So obviously there are no “law” majors in normal universities. There are a bunch of majors that could help me down the road however, and I’m not 100% sure which I should go with.
I’m leaning currently towards Political Science (as I figure it would help me understand the system/politics/ past precedents) but there are also things like Business, Prelaw Studies, etc.
So, what do you think? What would help me down the road? I suppose I should say I’m a junior so I do have a time frame to work with.
I’d could make a case for all kinds of majors - poli sci, history, philosophy, english, econ, business. What I wouldn’t do is major in something called “Pre-law studies”. Choose something that interests you and that you feel like you could excel in academically.
Majors that teach a lot of critical thinking, reading, writing, and analysis skills are good choices. Majors in which you can get a lot of experience in classroom discussions are also useful, because law school classrooms have a lot of speaking.
Political science is a good major for those things; so are history, philosophy, English, economics, and a bunch of other majors. Business could be a good major if you are interested in corporate law but I would supplement with some classes that have you reading dense material and doing a lot of critical analysis and discussion.
You can major in anything to become a lawyer. – Nursing, arts, engineering, theater, gender studies, foreign languages of some sort, you name it. Any major is great. There’s a type of law that can use those skills. Getting work experience in your chosen area also helps.
What you need to do is to –
Get at least 3.7+ GPA
Get at least 172 LSAT (yest you can start studying for this now)
Apply to a top 10 law school. Those law schools are the only ones that more or less guarantee that you will practice law upon graduation -- or will get a job where you use your law degree. They also offer loan-forgiveness programs (for the most part) in case you decide to go into government or public interest work. They also are schools where Big Law recruits -- if you want to make the big bucks.
Consider majoring in whatever you’d choose if you DON’T go to law school after. That would both set you up for another path in case law school doesn’t work out and add another dimension to your skills/perspective.
Don’t agree with some of these comments. You do need a high GPA. However you don’t need to go to a top 10 law school by any means. If only those lawyers could get jobs there would only be a few thousand lawyers in the country. “Big Law” recruits at law schools all over the country, because they have offices all over the country. There are also big regional firms. However, there are lots of jobs for lawyers outside of “big law”.
Instead think about the kind of law that interests you. Health law? Maybe major in health sciences and go to UMD, where they have a health law specialty and where the big provider firms recruit.
Want to be a judge? Get a political science degree, make lots of contacts with legislators, and go to law school at your state flagship, then intern for state and federal judges.
How about a criminal lawyer? Look into a degree in criminology.
Patent law? Chemistry or engineering
US Justice Department – that’s where you need to go to Harvard or Yale
Going to a big 10 school doesn’t guarantee you a job, but going to a state flagship, passing the state bar, and making local contacts does.
You can’t major in all the majors listed, obviously, but taking a good mix of these, and any other subjects that interest you – while meeting distribution requirements – is a good way to gain the all-around knowledge it’s (probably) helpful for an attorney to possess:
Poli Sci
Philosophy
Communications
English
Econ
Psychology
History/Anthropology
Sociology: Criminology, Demography, etc.
Marketing
Finance
Accounting
Stats
You should learn how governments and the political process work, modes of thought and argument, how to speak effectively in public, how businesses work, basic economic concepts, how populations behave, how individuals behave and the complexity of the mind, basic theories on crime, how to sell an idea and yourself, how history has shaped the present, and how to write. In addition, Stats is valuable intrinsically and will help with Finance and Marketing and, if you major in it, Econ. If you have an aversion to Statistics, sub Finite Math or Calculus.
A young friend took the scholarship at a pretty good law school rather than going to a T-14 or the state law school, both would have cost a lot more. She’s done very well and will be clerking for a federal judge next year and then has an associate job at a DC law firm.
It can be done.
Major in something with a LOT of writing involved. You need to be able to pump out papers as a first year student.
I agree with @evergreen5. Major in something you enjoy and that gives you options. Options if you don’t go to law school and options if you practice for a few years and want a change.
I graduated from a small LAC with a History BA and a Philosophy minor before going to Vanderbilt Law. That didn’t give me a lot of options until I had practiced for a few years. But it served me well and was a fine way to go.
I was a litigator for 10 years at a regional firm before jumping into the business world. I was also on the hiring committee at the firm.
Things to keep in mind for undergrad: You will need good grades. You will need to know how to write well. All lawyers write a lot. You will need to know how to talk to people. All lawyers deal with people (clients). Far too many lawyers lack basic people skills. And you will need to know some basic business and accounting concepts. All civil law, and a fair amount of criminal law, involves money. You need to understand your clients’ businesses at a minimum. Beyond those things, have at it. I wouldn’t worry too much about mastering the Constitution and government. If you like it, that’s great. But you will learn all you need to know, and then some, in law school.
Things to keep in mind for law school: Good grades are a big deal. Most of the people on the hiring committee cared more about gpa and class rank than the school ranking. At least once you are in the top 35 or so schools. Debt sucks. If you have a state school option, or a lower ranked school offering nice scholarship money, think long and hard about it. ECs and/or work matter. Law review, moot court, or working for firms, even part time during the year, will make you a better candidate after graduation.
Also, follow your gut. If 20 people respond to your post, you are apt to get 20 different takes on what is the best route. This is one guy’s opinion, and I’m no expert. And don’t give up if you don’t get in a top 10 school. I’ve worked with and against truly great lawyers who went to schools outside of the top 20, and a few outside of the top 50. Good lawyers come in all forms.
You will eventually need to take the LSAT and it is as important for getting into law school as the SAT and ACT are for getting into college. If you search “LSAT scores by major” or words to that effect you will get a lot of information. If you are set on law school I would pick a major that you like and can do well in that is also one of the higher scoring majors on the LSAT. There are smart people in every major, but some majors prepare you to think and write in ways that are measured by the LSAT.
Also, you can do well coming out of many law schools. I graduated in 1994 from a law school that perpetually hovers around the 50th percentile. Definitely not a high speed powerhouse. My friends and I have all done well, but one of my former roommates has been making over $1 million a year as a partner in a NYC firm for over 10 years now. A good school opens doors no doubt, but success still depends on you.
I am going to head to Law School, as are a lot of people I went to Uni with. I decided to major in Political Science, but I know someone else who majored in International Relations.
My advice to you would be keep your options open. That is what I am doing. You can still go to Law School, but it does not have to be right away. I am trying to go back to school for more education, which you can certainly do too.
I think the most important thing about being a lawyer is liking reading law. Law is not like anything else you have read. It is dense, dense material that builds upon itself - precedents. “Legalese” is very much a thing, and it can be difficult to grasp.
I majored in poli sci and minored in history. My H majored in psych and minored in photography. I know people who became lawyers with some of these majors: Drama, engineering, classical languages, international relations, English, history, math, philosophy, film, chemistry and biology. You can pretty much major in anything and become a lawyer.
I also majored in PoliSci and minored in history (also minored in sociology). You can also major in anything and become a doctor. The first step down that road is Hippocrates.