Best major for law school

[Anonymous]

NP but I also transferred from a middling law school to a top 14.

First, at least when I applied long ago you did not want to take the LSAT more than once if you could help it, they looked at all scores. It is not like the SAT.

I was an art student with a mediocre GPA and a stellar LSAT (99th percentile, it was a different scale). I was the top student in my first year of law school and graduated top 10% from my top 14 law school. See comments above about that law just makes sense to some people.

Re transfer timing, I am pretty sure I applied over the summer, but again it was the dark ages.

FWIW re all the negative comments about law, this is why it is useful to see if the logic of law makes sense to you and think about what you will do with it. I am in public policy and my job is great.

If I were choosing an undergrad major now I would choose PPE or public policy, but my 18 year old self would probably have flunked out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A ton of attorneys major in Poli Sci. It's fine. I don't necessarily think it gives a leg up in admissions or in school other than she is more likely to understand certain aspects of Con Law and possibly Criminal Law but that's not worth determining a major. I would encourage her to major in something that translates to a career path should she not decide to go to law school.

- Attorney poli sci major

Please, please, please do not follow this advice. Law schools hate this as much as they hate courses in "business law".

NP. Can you expand? What do they hate about this? I took two Con Law classes as an undergrad and they were probably the only two classes I felt like directly applied to my law school classes. I am very glad I took them.

[Anonymous]

History or political science are good choices. The style of writing transfers better than English.

[Anonymous]

math, specifically pure math

really teaches thought processes necessary for law school success

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone in my family is a lawyer. You can major in anything. Psychology, Spanish, drama, journalism, accounting, economics, English, art history, advertising, biology, computer science, etc.

Why the need for an undergraduate degree? Couldn't people just start law school straight out of high school?

Artificial barriers to prop up wages.

Yep-- classic gate keeping.

Another example of gate keeping is law school itself-- why do state bar associations require law school degree? Why not allow folks to apprentice for a few years with an experienced attorney and self study to take the bar exam? I know some states used to allow this, but I'm not sure any still allow it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:math, specifically pure math

really teaches thought processes necessary for law school success

Math is terrible for law because the law is illogical and inconsistent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A ton of attorneys major in Poli Sci. It's fine. I don't necessarily think it gives a leg up in admissions or in school other than she is more likely to understand certain aspects of Con Law and possibly Criminal Law but that's not worth determining a major. I would encourage her to major in something that translates to a career path should she not decide to go to law school.

- Attorney poli sci major

Please, please, please do not follow this advice. Law schools hate this as much as they hate courses in "business law".

NP. Can you expand? What do they hate about this? I took two Con Law classes as an undergrad and they were probably the only two classes I felt like directly applied to my law school classes. I am very glad I took them.

It challenges their monopoly on legal education. If enough people figure out that you can learn law in college, the government might end the Bar Association's licensing cartel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is interested in going to law school. Was previously marketing major but switching now but doesn’t know which one will be good for a high gpa but also good preparation to get into a t14 law school preferably. Any advice? She is going into her sophomore year of college

Former marketing major is unlikely to get into a T14. Why did she want to be a marketing major in the first place? That isn't where the most academically able students congregate.

Elle Woods did!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It used to be that accounting and econ majors did the best in law school grade wise but not sure if it is still true. Still, the law sucks and law school is a disappointment. Don’t go.

Signed,

Happily making 7 figures without ever having practiced!

I have never read or heard this before your post. How do you know this ? TIA

NP. Yeah, this doesn't add up for me -- the people who "did the best in law school" were the ones who have natural analytical ability; they already "think like a lawyer" and don't need to be taught. That doesn't run with any particular major.

It runs with philosophy to some extent.

PP. I'll agree with that. Having studied some logic undergrad was helpful.