Study whatever you enjoy and find interesting - you are likely to also end up doing well if you do. No reason to do pre-law (I’m not even sure what that would be, but it sounds kind of boring). I was a biopsych and econ major, my son was an architecture/art history major, my husband a history major - we’re all lawyers, it really does not matter what you major in. Lots of good advice above. Plenty of merit $$ at law schools for good scores and grades. Law school admissions is highly numbers driven. When it’s time (end of junior year/beginning of senior year), prep for the LSAT. Try to get an internship or two in a law related field along the way (you might end up changing your mind!)
CS knowledge could be specifically useful in some legal situations (intellectual property, computer crime including cracking others’ accounts or computers, etc.). That may not necessarily require a full CS major, though.
When my daughter applied to law schools, she did get very generous merit aid from some T14 schools. They were schools where her stats were way above their average.
If you want to go to law school, your GPA and LSAT scores are very important. D2 did take some courses outside of her comfort zone, like economic. When she thought she was going to get a B in the class, she took it as a P/F. Her school allowed few classes to be taken as P/F. She also studied abroad, and her school didn’t factor those grades into her GPA.
I am of the opinion if you don’t get into a T14, it is really not worth the expense and time. There are too many unemployed and underemployed lawyers already.
Yes, as @Hanna says, hiring at the ACLU is as competitive as the most prestigious law firms. A less well-known nonprofit, or one that is local rather than national, will be comparatively easier, just like a less prestigious law firm will be easier.
I work in nonprofit environmental advocacy (not as a lawyer, though my previous legal experience is very useful in my advocacy work). One of the most important things that nonprofits look for in hiring is signs that you are truly passionate about whatever their mission is. If I receive a resume that has little or no environmental experience on it (whether volunteering or paid work), it makes me wonder why this person wants to work here. Also, I can be pretty sure that this person is not very familiar with the issues we focus on. So if you are really serious about working in social justice, you need to demonstrate that. I’d say that’s at least as important as what law school you go to.
If your interest in CS-related law is strong, note that there are advocacy groups that are focused on computing related issues as well.
If you are serious about working in social justice or in a public sector make sure you graduate with as little debt as possible. Those jobs tend to pay a lot less than large private law firms.
Study whatever you want, but be sure to get top grades–around a 3.7 GPA or higher, and prepare a lot for the LSAT.
If there’s a class you might like but think that you might not get an A, take it pass/fail or audit it (i.e., just sit in but do not officially enroll). If an EC would cause you to get a B, don’t get involved with the EC; just show up for the EC when your schedule allows. As are more important than ECs or subjects of classes.
“CS knowledge could be specifically useful in some legal situations (intellectual property, computer crime including cracking others’ accounts or computers, etc.). That may not necessarily require a full CS major, though.”
Computer science has plenty of application to many areas of law – corporate law, for example, representing tech companies.
But the best thing about CS? You can get a job in it that has nothing to do with law, does not require three years of law school, and does not require you to have a 3.99999 GPA!!