7 answers
sarah
Student
McKinney, Texas
2
Questions
Asked
1910 views
What is my best path into law school?
I met with a pre law advisor today, and it’s made me rethink everything. To start, he let me know that political science won’t prepare me for the lsat or law school so I should ideally major in something I enjoy or can fall back on. I’m interested in corporate law so I’m thinking something business/ finance related, but what are some good majors that aren’t necessarily just “business” or “finance”? He did say that a legal studies minor is what will actually prepare me for the lsat and law school, so I’m gearing towards that. I was also interested in philosophy because I’ve heard they tend to do better on the lsat , but he let me know that’s actually often not too true/significant. To add, I’m also interested in psychology / sociology and think they would be a good compliment for my law career. I guess what I’m asking is: what all of this is true and where should I pivot regarding majors and minors? (I’m open to doubling in either as well)
Secondly, I’m a first year but I came in with high school credits classifying me as a sophomore, so with my current full time load I’m on track to graduate in the next 3 years. My resume needs a lot of work and filling up, and I’m not sure I’m gonna have enough time to properly study for the lsat, get internships, and join/lead organizations while still having to work. Should I lighten my course load and graduate in the typical 4 years to pad my resume, or continue on my full time course path?
Thirdly, I’ve been cold emailing firms and trying to secure an internship for this summer but I’ve had no luck this far. Any tips or methods for internships?
He also gave me an insight to what law school will actually be like regarding the course load, exams, and the frequent grillings I’ll get . I mean I knew law school was gonna be hard, but I wasn’t expecting 3 years of pure hell. The meeting really brought me back to reality and made me question if I’m cut out for law school and everything I thought I knew about how to get there. I would really just like to know if a political science degree is worth it and will be beneficial to me and any advice on my path into law school.
Login to comment
7 answers
Vianne Phan
Youth Development Teacher
316
Answers
San Diego, California
Updated
Vianne’s Answer
Your advisor is mostly right, but not in a “panic and rethink everything” way. Law schools truly do not care what you major in as long as your GPA is strong and you can think, read, and write at a high level. Political science is not useless, but it is not special either. For someone interested in corporate law, majors like economics, accounting, supply chain management, information systems, data analytics, or even communications with a business concentration can be great options that give you real backup careers and still build the skills law school cares about. Psychology and sociology are also totally valid complements because law is about people, systems, and behavior. A legal studies minor is helpful, but it is not required for LSAT success. The LSAT is logic and reading heavy, and people succeed from all majors. Philosophy helps some people, but it is not magic. Pick a major you can do well in and enjoy enough to protect your GPA. That matters more than the label.
About graduating early versus staying four years, I would slow down. Graduating in three years sounds impressive, but it often hurts students who need time to build experience, study for the LSAT, and actually live a little. Law schools do not reward rushing. They reward strong GPAs, leadership, work experience, and a polished application. If you are already worried about working, internships, LSAT prep, and resume gaps, that is your sign to consider a lighter course load and a four year plan. Many strong law school applicants take a gap year anyway, so there is no prize for speed here. Give yourself time to lead an organization, get meaningful internships, and study for the LSAT without burning out.
As for internships, cold emailing firms is not wrong, but it is a difficult path. Many firms do not hire undergrads, especially first and second years. You will have better luck with legal assistant roles, compliance internships, corporate offices, banks, insurance companies, or government agencies. Use LinkedIn and Indeed aggressively. Search alumni from your school who work in law or corporate settings and ask for informational interviews, not jobs. Career centers, professors, and alumni referrals matter way more than random emails. And about law school being hard, yes it is intense, but it is survivable and thousands of normal people do it every year. Feeling intimidated does not mean you are not cut out for it. It just means you finally got an honest picture. If you are willing to work, ask for help, and give yourself time, you are absolutely still on a solid path.
About graduating early versus staying four years, I would slow down. Graduating in three years sounds impressive, but it often hurts students who need time to build experience, study for the LSAT, and actually live a little. Law schools do not reward rushing. They reward strong GPAs, leadership, work experience, and a polished application. If you are already worried about working, internships, LSAT prep, and resume gaps, that is your sign to consider a lighter course load and a four year plan. Many strong law school applicants take a gap year anyway, so there is no prize for speed here. Give yourself time to lead an organization, get meaningful internships, and study for the LSAT without burning out.
