Where to Study to Become a Lawyer
Be it to become an elite corporate lawyer or use legal knowledge against discrimination, a law degree is essential to success. In the US, one popular option for this path is Juris Doctorate (JD). But there are other degrees available globally as well.
Many students opt for majors such as English or political science at undergraduate level to develop the necessary skills for law school admissions. Other popular majors include history and arts & humanities.
History
Many have an incorrect impression that law degrees focus solely on contracts and moneymaking; however, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Law encompasses an incredibly broad field spanning everything from international, criminal and family law through administrative law (how the government solves problems), jurisprudence (the study of what constitutes law) and contract law.
History and law provide a fantastic opportunity to deepen our understanding of how law has evolved over time and the impact that social change is having on current laws we abide by today.
If you have an interest in this area of study, enrolling in a few courses could be highly beneficial. You will develop skills such as reading and contextualizing evidence, considering multiple perspectives, framing arguments effectively and expressing them – skills highly sought after by lawyers and administrators in all branches of law.
Not surprisingly, many law school entrance classes feature history majors as part of their entry requirements. History degrees give students the skills needed to analyse and interpret complex subjects while writing clearly and succinctly – all essential skills for legal work success.
Lawyers spend much of their day reading and taking in new information – whether that be legislation updates, case files or documents to review for due diligence purposes. A history degree equips students to quickly read text quickly while understanding context quickly while keeping track of large volumes of data – skills which will prove invaluable when they enter the legal profession.
If you are curious to gain more insight into the intersection between history and law, NYU Law offers an integrated JD/PhD program where students can earn degrees in both fields simultaneously. Furthermore, HLS boasts an expansive offering of foundational and advanced courses in history as well as seminars related to legal history – please see their Course Catalog for further details.
Arts and Humanities
Arts and humanities provide invaluable training for legal profession. Indeed, law and the arts share a longstanding mutually beneficial relationship and cross-fertilisation; both fields often deal with questions of how society should work or which values are important; lawyers needing to understand cultural context of work while the humanities equip them to read, write and think analytically.
Law and the arts share a mutual goal: creating justice through correct procedure. Therefore, many skills learned in humanities studies – like reading and writing – are indispensable when becoming a lawyer. Art may even prove more beneficial than natural sciences for developing critical thinking abilities and the capacity to evaluate arguments properly.
As such, arts and humanities majors tend to perform better on the LSAT than students specializing in science, math or business studies. Though the ABA doesn’t recommend or mandate particular undergraduate classes or majors as preparation for law school enrollment, they do encourage choosing courses which engage them while simultaneously helping prepare them for its rigors.
An arts and humanities degree can open doors in numerous fields, from publishing and education to non-profit work and non-governmental agencies. Many careers don’t require further degrees; however, for certain positions requiring one a master’s or advanced law degree may be required.
Students majoring in arts and humanities can complete a bachelor’s degree in as little as four years compared to six for most other disciplines, making the transition into the workforce much faster for graduates.
The Yale Journal of Law & the Humanities is one of the premier journals exploring the intersection between law and the humanities. Published peer-reviewed work includes both original research as well as shorter works such as book reviews, exhibition and concert reviews and conference reports that showcase best practice in law & the humanities teaching and learning.
Pre-Law Majors
Aspiring lawyers should focus on academic and extracurricular experiences that develop their reading, technical writing, analysis and research skills as well as communication and persuasion abilities; since communication and persuasion form the backbone of legal work. Since law schools do not mandate specific undergraduate coursework before admission to law school, applicants come from many academic fields including English literature, history, political science and philosophy (among many other majors) plus those with legal content – some colleges provide pre-law programs while most offer wide variety of classes to help prepare their future studies before enrolling.
Many students opt for pre-law degrees to demonstrate their commitment to law as a profession, yet law schools prefer applicants who demonstrate true passion for this field by majoring in something that will help them achieve excellent grades – majoring in pre-law won’t suffice as proof!
Law degrees require excellent written and oral communication skills, making studying subjects like journalism, creative writing or English essential for honing these abilities. Many colleges also offer courses in public speaking or drama to develop these essential abilities – these may also help you become more comfortable addressing clients, judges and juries. A law degree also necessitates being able to analyze and solve problems effectively; taking courses in mathematics and science could prove particularly useful.
Engaging with the community through volunteering or joining a debate/speech team is also crucial to becoming a lawyer, and will likely give you an edge against competition when applying to law schools.
If you are uncertain of which major to pursue, college counselors can provide invaluable assistance in helping identify your strengths and weaknesses as well as suggest courses to enhance those strengths. They may also help find internships or summer jobs which will demonstrate your interest in the field and strengthen law school applications. Remember that law schools take into consideration a range of factors when accepting applicants – these may include LSAT scores, GPAs and personal written statements when making their decisions.
Undergraduate Degrees
Finding the appropriate undergraduate major depends on an individual’s personal and professional goals. While some pre-law students select majors based on what other law school applicants may major in, selecting an undergraduate degree that corresponds with one’s existing interests could result in a higher GPA as well as improving performance on both LSAT and bar exams.
Undergraduate business majors often find success when applying to law school, thanks to topics like financial analysis, business processes and negotiation. Such programs provide excellent preparation for those interested in intellectual property law, tax law or corporate law careers.
Political science and psychology undergraduate degrees that make an excellent foundation for law school are also popular choices, including political science. Political science courses emphasize governing systems and legislation while psychology classes examine human behaviors like how they perceive law. Both degrees provide future lawyers an understanding of the legal system’s role in combating issues like discrimination, civil rights violation and criminal activities.
Arts and humanities degrees provide a strong base for future attorneys, offering courses such as linguistics, literature, history and music studies – which can give prospective lawyers valuable knowledge regarding courtroom languages used and what constitutes persuasive arguments.
Pursuing an undergraduate degree in the arts and humanities provides applicants with not only a broad base of knowledge, but can also increase their critical thinking abilities, information analysis skills and ability to communicate effectively – three skills essential for lawyers.
Law school degrees include either the Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) or Master of Laws (LLM), with JD being designed for attorneys specializing in certain fields of the law while LLM allows attorneys who already hold JDs to hone expertise in specific areas, such as environmental or international law. According to the American Bar Association, below are several undergraduate degrees that prepare students for legal careers: