What steps did you take during your undergraduate college experience to help you decide what type of law you wanted to work in?

I would highly recommend getting some work experience or internship at a law firm allowing you see how each department works. You may find that in practice each area of law may differ from your expectations. You don't need to narrow down your choices yet and I would try and get experience at various law firms and practices including in house before making any decisions. Good Luck! :)

I would say that at this point in your career, you do not have to narrow down your legal interests. In fact, you will not have a clear sense of the specific area of law you would like to practice until you attend law school and learn about the various areas of law in more detail.

My recommendation is that you view college as an opportunity to learn more about various fields that excite you and build skills that will prepare you to challenge the issues in your community that you care about the most. Rather than thinking about what you want to become, think about what problems you want to solve, and then find a major that helps you learn how to do that.

If you have an interest in helping families and communities navigate legal issues, then you should think of college as an opportunity to become an expert on some of those challenges you want to address. I would consider Political Science, Sociology, Criminal Justice, History, American Studies, Urban Studies, etc. The other great thing about liberal arts majors is that you will strengthen your writing skills, which is an important skill for future lawyers to develop.

If you are interesting in solving some of the challenges facing corporate America by working with companies, you might consider a college major that helps you learn more about how businesses work. Perhaps Economics, Business Administration, or even Engineering could be a good fit.

There isn't a "best" major for a career in law. Focus on the "best" major for you!

Hi Tamara,

If your goal is working with contracts, but you are not sure what kind, you will find that contracts are in all areas of the law, from consumer issues, banking, real property, government contracts, licensing - just about everywhere.

Often working as in-house corporate counsel, you will find reviewing, analyzing and negotiating contracts of all kinds are part of your daily work. You also have the opportunity to work with people from finance, engineering or human resources, to name a few. This can be a great teaming opportunity with contractual matters as your area of expertise.

As noted in other responses, college courses that provide business law, finance and negotiation skills may help you decide if there is a specific focus you want to take when you get to law school. Good luck to you!