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What should my college major be if I want to be a lawyer?

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Dear Hillary,

Do I have to take pre-law courses, or major in pre-law to get into law school? Will the law schools favor my application if I do? I’m confused. I’m thinking about majoring in English, which I love, but I’m not sure if I should major in it, or something else. I definitely want to go to law school right after college.

– C.

Dear C.,

This is one of the biggest misimpressions about law school that I hear. You do not have to have a pre-law major, or take pre-law courses to get into law school. Unlike medical school, law schools generally do not have prerequisites. Law schools welcome a wide variety of majors. They look more towards evidence of a solid liberal arts education, preferably with a high GPA and a good LSAT score.

In fact, a study in 2007-2008, found that pre-law majors scored worse on the LSAT than almost any other major. Physics/math and economics scored the best. 

Personally, I think that if you study something you really love while you are still in college, you will probably do well in that subject. I was an English major in college and I loved it. I’m not at all sorry I picked that major. It did help later, because I was used to writing and research, and reading large volumes of material. I think English would be a great major, if that’s what you love.

The primary skills you will need when you get to law school are research, writing, and analytical skills. Take some courses that will help you develop those skills. The LSAT has a lot of analytical questions, so you might want to take a course in logic, to help your brain get in gear for the LSAT.

You might also take a course from your political science or pre-law department which is similar to a law school class, to see what it is like. These classes are often taught by lawyers, and use law school casebooks and the Socratic method. It’s better to find out what these classes are like now, so you know what to expect. But you don’t have to major in it—it’s more for you to get a sense of what law school is like, than it is a “required” course for law school.

When you get to law school, they will train you to learn to research cases and write briefs. First year curriculums usually include a mandatory legal research and writing class. They have their own ways of teaching you, so there’s no need to learn it all before law school.

 You might as well study English, or whatever you love now — when you get to law school, legal research and writing, plus all of your other courses, will most likely be mandatory during first year. So enjoy reading novels now. Good luck.

Hillary Mantis consults with Pre-Law Students, Law Students, and Lawyers. She is a Director of the Pre-Law Program at Fordham University, and the author of Alternative Careers for Lawyers. For more information, you can write to Hillary at altcareer@aol.com.

Hillary Mantis Esq.

Hillary Mantis Esq.

Hillary Mantis consults with pre-law students, law students and lawyers. She is the Assistant Dean of the Pre-law Program at Fordham University and author of career books for lawyers. Admissions questions? You can reach her at altcareer@aol.com.
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