What majors instead of pre-law are good undergraduate majors to have before law school?
I am an undergraduate legal studies major, and am deciding to change my major. #pre-law
2 answers
Dr. Kelly’s Answer
Rhonda’s Answer
Hi Maarij,
As you probably already know, you can attend law school with any major of your choosing. However, there are certain undergraduate majors that tend to be more helpful while navigating the waters of law school. You will find that law school is completely different from undergraduate studies. Law school will teach you about the law itself, but will also provide you with legal skills such as interpretation, research, writing, oration and confidence. Any major that would help with you gain a boost in skill level in these areas will certainly benefit you in law school (ex. Creative/Persuasive Writing, Journalism, Drama/Theater, English). Additionally, if you know what type of law you want to pursue, an undergraduate major in that field is extremely helpful (ex. Criminal - Criminal Justice; Construction Litigation - Engineering; IT Litigation - Computer Studies; Business Litigation - Business; Financial Litigation - Finance; Environmental - Environmental Studies/AG Studies). Personally, I majored in History because I have always enjoyed the subject. One of my closest friends who now works for the Governor of Louisiana majored in Women and Gender Studies. Law schools generally do not look to your major when deciding whether to accept you. Rather, they look at your LSAT score, your undergraduate grades and your involvement outside of college with community activities, volunteering, etc.
Hope this helps!
Rhonda Smith