Choosing the Right Path: Undergraduate Majors for Aspiring Law Students
For undergraduate students with their sights set on a Juris Doctor (J.D.), the path to law school may seem daunting. Unlike medical school, which requires specific prerequisite courses, law school has no such requirements for undergraduate majors. This freedom can be both liberating and overwhelming. Instead of selecting a major based on what you think will impress law schools, it's crucial to choose a field that you're passionate about. Admissions counselors recommend students pursue a major that interests them because students naturally perform better in courses that pique their interest.
The Myth of the "Perfect" Pre-Law Major
There's a common misconception that aspiring lawyers must major in political science; however, there’s no undergraduate major that will guarantee admission to or rejection from law school. Law schools aren't necessarily looking for a specific background or academic major. Students are admitted to law school from almost every academic discipline. People from an incredibly diverse range of academic majors not only attend law school but also go on to become exceptional lawyers. Successful law school applicants have majored in fields as diverse as engineering, philosophy, English, nursing, and the performing arts.
Key Skills for Law School Success
While your major doesn’t define your law school prospects, it should help you develop critical skills necessary for excelling in law school, on the bar exam, and in legal practice. These skills include:
- Critical Reading and Writing Skills: The ability to dissect complex texts, evaluate nuanced language, and hone close reading practices is useful for interpreting legal cases and statutes. Lawyers must be excellent speakers, communicators, and writers. Law school is fast-paced and emphasizes reading and writing.
- Problem-Solving Skills: Law often revolves around interpreting motives, assessing credibility, and understanding decision-making processes.
- Research Skills: Lawyers need to be skilled at finding and gathering information from multiple sources, reading long, complex documents, and synthesizing information.
- Oral Communication and Listening Skills: Practicing law requires strong oral and written language skills for things like case briefs, memos, and analyzing and presenting a case. Complement your major with extracurricular activities like debate club, mock trial, or Model UN to develop your advocacy and public speaking skills.
Popular Pre-Law Majors and Their Benefits
If you're unsure what major is right for you, a quick look at the most popular pre-law majors might help. A pre-law curriculum may include a range of classes in the humanities and social sciences, such as history, philosophy, and political science.
- Political Science: Political science is the not-at-all-surprisingly undisputed top pre-law major. The study of political behavior, government systems, and how the judicial system works are all very useful in law school. The field provides a foundational understanding of government structures, legal institutions, and public policy, areas that directly relate to constitutional and administrative law. Students examine the interaction between political theories, legal frameworks, and broader socio-cultural issues, honing skills needed for case analysis. Many future law school applicants may be drawn to political science as an undergraduate major because of the close relationship between politics and legislation.
- Psychology: A Psychology degree can be very helpful for prospective attorneys since practicing law is as much about the people involved as it is about the law itself. Law often revolves around interpreting motives, assessing credibility, and understanding decision-making processes; psychology provides a foundation for analyzing why people think and act the way they do, which is critical in fields like criminal law, family law, and litigation. Understanding stereotypes, prejudice, and human behavior can be helpful for lawyers.
- Criminal Justice: It should be no surprise that law school is a frequent next step for criminal justice majors. Criminal law and procedure are core subjects in your first year in law school, and criminal justice majors often enter with a solid grounding in the mechanics of the legal system, trial processes, and the role of various legal institutions. If you want to become a lawyer to help defend people accused of crimes, this major makes a lot of sense. The study of criminal justice involves research methods for criminology, criminological theory and the psychology behind criminal behavior.
- English: English is one of the majors that has been historically associated with law school due to the reading, writing and critical thinking required in an English degree. Practicing law requires strong oral and written language skills for things like case briefs, memos, and analyzing and presenting a case. You’ll likely tap into the skills you acquire as an English major while in law school. While the relationship between being a lawyer and English may not be quite as obvious as some other majors, the law does require a heavy emphasis on reading and writing. This area of study will help refine your grammar, critical thinking, and overall communication skills. You’ll also develop sophisticated knowledge of culture and society.
- Economics: If you’re interested in corporate or tax law, majoring in economics should provide a solid foundation. Economics is also broadly applicable to other areas of law. Economics majors learn to assess the effectiveness of laws and regulations based on empirical data, providing a strong foundation for roles in public policy, legislative advocacy, and regulatory law. Economic conditions in the world can play a major role in legal reform. Economics majors often explore topics such as microeconomics, macroeconomics, modeling and market outcomes.
- History: Law is tightly entwined with History, as it requires knowledge of legal precedents and origins of laws. Studying history provides future law students with context for legislation, as well as an understanding of how important legal systems and precedents were created. By studying history, you can develop an understanding of how certain laws and regulations were developed. History emphasizes rigorous research methods, including the analysis of primary and secondary sources, crucial for legal case preparation. A bachelor’s degree in history typically covers different civilizations and eras. Students develop critical thinking, research and writing skills through consideration of primary sources, historiography.
- Philosophy: At their foundation, the law must consider ethics, human nature, common sense, and other philosophical topics to be effective. Studying philosophy will encourage you to flex your logic and reasoning muscles-important skills for lawyers who must back their interpretation of events or material by citing evidence. Philosophy requires deep thinking and discussion surrounding complex topics such as ethics, logic, metaphysics and existentialism. Philosophy majors do a lot of reading and writing, and also must be able to articulate their thoughts and positions. The field focuses heavily on formal logic and complex, abstract problem-solving: two skills that are absolutely essential on the LSAT and in law school.
