
Mike Pence, the former vice president of the United States, has a law license. He earned his law degree from Indiana University's Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1986 and worked as an attorney in private practice before entering politics. Pence has described his time in law school as a bad experience, and his license is currently listed as inactive but in good standing.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Law license status | Mike Pence's law license is on inactive status in good standing |
| Law degree | Yes, from Indiana University's Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1986 |
| Law practice | Practiced law at a small firm, worked as an attorney in private practice |
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What You'll Learn

Mike Pence's law degree
Mike Pence, the former vice president of the United States, has a law degree from Indiana University's Robert H. McKinney School of Law, where he graduated with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) in 1986.
Pence has described his time at law school as "a bad experience", stating that he "wouldn't wish it on a dog [he] didn't like". Despite this, he went on to practice law at a small firm, handling a range of legal work, including contract disputes, real-estate transactions, and landlord-tenant issues. He also continued to practice law after his unsuccessful run for Congress in 1988 and 1990.
Before becoming vice president, Pence served as governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017. During his time as governor, he achieved the largest state tax cut in Indiana's history and supported policies promoting fiscal responsibility, economic development, and educational opportunity. He also signed several controversial bills into law, including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and legislation limiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers and sellers.
Pence's license to practice law is currently on inactive status, which is typical for individuals who are not actively practising law but wish to maintain their professional standing. This status indicates that Pence has met all the requirements to keep his law license current and in good standing.
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Pence's time as an attorney
Mike Pence is a lawyer by training, having earned his Juris Doctor (JD) from Indiana University's Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1986. However, he did not enjoy his time at law school, describing it as a "bad experience" that he "wouldn't wish [...] on a dog [he] didn't like". After graduating with a "solid B average", Pence went on to practice law at a small firm, handling a range of legal work, including contract disputes and negotiations, real estate transactions, and landlord-tenant issues.
Pence's license is currently on inactive status, and he has since moved on to a career in politics. He was first elected to Congress in 2000, representing Indiana's Sixth Congressional District. In 2012, he was elected as the 50th Governor of Indiana, serving from 2013 to 2017. During his time as Governor, Pence achieved the largest state tax cut in Indiana's history and worked to strengthen the state's economy by attracting new investment and creating good-paying jobs. He also focused on educational reform, expanding school choice and increasing funding for pre-K education.
In 2016, Pence was selected by then-candidate Donald Trump to be his running mate in the presidential election. The Trump-Pence campaign was successful, and Pence became the 48th Vice President of the United States, serving from 2017 to 2021. As Vice President, Pence continued to advocate for fiscal responsibility, smaller government, and economic growth. He also played a role in the administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing on his experience as Governor of Indiana.
Throughout his political career, Pence has brought his legal skills and experience to bear in various ways, including in his work on legislative initiatives, policy development, and the interpretation and implementation of laws and regulations. While his law license may be inactive, his legal training has undoubtedly influenced his approach to governance and public service.
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His license's current status
Mike Pence, the former vice president of the United States, has a law degree. He graduated with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Indiana University's Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1986. After graduating from law school, Pence worked as an attorney in private practice. He practised law at a small firm that handled a range of legal work, including contract disputes and negotiations, real-estate transactions, and landlord-tenant issues.
Pence was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in Indiana's 2nd Congressional District in 2000. He served as the vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. During this time, he also served as the president of the Senate.
Prior to his political career, Pence had legal, small business, and policy experience. He was also a strong supporter of the military and made it a priority to reduce veteran unemployment.
Pence's law license is currently on inactive status in good standing. This means that he is not actively practising law but has met the requirements to maintain his license in a non-practising status.
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Pence's legal work
Mike Pence has a law license and a J.D. from Indiana University School of Law, which he earned in 1986. After graduating, Pence practised law at a small firm, handling a variety of legal work, including contract disputes and negotiations, real-estate transactions, and landlord-tenant issues. He has described his time at law school as "a bad experience", stating that he wouldn't wish it "on a dog I didn't like".
Pence was elected as the 50th Governor of Indiana in 2012 and inaugurated on January 14, 2013. During his time in office, he achieved the largest state tax cut in Indiana's history, lowered business and corporate income taxes, and increased school funding and educational opportunities for Hoosier families. He also expanded school choice and created Indiana's first state-funded Pre-K plan.
Pence has been involved in several notable pieces of legislation during his career. In 2015, he signed Senate Bill 98 into law, limiting lawsuits against gun and ammunition manufacturers and sellers. This move was criticised by the mayor of Gary, Indiana, who viewed it as a violation of the separation of powers between the legislative and judicial branches of state government. In the same year, Pence also signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) into law, which was criticised by liberals as being anti-gay. In 2016, Pence signed Senate Bill 109, legalising the captive hunting of farm-raised deer.
As Governor, Pence also worked to maintain Indiana's AAA credit rating and improve the state's reputation as a place to do business. He managed a state employee workforce of approximately 28,000 people and a state budget of $30.6 billion. Pence also served as the commander-in-chief of the Indiana National Guard.
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His legal education
Mike Pence has a law degree and a license to practice law, although his license is currently on inactive status.
Pence graduated from Columbus North High School in 1977 and earned a BA in History from Hanover College in 1981. He then went on to law school, graduating from Indiana University's Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1986 with a "solid B average".
Pence's route to law school was not straightforward. He scored low on his first attempt at the LSAT and did not get into law school on his first try. However, he persevered and took the test a second time, scoring in the 84th percentile and securing his admission.
After graduating from law school, Pence worked as an attorney in private practice. He handled a variety of legal work, including contract disputes and negotiations, real-estate transactions, and landlord-tenant issues. Despite his successful career, Pence has stated that he did not enjoy his time in law school, commenting in 1994:
> "No one I know likes law school. It was a bad experience. I wouldn't wish it on a dog I didn't like."
Pence's legal education and experience practising law provided him with a strong foundation for his subsequent career in politics. He was elected to the US House of Representatives in 2000 and went on to become the 50th Governor of Indiana in 2012. As governor, Pence focused on fiscal responsibility, economic development, and educational opportunity. He also championed conservative values, including support for the coal industry, gun rights, and strict immigration policies.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Mike Pence has a law license. He earned his law degree from Indiana University’s Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1986. After graduating from law school, Pence worked as an attorney in private practice.
Mike Pence practiced law at a small firm that handled a variety of legal work, including contract disputes and negotiations, real-estate transactions, and landlord-tenant issues.
No, Mike Pence did not enjoy his time at Indiana University’s Robert H. McKinney School of Law. He described law school as "a bad experience" and said he "wouldn't wish it on a dog [he] didn't like."
After graduating from law school in 1986, Pence worked as an attorney in private practice. He then ran unsuccessfully for congressional seats in 1988 and 1990. In 1991, he became the president of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation and began hosting a radio talk show called "The Mike Pence Show."



































