What major would be most useful in college to obtain to become a lawyer?
I am 15 years old and I am a sophomore in high school. I want to be a lawyer when I get older. #law #lawyer #majors #legal
7 answers
Teresa’s Answer
Hi!
I am a lawyer. I'd like to share with you how I became a lawyer. Law school requires critical thinking, analysis, and reading comprehension skills so I took courses in college that I believed would help me improve these skills. There are also some colleges that provide pre-law courses that can help you improve these skills. Law school admissions will look at primarily your LSAT scores, your undergraduate grades, and your extracurricular activities. I studied hard in college, served in leadership positions in various extracurricular activities, and prepared for the LSAT by enrolling in an LSAT prep course. When I was preparing my undergraduate and law school applications, I had several peers and mentors review and critique my applications.
Once you get into law school, you will find that it is different from undergraduate. Law schools generally have one exam per course which you will take at the end of the semester and the exam score will generally be your final grade for the entire course. So the exam is the most important aspect of each course. The law school exams are also different from undergraduate exams. For the typical law school exam, you will be expected to analyze several legal issues.
After law school, I prepared for the bar exam. I took a bar exam prep course and studied hard to prepare for it. The bar exam is slightly different from the typical law school exam so the bar prep course helped me properly prepare for it. Once you graduate from law school and pass the bar exam, you will get a bar license that will allow you to practice law.
Being a lawyer has been a rewarding experience for me and I love being able to help people. I hope this information is helpful to you! Good luck and study hard!
Marjory’s Answer
I agree with Gary Petito above that a lot depends on the individual and their interests. I personally found that a good understanding of history and political science was very helpful. Both majors provide an excellent foundation for approaching and understanding the constitution, the history and interpretation of laws and how things play out in our political system. Once in law school, and exposed to various areas of the law, I developed interests in intellectual property and corporate law. If you have any interest in working at a corporation, taking business law classes in high school and college would be helpful as well.
Julie’s Answer
Hi there! You can study just about anything in college and become a lawyer. I majored in bioengineering and now practice intellectual property law, where I deal with a lot of different technologies. Most of my colleagues studied some kind of science or engineering before going to law school. Law does require a lot of reading and writing, so you should be sure to have at least some courses in that area. One of the most important things for getting into law school is to get good grades in college, no matter what you study.
Richard’s Answer
David’s Answer
These are a lot of good suggestions above for you to consider. I happened to have been a liberal arts major with an emphasis on both history and literature. I think history was particularly helpful to me because it offered a good perspective on why and how the United States developed the legal system we have today. As Marjory noted above, you will better understand the framers of the constitution and why we have the constitution as the foundation of our laws today. And, you will have some fun getting to learn more about the amazing people of that time, the people who risked their lives to lay the foundation for today's legal system. I would suggest that for now, reading books about the Founding Fathers, e.g. Washington, Jefferson, John Adams is a good idea while you are in high school or later in college. Also, it's not a bad idea for you today to pick up a copy of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence to read for yourself these priceless and fascinating documents that form the foundation of our legal system. Doing this will help fuel your interest in learning more about the people who created these marvelous legal documents and why they were created. You have a great adventure ahead of yourself!
Mackenzie’s Answer
1. **Political Science**: This major is often chosen by aspiring lawyers because it covers topics related to government, law, and politics. It provides a good foundation for understanding the legal system and legal processes.
2. **Criminal Justice**: A major in criminal justice focuses on the criminal justice system, law enforcement, and criminal behavior. It can be particularly relevant if you're interested in criminal law.
3. **History**: Studying history can enhance your research and analytical skills, which are important in law school and legal practice. History majors often excel in law school.
4. **Philosophy**: Philosophy majors develop strong critical thinking and analytical skills, which are valuable in legal analysis and argumentation.
5. **English or Literature**: These majors can help you develop strong writing and communication skills, which are essential for legal research and writing.
6. **Economics**: Economics majors gain a deep understanding of market dynamics, which can be beneficial if you're interested in areas like business law or antitrust law.
7. **Psychology or Sociology**: These majors can provide insights into human behavior and social dynamics, which can be relevant in various legal practice areas. This is what I did! I was a psychology major and sociology minor.
8. **International Relations**: If you're interested in international law or global issues, a major in international relations can be valuable.
9. **Mathematics or Statistics**: These majors can be useful if you're interested in areas of law that involve complex financial or statistical analysis, such as tax law or intellectual property law.
10. **Science or Engineering**: For those interested in patent law or environmental law, a background in science or engineering can be advantageous.
Remember that law schools value diverse academic backgrounds, and they look for applicants with strong critical thinking, writing, and analytical skills. While these skills can be developed in various majors, it's important to choose a major that you're passionate about and in which you can excel academically. Good grades, a high LSAT (Law School Admission Test) score, and strong letters of recommendation are crucial for law school admission, regardless of your undergraduate major.
Gary’s Answer
Hi, that is a great question and it is a question that can be answered many different ways. A lot of it depends on you, your interests, goals, etc. As you start to research colleges, law schools and law careers...there will be a lot of questions about pre-law majors and what to major in. There are so many different types of law, I would suggest on deciding what type of lawyer you want to be ... then make your major decision from there. Example: if you are interested in business law, then a business degree would be good. Immigration law, then learning spanish and other languages would be helpful as well as majoring in Government/Public Administration, etc. If you are interested in a career in Politics eventually, then Political Science would be a good major.
Hope that helps...good luck!