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What can I study my undergrad year before going to law school?
I wanted to study a social science or humanities before going into law but am not too sure what my options are limited to and would like an insight or some information regarding those options. I am looking for something versatile in the job market in case I shift gears in the future and pursue something other than law. #Fall24
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5 answers
Updated
Chinyere’s Answer
Hello Rin,
Good question! For an undergraduate path that aligns well with law school preparation and offers versatility in the job market, there are several strong options in the social sciences and humanities. These fields help develop skills in critical thinking, communication, and research—all of which are valuable for law but also useful if you choose a different career path. Here’s a breakdown of a few versatile majors:
1. Political Science
- Why It’s Great for Law: Political science provides a solid understanding of government, public policy, and the legal system.
- Versatility: Opens doors to careers in public administration, policy analysis, international relations, journalism, and more.
2. Psychology
- Why It’s Great for Law: Psychology can offer insights into human behavior, which is useful for understanding jury psychology, client needs, or even criminal motives.
- Versatility: Careers include counseling, human resources, marketing, and social services.
3. Philosophy
- Why It’s Great for Law: Philosophy hones analytical and logical thinking, with coursework in ethics, logic, and rhetoric, which can be especially helpful for LSAT preparation.
- Versatility: Philosophy majors are in demand in areas like consulting, education, public policy, and tech (especially in ethics and AI).
4. Economics
- Why It’s Great for Law: Economics develops analytical skills and a solid grasp of financial principles, which is valuable in fields like corporate law.
- Versatility: Provides career options in finance, data analysis, policy advising, and business consulting.
5. Sociology
- Why It’s Great for Law: Sociology focuses on societal issues, inequality, and social policies, often intersecting with legal studies.
- Versatility: Graduates work in social services, urban planning, public policy, and research.
6. History
- Why It’s Great for Law: A background in history sharpens research skills, helps with case analysis, and often covers legal history.
- Versatility: Careers include education, research, public relations, museum work, and journalism.
7. English or Communications
- Why It’s Great for Law: Strong writing, research, and argumentation skills are critical in law, and these majors enhance these abilities.
- Versatility: Graduates find roles in publishing, editing, advertising, public relations, and corporate communications.
Each of these majors provides a skill set that’s valuable across various professions, not just law. Choosing a major that resonates with you will keep you engaged, and if you decide to pivot away from law, these areas still open up diverse career possibilities.
Best wishes!
Good question! For an undergraduate path that aligns well with law school preparation and offers versatility in the job market, there are several strong options in the social sciences and humanities. These fields help develop skills in critical thinking, communication, and research—all of which are valuable for law but also useful if you choose a different career path. Here’s a breakdown of a few versatile majors:
1. Political Science
- Why It’s Great for Law: Political science provides a solid understanding of government, public policy, and the legal system.
- Versatility: Opens doors to careers in public administration, policy analysis, international relations, journalism, and more.
2. Psychology
- Why It’s Great for Law: Psychology can offer insights into human behavior, which is useful for understanding jury psychology, client needs, or even criminal motives.
- Versatility: Careers include counseling, human resources, marketing, and social services.
3. Philosophy
- Why It’s Great for Law: Philosophy hones analytical and logical thinking, with coursework in ethics, logic, and rhetoric, which can be especially helpful for LSAT preparation.
- Versatility: Philosophy majors are in demand in areas like consulting, education, public policy, and tech (especially in ethics and AI).
4. Economics
- Why It’s Great for Law: Economics develops analytical skills and a solid grasp of financial principles, which is valuable in fields like corporate law.
- Versatility: Provides career options in finance, data analysis, policy advising, and business consulting.
5. Sociology
- Why It’s Great for Law: Sociology focuses on societal issues, inequality, and social policies, often intersecting with legal studies.
- Versatility: Graduates work in social services, urban planning, public policy, and research.
6. History
- Why It’s Great for Law: A background in history sharpens research skills, helps with case analysis, and often covers legal history.
- Versatility: Careers include education, research, public relations, museum work, and journalism.
7. English or Communications
- Why It’s Great for Law: Strong writing, research, and argumentation skills are critical in law, and these majors enhance these abilities.
- Versatility: Graduates find roles in publishing, editing, advertising, public relations, and corporate communications.
Each of these majors provides a skill set that’s valuable across various professions, not just law. Choosing a major that resonates with you will keep you engaged, and if you decide to pivot away from law, these areas still open up diverse career possibilities.
Best wishes!
Updated
JOHN’s Answer
Hi, Rin.
Thanks for your question.
When I graduated from college with an English major, my uncle asked me " what are you going to do with an English degree?"
I had gotten permission as a freshman to take any course I wanted so long as my advisor approved it. I read widely in as many disciplines as interested me. I wanted to learn how to read and write in all of them.
