<p>I’m not particularly interested in law school, but who knows how I will feel in a few years from now. I am not against it by any means. For now, I am more interested in seeing what other options there are out there if I were to obtain a BFA. This is in case things did not pan out for me in the theater world where there is a lot of competition for very few jobs.</p>
<p>As a headhunter for lawyers, I have worked with a few attorneys with BFAs. I have worked with a few more who have degrees in music. There are attorneys out there with undergrad degrees from almost every conservatory. The bottom line for admission to law school is numbers - GPA and LSAT score. The issue is whether a student will be prepared for the LSAT after spending 4 years in a BFA program. Some will be - some won’t. Kids who do very well on the SAT tend to have an easier time with the LSAT, so if someone really struggles with standardized tests, then there will be a problem with law school admission, no matter what the undergrad degree. </p>
<p>Alwaysamom is correct that most attorneys are not trial lawyers. Even in trial work, cases are decided on brilliant oral arguments on television only. The real work is done on paper. Researching the law, investigating the facts and applying the law to the facts are what is important in litigation. Writing and research skills will trump oral skills in most cases.</p>
<p>It’s definitely true that paperwork is the largest part of being a lawyer. And training as an actor certainly doesn’t prepare you to be a lawyer – there’s a lot more to that profession than oral skills! But the lawyers I know who have studied acting – who also work as trial lawyers – tell me that their theater backgrounds have been tremendously helpful in many ways: observation skills learned in acting classes can be helpful in picking juries, performance skills can help you present your facts clearly, etc. My point being – theatre training can be applied to other professions; the skills you learn as an actor can be useful elsewhere.</p>
<p>And my point is this… I have met few actors who were not skilled writers and well read. They thrive in English classes, Speech and Debate, History. They are naturally drawn to these classes. They tend to be required to write and analyze plays, (which naturally involves an ability to understand people and feelings, as well as to be analytical.) They must understand emotions. </p>
<p>As a litigator, you write. All the time. You go into court all the time and argue – eloquently – with a judge. This requires an ability to speak coherently, passionately and with power. You must negotiate, which requires an ability to bluff… convincingly — pure acting. You must hide your feelings of disgust at times, either for the other lawyer, the other party, or your own client – more pure acting. So, I find the skill set very similar and translatable. I’ve been a lawyer for 19 years. I was raised by one. I’m married to one. I think I have some basis for my opinion.</p>
<p>As for most lawyers not being litigators? That has not been my experience. Most of the jobs offered to students coming out of law school are as litigators. That’s where the work is. My husband is a corporate lawyer. It took him six years to break into the world of corporate law. Those jobs are hard to get. I am a litigator. Nearly everyone working in my government agency (technically the largest law firm in the world) is a litigator. </p>
<p>Again, the point here is that a BFA degree does not mean you can only be an actor. The world is your oyster. Law is a great choice. So is a number of other things.</p>
<p>chrissy - I am really in agreement with you. My comment was that most lawyers are not trial lawyers. I was making a distinction between litigators and trial lawyers. I was a litigator with a large law firm and had one jury trial in the years I was there. Most of the attorneys I work with now as a headhunter rarely go into court - litigators included. I do not want students to believe that being able to talk a good game is what is needed to be a successful lawyer. Being a litigator can mean very long tedious hours writing and re-writing memoranda, briefs, interrogatories, motions, etc. etc. Many litigators rarely see the inside of a court room and rarely speak to a judge. They may get to second chair a motions hearing now and then, defend or take a deposition. </p>
<p>I have said on the forum before that theater and music majors are some of the hardest working students out there and I believe many law firms understand the discipline and hard work that it takes. I have worked with theater and music majors and they have been some of the strongest candidates with whom I have worked. </p>
<p>I would never discourage anyone with a BFA from going to law school if they want to practice law. I do want them to understand what most lawyers do. I loved moot court when I was in law school and was naive enough to think that it was remotely related to what I would do as a lawyer. I’d probably still be practicing if it were. Students also need to understand that law school admission is a numbers game so if there is a thought in the back of the mind about going to law school, do not let grades slide and realize that preparation for the LSAT will be necessary.</p>
<p>So Sad. ;'( </p>
<p>[Playbill</a> News: North Shore Music Theatre Is Out of Business](<a href=“http://www.playbill.com/news/article/130286-North_Shore_Music_Theatre_Is_Out_of_Business]Playbill”>http://www.playbill.com/news/article/130286-North_Shore_Music_Theatre_Is_Out_of_Business)</p>
<p>another one…geez.</p>
<p>I concur with all Cartera45 has said. As a partner at a major law firm where I practiced for 21 years, I am frankly not aware that we ever hired anyone with a BFA undergrad degree. Certainly, a BFA or theater undergrad degree would not have precluded our hiring a student who otherwise had the requisite law school record (usually law review caliber), and I could see that acting skills would be most translatable to trial law as distinguished from the glorified paper pushing of “litigation.” While very few attorneys actually practice trial law, for any type of law, oral and written communication skills remain paramount in addition to analytical skills. Clearly, some BFA programs with substantial writing requirements and/or gen ed requirements would foster those skills better than other programs.</p>