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How important are majors when preparing to apply for law school?
I heard that LSATS and grades are what law schools care about and want to know how true that is.
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15 answers
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Raquel’s Answer
Hi Rin! The amazing thing about law-school is that law schools accepts a variety of applicants from different academic backgrounds. I think the most important thing is that whatever the major you chose, you do well in your course of study. I would also suggest you select a major that could be potentially the field of law you would like to specialize in and you can work in an earn income should you desire to wait to enter law school.
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Michele’s Answer
Your major isn't that important. You should choose classes where you write, analyze, and put together information.
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Lara’s Answer
Hi Rin,
I think that picking a major that you're interested in and is the most important decision when looking ahead to law school. I majored in Business and took the LSAT to go to law school so it doesn't necessarily have to be a traditional "pre-law" major. Just keep your grades up and make sure to stay involved in the community. Law schools love seeing a story so create a story that fits your interests and passions!
I think that picking a major that you're interested in and is the most important decision when looking ahead to law school. I majored in Business and took the LSAT to go to law school so it doesn't necessarily have to be a traditional "pre-law" major. Just keep your grades up and make sure to stay involved in the community. Law schools love seeing a story so create a story that fits your interests and passions!
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Edward’s Answer
Philosophy is a great foundation for studying law. Many philosophy classes focus on law, logic, and ethics, which involve a lot of writing. Choosing a major that improves your writing skills can be very helpful, as law school involves a lot of writing. It's a good idea to start getting comfortable with it as early as possible.
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Christopher’s Answer
When applying to law school, what you study in college is not as important as how well you do in your classes and your LSAT score. These are the main things schools look at. Law schools welcome students from many different fields, like English, Political Science, Engineering, Business, and even the arts and sciences. The best choice is to pick a major you love and can do well in, which will boost your grades and help your application.
Choose a major that interests you and helps you think critically, write clearly, and analyze information. These skills are very useful in law school. Taking classes that improve your reading, writing, and research skills is also a smart move. Besides your studies, getting involved in activities like debate, student government, or internships can build your leadership, communication, and analytical skills, making your application even stronger.
Choose a major that interests you and helps you think critically, write clearly, and analyze information. These skills are very useful in law school. Taking classes that improve your reading, writing, and research skills is also a smart move. Besides your studies, getting involved in activities like debate, student government, or internships can build your leadership, communication, and analytical skills, making your application even stronger.
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Amber’s Answer
Hi Rin, former law student here!
As many have pointed out, your major doesn't necessarily play a significant role in being considered for a place in law school, but having a background in specific areas of study can make law school a little easier during your first year. Popular majors for law students include political science and history, but they are by no means necessary for you to succeed (I majored in art and still got into law school).
If you are considering law school in the future, I wouldn't worry about what to major in for your undergrad. What I will suggest though is to make sure you maintain a high GPA and try to do well in your required general education classes, particularly classes in communication, writing, and humanities. While law schools do focus on LSAT a lot, they also look at your GPA, your resume, and your involvement in extracurricular activities. If your LSAT scores aren't as high as you would have liked, a strong GPA and resume might just help tip the balance and land you a spot at your desired law school.
As many have pointed out, your major doesn't necessarily play a significant role in being considered for a place in law school, but having a background in specific areas of study can make law school a little easier during your first year. Popular majors for law students include political science and history, but they are by no means necessary for you to succeed (I majored in art and still got into law school).
If you are considering law school in the future, I wouldn't worry about what to major in for your undergrad. What I will suggest though is to make sure you maintain a high GPA and try to do well in your required general education classes, particularly classes in communication, writing, and humanities. While law schools do focus on LSAT a lot, they also look at your GPA, your resume, and your involvement in extracurricular activities. If your LSAT scores aren't as high as you would have liked, a strong GPA and resume might just help tip the balance and land you a spot at your desired law school.
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Karin’s Answer
Hi Rin,
You can enter law school from any undergraduate major, but keep in mind what skills you will need as a lawyer and what is tested in the LSAT. You'll read and write a lot as a lawyer. Communication skills, oral and written are important. Logical reasoning skills will be important. Political science or communication would give you a strong foundation. Joining clus like pre-law or debatd teams will also develop your skills.
Law enforcement, criminal justice or forensics would give you a strong background on that side of the system. Psychology is another idea.
Depending on the field of law you want to go into, a science degree could be very good. If you want to be an environmental lawyer, environmental science, chemistry or toxicology would give you the background to understand the issues. If you want to go into personal injury or medical malpractice, a degree in something mediciny would be helpful.
Your GPA and your LSAT score will be most important, but I would aim for an undergrad degree that supports your career aspirations and makes for a coherent story.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
You can enter law school from any undergraduate major, but keep in mind what skills you will need as a lawyer and what is tested in the LSAT. You'll read and write a lot as a lawyer. Communication skills, oral and written are important. Logical reasoning skills will be important. Political science or communication would give you a strong foundation. Joining clus like pre-law or debatd teams will also develop your skills.
Law enforcement, criminal justice or forensics would give you a strong background on that side of the system. Psychology is another idea.
Depending on the field of law you want to go into, a science degree could be very good. If you want to be an environmental lawyer, environmental science, chemistry or toxicology would give you the background to understand the issues. If you want to go into personal injury or medical malpractice, a degree in something mediciny would be helpful.
Your GPA and your LSAT score will be most important, but I would aim for an undergrad degree that supports your career aspirations and makes for a coherent story.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
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Joseph A.’s Answer
Hi Rin – These answers are all great. I would argue that your undergraduate major is of least importance when it comes to law school admissions. I had classmates from a wide range of backgrounds—pre-law, English, political science, finance, accounting, and everything in between, including someone who studied piano as an undergraduate. While your major might give you a slight edge in certain law school classes if you choose wisely, it’s not a significant factor overall. For example, I studied finance and accounting, which helped me in business law and tax classes.
The most important contribution your undergraduate major makes is in shaping your internships and job opportunities, especially in certain legal fields. For instance, patent attorneys need to have STEM degrees for firms to even consider them.
I was able to leverage my finance and accounting background to join Deloitte in a tax consulting role. Your undergraduate studies provide the educational foundation for more specialized legal roles—by “specialized,” I mean roles outside of the traditional paths like trial attorneys or civil litigators. Additionally, your undergraduate major will help you secure internships and experiences that will be valuable on your resume when applying for jobs. For example, I interned with the Department of Defense in Arlington in their Comptroller’s office, where I gained audit and accounting experience. This gave me an advantage when applying for positions that required both legal and accounting skills.
So, I recommend choosing a major that (1) you genuinely enjoy and (2) helps you develop additional skills, rather than simply trying to prepare for law school through a pre-law track. The goal of your undergraduate major should not be just to get into law school, but to differentiate yourself from your peers once you’re there.
The most important contribution your undergraduate major makes is in shaping your internships and job opportunities, especially in certain legal fields. For instance, patent attorneys need to have STEM degrees for firms to even consider them.
I was able to leverage my finance and accounting background to join Deloitte in a tax consulting role. Your undergraduate studies provide the educational foundation for more specialized legal roles—by “specialized,” I mean roles outside of the traditional paths like trial attorneys or civil litigators. Additionally, your undergraduate major will help you secure internships and experiences that will be valuable on your resume when applying for jobs. For example, I interned with the Department of Defense in Arlington in their Comptroller’s office, where I gained audit and accounting experience. This gave me an advantage when applying for positions that required both legal and accounting skills.
So, I recommend choosing a major that (1) you genuinely enjoy and (2) helps you develop additional skills, rather than simply trying to prepare for law school through a pre-law track. The goal of your undergraduate major should not be just to get into law school, but to differentiate yourself from your peers once you’re there.
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Emad’s Answer
Hi Rin,
When law schools review applications, your undergraduate major matters far less than your GPA, LSAT score, and overall academic rigor. Only if two applicants are otherwise identical might a school give a small edge to the student whose major appears more demanding (for example, engineering over communications).
If your main goal is to prepare for law school, choose a major that builds strong reading- and writing-based analytical skills. English and other literature-heavy programs generally do this better than many business-oriented majors.
I do not recommend political science if your only rationale is that it introduces some legal concepts. The job market for political-science majors is relatively narrow, and plans can change; you may decide not to attend law school after all. English (or another writing-intensive major) at least offers broadly marketable communication skills, even if employer demand is still modest.
Anecdotally, my strongest classmates in law school came from two camps:
• STEM fields (e.g., engineering), which cultivate discipline and comfort with complex problem-solving; and
• Reading- and writing-heavy fields (e.g., English), which refine the analytical and communication skills used daily in legal practice.
Ultimately, pick a major that you enjoy and will excel in—but weigh how it will sharpen your reading, writing, and critical-thinking abilities and how it positions you should your career path shift.
Best of luck with your decision!
When law schools review applications, your undergraduate major matters far less than your GPA, LSAT score, and overall academic rigor. Only if two applicants are otherwise identical might a school give a small edge to the student whose major appears more demanding (for example, engineering over communications).
If your main goal is to prepare for law school, choose a major that builds strong reading- and writing-based analytical skills. English and other literature-heavy programs generally do this better than many business-oriented majors.
I do not recommend political science if your only rationale is that it introduces some legal concepts. The job market for political-science majors is relatively narrow, and plans can change; you may decide not to attend law school after all. English (or another writing-intensive major) at least offers broadly marketable communication skills, even if employer demand is still modest.
Anecdotally, my strongest classmates in law school came from two camps:
• STEM fields (e.g., engineering), which cultivate discipline and comfort with complex problem-solving; and
• Reading- and writing-heavy fields (e.g., English), which refine the analytical and communication skills used daily in legal practice.
Ultimately, pick a major that you enjoy and will excel in—but weigh how it will sharpen your reading, writing, and critical-thinking abilities and how it positions you should your career path shift.
Best of luck with your decision!
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Grace’s Answer
You're totally right that law schools really focus on GPA and LSAT scores—those are the biggest factors when it comes to admissions. But when you're thinking about your major, it’s also worth considering what you might want to do after law school.
Law touches almost every industry—tech, healthcare, business, government, entertainment—so having a background in a particular area can actually be really useful down the line. For example, if you're into tech or science, a STEM major can be a great foundation for things like intellectual property, cybersecurity, or AI-related work. It helps build strong analytical skills and can make you stand out to employers who are looking for people who can understand complex or technical topics. That can lead to some great opportunities, even as a law student—like internships in specialized practice areas.
That said, there’s no one “right” major for law school. Plenty of people do well coming from humanities, social sciences, business, and beyond. The most important thing is picking something you enjoy and can succeed in—because at the end of the day, strong grades matter. But if you already have a sense of the kind of law you want to practice, your major can definitely help set you up for that path.
Law touches almost every industry—tech, healthcare, business, government, entertainment—so having a background in a particular area can actually be really useful down the line. For example, if you're into tech or science, a STEM major can be a great foundation for things like intellectual property, cybersecurity, or AI-related work. It helps build strong analytical skills and can make you stand out to employers who are looking for people who can understand complex or technical topics. That can lead to some great opportunities, even as a law student—like internships in specialized practice areas.
That said, there’s no one “right” major for law school. Plenty of people do well coming from humanities, social sciences, business, and beyond. The most important thing is picking something you enjoy and can succeed in—because at the end of the day, strong grades matter. But if you already have a sense of the kind of law you want to practice, your major can definitely help set you up for that path.
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Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Rin !
The Major that you choose before entering Law School will be important to you personally and professionally. To get your Bachelors Degree in something like Political Science or Government would provide you with a solid knowledge foundation and familiarity with what you'd need to know in Law School. Law Schools take students with any major, but they like to see that whatever you majored in developed strong habits of reading, writing, problem-solving, research, and oral communication. Political Science is the more usual major students choose for their Bachelors Degree. So your undergrad major is kind of important in a certain way, mostly for your own personal progress.
Your GPA and your score on the LSAT definitely are in the forefront and one of the first several things considered by Law Schools. On the LSAT, students are tested on Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Analytical Reasoning. The Political Science or Government Major for the Bachelors Degree would nicely prepare you for this entrance exam. You can also take some Logic and Reasoning courses as electives or general ed courses from the Philosophy Department at your university if you wanted. This way, by the time you take the LSAT, you will have experience and the questions may come easy for you.
Keep in mind that acceptance to any post graduate school also depends on their acceptance rate, how much room they have in a particular year and how many students they can accept. So even with a stellar application, if there's not enough slots, the applicant may have to wait till there's room, but this doesn't happen too often. It's a good idea to submit law school applications soon at the start date and have the application complete, no blanks and no missing documents. That will help you be in the forefront for consideration.
The top tier Law Schools in your state of California expect applicants to have a Bachelors Degree GPA in the range of 3.46 to 3.95, but other Law Schools in your state may set the requirement lower. You will need to read the GPA requirements for various Law Schools you intend to apply to.
Keep in mind that what you have asked cannot be generalized because all Law Schools are different with different requirements. Just strive for high grades for your Bachelors Degree and try not to worry too much about it. I'm sure you will do fine.
I wish you all the best !
The Major that you choose before entering Law School will be important to you personally and professionally. To get your Bachelors Degree in something like Political Science or Government would provide you with a solid knowledge foundation and familiarity with what you'd need to know in Law School. Law Schools take students with any major, but they like to see that whatever you majored in developed strong habits of reading, writing, problem-solving, research, and oral communication. Political Science is the more usual major students choose for their Bachelors Degree. So your undergrad major is kind of important in a certain way, mostly for your own personal progress.