So, you might understand my response to my uncle: "I'm going to read the law next."
I had taken creative writing in college; but, when I was told to write what I knew, I realized I really didn’t know much about the real world.
Law school was a challenge and I met it by reading novels about lawyers. After graduating, I practiced civil and criminal law for private and public clients at all levels of national, state, and local jurisductions.
At one point, following a merger, my wife gave me a course in screenwriting while I was looking for another job in law. What I discovered was my deep love for writing fiction. And now I knew what I would write about.
But, I wanted a partner. My professor agreed to work with me. After settling on a concept, we wrote for 51 days, about two hours a day. When we finished I was elated that I had co-authored a screenplay.
On our third effort to find agents to represent us, we found two who said they'd sell it in Hollywood the following week.
And on the next Thursday they did.
The deal made the front page of Hollywood industry papers because it was a million dollar deal.
And later, we went on to sell another one.
My advice to you, in short, is always do what you love. The money will follow.
My decision to take up screenwriting changed my life. It was not a matter of fate, nor a matter of judgment about my past, nor choice about presently available options. It was a matter of deciding my answer to the fundamental issue each of us faces: "Since I must die someday, do I want to do ____ to fulfill my desire to live?" You fill in the blank with a description of a course of future action when you don't or cannot know the future.
The answer is discerned by discovering not what you can do, what you must do, what you should do, but rather what fits what you want to do. That requires discernment: not instinct, intuition, insight, nor inspiration alone. Rather it requires all of these. You end up in an unexpected way living the story you create.
Let me know if this resonates with you.
John Darrouzet
Thanks for your question.
When I graduated from college with an English major, my uncle asked me " what are you going to do with an English degree?"
I had gotten permission as a freshman to take any course I wanted so long as my advisor approved it. I read widely in as many disciplines as interested me. I wanted to learn how to read and write in all of them.
So, you might understand my response to my uncle: "I'm going to read the law next."
I had taken creative writing in college; but, when I was told to write what I knew, I realized I really didn’t know much about the real world.
Law school was a challenge and I met it by reading novels about lawyers. After graduating, I practiced civil and criminal law for private and public clients at all levels of national, state, and local jurisductions.
At one point, following a merger, my wife gave me a course in screenwriting while I was looking for another job in law. What I discovered was my deep love for writing fiction. And now I knew what I would write about.
But, I wanted a partner. My professor agreed to work with me. After settling on a concept, we wrote for 51 days, about two hours a day. When we finished I was elated that I had co-authored a screenplay.
On our third effort to find agents to represent us, we found two who said they'd sell it in Hollywood the following week.
And on the next Thursday they did.
The deal made the front page of Hollywood industry papers because it was a million dollar deal.
And later, we went on to sell another one.
My advice to you, in short, is always do what you love. The money will follow.
My decision to take up screenwriting changed my life. It was not a matter of fate, nor a matter of judgment about my past, nor choice about presently available options. It was a matter of deciding my answer to the fundamental issue each of us faces: "Since I must die someday, do I want to do ____ to fulfill my desire to live?" You fill in the blank with a description of a course of future action when you don't or cannot know the future.
The answer is discerned by discovering not what you can do, what you must do, what you should do, but rather what fits what you want to do. That requires discernment: not instinct, intuition, insight, nor inspiration alone. Rather it requires all of these. You end up in an unexpected way living the story you create.
Let me know if this resonates with you.
John Darrouzet
Updated
Haley’s Answer
Hi Rin! Similar to what others have said, study what interests you and what you'll do well in. I studied geology and environmental resources, thinking that was the field I wanted a career in. After college, I worked a geoscientist for a short amount of time before deciding to switch paths and apply for law school, and during law school, I learned that my background in science actually helped me do well in school. For example, I found that I approached problem solving and law school hypos from a different perspective than my classmates. I later learned (when working part time in the admissions office) that the school valued applicants with "non-standard" majors for that very reason. Most surprising, however, was the fact that my background in science allowed me to identify new legal arguments used to advance a client's position in a merger I worked on as a junior associate.
You never know how a "non-standard" major can help you in your legal career, so don't limit yourself to a traditional pre-law major if it's not of interest to you. Hope this helps!
You never know how a "non-standard" major can help you in your legal career, so don't limit yourself to a traditional pre-law major if it's not of interest to you. Hope this helps!
Updated
Ross’s Answer
Hi Rin,
I'm going to take a somewhat different approach to answering your question, by starting with the nature of the law.
The law is based on logic. It works by taking precedents set in old situations and applying them to new situations. For example, suppose two neighbors have a disagreement over where their property line is. A creek was used to mark the boundary when the line was set years ago, but now the creek has shifted its course, with one neighbor gaining land and the other losing land. The loser sues to have the property line reset and get their land back. That person's lawyer would look at past cases involving similar property line disputes, and then try to convince the judge through written briefs and oral arguments that those precedents logically prove their client should win the case.
