<p>I want to pursue a career in environmental law or a related field, and I was curious what undergrad major I should take?</p>
<p>If this is the wrong forum feel free to move it</p>
<p>There have been a dozen or so threads on this topic on the Law School forum over the years, but the conventional wisdom is as follows: 1. Major in something you enjoy, and can do well in. 2. Classes that require a lot of reading and writing are good preparation for law school. 3. Avoid majoring in “legal studies”.</p>
<p>The most common pre-law majors are political science, economics, English, and history (not necessarily in that order).</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard, science majors also do pretty well when it comes to law school. Although unconventional, the critical thinking seems to be a good preparation.</p>
<p>^Sit in on a science class one time and see for yourself how much critical thinking as opposed to mindless absorption there is. Philosophy majors do really well in law school and on the LSAT and pre-law students make up more than half of my school’s philosophy majors. As a current science major and a former philosophy major I can assure you that critical thinking is more often found in the latter.</p>
<p>If your reading, writing, and critical thinking skills are good now, go for an environmental-related field (but for the love of God not parks rec and tourism), but also prepare for law school by doing things outside of class, i.e. LSAT prep, reading famous cases, understanding ethical theory, etc. If otherwise, go for one of the “typical” majors, i.e. English, philosophy, history, etc.</p>
<p>yea i know a lot of science majors who go into patent law… so the point is do anything that interests you and makes you think critically. good writing skills are a plus too.</p>
<p>I recommend you major in a field that fascinates you and that you can excel in because your GPA will be the most important factor. If you major in a subject that you aren’t particularly strong just because you think it will improve your chances at getting into Law school, your GPA will take a hit and your chances of getting into a Law school will dimish. This said some of the more popular majors I have seen over the years include:</p>
<p>Classics
Economics
English
History
Mathematics
Philosophy
Political Science
Psychology</p>
<p>Other majors also include:</p>
<p>Biology
Business
Chemistry
Engineering
Music
Physics</p>
<p>Those majors tend to be more technical in nature and require a special propensity to learn the topic at hand on the part of the student. </p>
<p>Pick a major you like, maintain a high GPA and the rest will take care of itself.</p>
<p>Agreed, if you major in something you enjoy and maintain a high GPA it increases your odds of getting into law school. But it also helps enormously to have a top LSAT score. The LSAT demands logical, rigorous thinking, but in a verbal context. That’s why people in fields like philosophy and classics tend to do really well. But so do people in theoretical physics, engineering, math, computer science and other fields where logical deductive reasoning is required. To do well in law school once you get there, however, more is required; in addition to logical reasoning ability, it really helps to be able to write clearly and quickly, and to express yourself orally. Math/science folks aren’t always as strong on this side. So bottom line, develop both your reasoning skills and your skills in verbal expression (both oral and written) as an undergrad, and you’re in good shape. The particular field of study is of secondary importance.</p>
<p>I work with environmental lawyers. If you think you have an interest in environmental work, go ahead and choose a major that is relevant to environmental science (assuming you can get great grades while doing it). There are studies that indicate majors in engineering, math might do better on the LSAT but that would be balanced by the typically lower grade curve in sciences. I’ve heard anectodal reports that philosophy majors do well on the LSAT, but I wouldn’t pick a major just on the hope of picking up a few points on the LSAT. </p>
<p>If you’re applying to a law school with an environmental certificate or focus, having an undergrad major in something related to the environment might help to catch the Review Commmittee’s eye (although LSAT and GPA will be the #1 factors). While it may not be critical as a factor for law school admissions, it can be valuable when competing for jobs. If you are handling environmental claims, it helps to know the science underlying the claim. </p>
<p>There is no special prelaw major. You can choose anything from nursing to engineering, business, polic sci, engineering, accounting, etc. </p>
<p>I told my own kids to major in something that interests them, since they’re more likely to get higher grades if studying in an area of interest. GPA is the second most important factor for law school admissions after the LSAT. I also told them to major in something that would facilitate a job if they don’t get into law school or change their minds (I’m a lawyer and one of my kids is going to law school next year).</p>
<p>I was under the impression that most Sociology majors go into law.</p>
<p>^Most???</p>
<p>Certainly some, but sociology is a field that offers opportunities all over the board.
[Careers</a> in Sociology](<a href=“http://www.abacon.com/socsite/careers.html]Careers”>http://www.abacon.com/socsite/careers.html)</p>