What should you do during your undergraduate years to get ready or have the best chances? See below – click the questions to see the answers!
What major should I choose if I want to go to law school?
There is no required major for law school admission. There is also no preferred major for law school admissions. Law schools do not care what you majored in, your major will not affect your admissions chances at all. Almost any major you choose will help you develop at least some skills that will be useful in law school. A degree in Political Science or Criminal Justice will in many ways be just as useful as a degree in English or Philosophy, or even Chemistry. No undergraduate degree will preclude you from going to law school, and no undergraduate degree will perfectly prepare you for law school or legal practice. So, don’t worry about it!
Choose a major in which you can perform well and which will give you other career options if for any reason you do not attend law school. Many students start out thinking that law school is right for them, but end up not attending for many different reasons. Pick a path that will give you options and flexibility no matter how your future shapes out.Okay, my major isn’t important, but are there specific classes I should take if I want to go to law school?
First things first, searching for easy classes is a mistake. Many of these classes are hard – but they are still much easier than law school. It is better to discover now that the material is not for you or that you don’t like the workload, rather than once you have paid money to a law school and set aside a year or more of your life. If you cannot handle a heavy load of reading and writing at the undergraduate level, law school will only be much harder,
That said, there are some classes you should take, but not because they will help you get in to law school (they won’t). You should pick classes to help you get an idea of whether law school is right for you, to help you develop skills that are useful in law school, and to broaden your horizons and challenge you to think intensely and creatively.
Classes every pre-law student should take:
#1. POLS 3145 – Intro to American Law. This class is a condensed version of the first year curriculum of law school, covering things like contracts, torts, family law, property, and criminal law. This class is the best way to get a small taste of law school and determine if it is right for you. Students will practice law school skills like reading and analyzing judicial cases.
#2 POLS 4130 Constitutional Law & POLS 4131 Civil Liberties and Rights. Constitutional Law is a required course in law school, and these two courses cover the major areas of Constitutional Law. 4130 will cover the foundations, limits, and structure of government power, and 4131 covers issues including equal protection, freedom of speech and religion, and voting rights. Students will practice law school skills like reading and analyzing judicial cases.
#3 PHIL 3820
#4 POLS 3140 – Judicial Process and Courts. While the other listed courses focus on the rules and substance of the laws, 3140 focuses on how courts actually work, the structure of the judicial system, the division of responsibilities between state and federal court or trial and appellate court, how to have a case heard by a court, etc.
Other classes to consider:
- Any class that focuses on the law or legal system is likely to provide at least some content that will be helpful exposure to the law. Classes offered in Criminal Justice or Legal Studies are often appropriate, and many departments such as History, Sociology, or Business may have a class or two focused on looking at the legal system through their particular lens. One good place to look for relevant classes is via the Law and Society catalog – even if you’re not a Law and Society major.
- Classes that emphasize writing and critical reading skills. Reading and writing are a huge percentage of every lawyer’s job. Lawyers spend far more time reading complex material and writing than they do in court. Take classes that push you to become a better writer, particularly of non-fiction, non-poetic writing, especially when those classes are hard.