As for internships, cold emailing firms is not wrong, but it is a difficult path. Many firms do not hire undergrads, especially first and second years. You will have better luck with legal assistant roles, compliance internships, corporate offices, banks, insurance companies, or government agencies. Use LinkedIn and Indeed aggressively. Search alumni from your school who work in law or corporate settings and ask for informational interviews, not jobs. Career centers, professors, and alumni referrals matter way more than random emails. And about law school being hard, yes it is intense, but it is survivable and thousands of normal people do it every year. Feeling intimidated does not mean you are not cut out for it. It just means you finally got an honest picture. If you are willing to work, ask for help, and give yourself time, you are absolutely still on a solid path.
Kim Igleheart
Career Counselor | Police Officer
1862
Answers
San Antonio, Texas
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Sarah,
Whoa! Take a deep breath. Let it out. Repeat.
First, there's no reason to rush into adulthood. It's over-rated. :-) You will be one for a very long time. Enjoy your youth. Go to undergrad for 4 years.
Secondly, you are very fortunate to have an advisor who is a realist. Yes, major in anything. Yes, major in something you can fall back on if for some reason you do not go to and finish law school. Life happens. Parents get ill, for example.
The minor in legal studies isn't a bad idea. But, if it was me, I'd sneak a peek at the LSAT now. The Logic Games are tough. There are special study courses to prepare for that - as, there's no time during the test for trial and error.
Yes. Law School is a *****. I had an undergrad Constitutional Law class where the professor apparently envisioned he was teaching law school. I spent most of that semester in the library, briefing cases. It was insane! But, I learned a lot!
Have you considered becoming a paralegal? They can earn a decent living, and they do most of the work anyway. :-)
Check out the Graduate Level Legal Studies program at Texas State University. It is an ABA approved program. Not all paralegal programs are.
I would encourage you to consider making wise choices for your electives. The Philosophy Class on Logic is worth taking. Develop and maintain excellent skills on the computer. You have to know technology. Take speech, debate, moot court. Learn English grammar.
You honestly don't have to make all your choices right now. Just do something that lets you keep your options open. So yes, a business related major with a minor in Legal Studies will do that. If Political Science is not your thing, it's time for a change.
From one Texan to another, good luck!
Kim
Whoa! Take a deep breath. Let it out. Repeat.
First, there's no reason to rush into adulthood. It's over-rated. :-) You will be one for a very long time. Enjoy your youth. Go to undergrad for 4 years.
Secondly, you are very fortunate to have an advisor who is a realist. Yes, major in anything. Yes, major in something you can fall back on if for some reason you do not go to and finish law school. Life happens. Parents get ill, for example.
The minor in legal studies isn't a bad idea. But, if it was me, I'd sneak a peek at the LSAT now. The Logic Games are tough. There are special study courses to prepare for that - as, there's no time during the test for trial and error.
Yes. Law School is a *****. I had an undergrad Constitutional Law class where the professor apparently envisioned he was teaching law school. I spent most of that semester in the library, briefing cases. It was insane! But, I learned a lot!
Have you considered becoming a paralegal? They can earn a decent living, and they do most of the work anyway. :-)
Check out the Graduate Level Legal Studies program at Texas State University. It is an ABA approved program. Not all paralegal programs are.
I would encourage you to consider making wise choices for your electives. The Philosophy Class on Logic is worth taking. Develop and maintain excellent skills on the computer. You have to know technology. Take speech, debate, moot court. Learn English grammar.
You honestly don't have to make all your choices right now. Just do something that lets you keep your options open. So yes, a business related major with a minor in Legal Studies will do that. If Political Science is not your thing, it's time for a change.
From one Texan to another, good luck!
Kim
Amber Lee
Tax Associate
92
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Amber’s Answer
Hey Sarah,
I majored in art as an undergrad and I went through law school not too long ago, so I can definitely sympathize with you. Your pre-law advisor gave you a big info dump and I understand it can be stress-inducing at this stage of your life. While your advisor is generally right, I wouldn't consider their words to be the golden truth. I would venture to say the folks in this thread probably have a more realistic view of what law school would be like.
