The Best Majors for Aspiring Lawyers
- Business. A business major is a great option for those who are entrepreneurial-minded. ...
- Criminal Justice / Criminology. Criminal justice is the identification and explanation of criminal behavior patterns. ...
- Economics. An economics major spends a lot of time summarizing large amounts of quantitative data. ...
- English. ...
- Philosophy. ...
- Political Science. ...
- Bottom Line. ...
Common undergraduate majors for prelaw students include English, political science, economics, business, philosophy, and journalism.Feb 17, 2022
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AnswerWhat are the best majors to become a lawyer?
Students who major in computer science, music, education, business and other majors are equally welcome in law school as long as they meet the rigorous requirements. The most important assets in law school are being able to think critically and speak articulately. Law school often builds on and refines skills a student already possesses.
What to know before becoming a lawyer?
Jan 03, 2022 · Young adults who want to become lawyers should consider majoring in political science in college. With a political science degree, you’ll get a solid foundation in how the government is structured, how laws work, and who has power. These are all critical if you want to work in the law.
What are the best colleges to become a lawyer?
Many undergraduates entering law school have majored in political science, economics, business administration, history, English, and rhetoric, but there is no standard pre-law curriculum.
What are the professional requirements for becoming a lawyer?
The English major is a very popular major for law school because of its immediately obvious benefits: advanced reading comprehension and persuasive writing skills. Students of the English major study dense and complex literature and are then required to process the information, make connections and create organized analytical arguments and defend positions.
What major is best for law school?
Top 10 Best Pre-law Majors (see also: what did most law school students major in?)Political Science - 9,612 admitted. ... Other - 2,917 admitted. ... Psychology - 2,960 admitted. ... Criminal Justice - 2,220 admitted. ... English - 2,564 admitted. ... History - 2,657 admitted. ... Economics - 2,373 admitted. ... Philosophy - 1,858 admitted.More items...•Jun 23, 2018
What major are most lawyers?
The most popular major of law school candidates is political science. There's a reason why many successful politicians are lawyers—the link between law and political theory is very strong. Political science is the study of government systems, political behavior, and how the judicial system works.
What is a law major called?
A Juris Doctor degree, or a J.D., is an academic credential that paves the way for a career as a lawyer.Jun 24, 2019
Which subject is best for lawyer?
Here are the most useful high school subjects for future lawyers:English. ... Public speaking. ... Social studies. ... Science. ... Mathematics. ... Statistics and data science. ... American history and government. ... Communication.More items...•Oct 5, 2021
Is Criminology a good major for law school?
Prepare for Law School and Careers in Criminal Justice Criminology is one of the most appropriate majors for those planning to pursue a career handling criminal cases as a lawyer or judge.
Can a law graduate be called a lawyer?
The duties will change depending on the type of lawyer. A law student can be called a lawyer. In basic terms, a lawyer refers to a person who has a law degree. There are many types of lawyers.Apr 2, 2020
Is a law graduate a lawyer?
Types of law degrees In most countries, law degrees take the form of an LLB (Bachelor of Laws) which allows you to go on to take the national Bar or Law Society qualifying examinations, in order to becoming a practicing lawyer.
What is an attorney called?
A lawyer (also called attorney, counsel, or counselor) is a licensed professional who advises and represents others in legal matters. Today's lawyer can be young or old, male or female.Sep 10, 2019
What does "pre-law" mean?
When people say “pre-law,” they simply mean that they approached college with the plan that, after graduating, they would one day apply to law school. While there is no pre-law major or set of required classes, you can still prepare for law school while in college. Here are just a few ways you can do that:
Where does Veronica live?
in History and Classics. After graduating, she joined CollegeVine serving as the Curriculum Development Manager. She currently lives in Cambridge, MA and is writing her debut novel.
Is there a law school major?
Beyond taking these steps, there is no single best major for law school. You can major in absolutely anything and apply to law school. However, there are schools and programs that do a better job of preparing you for graduate study.
Is it easy to get into law school?
Graduates go on to be judges, prosecutors, professors, legislators, mediators, and so much more. But getting into law school is no easy matter.
What is a law degree?
A law degree is an advanced degree; only students who hold bachelor’s degrees are accepted into law school programs. A Juris Doctor (JD) degree and a passing score on a state bar exam are both required to practice law throughout the United States. Other advanced degrees in law are available but are not required.
What does a lawyer do in court?
Many lawyers perform a variety of other services that rarely place them in a courtroom. For instance, the lawyer acts as counsel to the client. To do this, the lawyer must listen to the client and ask questions that extract as much information as possible about the situation at hand.
What is a criminal justice degree?
