6 answers
Noa
Student
Montague, Massachusetts
1
Question
Updated
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What are the most helpful majors to have when applying to law school?
Going to law school?
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6 answers
Emily Sealy
Attorney
5
Answers
Richmond, Virginia
Updated
Emily’s Answer
Not just political science. I was an English and Theatre double major. I went to law school with other English majors, history majors, business majors, and even science majors. Anything that forces you to read a lot and learn how to interpret text is good.
Thank you for the advice.
Noa
Kim Igleheart
Career Counselor | Police Officer
1662
Answers
San Antonio, Texas
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Noa,
Major in whatever you want - law schools like to have diversity in their student body. Use your undergraduate courses wisely. Learn grammar, take a course in Logic. Get into speech and debate classes/teams. Join the pre-law student association.
Major in something that will help you in the type of law you are interested in practicing. For example, medical malpractice should try for a background in healthcare. Criminal Defense? Well, there's computer hacking - which would want a tech background, Vehicular homicide might require some science to understand stopping distances, reaction times, etc. ; white collar crime might require a finance background. It's good to at least have a basic understanding of the field when trying to learn everything you need to learn for a particular case.
I would NOT recommend a lot of "law" classes - you'll get that in law school! And, they will teach you a whole new way of writing.
Give some thought to your "Plan B." Major in something you can use to get a job if you decide not to go to law school. That is, if someone tells you it's good to major in English Lit for law school, but you don't really have an interest in literature, it's probably not the way to go!
I hope this makes sense! push yourself academically, and in extracurriculars. Be a leader.
Best of luck!
Kim
Major in whatever you want - law schools like to have diversity in their student body. Use your undergraduate courses wisely. Learn grammar, take a course in Logic. Get into speech and debate classes/teams. Join the pre-law student association.
Major in something that will help you in the type of law you are interested in practicing. For example, medical malpractice should try for a background in healthcare. Criminal Defense? Well, there's computer hacking - which would want a tech background, Vehicular homicide might require some science to understand stopping distances, reaction times, etc. ; white collar crime might require a finance background. It's good to at least have a basic understanding of the field when trying to learn everything you need to learn for a particular case.
I would NOT recommend a lot of "law" classes - you'll get that in law school! And, they will teach you a whole new way of writing.
Give some thought to your "Plan B." Major in something you can use to get a job if you decide not to go to law school. That is, if someone tells you it's good to major in English Lit for law school, but you don't really have an interest in literature, it's probably not the way to go!
I hope this makes sense! push yourself academically, and in extracurriculars. Be a leader.
Best of luck!
Kim
Your advice was so helpful!
Noa
Mark Tice
Risk / Legal
1
Answer
Montclair, New Jersey
Updated
Mark’s Answer
Hi, Noa -
I agree with the other responses here: I don't think there's one particular major that is better than another for law school. If there's a major that particularly interests you -- whether that's biology, visual arts, anthropology -- I would suggest you focus on that as an undergraduate.
Your options for legal practice areas are incredibly wide-ranging, and some of my former colleagues specialized in art law, intellectual property law, civil rights law, environmental law, and others. If there is a topic that interests you as an undergraduate, it's likely that you can focus on the legal aspects of that after you have completed law school. As others in this forum have already said, law school provides the foundation you need to apply legal reasoning to all sorts of topics!
I agree with the other responses here: I don't think there's one particular major that is better than another for law school. If there's a major that particularly interests you -- whether that's biology, visual arts, anthropology -- I would suggest you focus on that as an undergraduate.
Your options for legal practice areas are incredibly wide-ranging, and some of my former colleagues specialized in art law, intellectual property law, civil rights law, environmental law, and others. If there is a topic that interests you as an undergraduate, it's likely that you can focus on the legal aspects of that after you have completed law school. As others in this forum have already said, law school provides the foundation you need to apply legal reasoning to all sorts of topics!
sharmela bachu
Lawyer
16
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
sharmela’s Answer
Hi Noa; You can choose any major for law school, which you seem to know already based on your question. I think any major, such as English, political science, where you will be reading and employing critical thinking provides a good foundation for law school. However, you should bear in mind that regardless of your major, most American colleges provide a very diversified education which gives the students an exposure to many different subject matters and concepts, You should major in an area that interests you the most. Law school will provide you the foundation required for the profession. Good luck.
Edward Overtree
Senior Counsel
57
Answers
Pennsylvania, PA
Updated
Edward’s Answer
I chose the major that permitted the most elective courses, so I could try as many subjects as possible. STEM would be the best preparation for the law.
Hasmik H
Tax Consulting
3
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Hasmik’s Answer
Law schools usually welcome students with all sorts of educational backgrounds. However, some majors can give you a solid base and helpful skills for both law school and a legal career. A few popular majors that my classmates chose before joining law school include Political Science/Government, History, English/Writing, Philosophy, and Economics.
It's important to remember that law schools enjoy having students with different academic backgrounds, as they bring unique viewpoints and experiences. So, even though the majors mentioned above are often linked to law school applicants, it's not an exhaustive list, and students from many fields can do well in law school. For instance, in my law school, there were a few students who had studied engineering or physics. The main thing is to pick a major that truly interests you and helps you build critical thinking, analytical skills, and excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
It's important to remember that law schools enjoy having students with different academic backgrounds, as they bring unique viewpoints and experiences. So, even though the majors mentioned above are often linked to law school applicants, it's not an exhaustive list, and students from many fields can do well in law school. For instance, in my law school, there were a few students who had studied engineering or physics. The main thing is to pick a major that truly interests you and helps you build critical thinking, analytical skills, and excellent written and verbal communication abilities.