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Neydali
Student
Hillside, Illinois
1
Question
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What are the most valuable skills I should develop to succeed in my legal career as a 12th grader about to major in criminal justice?
What specific extracurricular activities should I pursue?
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2 answers
DENNIS BREEN
Lawyer
160
Answers
Cary, North Carolina
Updated
DENNIS’s Answer
Hi Neydali:
A tough outer skin! Criminal justice is a tough field. You will hear and see things that are pretty terrible. You need to brace yourself yourself for these things.
As a 12th grader just keep going forward. Graduate and enjoy your last year in high school. Get in to as good a college you and your folks can afford and get good grades and enjoy your education. Law school may change you. You may decide you like Corporate Law or Tax Law more and take that route.
As to extracirricular activities I'd suggest if you are not into sports get into the debate club or chess club (if your school has either) because both will helpyou with critical thinking. Good luck.
A tough outer skin! Criminal justice is a tough field. You will hear and see things that are pretty terrible. You need to brace yourself yourself for these things.
As a 12th grader just keep going forward. Graduate and enjoy your last year in high school. Get in to as good a college you and your folks can afford and get good grades and enjoy your education. Law school may change you. You may decide you like Corporate Law or Tax Law more and take that route.
As to extracirricular activities I'd suggest if you are not into sports get into the debate club or chess club (if your school has either) because both will helpyou with critical thinking. Good luck.
Michelle M.
Actress
2472
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Neydali !
I'm not a lawyer, but I would like to share some advice about preparing yourself for a career as a Lawyer.
The first thing that I would advise is that the majors that would best prepare you for Law School would not be Criminal Justice, rather Political Science, Government or if your college offers it Pre-Law. Criminal Justice is acceptable to get into Law School but not the right path. It's best to get a foundation for your legal career in legal processes and practices, not a degree in one population. You will be able to choose your specialty of Criminal Law in your second year of Law School and your Bachelors Degree should support learning about systems, laws and policies of government. With a major in Criminal Justice, you will only learn about one group of processes and it may be law enforcement focused where Attorneys are more representation focused.
The Criminal Justice Major is often times focused on things attorneys don't do - criminal investigations, corrections and law enforcement criminal procedures.
Regardless of what you major in (any major is accepted for entrance to Law School), there are skills that you can sharpen once you enter college since you're in the 12th grade now and the school year is almost over. While in college take as many Public Speaking courses that you can. Lawyers mostly read, write and speak in addition to doing heavy presentations, so public speaking courses will be very beneficial and also a great foundation skill for Law School. You can also see about doing volunteer work this summer at your local city or town hall or at an attorney's office. I would also advise attending your local courts while they are in session to observe the role of the attorneys and the structure of court cases and processes. You would go to the Maywood Courthouse which serves your area so you can observe cases.
Go to You Tube and watch people talk about Law School and others talk about what it's like to be an Attorney. This field of work lends itself to lots of observation so you will have insight once you get to Law School. Two good books to read this summer would be "Letters to a Law Student: A Guide to Studying Law at University by Nicholas J. McBride . The other book is "The Law Career Playbook: The Guerrilla Guide to Getting a Legal Job You Actually Like" by Rachel Tessa Gezerseh. Lots of useful information about your career interest in these books.
I hope this helps and are some things to think about and I wish you the best in all you do !
I'm not a lawyer, but I would like to share some advice about preparing yourself for a career as a Lawyer.
The first thing that I would advise is that the majors that would best prepare you for Law School would not be Criminal Justice, rather Political Science, Government or if your college offers it Pre-Law. Criminal Justice is acceptable to get into Law School but not the right path. It's best to get a foundation for your legal career in legal processes and practices, not a degree in one population. You will be able to choose your specialty of Criminal Law in your second year of Law School and your Bachelors Degree should support learning about systems, laws and policies of government. With a major in Criminal Justice, you will only learn about one group of processes and it may be law enforcement focused where Attorneys are more representation focused.
The Criminal Justice Major is often times focused on things attorneys don't do - criminal investigations, corrections and law enforcement criminal procedures.
Regardless of what you major in (any major is accepted for entrance to Law School), there are skills that you can sharpen once you enter college since you're in the 12th grade now and the school year is almost over. While in college take as many Public Speaking courses that you can. Lawyers mostly read, write and speak in addition to doing heavy presentations, so public speaking courses will be very beneficial and also a great foundation skill for Law School. You can also see about doing volunteer work this summer at your local city or town hall or at an attorney's office. I would also advise attending your local courts while they are in session to observe the role of the attorneys and the structure of court cases and processes. You would go to the Maywood Courthouse which serves your area so you can observe cases.
Go to You Tube and watch people talk about Law School and others talk about what it's like to be an Attorney. This field of work lends itself to lots of observation so you will have insight once you get to Law School. Two good books to read this summer would be "Letters to a Law Student: A Guide to Studying Law at University by Nicholas J. McBride . The other book is "The Law Career Playbook: The Guerrilla Guide to Getting a Legal Job You Actually Like" by Rachel Tessa Gezerseh. Lots of useful information about your career interest in these books.
I hope this helps and are some things to think about and I wish you the best in all you do !