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What type of classes should I take to prepare for college?

Currently I am a highschooler and although I am in classes that prepare me for college I am not taking any classes that can prepare me for law ( I am unaware if there even is any),please write some classes that can prepare me for college as someone who will major as a lawyer.

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Christina’s Answer

No matter what kind of lawyer you want to be, learning to write succinctly and practicing your analytical skills will benefit you. Literature classes are great for practicing writing, supporting a thesis, and thinking critically about specific word choice (which matters a lot in law). Many law fields (like mergers and acquisitions, securities, tax, or business litigation) also overlap considerably with business concepts, so taking classes in economics, finance, and accounting is also helpful. In other areas like patent law, it is helpful to have a science background, whether that is in biology, computer science, or engineering.

As there is such a wide variety of subject matter law deals with and there are no prerequisite classes for law school, it is most important to pick classes you enjoy and that you will do well in. Good luck! You are doing well already by strategizing for your future!
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Glenn’s Answer

Hi Isabella,
David and Christina are right. There are a lot of different areas in the law for which differing backgrounds and education are helpful. But, as Desiree pointed out, all lawyers need certain basic skills. The quality of those basic skills will, in large part, determine your success in law school and your effectiveness as a lawyer in any area of the law. Those basic skills are:
1. Thinking and reasoning logically and clearly
2. Reading for comprehension, and even nuance
3. Writing concisely, clearly, logically, and persuasively
4. Speaking concisely, clearing, confidently, and persuasively
5. High emotional intelligence - the ability to sense, relate to, and respond effectively to the emotional states of others
6. Willingness and ability to focus on a task and stick to it until it is complete, even if, and especially if, it is tedious or requires a lot of attention to detail
Any classes you take in high school and college, and any extracurricular activities you can participate in that build those six basic skills will help you succeed in Law School and will help you become an effective lawyer.
Glenn

Glenn recommends the following next steps:

Assess how well you have developed each of those six basic skills
Prepare a plan on how you will improve each of those six basic skills, taking advantage of the opportunities available to you at school, in your church and in your community
Follow your plan, adjusting as needed
Find joy in the journey
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Desiree’s Answer

Hey Izbella! Lucky for you the world is your oyster when it comes to preparing for law school. First, know that in the U.S. you need to have an undergraduate degree (4-year bachelor's degree), and good LSAT scores to get into law school. Law school is 3 more years after you graduate from university.

There is no particular required major - or minor - for that bachelor's degree. It's pretty common for people heading to law school to major in History, Political Science, Business, or English. However, you should major in something of interest to you and in which you'll get stellar grades. Having good grades is key to being admitted to law school. So if Math or Chemistry is your passion, do that! (I am a lawyer, my undergraduate majors were Biology and Marine Science.)

To do well in law school - and the practice of the law! - you need to have strong analytical, reasoning and writing skills. Any courses that help develop those "muscles" will prepare you. Depending on what type of lawyer you want to be, you need my need additional skills. For instance, if you what to be a litigator (aka a trial attorney) or in government then you might want to work on public speaking skills.

Desiree recommends the following next steps:

Research law school admission requirements
Consider what undergraduate degrees match your strengths
In both High School and University, take elective classes or participate in extracurricular activities involving the field of law or key legal skills (criminal science, debate, constitutional law).
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Dante’s Answer

There is a FREE course online through COURSERA that may can give you some information on what to expect in pursuing college to become a lawyer.

https://www.coursera.org/learn/law-student

Good luck!
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David’s Answer

If you have a speech team or debate team in high school, that would be really helpful for you in the long term.
Taking acting courses or joining theater could also be really helpful.

One thing to think about is what kind of lawyer you might want to be. Lawyers can do a lot of different things, from going to court, to writing contracts for businesses, to helping people retire and plan their wills. Try calling some of your local law firms and asking to shadow a lawyer for a day, ask them questions, this would help you see what lawyers do, but also enable you to network and maybe intern for a lawyer to boost your future career aspirations into reality!

David recommends the following next steps:

Network and meet lawyers to learn what kinds of lawyers there are and what you may want to do as a lawyer.
Sign up for speech club/team or debate club/team or student government organizations.
Take local acting classes or join theater at school.
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