<p>I am a rising junior at Duke and I am double majoring in biomedical engineering and economics. My GPA is solid and my ECs are fine. My problem is nothing I have shows I am interested in law.</p>
<p>I am not even 100% sure I want to go into law, but I am considering patent law. I dont really want to have a law internship next summer (would prefer consulting or sales and trading), but I am seriously considering it as a potential field. </p>
<p>I have two questions: Will law schools view my lack of law "interest" negatively? Secondly, how can I demonstrate an interest in the field?</p>
<p>The second question doesn't require an answer because the answer to the first is no. Law schools couldn't care less what you majored in or whether or not you have a deep, profound interest in the law. Get good numbers and make sure the rest of the soft factors are strong. The rest takes care of itself.</p>
<p>I think all you have to do to show interest in a law school is apply to one. As far as I'm aware it's almost entirely a stats game, and what you major in (as long as it's academic and not vocational) matters little.</p>
<p>If you want to go to law school after college you need to start thinking about things like the LSAT. You say you're "not 100% sure" - are you 90%? 60%? 40%?</p>
<p>Realistically, I will probably not go straight to law school if I don't get into Harvard, Yale, or Stanford. I would be open to going back later on in my career (within five years). </p>
<p>I'll probably take the lsat this December (going abroad to Australia for the semester) and see how I do. My major concern was I simply have nothing that shows I am interested in law. But you guys cleared that up, thanks!</p>
<p>IMO, you're setting up really unrealistic expectations for yourself. You might want to think about what your motivations really are in applying for law school.</p>
<p>My motivations are pretty materialistic. If I don't go into law, I will hopefully go into consulting or sales and trading (hopefully consulting). My law school GPA right now, just finished sophomore year, is over a 4.0 and I am an engineer. </p>
<p>I realize Harvard, Yale, and Stanford are crap shoots and I need a 175 on my LSAT to give me a 50% chance at these schools. </p>
<p>I honestly hope to retire by 40-45 and do things I enjoy. Yes, I may have the wrong motives for entering law, but I am pretty sure it's something I will enjoy if I have to hold a job. </p>
<p>If I don't get into law school, it's not the end of the world. But if I am going to spend over $100,000 of my own money (and take out lots of loans), I want to guarantee that I will make that money back (and that is why I will only go to Harvard, Yale, or Stanford straight out of college). </p>
<p>Just because my motives are materialistic does not mean I will be a bad lawyer. I have never wanted to be an engineer, but I enjoy my classes. And Im pretty sure I would like law too.</p>
<p>I wouldn't bother with law school at all if I were you. If that GPA stays up, do an investment banking internship after junior summer and just run down that path.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If you can maintain that GPA, then you don't have just a 50% chance at HYS with a 175+ GPA. That's a guaranteed auto-admit at Harvard, and I would be mighty surprised if you didn't make Stanford. The only school in the country for which there would be any doubt would be Yale.</p></li>
<li><p>I have to agree with bluedevilmike. If your primary motivation is money, then go into I-banking instead. You'll save yourself 100K+ dollars, start making substantial income sooner, and the yearly salary increases will be larger.</p></li>
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<p>You can't anticipate getting a 175, unless you're somehow scoring 180 on all your practice tests. Scores usually drop a few points and that's such a high grade to expect - so I wouldn't speak about hypothetical chances of getting into HYS based on those scores unless you actually take the LSAT.</p>
<p>I certainly don't expect a 175, but I guess that would be my target. Im just going to take it in December (after studying) and see how I do.</p>
<p>I-banking is certainly a moneymaker, but the huge hours/nasty attitudes/useless work are just major turnoffs. I honestly can not see myself putting in over a hundred hours in a week. </p>
<p>I am open to sales and trading as that allows you to control your own P&L and your hours are more like 60 per week. And I think I would love consulting. But I realize that these jobs aren't guarantees (even if hired, you only get your 3 year analyst rotation), and the prospect of getting a steady career by coming out of Harvard, Yale, or Stanford is very appealing. </p>
<p>I know patent analysts work at least 70 hour weeks and also do a lot of mind-numbing work, I just feel that the secure employment will make my life less stressful.</p>
<p>Just to echo bluedevilmike's sentiments, it would be a mistake to assume that "steady jobs" only go to grads from HYS. Hell, out of the T14, Columbia has the highest percentage of their graduating 3Ls going into top firm jobs. </p>
<p>Also, I wouldn't be so sanguine about the number of hours a corporate lawyer works compared to an i-banker. A corporate lawyer may work fewer hours on average, but it's certainly going to be more than 60 hours a week. It's a grim reality, and it's a big reason why turnover at corporate firms is so astronomically high. Yours truly doesn't plan on sticking it out with a firm job for more than a few years; it just doesn't seem like a good way to spend the bulk of one's professional years.</p>
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I certainly don't expect a 175, but I guess that would be my target. Im just going to take it in December (after studying) and see how I do.
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<p>I was actually addressing how crnchycereal was guessing at odds, when there's really no way to know right now what to except - I didn't think you were assuming you would get a 175. :) sorry!</p>
<p>"I-banking is certainly a moneymaker, but the huge hours/nasty attitudes/useless work are just major turnoffs. I honestly can not see myself putting in over a hundred hours in a week."</p>
<p>So you decided that your best alternative was to work at a big law firm? hahahahahaha. huge hours, nasty attitudes, and useless work are hardly uncommon in the field, especially for the first several years.</p>