- Arts & Humanities: This major may include concentrations like foreign languages, religion, and design. In general, arts & humanities majors can help students prepare for law school due to the reading, writing, and critical thinking involved with the various coursework. Studying a foreign language is a good chance to dabble in various humanities. In higher-level courses, you will analyze literature, read historical texts and discuss political systems in the same ways you might in an English, history or political science course.
- Sociology: Sociology is the study of people in groups. Laws are guidelines for how people are expected to act in groups. Sociology majors might take courses in areas like human behavior, social theory, statistics and race.
- Business Administration: Business administration is a broad field that may include courses in areas like accounting, economics and marketing.
- Finance: Finance majors often delve into topics such as economics, accounting and cost analysis, knowledge that may be useful for future tax or real estate attorneys.
- Engineering: Engineering is a challenging, often demanding field.
Unexpected Pre-Law Majors
You can apply to law school with any academic background. In fact, if you’re planning on specializing in a specific legal industry (e.g., environmental, medical, intellectual property) you may find it helpful to build a background in that discipline before applying to law school.
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Below are a few of the more surprising majors from the pool of 2022 law school applicants:
- Astronomy: The award for least expected pre-law major goes to Astronomy
- Agronomy: A close runner-up is Agronomy, the study of crop and soil science.
- Dentistry: The third favorite underdog is Dentistry.Other unexpected majors include: Forestry, Architectural Engineering, Home Economics, Systems Control Engineering, and Speech.
The Importance of GPA and LSAT
When it comes to the law school admissions process, your GPA is one of the most critical components of your application, alongside your LSAT score. GPA and LSAT score remain the two key factors in your application. Also, research shows that STEM majors attain the highest scores on the LSAT. Since your LSAT score is an important factor in your application, as well as for getting law school scholarships, considering which majors will best prepare you for the LSAT could be another factor in your decision.
Admissions committees also consider factors like the rigor of your undergraduate institution, your major, grade trends, and overall academic improvement. Make sure you dedicate enough time to do well in each class so that your overall GPA remains high.
Speaking of LSAT scores, make sure you have the time to study for the LSAT, including taking an LSAT class. Khan Academy, for example, offers an official LSAT prep course that provides a personalized study plan and instant feedback. Take a LSAT practice test with us under the same conditions as the real thing.
Additional Ways to Prepare for Law School
Throughout your undergraduate studies, make sure you get to know your professors, especially in subject areas that interest you. Get to know your professors and form meaningful relationships with at least two or three of them.
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In addition to offering specialized areas of study, many law schools have instituted formal dual-degree programs that offer students the opportunity to pursue a JD while also working toward a Master's degree. Although the JD/MBA combination is the most popular joint-degree sought, many universities offer a JD program combined with Masters' degrees in public policy, public administration and social work, among others. Master of Studies in Law (MSL) programs can boost the careers of non-lawyers.
If you are serious about law school, take a double major. A double major, or even a single major with a strong concentration in a secondary subject, will make you that much more competitive. But be cautious. Some majors are easier than others to combine. For example, if you enjoy history, add a second major such as economics. Economics requires a strong quantitative component while history will require a lot of writing. Both skills are highly valued in the job market and by potential law schools. Even if you decide to work after graduation and attend law school at a later date, what you gain by taking harder classes will pay off when you take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).
Hands-on experience with the law through an internship or externship will provide you with invaluable experience for your resume and critical insight into your own future job preferences.
There are a lot of other ways you can prepare yourself for law school success, whether you’re in college or a working professional. Explore the role of law through undergraduate programs and courses taught by renowned faculty at a nationally top-ranked law school. Law affects everyone, and aspiring leaders can broaden their education by learning the legal concepts that shape our society. Gain an in-depth understanding of the legal system in this major designed for future leaders.
Law School Electives and Specializations
Law school electives can prepare you to practice in any number of legal fields. Most law school students either don’t know what type of law they want to specialize in when they arrive, or they change their focus over the course of their first two years. Law specializations list highlights some of the most popular types of law.
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Some popular law specializations include:
- Admiralty Law: Unlike many other law specialties, admiralty law has a very distinctive niche. It is now under the jurisdiction of the federal district courts.
- Business Law: Business law deals with any aspect of the law having to do with industry and commerce - from taxes and liability to licensing and trademarking.
- Constitutional Law: This topic of law is designed to preserve the relationships between state and federal governments (as well as the internal relationships) and protect the rights of the individual as well.
- Criminal Law: Criminal law revolves around governmental prosecution of anyone who is purported to have committed a criminal act, as defined by public law.
- Environmental Law: Environmental law mostly stems from a group of federal enactments passed in 1970 that forced agencies and businesses to take into account the effect of their practices on the environment.
- Health Law: Since it is primarily the state's duty to maintain public health, most heath laws and regulations are state-based. Federal health law centers on the Department of Health and Human Services, which is ultimately in charge of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
- Intellectual Property (IP) Law: Intellectual property (IP) law has seen tremendous growth in the past decade. It is a general category of law that deals with the acquisition and enforcement of patents, trademarks and copyrights. Intellectual property encompasses the exclusive rights to a registered idea, product, or name, and includes anything from words and symbols to Internet domain names. Patents grant an inventor a limited period of exclusive rights to a human-made invention or an improvement on an existing invention, providing the United States Patent and Trademark Office deems it worthy of both technical and legal merit. The patent bar exam has a much lower pass rate than most bar exams, and requires that examinees possess strong technical backgrounds.
Litigation is made possible by the First Amendment's right to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
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