As nearly all junior high schoolers of the U.S., I am now filled with constant doubts and worries about college and my future. I know that I want to attend law school, but I had no idea what to major in. Unlike medical school, law school has no requirements for majors. You are free to study what interests you. However, I wanted to major in a subject that would benefit me in the future.
This article is to all aspiring law students who are just as lost as I was regarding what path to take to law school. Here's what I found:
DO NOT fall into the trap of majoring in pre-law. Although this seems like a logical choice in that it should prepare you for law school, pre-law graduates have an extremely low LSAT average and low law school acceptance rate.
Also, DO NOT take criminal justice. Being a criminal justice lawyer is a common dream job for law students. However, the major criminal justice itself is known to have low average LSAT scores. Instead, there are majors that will help you have an easier time with LSAT and grad school.
DO TAKE:
Political science—it is one of the most popular majors for law students. Law and political science are extremely interconnected. This major will prepare you by teaching you how the law system works, requiring you to have efficient speaking and writing skills, and informing you about relevant political issues.
History helps students understand how the legal system developed over centuries. Knowing the history behind the laws, you can understand the intentions behind the current laws more thoroughly.
Philosophy can me useful in situations that are complicated. The strong analysis skills of philosophy students will help you be able to come up with creative solutions in difficult situations. Also, it can help you analyze people, especially opponents, so you can develop more effective arguments against them.
Economics is a major that can be beneficial even if you end up quitting law school. The subject significantly improves analysis skills. It is extremely important to know in a capitalist country like the U.S. The way money affects our society is extremely important to understand.
Business is important to understand because it has such a profound influence on our legal system today. It will also benefit those of you who are interested in corporate law. The major will help students develop complex and advanced analysis skills.
English is essential when it comes to law. With so much to read, analyze, and write, it helps significantly to be able to do these well. English will help you with LSAT and law school which both require a lot of reading and writing. It will also help develop public speaking skills.
Personally, I asked lawyers that I know locally about what major they would recommend. I noticed that most recommended English while several mentioned political science. They explained that the large amount of writing they had to do and reading they had to analyze as students was extremely difficult, and they would have had an easier experience by majoring in English.
After researching all these details, although it is still tentative, I decided what I wished to study in college. Because I wish to be a international relations-based corporate lawyer, I am planning to major in English (to help with my analysis, writing, and reading skills, which are important for communicating in the business world) and minor in business (to understand the companies I represent) or international relations (to know how to deal with international crises and countries around the world). Although your major will not necessarily determine your success or failure as a law student and lawyer, it will definitely affect your education experience as a law student, so it is important to choose wisely.