Like everyone else here, I would encourage you major in something you enjoy that would also serve as a backup in case law school doesn't pan out. Majoring in something just because you think it would help you score better on the LSAT seems a bit myopic, because the LSAT is ultimately just an admission test--there's no secret sauce to doing well on it other than taking some undergrad classes that can help develop your analytical and writing skills, which you can get from your gen ed classes anyway. You could also invest in a short course that teaches you how to take the test, but it's by no means necessary (good news is Logic Games is no longer tested as of late 2024, so that's one less thing to worry about).
As for minoring in legal studies to help with LSAT, I don't necessarily agree with that approach--I had classmates who majored in legal studies and it didn't seem like they did any better than the rest of us. So unless legal studies is already something you're already interested in, doing something else that benefit you in a long run (e.g., participate in extracurricular activities, attend networking events, volunteer, etc.) is probably a better use of your time.
I also think there's no pressure to fill up your resume prior to law school, unless you're shooting for an Ivy League. Are internships helpful in general? Absolutely! Even if you don't end up going to law school, it's still a good idea to have a couple internships on your resume by the time you graduate. I would also stress that it's probably not so important that your internships are law-related. The important thing is what you get out of your internships and how well your experience and skills translate in a legal setting. I only had one internship in undergrad and it was a museum role, but as part of my law school application, I was able to write about how that experience sparked an interest in the legal field for me.
As for the actual law school experience, it's only pure hell if you let it be (i.e., if you don't prepare for class by doing the assigned readings, or if you don't develop healthy study habits). Was it difficult for me? Yes, the first year was insanely hard, but only because English is not my first language and I also came in with 0 prior legal background (I couldn't even tell you the difference between a plaintiff and a defendant during the first week!), but I still finished in the top third of my class at a respected law school in the region. By the time I got to my second and third year, the playing field was leveled and law school became hard for a different reason--I took on extracurricular activities and started applying for summer internships, which required a lot of time commitment.
Your advisor may have given you some solid advice, but I would take the rest with a grain of salt. There is no reason to feel discouraged now since you've only just started college, and you have all the time in the world to figure things out. The beauty of the law school path is that there's no one correct way to do it. You're going to get to law school one day and look around at your peers and feel a sense of wonder at how everyone seem to have gotten there through different journeys.
All the best.
I majored in art as an undergrad and I went through law school not too long ago, so I can definitely sympathize with you. Your pre-law advisor gave you a big info dump and I understand it can be stress-inducing at this stage of your life. While your advisor is generally right, I wouldn't consider their words to be the golden truth. I would venture to say the folks in this thread probably have a more realistic view of what law school would be like.
Like everyone else here, I would encourage you major in something you enjoy that would also serve as a backup in case law school doesn't pan out. Majoring in something just because you think it would help you score better on the LSAT seems a bit myopic, because the LSAT is ultimately just an admission test--there's no secret sauce to doing well on it other than taking some undergrad classes that can help develop your analytical and writing skills, which you can get from your gen ed classes anyway. You could also invest in a short course that teaches you how to take the test, but it's by no means necessary (good news is Logic Games is no longer tested as of late 2024, so that's one less thing to worry about).
As for minoring in legal studies to help with LSAT, I don't necessarily agree with that approach--I had classmates who majored in legal studies and it didn't seem like they did any better than the rest of us. So unless legal studies is already something you're already interested in, doing something else that benefit you in a long run (e.g., participate in extracurricular activities, attend networking events, volunteer, etc.) is probably a better use of your time.
I also think there's no pressure to fill up your resume prior to law school, unless you're shooting for an Ivy League. Are internships helpful in general? Absolutely! Even if you don't end up going to law school, it's still a good idea to have a couple internships on your resume by the time you graduate. I would also stress that it's probably not so important that your internships are law-related. The important thing is what you get out of your internships and how well your experience and skills translate in a legal setting. I only had one internship in undergrad and it was a museum role, but as part of my law school application, I was able to write about how that experience sparked an interest in the legal field for me.
As for the actual law school experience, it's only pure hell if you let it be (i.e., if you don't prepare for class by doing the assigned readings, or if you don't develop healthy study habits). Was it difficult for me? Yes, the first year was insanely hard, but only because English is not my first language and I also came in with 0 prior legal background (I couldn't even tell you the difference between a plaintiff and a defendant during the first week!), but I still finished in the top third of my class at a respected law school in the region. By the time I got to my second and third year, the playing field was leveled and law school became hard for a different reason--I took on extracurricular activities and started applying for summer internships, which required a lot of time commitment.
