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. ...
- English. ...
- Philosophy. ...
- Political Science. ...
- Psychology. ...
- Bottom Line. ...
Common undergraduate majors for prelaw students include English, political science, economics, business, philosophy, and journalism. There's no correct major to pursue to get into law school. But according to legal educators, prospective J.D. students who take classes they enjoy report better GPA scores.Feb 17, 2022
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AnswerWhat are the best colleges for becoming a lawyer?
Answer: There is no specific major that you should study to become a lawyer. However, majoring in political science, psychology, and criminal justice, English, history, and economics, are common choices among students that want to become lawyers. These majors often involve important courses to start a career in this field.
What education do you need to become a lawyer?
What Should You Major In To Become A Lawyer? 1. What to Major in to Become a Lawyer – Discover. Feb 12, 2021 — History · English · Philosophy · Political Science · Economics · Business · General ... 2. What Should My Major Be in College to Become a Lawyer? 3. How to Become a Lawyer: Career Guide – ...
What is the best major for a lawyer?
There are no undergraduate majors that are guaranteed to ensure your future success in law school or as an attorney. However, the ABA suggests certain undergraduate majors over others, such as English, history, political science, philosophy, business, or economics.
What experience do you need to become a lawyer?
Jan 18, 2022 · Here are the basic steps to become a lawyer: 1. Earn a bachelor's degree You'll need to have a bachelor's degree to apply for law school. Law schools accept students with a wide range of degrees. However, some of the most common undergraduate majors include criminal justice, English, economics, philosophy and political science.
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What is the best major for law?
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.
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.
Is Psychology a good major for law school?
Psychology This is a popular major for pre-law students, with 3,778 law school applicants holding a degree in this area. Their average LSAT score was 152.5, and 78 percent of applicants were admitted.
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 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 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 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 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 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:
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.
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.
How long does it take to become a lawyer?
Becoming a lawyer takes a total of seven years, and you must pass the bar exam. Every law school requires a four-year bachelor’s degree from a university or college, and law school takes another three years to complete. You should study English, government, history and public speaking.
What is the minimum score required to become a lawyer?
You should expect to spend many hours studying while attending law school. At some point during your first year of law school, you will need to take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination. You need a passing score of at least 75. California and a few other states require a score of 86.
What is the law school test?
This is a standardized test that provides information about your acquired reading and verbal reasoning skills. The results of this test is used as one factor in determining whether you are accepted to law school.
What is the bar exam?
The bar exam covers a large range of topics pertaining to law. Specializing in a particular field of law will allow you to achieve greater expertise than if you were to become a general practitioner. Becoming a lawyer will help clients resolve their complicated issues.
What are the skills needed to become a lawyer?
Some of the skills needed include: Analytical and interpersonal skills.
Do lawyers need continuing education?
At least 46 states require lawyers to participate in continuing education courses to maintain their professional license to practice, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some states require lawyers to pass ethics exams as well. If you relocate, you may be required to complete further education. If you move from one state to another, you need to take the bar exam in your new state. Some states do allow reciprocity, provided you meet their requirements in experience and moral character.
What majors are required for law school?
However, the ABA suggests certain undergraduate majors over others, such as English, history, political science, philosophy, business, or economics.
What is the first step to becoming a lawyer?
Lawyer Education. A bachelors degree will be your first step. There are pre-law degrees along with online legal studies programs. Or view ABA accredited universities. The State Bar Exam. The bar exam is the next step to become a lawyer. The state bar exam will determine whether a person is qualified to practice law in a geographic jurisdiction.
How much do lawyers make in a year?
As of May 2019, lawyers in the United States averaged $122,960 per year. However, this comfortable salary does not come easily. Becoming a lawyer in any jurisdiction requires years of undergraduate and graduate education, passing challenging examinations, and maintaining licensure through continuing education.
What are the majors in law school?
However, some of the most common undergraduate majors include criminal justice, English, economics, philosophy and political science. Spend your undergraduate time taking classes related to the area of law you think you would like to practice.
How much does a lawyer make?
Average lawyer salary. The average salary for a lawyer in the United States is $70,336 per year, though some salaries range from $14,000 to $201,000 per year. Salaries may depend on experience level, field of legal practice and a lawyer's location.
What do lawyers do?
Lawyers help individuals or businesses throughout legal processes. They prepare legal documents, build cases, attend hearings and try cases. Additional duties include working with legal and criminal justice professionals, taking depositions, settling cases and sending legal correspondence. They often specialize in different types of law, such as tax or family law. Lawyers work in a wide range of fields, such as: 1 Real estate 2 Business 3 Criminal justice 4 Healthcare 5 Politics
What is the next step after a bachelor's degree?
After earning your bachelor's degree, your next step is to take the LSAT. It consists of five multiple-choice sections that cover topics such as reading comprehension, critical thinking and argumentation. It is administered at a testing location on a specific date through electronic tablets.
How many sections are there in the LSAT?
There are five 35-minute sections that you need to complete. After the exam, you will also need to complete a written portion of the exam, which you can submit online from home. Law school admissions officers will review your LSAT scores and undergraduate history to determine if you would be a good fit for the program.
What is a prelaw degree?
An undergraduate degree in criminal justice or prelaw can prepare a student for the practical effects and implications of the legal system. Prelaw degrees, which focus exclusively on law school requirements and preparation, are uncommon but are still offered by some schools, such as Washington State University.
What is a philosophy major?
Philosophy majors receive training in critical thinking, logic and problem-solving skills. Lawyers use these skills to craft or refute legal arguments and to understand and use case studies as evidence. A philosophy degree also demands a high quantity of critical reading across various texts, and critical reading and understanding is a large component of a law school workload.
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.
Political Science
Average LSAT Score: 153.8 Average GPA: 3.39 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 …
Psychology
- Average LSAT Score: 152.59 Average GPA: 3.35 Want to understand why people think, believe, and act the way they do? Psychology is the study of human behavior and the mental processes that fuel how people interact with each other and the world around them. Since the law is a system designed to govern human behavior, psychology can help lawmakers understand what ki…
Criminal Justice
- Average LSAT Score: 145.90 Average GPA: 3.22 Criminal justice is a natural fit for law school since coursework focuses on criminal justice topics. These programs often include courses on court proceedings, the correction systems, and many other aspects of the legal system. Criminal justice degrees emphasize strong research, analysis, and writing skills which are a necessity in l…
English
- Average LSAT Score: 155.25 Average GPA: 3.42 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 …
History
- Average LSAT Score: 156.22 Average GPA: 3.45 A significant part of being a lawyer is understanding past precedent on different legal cases in the past. Is it any surprise then that history is a great major for law students? History studentsnot only study the events of the past, but also study the way different legal systems have evolved, court rulings, treaties, and other leg…
Economics
- Average LSAT Score: 158.93 Average GPA: 3.47 Economics is a topic that has drastically altered the shape of the law. This is because many laws are enacted to adjust and correct economic behavior by businesses and individuals in the marketplace. Legal studies focus on topics that are rooted in economic analysis—torts, contracts, property rights, antitrust, business organizations, …
Philosophy
- Average LSAT Score: 157.53 Average GPA: 3.43 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 stude…
Sociology
- Average LSAT Score: 150.71 Average GPA: 3.29 Sociology is a great major for potential law students because it studies the big picture of society. It looks at the social issues we face in our society like poverty, economic justice, racial discrimination, and LGBT rights. Sociology looks at the way the law can help, and how to develop solutions to fight inequality. In this light, sociology …
Communications
- Average LSAT Score: 151.2 Average GPA: 3.32 Students with a passion for writing, public speaking, or negotiation often gravitate to the communications major. This major focuses on team building, organizational communication, and conflict management as well as developing critical thinking skills. These are all transferable skills when it comes to transitioning into law stu…
Science
- Average LSAT Score: 148.4 Average GPA: 3.21 When it comes to college admissions, the name of the game is usually to stand out from among your peers. There is no better way to stand out from the pack of law school applicants than with a science degree. While the degree may seem completely irrelevant to law, different areas of scientific study lend themselves well to specialize…
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…
Pre-Law Studies
- Before you go to law school, you'll need a bachelor's degree. Law school applicants aren't required to have any particular major for undergraduate education. In fact, the American Bar Association (ABA) encourages students to study any subject they find fascinating and challenging. The ABA also provides advice on the types of classes that will help you once you get to law school. Some …
Getting Into Law School
- After you get your bachelor's degree, you'll need to take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) before you can be admitted to a school approved by the ABA. This test is a half-day exam that has five sections of multiple-choice questions. The questions measure your abilities in logic, reading and analytics. Once the multiple choice questions are completed, you'll complete a writing samp…
Law School
- Once you get to law school, you'll generally spend three years working towards your J.D. Regardless of your law concentration, you'll spend your first year working on foundational courses, such as those on constitutional and contract law, legal writing and civil court procedure. After that you'll focus on your specialization, which may include one of the following: 1. Civil rights 2. Admi…
Experience and Skill Development
- In addition to a classroom education, you may want to get experience through part-time employment at a legal office. You can also take advantage of opportunities to do legal writing, and participate in trial situations offered by the law school. Educational and practical experience may help you to develop skills that are critical for lawyers. Some of the skills needed include: 1. …
Continuing Education
- At least 46 states require lawyers to participate in continuing education courses to maintain their professional license to practice, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some states require lawyers to pass ethics exams as well. If you relocate, you may be required to complete further education. If you move from one state to another, you need to take the bar exam in your …
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