Most law students don’t special in any type of law or even pick the law school because of a specialty. Some do know that they want to specialize in maritime law because they already have a background in something connected so will specifically apply to U of Miami, but most just fall into it because their first job was as a clerk at a firm that does maritime, or environmental law, or water law. Most law students take a pretty core group of classes and then have enough electives to take 3-4 electives in the area of interest… A student interested in litigation might take trial practice, or do an internship at a clinic and help clients with a small civil matter while his fellow student takes a tax class. They both have to sit for the bar exam that is based on the core classes.