Your advisor may have given you some solid advice, but I would take the rest with a grain of salt. There is no reason to feel discouraged now since you've only just started college, and you have all the time in the world to figure things out. The beauty of the law school path is that there's no one correct way to do it. You're going to get to law school one day and look around at your peers and feel a sense of wonder at how everyone seem to have gotten there through different journeys.
All the best.
Martha D. Kramer
Corporate Training and Communications
97
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Martha D.’s Answer
Hi, Sarah - you have asked some excellent questions. Let's discuss one-by-one:
1) Maybe the advisor was having a bad day, but his advice seems very harsh. Why tell you that law school will be pure hell? Also, everything I have seen or heard has said that you can major in whatever you want for pre-law. You just want to get a lot of practice with critical thinking (philosophy would be good for that) and writing. So pick what you want.
2) Political science and history come up a lot because of the reading and writing skills associated with them as well as the knowledge they give about how our legal system has developed.
3) Can't the career center on campus help you with law firm or corporate law internships or at least help you network with alumni in the law?
4) What about graduating in 3 years as planned and then take a gap year before law school? This would give you more time to prepare for the LSAT, get experience in the law, and submit applications. Plus it would give your brain a rest after 16 years of school.
Wishing you good luck!
Harvard Summer School - https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/how-to-choose-the-best-college-major-for-law-school/Skills-Needed-to-Excel-in-Law-School-and-as-a-Lawyer
American Bar Association - https://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/resources/law-students/pre-law/
1) Maybe the advisor was having a bad day, but his advice seems very harsh. Why tell you that law school will be pure hell? Also, everything I have seen or heard has said that you can major in whatever you want for pre-law. You just want to get a lot of practice with critical thinking (philosophy would be good for that) and writing. So pick what you want.
2) Political science and history come up a lot because of the reading and writing skills associated with them as well as the knowledge they give about how our legal system has developed.
3) Can't the career center on campus help you with law firm or corporate law internships or at least help you network with alumni in the law?
4) What about graduating in 3 years as planned and then take a gap year before law school? This would give you more time to prepare for the LSAT, get experience in the law, and submit applications. Plus it would give your brain a rest after 16 years of school.
Wishing you good luck!
Martha D. recommends the following next steps:
Ilan Marouani, Esq., LL.M.
Tax Attorney
21
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Ilan’s Answer
Hi there!
Your pre-law advisor is right on some things but wrong on others.
I do agree that you should have a fall back major, something you are interested in, just in case law school doesn't work out, or you just don't like it once you join. Having a major that can help you still open doors instead of having to go back to college to figure everything again, would make you feel more safe in your choice and future.
I, for example, majored in business management, so that in case law school wasn't the right choice, I would be able to go into an MBA and switch my career path.
As for political science, I do not believe it will be that helpful for law school. What you need for law school are habits more than a specific major. You need to be able to study before and after class, go to the library on weekends to read and review, to be able to handle pressure and competition. A lot of people take an easy route during college, which is totally fine, but find law school "impossible" because they are not used to putting in the time at the library since they just went through 3-4 years of chill times in college, and now that they have to study, it feels like so much effort.
I am not a recruiter for law schools or work at the administration so it is hard for me to say what is the most important part of your resume/grades. But, my own opinion is that your LSAT score and GPA probably matter more than your resume. My own resume was not padded; I did join a few groups, and was an athlete at my school, but other than that, I got a decent LSAT score, and had a strong GPA, which I believe were the main reasons I got accepted into law school.
The LSAT is not an easy test, and I would say that instead of spending 4 years in college instead of the 3 that you could, I would spend 3 years in college, and then maybe take a gap year, to fully focus on the LSAT studies, maybe a little break before law school, and an internship at a clinic since you will have more time to invest into it, which might make you a more attractive candidate.
Finally, the "grilling" in law school is a bit of a stretch. Is there cold-calling? Yes. But that mostly occur during your first year classes, just because the classes are so big. Once you move on to your 2L and 3L, classes usually end up being much smaller, and it becomes more participation based.
Is it stressful to get cold-called? 100%, but it is to force you to study for every class so no one is left behind. when you have a class of a 100 students, sometimes the professor cannot check if everyone is following, and most people are too shy to say they are lost. So by cold-calling, it forces everyone to study for class, and limits the amount of students that end up being lost.
