So I’m an incoming freshman, starting this fall. My entire life, I’ve always wanted to do biomedical research, and never thought much about other careers (also partly due to my parents who are both STEM people and would prefer I stay there)
However, law has started to interest me. My strengths are reading, writing and analysis, and I feel that law is a far more intellectually stimulating career than medicine (would love to know thoughts on this) I love history, and would like to work in int’l law/social service/public policy.
One big reason I never considered law is because I’m a quiet, shy, introvert person-not the typical “law” student at all. I’m not outspoken, and am not the type to participate in debates/class discussions, and not a "leader"type at all.
Should I consider a career in law at all?
Yes.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t also do biomedical research. Law is a big umbrella that can cover almost any topic. People with skills other than law are welcome and people with technical skills are in high demand. I encourage you to do the biomedical research and then go into law, perhaps patent law, for example.
As for the personality type, law takes all kinds. Most people think of lawyers standing up in court rooms. That is a tiny focus of legal work. Most of law takes place in offices, over negotiating tables, writing and researching, etc.
While you are doing your biomedical research or whatever major you decide, also try to do some law-related internships or perhaps work as a paralegal after your BA. You will begin to see what law is like on the inside. You will learn the difference between public interest and corporate work, litigation and deals, and the like. Maybe you already know this, which is great.
Also, be sure to target a top law school as that’s the best way to guarantee that you will get the kind of law job you want. Start studying as soon as possible for your LSAT. The score lasts for 5 years. You should try to push your LSAT score into the top 2% to get a top law school and the benefits they offer, including being recruited into a job actually doing law-related work and/ or debt forgiveness and/or networking connections throughout your career.
- International law isn't really a thing.
- Social services are generally done by social workers, not lawyers, unless you mean something like legal aid.
- I think it would be foolish to not look into law. You're a freshman, which means your interests will likely vary substantially between now and graduation, and why not at least look? A real look will involve researching what lawyers do and what areas of law interest you. Critically, it will involve interning and gaining hands-on experience. If after all that law interests you, you should consider it.
I have law school classmates who didn’t like law practice and then went to medical school and became medical doctors. Different things for different people.
Law has a lot of introverts in it. I would say that lawyers are disproportionately creative introverts. (At a former job, all lawyers had to take personality tests and we were all off-the-charts high on being creative and a few other things; I forget what the other things were.)
For international law, social service, public policy: go to a highly-ranked law school and don’t expect to be paid well.
You may find it helpful to stop by the career center once you get on campus this fall. Freshman year is not too early to start exploring your options.
oops…double post
@Dustyfeathers : Could you please elaborate a little more on patent law? I’ve heard that many STEM majors who go into law, take up patent law, but I’m not really sure what it is.
I’m a little worried that interning in law-related areas may affect the time I have to do premed related stuff (which is a lot)
Also, if it helps any, I am thinking of majoring in something engineering (materials or ChemE), and plan on working a few years before heading off to grad school. So I have a little more time than just 4 years- or is that not a good idea?
Lawyers are creative?? Wow, I’d always heard the exact opposite 
Also, I keep hearing really bad stuff about the job market 
Read in a lot of places on CC that unless you go to a top law school, no chances of actually practising law?
Taking your questions in order:
-“Could you please elaborate a little more on patent law? I’ve heard that many STEM majors who go into law, take up patent law, but I’m not really sure what it is.”
Try google for this because there are so many different areas of law. It might be worth a little googling just to figure out if law is the right direction for you. You may find another area of law that intrigues you. If you find a public interest / government area (courts, DA’s office, advocacy for gender rights, human rights, global warming, the arts) a top law school often will have debt forgiveness. Be sure to check your law school of choice for their terms on debt forgiveness.
- "I'm a little worried that interning in law-related areas may affect the time I have to do premed related stuff (which is a lot)" Absolutely. You are busy if you're doing pre-med and clinical work / research for premed would probably take precedence in this case. If you're not going into medicine, but still doing biomedical research, then you may have more time to intern in law to see if that is what you want to do.
- "Also, if it helps any, I am thinking of majoring in something engineering (materials or ChemE), and plan on working a few years before heading off to grad school. So I have a little more time than just 4 years- or is that not a good idea?" Sure! There's no rush. This isn't a race. The most important thing is if you're passionate about what you want to do. Passion will carry you through the difficult parts of any field you choose. The best way to discover your passion is to try things out. That takes time, usually.
-“Lawyers are creative?? Wow, I’d always heard the exact opposite” Lawyers are people and some are more creative than others. Law is a craft and an art like others. Virtually all careers that look glamorous on the outside, on the inside have their daily grinds and non-creative moments. Law is no different.
