A large majority of law students, 95% of respondents, rely on university loans as their main source of school funding. Although this is a source of funding, the loans must be repaid. Ideally, loans are paid with future income, and the more money you borrow, the more your student debt will affect your adult life. New lawyers are delaying student debt repayment plans. Some postpone the purchase of a house, a new car, children or even marriage. Young lawyers are making personal and professional sacrifices because of the substantial debt of student loans, according to a survey by the American Bar Association`s Young Lawyers Division and the ABA`s Media Relations and Strategic Communications Division. Survey respondents also reported that their student loans impacted their mental health issues after suffering from anxiety and depression. You should start by exploring the skills you need to be a successful lawyer and the best university majors for law school. If you`re a high school student considering a career in law, it`s wise to explore potential bachelor`s degree activities and majors to improve your chances of admission to law school. Psychology is one of the five most popular bachelor`s majors overall, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, so it makes sense that it`s a popular choice among pre-law majors. Psychology also provides students with an understanding of concepts such as stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, cognitive dissonance, and other theories and topics useful to future lawyers. If you`re a potential law student, these 10 may be some of the best pre-law majors for you! The American Bar Association (ABA) states that they do not recommend a specific major for students or courses to prepare for law school. Make sure you spend enough time to do well in each class so that your GPA remains high.
The GPA and LSAT score remain the two key factors in your application. By choosing a major you`re passionate about, you can excel in the courses you want to learn. That is, people study different subjects for different reasons and they go to law school at different times in their lives for different reasons. A law preparatory degree program may include a range of courses in the humanities and social sciences, such as history, philosophy, and political science. If your undergraduate school offers a pre-law major, choosing you won`t become a shoe for law school. Again, it`s best to choose a major that challenges and excites you, and then choose a well-rounded course selection that will increase your reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Do you know how to improve your profile for college applications? See how your profile compares to thousands of other students using CollegeVine. Calculate your chances in your dream schools and find out the areas you need to improve now – it only takes 3 minutes and is 100% free. Show me what areas I need to improve Attending law school opens so many doors for someone interested in the justice system. Graduates become judges, prosecutors, professors, legislators, mediators and much more. But it`s not easy to get into law school. Want to meet the best majors for law school? Read on! This article is for students who are thinking about how their choice of major can prepare them for success later in law school.
To learn more about the steps you can take to build a successful legal career, visit our article How to Become a Lawyer: High School Steps. Is pre-law a major? Many students talk about pursuing a pre-right path as students. However, it is not possible to study in pre-law. You must study in an academic subject such as political science, mathematics, philosophy, etc. Unlike Premed, there are no prerequisite courses you must take to be considered for law school. When people say “pre-law,” they simply mean that they approached the university with the plan that they would one day apply to law school after graduation. Although there is no pre-study or a number of mandatory courses, you can prepare for law school while studying. Here are some ways to do this: Take courses in law and legal history.
The more you know about how legislation is approached in the U.S. and abroad, the better prepared you`ll be for your first day in law school. Plus, attending these classes will help you decide if you`re interested in studying law. Participate in debate, newspaper and writing clubs. Lawyers must have a good command of logic and writing. Your extracurricular activities will help you cultivate these qualities and greatly facilitate admission to law school. Look for internships at law firms, courts, and legal organizations. There are thousands of ways to practice law, from helping large corporations as a corporate lawyer to defending asylum seekers with a nonprofit. The more internship opportunities you pursue in your field, the better you`ll have an idea of the type of law you want to pursue. For industry-related law, take courses related to your industry. Patent attorneys need a good understanding of the natural sciences in order to practice. Similarly, entertainment and international law are based on a comprehensive understanding of the media and current affairs.
Use your bachelor`s years as an opportunity to strengthen your foundation in the industry in which you want to practice law. Outside of these stages, there is no single best major for law school. You can study absolutely anything and apply to law school. However, there are schools and programs that will better prepare you for graduate school. What should I look for in a college or major if I want to become a lawyer? Before you even enroll in college, you can take steps to become a stronger candidate for law school. Here are some tips on how to approach your school, major, and course choice as a student: Look for schools that offer advice before the law. Some schools prefer to focus on learning for the sake of learning, while others help students plan their careers in advance. As a future law student, finding the latter type of school will give you the context and support you need to excel once it`s time to apply.
By researching the schools on your list, you will see what kind of resources are available for students interested in law. Choose a strict and reputable school or program. Your college`s GPA and the rigor of your course load will be taken into account when you apply to law school. For this reason, it is important to prioritize education during your undergraduate years. Pursue a program that reinforces your critical thinking and attention to detail. Some fields, such as classics, linguistics, and mathematics, require more critical thinking and attention to detail than others. Moreover, all liberal arts programs are designed to promote these characteristics. Move to schools and programs that prioritize these skills. Choose a write-heavy primary tray. Law students have many documents to write, as well as exams that contain lengthy written answers to questions. Develop your perseverance and polishing as a writer by choosing a major that evaluates regularly written content.
Look for schools and programs with smaller class sizes. Obtaining strong letters of recommendation from professors will go a long way in making you stand out in your law school application. To get good letters, it`s important to maintain strong relationships with your teachers. Small class sizes make it easier for your teacher to get to know you. If you want to study in a subject with big lectures, that`s fine too. Simply attend regular business hours to maintain relationships with your professors and teaching assistants. Use Undergrad to build your foundation in an industry of interest. Your bachelor`s years are a good time to build a foundation in the field where you hope to practice law. If you want to support a specific population, now is a good time to learn a foreign language that will come in handy when practicing. Top 10 Most Popular Bachelor`s Majors for Prospective Law Students While there are no better objective majors for law school, some degree programs prepare you better for this next step than others. Below is a ranking of the ten most popular majors for law students. How we created this list We compiled this list based on 2 main types of data: the number of students admitted to law school with a particular major and the average LSAT score of students with that major.