So my parents are forcing me to be an engineering major despite the fact that I have zero interest in it, but my plan is to go to law school after I finish my degree. I was told that the only way I’ll get into law school with an engineering degree is if I apply to study patent law, which I am not interested in at all. Does anyone know if this is true?
of course it’s rubbish. Law schools famously don’t much care what your major is.
What they do care about, however, is your GPA, and it is not easy to have a high GPA in engineering.
My husband was a mechanical engineering major and went right to law school. If anything, it’s a plus since law schools don’t want all history/poli sci/English majors. And no, you do not have to go into patent law. There are no majors in law school; you can take whatever you want after the required first year courses and get a job in any area you’d like.
Do keep an open mind about patent law, however. Patent attorneys are heavily in demand and you can specialize in intellectual property litigation if you don’t want to prosecute (write) patents.
I would recommend using your electives in undergrad to take reading and writing intensive courses to strengthen those skills for law school.
- Law schools don't care about your major, just your GPA.
- Employers definitely care about your major if that major is one like engineering. But this only applies to IP work.
- If you don't want to be an engineer, don't be one. Time to stand up to your parents.
There is no specialization in law school. You get a J.D. degree that, as soon as you pass the bar exam, will allow you to practice any kind of law. You don’t have to commit to any field or specialization when you apply.
Re: patent attorneys being in demand. If you are an EE major, you are golden. ME - not so much.
Law schools do care about your major, especially lower ranked schools. Their ranking depends on how employable their graduates are. A potential future patent lawyer is much more employable than someone who came to law school straight out of philosophy undergrad.
If you don’t want to have anything to do with IP, that is fine. My favorite estate planning attorney majored in mol bio. She found her passion in law school after taking federal estate taxation law class.
Law school writing classes are not like any writing classes. Science majors tend to do well in legal writing classes because science majors like brevity and conciseness. Both are appreciated by legal writing profs.
Doesn’t matter what you major in. What matters is your undergrad GPA, rigor of study, and the LSAT. Major in engineering, or underwater basket-weaving, and apply to law school. You application may actually look better with an engineering degree. Listen to your parents, don’t be a hero.
Law schools care about your LSAT score and your gpa. Having an engineering degree is a bonus because not many students with technical backgrounds apply to law school, I believe it is less than 3% of applicants. One cannot practice any type of law upon passing the general bar exam, only those who have passed the Patent Bar may practice patent law. Good luck with your studies.
Maybe, just maybe, your parents are concerned that you will either:
(a) change your mind sometime in the near future about pursuing a legal career or
(b) your undergraduate grades (and/or LSAT test scores) will disqualify you from admission to law school or a “high-ranked” law school.
They believe, rightly or wrongly, that an engineering degree might be a good fall back degree to have if (a) or (b) or (c) becomes a reality.
Like medicine, a high percentage of students change their minds about law school or never get accepted to law school (have “low” GPA/LSAT scores). There is also the issue of the glut in the legal profession. I know a large number of lawyers who are struggling to eked out a living in the legal field or some that have exited the legal profession entirely, a few with exorbitant student loan debt.
OP, did your parents verbalize their reasoning as to why you should pursue an engineering degree? If not engineering, what other undergraduate degree could you pursue that is palatable to your parents and yourself? Ultimately, your choice of an undergraduate major is yours, but if your parents are footing you tuition bill, their input might have some value.