Award. Rader also received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Lander University in 2020. “The humanities-based education that I received at Lander University, along with campus life, sincerely prepared me for the demands of law school,” said Rader. “My undergraduate studies required me to develop crucial critical thinking skills, in-depth research and analysis skills, and advocacy skills that are uniquely transferrable to law school and the legal profession.”
Amira Abdelwahab ’20
After completing her B.S. in Political Science at Lander, Amira Abdelwahab interned for the United States Congress before attending Penn State Law, where she is currently in her third year. In law school, Abdelwahab has served as the treasurer for the Military Law Caucus, secretary for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, among various other organizations. She has worked as a teaching assistant on a course about the U.S. legal system for international law students, and spent a semester working at the Veterans and Service member Legal Clinic, which offers free legal services. During the summers, she interned at Powers Law, LLC in Greenwood, South Carolina, her hometown.
“My professors at Lander taught me to think more critically about the world around me and challenged me to get outside my comfort zone,” said Abdelwahab. “Law school has taught me that problem solving is not always comfortable, especially when cold called by professors, but my time at Lander prepared me well for these interactions. Without my experience at Lander and the support of my professors, I would not have had the confidence to go to law school and pursue a legal career.”
Jitwan Floyd ’21
Jitwan Floyd earned his B.S. in Political Science from Lander and is currently a second-year student at the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he proudly serves as a staff editor for the Journal of Law and Education. He is also a member of the Pro Bono Board, and is a law clerk for the Public Service Commission of South Carolina. When he’s not studying, Floyd balances his academic pursuits with caring for his son, Kairo, and working at Percival-Tompkins Funeral Home and Leevy’s Funeral Home.
Floyd credited two Lander faculty members by name when reflecting on how Lander prepared him for his studies at USC School of Law. One was Dr. Ashley Woodiwiss, chair of the Department of Government, Criminology and Sociology, who Floyd said “challenged me to strengthen my analytical and interpersonal skills.”
The other was Professor Jane Merrill, whose course structure mirrored the expectations of his current law school classes. “My time at Lander University prepared me for law school academically and professionally,” Floyd said. “I attribute a large portion of any success to the influential individuals I would have not encountered if I did not attend Lander.”
An Accessible, Affordable Path to Law School:
While a four-year degree is the correct first step towards your future legal career, it shouldn’t burden you with loads of student debt. That’s why Lander University is proud to offer its world-class education at a price students and their families can afford. We’ve kept our tuition frozen for eight consecutive years, and most students quality for state and federal scholarships and grants that make the total cost of attendance even lower.
By keeping our degree programs affordable, you’ll be able to take full advantage of the rewarding educational experience you’ll receive at Lander University without the added financial stress generally associated with pursuing higher education. Your professors and your classmates will know you by name, and work closely with you from your first day of classes to make sure you’re ready for wherever you decide to go after graduation.
Ready to get started? Apply now at www.lander.edu/apply