mizznoelle3

ok so if i was to major in law and legal studies what jobs do you think i could pursue and be succesful in before and during law school?

TwizzWhizz11

So, I'm planning on doing engineering (chemical engineering most likely) - is that okay for law school? I'm planning on taking English and linguistics courses anyway, just because I'm interested, but are there other types of courses I should take in addition to my major for law school?

ConCerndDad

There is no major that is ideal to prepare you for law school. The key is do well in whatever you major in. The better you do in college, the more prestigous the law school that will accept you. Although being able to write well is a must for being a good lawyer, it is not necessary for getting into a good law school -- just good college grades and a good LSAT test score.

If you take law courses in college, you will end up uneducated in everything except law. Most law schools will see that and will likley be unimpressed by your undergraduate curriculum. However, you will likely do well in your law school courses since you took them before in college, but you will be bored in law school way too early (boredom usually only sets in second semester, second year).

Of course, if you are thinking about patent law, you will NEED an undergraduate or graduate science degree (EE, ME, Bio, Chem, ChemEng, etc.). If you want to be one of the few "international" lawyers, a language (or two) would be a must.

As to (Post #39) "Elle Woods got into Harvard Law with a 4.0 in Fashion Studies". That, of course, was a fictional Harvard Law School. Applications for that Harvard Law School can be dropped off at MGM Studios in LA.

tennisball02

hey does anyone know which gpa is more important for law school - the major gpa or the overall gpa? my major is polsci and i'm thinking of double majoring or adding a minor

BostonEng

overall GPA. major GPA isn't even on the radar.

BostonEng

chem engineering is great for law school; electrical is even better. the reason is for academic diversity in the class and increased job prospects for intellectual property law.

the one "gotcha!" here is that you should not major in engineering if it will hurt your GPA. a 3.9 history major is much better off than a 3.5 electrical engineering major.

ConCerndDad

Getting into law school is different than practicing as an attorney. Any major will do for getting into law school. However, when I was in college, I just couldn't find a science major that I really liked. I found one eventually that gave me the degree, but I ended up going to grad school for a hard core engineering degree to get me my admittance pass into patent law practice. As it turned out, the many science courses that I took in college in different scientific fields has helped me greatly in the practice of patent law. Although I know a lot about one field (my Master's degree field), through my college experience I learned a little about a lot of other scientific fileds. In my 25+ year career, my broad scientific education has helped me greatly, since the cases that I have seen dealt in many different technologies - from mechanical devices, to chemistry, to computer programs, to electronics. So, I suggest that if you are thinking about patent law as an ultimate career, take courses in many different science fields in college. It will help you later (and it will likely also be fun). It might also help if you get on Jeopardy.

overachiever91

I am planning on majoring in Political Science and International Relations.
Do you think it is appropriate for a future lawyer ?

Xptboy

Already posted this here : does undergrad school matter to top law schools?

but I think it may get more replies here.

- I'm still a freshman (sophomore next semester)
I heard that law school's discourage pre-law, but in the case of my school (UTampa) I think the pre-law professional program is actually a good program because all it does is set me up with a pre-law advisor who helps me with getting into law school and finding all the requirements etc... I do not take any law courses and it is not a pre-law major, instead I still stick with my major of choice (philosophy).

more info here: The University of Tampa - Tampa, Florida - Pre-Law Professional Program

if anybody here could help me and confirm that this will not be detrimental when applying to law school then please do so. Your help is definitely appreciated

BostonEng

it will be neutral. i dont think it will help or hurt. they are most likely going to provide value in figuring out which schools will take you based on your GPA/LSAT, information readily available on law school numbers and the like.

Steverino

As a former admissions officer at a law school, I can report that a student's undergraduate major is essentially irrelevant in the admissions process. The only qualification is that a small upward adjustment in GPA may be made for students with difficult majors (e.g. math and engineering).

raison_d'etre

England/Canada/commonwealth countries like Hongkong, Singapore are best for undergrad law. England beats all though..and no it's not "prelaw" in these countries.

H2013

I'm majoring in political science/pre-law at MSU.
A lot of you said law schools don't like pre-law but political science is okay right. So i don't know where i stand when my major's title is political science/pre-law.

sparkyasu

the best prelaw program is prolly anything in engineering or economics

askoh

Do law schools take into considerations any minors? For example, would majoring in Poli Sci and minoring in Econ be beneficial or would it be better to forget about the minor and just do the major in Poli Sci?