Your GPA and your score on the LSAT definitely are in the forefront and one of the first several things considered by Law Schools. On the LSAT, students are tested on Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Analytical Reasoning. The Political Science or Government Major for the Bachelors Degree would nicely prepare you for this entrance exam. You can also take some Logic and Reasoning courses as electives or general ed courses from the Philosophy Department at your university if you wanted. This way, by the time you take the LSAT, you will have experience and the questions may come easy for you.
Keep in mind that acceptance to any post graduate school also depends on their acceptance rate, how much room they have in a particular year and how many students they can accept. So even with a stellar application, if there's not enough slots, the applicant may have to wait till there's room, but this doesn't happen too often. It's a good idea to submit law school applications soon at the start date and have the application complete, no blanks and no missing documents. That will help you be in the forefront for consideration.
The top tier Law Schools in your state of California expect applicants to have a Bachelors Degree GPA in the range of 3.46 to 3.95, but other Law Schools in your state may set the requirement lower. You will need to read the GPA requirements for various Law Schools you intend to apply to.
Keep in mind that what you have asked cannot be generalized because all Law Schools are different with different requirements. Just strive for high grades for your Bachelors Degree and try not to worry too much about it. I'm sure you will do fine.
I wish you all the best !
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Christopher’s Answer
Hi Rin,
I have two kids in college, so I've picked up some knowledge about this. Your undergraduate major doesn't play a huge role in getting into law school, but it isn't completely unimportant either. Law schools mainly look at your LSAT score and GPA, but your major can help if you're tied with another applicant. Here are some things to think about:
- Your LSAT score and GPA are the key factors.
- There's no perfect major for law school. Pick something you enjoy and can do well in. Business and Finance are good options to consider.
- Law schools don't require specific majors or courses.
- If applicants have similar LSAT scores and GPAs, a major that shows analytical or critical thinking might help.
- STEM majors might get a slight boost in GPA consideration.
- Majors that focus on research, writing, and argumentation can be helpful.
- While some think law-related majors like criminal justice are beneficial, law schools actually appreciate a variety of backgrounds.
Hope this helps!
I have two kids in college, so I've picked up some knowledge about this. Your undergraduate major doesn't play a huge role in getting into law school, but it isn't completely unimportant either. Law schools mainly look at your LSAT score and GPA, but your major can help if you're tied with another applicant. Here are some things to think about:
- Your LSAT score and GPA are the key factors.
- There's no perfect major for law school. Pick something you enjoy and can do well in. Business and Finance are good options to consider.
- Law schools don't require specific majors or courses.
- If applicants have similar LSAT scores and GPAs, a major that shows analytical or critical thinking might help.
- STEM majors might get a slight boost in GPA consideration.
- Majors that focus on research, writing, and argumentation can be helpful.
- While some think law-related majors like criminal justice are beneficial, law schools actually appreciate a variety of backgrounds.
Hope this helps!
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Kim’s Answer
Your major in undergrad is not a factor for law school. Remember, undergrad is for you to get exposure in a variety of areas, and post grad is for you to specialize.
I teach at a law school and have noticed a growing number of students with a science, math, and humanities background. Law schools are also doing more joint programs with business schools, and there is an increase of STEM in law programs.
I teach at a law school and have noticed a growing number of students with a science, math, and humanities background. Law schools are also doing more joint programs with business schools, and there is an increase of STEM in law programs.
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Anthony’s Answer
Hi Rin,
The answers you've received are all great. I would keep in mind that your experiences can help you succeed while in Law school. For example, I knew I wanted to go to law school after college, so when it came time to pick a college major, I chose English because I knew the critical reading and writing skills I would learn (and hone) would help me once I advanced to a school (and a field) that is based around these skills. Always set yourself up for success when possible. Best of luck!
The answers you've received are all great. I would keep in mind that your experiences can help you succeed while in Law school. For example, I knew I wanted to go to law school after college, so when it came time to pick a college major, I chose English because I knew the critical reading and writing skills I would learn (and hone) would help me once I advanced to a school (and a field) that is based around these skills. Always set yourself up for success when possible. Best of luck!
Updated
Tanaka’s Answer
Hello Rin,
-It is indeed very true that LSATS and grades are what law schools care about because your performance on the LSATS is considered as a significant and essential factor during the law school admissions
-So your LSATS score and GPA should be good, which means you should have a strong academic record in order to be enrolled in law school.
-It is indeed very true that LSATS and grades are what law schools care about because your performance on the LSATS is considered as a significant and essential factor during the law school admissions
-So your LSATS score and GPA should be good, which means you should have a strong academic record in order to be enrolled in law school.