An individual with a criminal justice degree in law can have a major impact on the lives of others. A law degree allows one to defend a person who has been accused of a crime, offering the chance to right wrongs and defend the Constitution from attacks by individuals, corporations and governments. But those ideals are only a small portion ...
What is a personal statement for law school?
a personal statement about why you want to pursue a career in law. in-depth letters of recommendation from people who know your ability to succeed in law school. extracurricular activities and work experience that demonstrate leadership qualities.
What is a Juris Doctor?
The Juris Doctor, or Doctor of Law, is the law degree earned after three years of post-graduate law study at an accredited law school. A bachelor’s degree is required to enroll in a J.D. program. In some countries this degree is known as the bachelor of laws (LL.B.) degree.
What is the difference between civil and criminal law?
Lawyers who work in private practices are most often involved in criminal or civil litigation. Criminal law focuses on individuals charged with crimes, while civil law deals more with wills, mortgages, leases, and other contract matters. Here is a brief breakdown of some common areas of specialty: Criminal law.
What is a defense lawyer?
Defense lawyers generally work in private practice or as public defenders. Public defenders are lawyers paid by the government to defend those who cannot afford a lawyer. Environmental law. Lawyers who have special knowledge of federal and state regulations are needed on both sides of environmental issues.
What are the most important parts of a law school application?
Your grade point average and Law School Admission Test score are the most important parts of your law school application. Major in something you love, other than baseball, so that you have the incentive to get that 4.0. Your LSAT score comes in a close second. The four scored sections of the LSAT are analytical reasoning, logical reasoning, reading comprehension, and a writing sample. Any liberal arts discipline that teaches you critical reading, analysis, research and writing will help.
What do I need to do after law school?
After graduating from law school, you will need to pass the bar exam. As long as you’ve graduated from law school, neither your undergraduate major nor your grades will matter at this point. Once you pass the bar exam, you’ll need a job. Graduating in the top 10 percent of your law school class is good, and an unusual college major might help get you an interview. If you want to do trial work, a communications background is also helpful. If you want to start your own practice, an undergraduate background in business can be the difference between success and failure.
What is legal studies?
Legal studies focus on topics that are rooted in economic analysis—torts, contracts, property rights, antitrust, business organizations, and regulations. In short, a study of economics is a study in the financial impact of the law. Because of this, economics is a great area of specialization for many potential law students because it remains ...
What is psychology major?
Through the psychology major’s coursework, students develop a solid understanding of how people can make correct or incorrect judgments that can lead to things like stereotyping, prejudice, or discrimination. Psychology courses also teach students how to network and prepare for negotiations.
What is the LSAT test?
The LSAT tests for critical thinking skills rather than subject matter expertise. Law schools look for candidates with abstract thinking skills, the ability to interpret written texts, and high reading comprehension. They want candidates that have fine reasoning abilities, the ability to think logically. Notice how all majors have students that ...
What is political science?
Political science is the study of government systems, political behavior, and how the judicial system works. This is where a political science degree shows its advantage in law school. Students in this field often have a better understanding of how laws are created and executed as well as the history behind them.
Is philosophy a good major?
The granddaddy of all mind-stretching mental exercises, philosophy is a fantastic major that builds a student’s ability to think critically and argue. Law is heavily based on philosophical elements like ethics, and human nature—subjects that are commonly taught in a philosophy major. Philosophy is a difficult major. It requires students to think analytically and form logical arguments. It also examines moral, political, and legal issues with no clear right or wrong while asking students to render judgment. Because of the difficulty level, some law schools may look more favorably at a degree in philosophy than a degree in a field like Criminal Justice.
What are the skills required for an English major?
In this light, the critical thinking skills required of English majors mirror the skills required by law students.
What majors are challenging?
An ecology major might take up residence in environmental law. Science majors are challenging and require students to learn complex subject matter, analyze data, and arrive at provable conclusions.
What majors are liberal arts?
Our analysis found that nearly one-third (30%) had a background in the social sciences, with most having studied political science prior to law school. Other top liberal arts majors included humanities, classics, history, economics, and English.
What is the highest LSAT score?
Those who studied Greek or Latin had the highest average LSAT score (159.8) and highest average GPA (3.477) of all majors who applied to law school. The next highest LSAT scores came from those who studied policy, international relations, and art history respectively.
What is Earnest's advice?
Earnest’s data underscores advice from the American Bar Association, which recommends prospective law students take coursework in areas where they can gain experience in problem-solving, critical reading, writing, and editing, among other skills.
Do law schools look favorably on STEM majors?
This doesn’t mean that law schools don’t look favorably on STEM majors— far from it—but rather that there are relatively few law school applicants with these backgrounds. This is similar to how medical school students, for example, tend to come from science and engineering backgrounds more often than the humanities.
