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What are good majors if I'm thinking about law school?
#law #college #college-major
7 answers
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Syed’s Answer
Hi Olivia,
You don't need any specific coursework or major to get into law school. That said, any subject where you get used to reading and writing a lot will position you well for the academic grind of law school. Law students read hundreds of pages a week of dense material and the top students are proficient writers. For example, you can look at humanities majors like Sociology, English, History and Political Science.
Also, any subject that challenges you to think critically and present your work in front of an audience is valuable as well. You can consider business school, some engineering disciplines and the hard sciences for this type of training.
At the end of the day, your goal is to get the highest GPA possible while developing good writing, oratory and critical thinking skills.
You don't need any specific coursework or major to get into law school. That said, any subject where you get used to reading and writing a lot will position you well for the academic grind of law school. Law students read hundreds of pages a week of dense material and the top students are proficient writers. For example, you can look at humanities majors like Sociology, English, History and Political Science.
Also, any subject that challenges you to think critically and present your work in front of an audience is valuable as well. You can consider business school, some engineering disciplines and the hard sciences for this type of training.
At the end of the day, your goal is to get the highest GPA possible while developing good writing, oratory and critical thinking skills.
Updated
Tim’s Answer
Poly Sci and English Lit worked for me. Pick something that makes you think and encourages you to debate about something you are passionate about.
Updated
Nicholas’s Answer
Any majors that require you to read in huge volume and critically analyzing the text - History, Philosophy, Religion, Political Science, English, etc.
It's a common misconception that lawyers litigate in front of judges and jury all day. The vast majority of lawyers spend their time poring over dense legal text.
One exception is patent lawyers. 90%+ of all patent lawyers have an engineering background. Without an engineering background, you can only do intellectual property not a full patent lawyer.
It's a common misconception that lawyers litigate in front of judges and jury all day. The vast majority of lawyers spend their time poring over dense legal text.
One exception is patent lawyers. 90%+ of all patent lawyers have an engineering background. Without an engineering background, you can only do intellectual property not a full patent lawyer.
Updated
Nancy’s Answer
I agree for the most part with what everyone above has said. A large part of your time as a lawyer will be spent writing to persuade others of your position. I recommend English Literature as a major if you are considering law school. As an English major, you will spend significant time reading, critically analyzing the material and writing papers. Although History and Political Science are also good choices, those majors often involve memorization of facts for tests, and multiple choice format tests, as opposed to essay answers and papers. In my opinion, that is not the best preparation for the type of coursework you will face in law school.
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Debra’s Answer
History and Political science would be great majors to prepare for Law school
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Angela D.’s Answer
Hi there! A great resource is the LSAC website below. The second website also includes further information. I've also included compiled information from the U.S. News & World Report. The EDsmart website discusses law school majors. In addition, you can search for websites that may provide examples of tests, free tests, video information, admissions statistics, etc. Wishing you the best in your endeavors, Dr. B
Law School Admissions Council - https://www.lsac.org/lsat
LSAT Center - https://www.lsat-center.com/prep-guide/lsat-scores/
Statistics based on information from the U.S. News & World Report 2020 - http://schools.lawschoolnumbers.com/rankings/us-news-report-law-school-rankings
EDsmart (top 10 degrees admitted to law schools in the U.S.) - https://www.edsmart.org/best-majors-for-law-school/
Law School Admissions Council - https://www.lsac.org/lsat
LSAT Center - https://www.lsat-center.com/prep-guide/lsat-scores/
Statistics based on information from the U.S. News & World Report 2020 - http://schools.lawschoolnumbers.com/rankings/us-news-report-law-school-rankings
EDsmart (top 10 degrees admitted to law schools in the U.S.) - https://www.edsmart.org/best-majors-for-law-school/
Updated
Grace’s Answer
If there is a rhetoric major, that would be a good one too!
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