Law school will cover a lot of important cases in different fields - contracts, personal injuries, property, etc. - but it's main job is teaching you how to think logically about precedents - how a judge's decision 50 years ago created a precedent that settled a dispute 10 years ago, and how that case's settlement sets a precedent that will help your client's case.
Every aspect of modern life involves the law: a group of renters sues their landlord for not fixing broken plumbing; a school district is sued for not having proper access for disabled students; a farmer sues a nearby cement plant for polluting his land; two businesses have a dispute over who owns the rights to a new phone app; the government sues a company for making exaggerated claims about its product's health benefits.
So my advice is this: think about which aspects of daily life really intrigue you, and research what role the law has in them. Then choose a major (or double major) whose courses align with those interests. To get ready for law school, take elective classes in logic, to prepare for thinking in precedents, and rhetoric, to prepare for standing before a judge and defending your logical arguments.
I'm going to take a somewhat different approach to answering your question, by starting with the nature of the law.
The law is based on logic. It works by taking precedents set in old situations and applying them to new situations. For example, suppose two neighbors have a disagreement over where their property line is. A creek was used to mark the boundary when the line was set years ago, but now the creek has shifted its course, with one neighbor gaining land and the other losing land. The loser sues to have the property line reset and get their land back. That person's lawyer would look at past cases involving similar property line disputes, and then try to convince the judge through written briefs and oral arguments that those precedents logically prove their client should win the case.
Law school will cover a lot of important cases in different fields - contracts, personal injuries, property, etc. - but it's main job is teaching you how to think logically about precedents - how a judge's decision 50 years ago created a precedent that settled a dispute 10 years ago, and how that case's settlement sets a precedent that will help your client's case.
Every aspect of modern life involves the law: a group of renters sues their landlord for not fixing broken plumbing; a school district is sued for not having proper access for disabled students; a farmer sues a nearby cement plant for polluting his land; two businesses have a dispute over who owns the rights to a new phone app; the government sues a company for making exaggerated claims about its product's health benefits.
So my advice is this: think about which aspects of daily life really intrigue you, and research what role the law has in them. Then choose a major (or double major) whose courses align with those interests. To get ready for law school, take elective classes in logic, to prepare for thinking in precedents, and rhetoric, to prepare for standing before a judge and defending your logical arguments.
Updated
Jerry’s Answer
First, take a good look at Chinyere's answer. All laid out.
Political Science and English are quite standard majors working up to law school.
But majors for law school is only one part of your question. You are also looking for something "versatile" in case you don't wish to go to law school and may wish an alternate career path.
If this was fifty years ago, any of the suggestions given would work. As long as you work. But not today. Except perhaps for psychology.
Employment demand has fallen way off in the social sciences and 'English. Many colleges/universities are downgrading social science and English departments. There's a new market. Tech and finance. Even if a student is not interested in either, that's where the jobs and the money are.
Therefore it is something you are going to have to consider.
On the other hand, any major will do as part of the entrance program into most law schools.
But then again, are you interested in tech and/or finance?
In other words, it's all rather tricky in today's world. It would be much easier if you were just asking about majors prior to application to law school.
Of course I have no idea of what your interests are. Perhaps tech and/or finance are appealing. If not then it's a matter of making money and not much else.
Here's a bit of information about my day today: On certain bank matters I have "talked" to a robot. And read several news articles related to computer generated this and that related to climate, elections and world trade. And when I submit this missive the site will switch me to AI and ask if I want this rewritten.
Political Science and English are quite standard majors working up to law school.
But majors for law school is only one part of your question. You are also looking for something "versatile" in case you don't wish to go to law school and may wish an alternate career path.
If this was fifty years ago, any of the suggestions given would work. As long as you work. But not today. Except perhaps for psychology.
Employment demand has fallen way off in the social sciences and 'English. Many colleges/universities are downgrading social science and English departments. There's a new market. Tech and finance. Even if a student is not interested in either, that's where the jobs and the money are.
Therefore it is something you are going to have to consider.
On the other hand, any major will do as part of the entrance program into most law schools.
But then again, are you interested in tech and/or finance?
In other words, it's all rather tricky in today's world. It would be much easier if you were just asking about majors prior to application to law school.
Of course I have no idea of what your interests are. Perhaps tech and/or finance are appealing. If not then it's a matter of making money and not much else.
Here's a bit of information about my day today: On certain bank matters I have "talked" to a robot. And read several news articles related to computer generated this and that related to climate, elections and world trade. And when I submit this missive the site will switch me to AI and ask if I want this rewritten.