- "Also, I keep hearing really bad stuff about the job market Read in a lot of places on CC that unless you go to a top law school, no chances of actually practising law?" Well no chance is probably an exaggeration. Absolutes are hard to pull off! However! Law as with any other profession is competitive. Thriving in any competitive marketplace takes someone who is willing to focus and hone their craft. Premed, anyone?? The top law schools collect people like that. In more simple terms, if you plan to attend law school: Yes, go to a top law school. Plan on doing so. The LSAT is a manageable skill set. Start practicing and don't be satisfied until you score in the top 2%. Then attend a top-5 school. With biomedical research degree and a good gpa, plus a 2% (estimated range) LSAT score, I'd be shocked if you weren't admitted to one of the top schools. The ABA publishes the employment statistics for ABA-accredited law schools. Be sure to find a school where at least the top graduates are getting great jobs, the sort that will pay off debt. Law careers are bimodal. There's a cluster at the about $70K pay range (if they get law-related jobs) and the other clusters in the $150K-$180K starting salary range. Partners of big firms, make a lot (a lot) more than that. Be forewarned: the Big Law career is tough. Some people start at Big Law just to pay off their school debt and then strike out on their own or do something else. Again, if this is your passion, then, well, it's your passion! If not, then you know to choose something else. Top law schools (some more than others) tend to place in Big Law, allowing people to pay off loans, make connections to step into in-house counsel positions, or into the public sector, academia, etc. and back and forth among these sectors.
@Demosthenes49 International law isn’t really a thing? Please do tell that to all the lawyers that have international law practices on both the transactional and litigation/ADR side.
Yes, lawyers are creative. We have to find ways to accomplish what clients want–whether structuring a corporate deal or when suing someone. Either way requires thinking of different ways to structure something (whether a series of arguments or a corporate transaction) within the framework of what the law allows and does not allow. Lawyers are definitely “creative class” people: we’re not quite the bohemian hipsters of Brooklyn, but a lot of lawyers are pretty close.
@itsgettingreal17: As one of those lawyers, it’s not really a thing. Your cases come in two flavors: cases in the U.S. for international clients (hope you like personal jurisdiction motions!); and cases outside the U.S. (or based on foreign law) that require you to hire local counsel (because it turns out American exceptionalism doesn’t actually make you a Japanese/German/Thailand lawyer). Either way you handle the U.S. law portion. That’s all you’re trained in.
I did international law (corporate/finance) for years. Either (1) you work abroad, which results in crazy hours due to time zone differences, and push paper (in English, practicing US law) in a foreign office or foreign law firm, spending much of your time in conference rooms and in front of a computer screen, or (2) you work in the US, which results in crazy hours due to time zone differences, and push paper (in English, practicing US law), spending much of your time in conference rooms and in front of a computer screen. See the difference?
Either way: I don’t like “international” (corporate/finance) law that much and there is very little about it that’s different from a regular US practice, except the crazier hours due to time zone differences.
Working abroad was neat, and it’s fine to do that when you’re junior and don’t have to develop clients, but given all of the headaches with law practice, also having to develop clients and please them in a foreign country and in a foreign language? No thanks.
If you like “international”, take extended vacations abroad, volunteer abroad, get a second home abroad, etc. That’s much more “international” than “international law”.
Hmmm…thanks for your answers everybody. Actually, the reason I was interested in “international” stuff was because I am an US citizen, grew up in a different country, and due to a personal situation, came into contact with a lot of people from embassies/diplomats/ lawyers who dealt with how US laws worked on US citizens abroad. On the surface, it seemed super interesting and glamorous, but of course I have no realistic ideas.
You don’t need to go to law school to necessarily achieve the goals you seek. You could say for instance work in public policy analysis, international development, an non-government organization that works towards social justice or human rights work, public health, policy implementation, and think tanks that work with public policy. Alternatively all sorts of organizations from businesses to the government hire consultants which will make use of the critical thinking and writing skills you mentioned. All of these do not necessarily require a law degree, however some may require a masters. Some may not depending on the experience or knowledge you acquire as an undergrad.
My recommendation: study something that you think may be more policy/analsis orientation in your undergrad, such as public policy/international relations/sociology/government, meanwhile still taking the prerequisites to get into medical school or whichever path you choose to pursue. Alternatively you may be able to double major in a science related field and a non-science related field, which I feel like would give you good standing whatever path you choose to pursue. You may even be able to combine them in a way where you can work for USAID, UNESCO, or the World Heath Organization. See what appeals to you, but keep your options open.
These paths may be more suitable towards your career goals than going to law school, which is honestly expensive and are mostly for people who wish to become practicing lawyers or attorneys. You can still achieve your goals through other means and may find more fulfillment and greater alignment with your interests in other pathways. You are still an incoming freshman, so it is still very early, but I would look into the many different options that are out there and perhaps talk to some career advisers at your school at some pathways you can pursue.
I’m on a similar boat as you – incoming freshman, always planned to go to med school (ideally to become a surgeon) & have doctor parents, but strengths are reading/writing/analysis and feel as though it’s more intellectually stimulating…not that the sciences aren’t, but they’re so heavy on memorization rather than on analytical and debate abilities. I like participating in debates/discussions and am not hugely extroverted but still rather outspoken, but I’m still leaning towards medicine atm due to the job market for law. Not positive what it’s like for biomedical research, but for physicians, there’s a near-guarantee to find a job, whereas it’s much more unstable for law as the unemployment rate, although decreasing, is still quite high. I’d keep that in mind, considering the expenses of law school.