Better prep for law school: philosophy/political science or philosophy/history?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the best lawyers I know majored in disciplines that demand and cultivate analytic skill, like chemistry, math, and music.

I'm a STEM major who went to law school and graduated at the top of my class.

I thought the law degree was easier than my undergrad degree.

My neighbor was advising my kid that getting a STEM degree would be a great major for undergrad and then going to law school. The STEM degree would be beneficial for understanding cases dealing with tech/science businesses or patents. He was an appeals attorney for death row inmates before retiring.

[Anonymous]

whatever will give them a higher GPA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just major in something you find interesting and know you will get easy As in.

Key advice: Go to a less rigorous college that offers great merit aid to save money, get As and focus on prepping for LSAT to get a high score, then get into a prestige law school and no one will ever care where you went to college. Grades plus LSAT matter more than your major or college.

FWIW, most of my peers at law school who attended a more rigorous undergrad had a much easier time doing well at law school.

I went to a T10 undergrad and law school, and to be honest, the hardest I ever worked was in high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Historians are excellent scholars. History.

While not all academic historians are great writers, among academics I find historians are the best writers.

Better than English profs?

Yes, I would say so, at least those who engage in literary/textual analysis (I'm not including the authors who teach creative writing).

I would add that English is much more "infected" by postmodernism, deconstructionism etc. I once heard that English has become a repository for bad history, bad philosophy and bad sociology.

In comparison history has retained traditional methodologies and approaches. It's rejected both the social science "imperialism" of trying to have universal laws etc. and academic fads in the humanities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I definitely see the value of philosophy: no area of study in the humanities and social sciences does better in teaching students to think critically and analytically. At least a minor in philosophy is useful. But in terms of political science or history, which is better as a background? Political science focuses largely on how institutions work and obviously understanding the workings of the state is helpful (but make sure to take some political theory courses too). History is good in terms of constructing narratives and careful documentation. Thoughts?

I majored in government (with a concentration in political theory). Also, English. Honestly, law is a new language. Philosophy doesn’t have much to do w civil procedure, contracts, torts. Constitutional Law is only first year class that is anything like political science or philosophy. Major in anything you have passion for. Any liberal arts course teaches critical thinking. There’s no magic, believe me. Law school to me (went to Columbia) was totally not intellectual a real disappointment. It’s a trade. Don’t overthink.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the best lawyers I know majored in disciplines that demand and cultivate analytic skill, like chemistry, math, and music.

I'm a STEM major who went to law school and graduated at the top of my class.

I thought the law degree was easier than my undergrad degree.

My neighbor was advising my kid that getting a STEM degree would be a great major for undergrad and then going to law school. The STEM degree would be beneficial for understanding cases dealing with tech/science businesses or patents. He was an appeals attorney for death row inmates before retiring.

Patent prosecution attorneys often have master's degrees or even PhDs but an undergrad degree could maybe help with patent litigation.

I didn't really end up using my undergraduate degree in law (I don't work in patents), but a previous commenter who mentioned being accustomed to work echoed my experience. I was used to long hours studying and in lab, so putting in the hours in law school wasn't difficult.

For what it's worth I did have a history minor and it was one of my history professors who suggested I might consider law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A friend who is far smarter than I am and got a phd in history from a top 10 school struggled mightily with law school and failed the bar.

Interesting. Why do you think that happened?

Because she wasn't naturally inclined to think like a lawyer. It's highly analytical. And plenty of people aren't inclined toward it.

[Anonymous]

whatever will give a higher GPA will be most useful for law school admission. whatever will teach them to write better will be most useful for being a lawyer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the best lawyers I know majored in disciplines that demand and cultivate analytic skill, like chemistry, math, and music.

I'm a STEM major who went to law school and graduated at the top of my class.

I thought the law degree was easier than my undergrad degree.

My neighbor was advising my kid that getting a STEM degree would be a great major for undergrad and then going to law school. The STEM degree would be beneficial for understanding cases dealing with tech/science businesses or patents. He was an appeals attorney for death row inmates before retiring.

For "cases"? Meh. That's what your experts are for.

[Anonymous]

It doesn’t even remotely matter. The top student in the law school class before me (a top 20 school) was a music major. The top student in my class was an engineering major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I definitely see the value of philosophy: no area of study in the humanities and social sciences does better in teaching students to think critically and analytically. At least a minor in philosophy is useful. But in terms of political science or history, which is better as a background? Political science focuses largely on how institutions work and obviously understanding the workings of the state is helpful (but make sure to take some political theory courses too). History is good in terms of constructing narratives and careful documentation. Thoughts?

I majored in government (with a concentration in political theory). Also, English. Honestly, law is a new language. Philosophy doesn’t have much to do w civil procedure, contracts, torts. Constitutional Law is only first year class that is anything like political science or philosophy. Major in anything you have passion for. Any liberal arts course teaches critical thinking. There’s no magic, believe me. Law school to me (went to Columbia) was totally not intellectual a real disappointment. It’s a trade. Don’t overthink.

There is a guy I work with who goes around saying "I have always said, the law is the death of the intellect!"

[Anonymous]

Journalism is great preparation for law school. Writing and interviewing skills are important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the best lawyers I know majored in disciplines that demand and cultivate analytic skill, like chemistry, math, and music.

I'm a STEM major who went to law school and graduated at the top of my class.

I thought the law degree was easier than my undergrad degree.

That's generally true, it's those that attended less rigorous institutions and less academically rigorous programs of study that really struggle. Of course it's difficult to graduate in the top ranks a T14 schools because everyone has high cognitive abilities and those in less serious programs and institutions don't get admitted in the first place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the best lawyers I know majored in disciplines that demand and cultivate analytic skill, like chemistry, math, and music.

I'm a STEM major who went to law school and graduated at the top of my class.

I thought the law degree was easier than my undergrad degree.

That's generally true, it's those that attended less rigorous institutions and less academically rigorous programs of study that really struggle. Of course it's difficult to graduate in the top ranks a T14 schools because everyone has high cognitive abilities and those in less serious programs and institutions don't get admitted in the first place.

Not true. If you have a high enough GPA and LSAT, no one cares where you went or what you studied. I had a fluff major at a liberal arts college and got into every T14. I knew plenty of people in law school who went to undergrads I’d never heard of and studied elementary ed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the best lawyers I know majored in disciplines that demand and cultivate analytic skill, like chemistry, math, and music.

I'm a STEM major who went to law school and graduated at the top of my class.

I thought the law degree was easier than my undergrad degree.

That's generally true, it's those that attended less rigorous institutions and less academically rigorous programs of study that really struggle. Of course it's difficult to graduate in the top ranks a T14 schools because everyone has high cognitive abilities and those in less serious programs and institutions don't get admitted in the first place.

Not true. If you have a high enough GPA and LSAT, no one cares where you went or what you studied. I had a fluff major at a liberal arts college and got into every T14. I knew plenty of people in law school who went to undergrads I’d never heard of and studied elementary ed.

Fashion merchandising?