For internships, I would try to reach out to clubs legal professors at your school to ask if they have any contacts, or know of internships that are available, sometimes at your school.
The Law club at my school had an internship program with judges which enabled you to go to court, seat near the judge and learn directly from trials. The judge would also have 1-on-1 with you afterwards to discuss and make sure you are following the proceedings.
Schools have an incredible amounts of connections, and opportunities that people just miss because they are looking outside, but sometimes, the school itself has incredible opportunities.
Good luck with your choices, and I hope you find the right path for yourself!
Your pre-law advisor is right on some things but wrong on others.
I do agree that you should have a fall back major, something you are interested in, just in case law school doesn't work out, or you just don't like it once you join. Having a major that can help you still open doors instead of having to go back to college to figure everything again, would make you feel more safe in your choice and future.
I, for example, majored in business management, so that in case law school wasn't the right choice, I would be able to go into an MBA and switch my career path.
As for political science, I do not believe it will be that helpful for law school. What you need for law school are habits more than a specific major. You need to be able to study before and after class, go to the library on weekends to read and review, to be able to handle pressure and competition. A lot of people take an easy route during college, which is totally fine, but find law school "impossible" because they are not used to putting in the time at the library since they just went through 3-4 years of chill times in college, and now that they have to study, it feels like so much effort.
I am not a recruiter for law schools or work at the administration so it is hard for me to say what is the most important part of your resume/grades. But, my own opinion is that your LSAT score and GPA probably matter more than your resume. My own resume was not padded; I did join a few groups, and was an athlete at my school, but other than that, I got a decent LSAT score, and had a strong GPA, which I believe were the main reasons I got accepted into law school.
The LSAT is not an easy test, and I would say that instead of spending 4 years in college instead of the 3 that you could, I would spend 3 years in college, and then maybe take a gap year, to fully focus on the LSAT studies, maybe a little break before law school, and an internship at a clinic since you will have more time to invest into it, which might make you a more attractive candidate.
Finally, the "grilling" in law school is a bit of a stretch. Is there cold-calling? Yes. But that mostly occur during your first year classes, just because the classes are so big. Once you move on to your 2L and 3L, classes usually end up being much smaller, and it becomes more participation based.
Is it stressful to get cold-called? 100%, but it is to force you to study for every class so no one is left behind. when you have a class of a 100 students, sometimes the professor cannot check if everyone is following, and most people are too shy to say they are lost. So by cold-calling, it forces everyone to study for class, and limits the amount of students that end up being lost.
For internships, I would try to reach out to clubs legal professors at your school to ask if they have any contacts, or know of internships that are available, sometimes at your school.
The Law club at my school had an internship program with judges which enabled you to go to court, seat near the judge and learn directly from trials. The judge would also have 1-on-1 with you afterwards to discuss and make sure you are following the proceedings.
Schools have an incredible amounts of connections, and opportunities that people just miss because they are looking outside, but sometimes, the school itself has incredible opportunities.
Good luck with your choices, and I hope you find the right path for yourself!
Casey Thiel
Human Resources
3
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Casey’s Answer
All the comments I've seen here provide excellent advice. I'd also share that I have several peers who transitioned into a career in law after pursuing other careers. Not only did this "real world" experience help them identify the type of law they were interested in, but they were also better prepared for the rigorous work of going to law school.
I share this only to try to take some of the pressure off. If you end up deciding that you want to explore something other than law, it doesn't preclude you from returning to it later in life. Best of luck!
I share this only to try to take some of the pressure off. If you end up deciding that you want to explore something other than law, it doesn't preclude you from returning to it later in life. Best of luck!
Urvi Patel
Thought Leadership
4
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Urvi’s Answer
I wasn't on the psych and law path in university but I did find a Psych and Law class that I took to be intriguing as it covered eye witness testimony, jury-decision making, suspect identification, etc. This might be a good entryway to participate in the research endeavor as your professor may also be a published researcher as well as an educator/practicing lawyer. It could be a good way to stand out if you decide to pursue law school. Also a number of graduate programs offer joint PhD/JD degrees. If you're interested in the practice and research angles, that could be a good fit.
Consider getting involved in research
Will a JD and/or a PhD get you to where you want to be?
Urvi recommends the following next steps: