criminal justice vs political science for law

NDwithenvy · May 18, 2011, 8:58pm

Hey everyone,
I have been considering a double major in medicine and law for a while. I have been researching law, and I have come across a few questions.
-when talking to my counselor, I was told that to get into a law school (or med school) the preliminary courses (pre-law or pre-med) are not necessarily required to be admitted into a law (or medical) school. I was wondering if this is true at all, and if so to what extent?
-After researching what my counselor informed me, I was also told that those who don't, major in either criminal justice or political science. Is either one better? Would it be best to major in one and minor in the other? also, what are the classes like from those who have been in, or are in one of the degrees?

Thanks for the help!

hssakura · May 19, 2011, 11:07am

Neither Criminal Justice nor Political Science will 'prepare' you for law school. Whatever concepts you learn in these majors will be, at most, rudimentary compared to the kind of knowledge you're expected to acquire in law school. However, it is true that there are no prerequisite courses for law school admissions. Consider other majors such as English to prepare yourself for the extensive amount of reading and writing expected at law school. Also, this makes the reading comp section of the LSAT a breeze.

Medical schools on the other hand do have prerequisite courses that generally require you to take a certain number of Bio and Chem classes along with several other electives in 'Life Sciences'. You need to come out with a high GPA. Of course + a very firm understanding of these courses will help you do well on the MCAT

Realistically, if you were to keep your options open for both medical school and law school, it'd be best to go into Biology or other pre-med majors. A lot of science majors will take the LSAT and perform rather well. On the other hand, it's very difficult to get all the courses necessary for medical schools, maintain a good GPA in your second major, and find enough time for things like internships and research opportunities to be competitive for medical school.

Of course, keep in mind that pre-med majors will butcher your GPA and make you less competitive for law school. While it's true that law school admissions will be considerate of your major, it's always good to have higher numbers for law schools. Best of luck!