English
- Having a strong command of written and verbal skills will take you far as an attorney whether you're writing, researching or speaking in court. Analyzing great works of literature and historical texts from various cultures and time periods is great practice for the hours you'll spend in the la…
Philosophy
- Philosophy majors delve deep into the study of logic, ethics, and morality—areas of thought that also happen to be the cornerstones of law. You'll debate with classmates, present arguments and do a lot of research to support your case, which is not all that different from what lawyers do to prepare for court.
Political Science
- Of all majors, this may be the closest to a "law school" curriculum as you can get. In this major, you'll study political systems, public policy, international relations and the relationship between government, the law, and individual rights, among other things. You're required to analyze various written documents and data sets (think ancient texts to social media posts) and will learn to thin…
Economics
- Not only are economics majors trained to think logically and analytically, but economic policies and procedures, as well as how resources are distributed and managed, are topics closely connected to the legal issues you'll encounter as a lawyer. Any major that has you summarizing qualitative and quantitative data to solve problems is good training for your brain to seek out evi…
Business
- General business knowledge can be applied in almost any industry, and that holds true for aspiring attorneys as well. A business major is a good option for those who plan to go into corporate law. That said, be sure to supplement business fundamentals with humanities and liberal arts electives so you can train your analytical and critical thinking muscles, as well as pra…
General Tips
- Consider majoring in a discipline that is related to the type of law you want to practice. Since you don't have to declare a specialty during law school, building a background as an undergraduate i...
- Choose a major or take electives that are heavy on research and writing. As mentioned earlier, those are the critical skills that will help you most in law school.
- Consider majoring in a discipline that is related to the type of law you want to practice. Since you don't have to declare a specialty during law school, building a background as an undergraduate i...
- Choose a major or take electives that are heavy on research and writing. As mentioned earlier, those are the critical skills that will help you most in law school.
- Whichever academic route you take, maintaining a strong GPA is essential if you aim to attend a selective law school program.
How We Made This List
- We put together this list based on 2 important main types of data: the number of students admitted to law school with a certain major, and the average LSAT score of the students with that major.
Sociology
- Students admitted to law school from this major last year:1,327 Average LSAT score of admitted students (out of 180):150.7 Sociology majors have to be comfortable scrutinizing data and writing long papers. Both the critical thinking and writing skills that this major cultivates can be leveraged in law school. Consider this major if the social dynamics of groups interest you, and you enjoy b…
Arts & Humanities
- Admitted Students:1,496 Average LSAT Score:154.2 This group of majors tends to be fairly writing-heavy and attracts students with the focus to spend hours reading. It’s a great pick if you love art and literature but also want to prepare yourself for a legal career.
Philosophy
- Admitted Students:1,858 Average LSAT Score:157.5 Traditionally, philosophy is considered the ultimate pre-law major. In this field, you wrestle deeply with logic and reasoning as you consider questions about knowledge, existence, and other fundamental concepts. The same skills directly improve a lawyer’s ability to do their job well.
Criminal Justice
- Admitted Students:2,220 Average LSAT Score:145.9 If you love to be hands-on with the justice system, this may be the major for you. No field of study gives you more exposure to law prior to law school. That said, notice how much lower the average LSAT score is relative to other majors. It is not considered as academically rigorous as theoretical disciplines. If you want to set yourse…
Economics
- Admitted Students:2,373 Average LSAT Score:158.9 Economics offers the perfect blend of quantitative and qualitative experience. Additionally, this field prepares you to be an effective lawmaker and advocate for sound monetary policy. Understanding capital is vital for understanding large portions of tax law and federal regulation.
English
- Admitted Students:2,564 Average LSAT Score:155.3 English is another famous choice for pre-law students, since so much reading and writing is required to perform well in this field. Learning to synthesize a lot of content and becoming sensitive to careful word choice will make you a stronger applicant and a better lawyer.
History
- Admitted Students:2,657 Average LSAT Score:156.2 Understanding the past is critical for interpreting law for two reasons. First, it establishes precedent, and knowing how legal cases have been resolved in the past is central to our understanding of how to decide current cases. Second, a grounding in the past helps you zoom out and understand the broader social context for a piec…
Miscellaneous
- Admitted Students:2,904 Average LSAT:151.2 This category is a catch-all for niche majors not commonly represented among law school applicants. The fact that this category has the third highest number of students accepted shows that you can successfully apply to law school from any major.
Psychology
- Admitted Students:2,960 Average LSAT Score:152.6 Psychology is the third social science to make an appearance on this list, and that is no surprise. This field blends history, reading, writing, and quantitative analysis together, making graduates in this field well-equipped to approach law from almost any angle. Consider becoming a Psychology major if you are fascinated by how peo…
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