Law career question

[Logain]

I'm looking towards perhaps a career in law, and I was just wondering what a good undergraduate program would be to pursue? This is all very iffy and I'm just looking for a general idea of what direction it is good to go.

[Abagadro]

Biology or Engineering of some sort.

[Nazrat]

Anything that you enjoy and in an area where you will make a good GPA.

If you are looking to do patent work, you need to get a science or engineering degree.  Otherwise, get a degree that requires you to do a lot of reading and critical thinking, ie. logic, philosophy, history, poli sci. 

In any case, you need to distinguish yourself as an undergrad in your field.  You need something that makes them look up from the thousandth application and say, "Wow, look at this kid."

In my experience, the only way to distinguish yourself in that way is to really enjoy your major.  Suffering through someone else's idea of the right path makes for a long 4 years.  Remember, if you later find out that law school isn't your thing, you are stuck with your undergraduate degree.  Find one you can live with even if  law school falls through.

[daveNYC]

Anything that will give you a 4.0 (other than underwater basket weaving).

I'd guess that extra-curricular activities are more important than your specific degree.

[Abagadro]

Law school admissions are virtually 100% based upon GPA and LSAT.  Neither the type of degree or your extracuriculars (what exactly are those is college other than banging chicks and drinking anyways?) will matter much for admissions.

I should elaborate on my response above.  If neither of those things interest you, obviously don't get them as you will be miserable and as nazrat said, you will get bad grades. 

My rationale is this:  If you get a standard liberal arts degree (poli-sci, history, etc.) this will not give you any advantage in law school or in practicing law.  I really don't think they teach you anything in those majors that give you a leg up (except maybe writing skills, but law writing is so specialized they teach it to you all over again anyways).  If you have a science degree you will come into law school just as prepared as the poli-sci dude, but you will have the advantage of going into a wider variety of legal areas that that person will.  So i think that your undergrad degree is  more a matter of having more options for practicing than actually helping you in law school. This does assume nazrat's point that you at least like the area and are capable of doing well in it.

[Flashman]

Abagadro is 100% correct. Take what you like for undergrad. A science degree is great if that's the field you see yourself practicing law. Otherwise, it makes no difference. Just get good grades and ace the LSAT.
 

[Jayce]

I feel mildly uneasy about the sheer number of lawyers that seem to grace these boards. 

Everytime someone asks a law school question, Abagadro answers, then about 3 more lawyers I wasn't previously aware of post also.

[Nazrat]

I feel mildly uneasy about the sheer number of lawyers that seem to grace these boards. 

Everytime someone asks a law school question, Abagadro answers, then about 3 more lawyers I wasn't previously aware of post also.

Lawyers are people too.   

Don't believe the tort reform movement.  Many of us are actually nice people who have real lives and play games for fun.

[CmdrSlack]

I had a double major in English and German.

My GPA was good, I destroyed the LSAT.  I got into a law school.

I'm now wishing I"d taken a science major because for some reason, at least in Illinois, it's nigh impossible to get in with an intellectual property firm because I cannot take the patent bar.

Take what you think is fun.  Science will increase your marketability, but who knows, if you're just in HS, you have plenty of time and the market coulda changed by then.

Make sure your undergrad degree provides a "fall back" job you can tolerate if the job market is still as asstastic when you get out of law school as it is now.

[El Gallo]

I agree with everyone above.  If you are interested in IP, do science or engineering if you do well at it.  Otherwise, just do whatever you want and do decently.  The LSAT is by far the most important factor.  I went to a very marginal undergrad institution as a philosophy/music major and my wife went to a music conservatory.  We both got accepted by a number of very competitive schools, including our first choice [Not bragging, just info, nothing lamer than a credentialist on the internet].  Majoring in something off-the-wall is probably a little  bit of a boost, since they like to have a diverse class, but it isn't as big a boost as, say, being an olympic athelete or coming from west bumble Idaho, both of which will give you a nice bump with admissions.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you might someday decide you don't want to go to law school or be a lawyer.  In that case, you might want a degree that can pay your rent on its own.

[CmdrSlack]

I agree with everyone above.  If you are interested in IP, do science or engineering if you do well at it.  Otherwise, just do whatever you want and do decently.  The LSAT is by far the most important factor.  I went to a very marginal undergrad institution as a philosophy/music major and my wife went to a music conservatory.  We both got accepted by a number of very competitive schools, including our first choice [Not bragging, just info, nothing lamer than a credentialist on the internet].  Majoring in something off-the-wall is probably a little  bit of a boost, since they like to have a diverse class, but it isn't as big a boost as, say, being an olympic athelete or coming from west bumble Idaho, both of which will give you a nice bump with admissions.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you might someday decide you don't want to go to law school or be a lawyer.  In that case, you might want a degree that can pay your rent on its own.

Or you might decide that you have a law degree and hate lawyering....in which case, it's good to have another marketable skillset. 

[Flashman]

Stuff

Or you might decide that you have a law degree and hate lawyering..... 

Heh. That describes 95% of the lawyers I know.

[Nazrat]

And every John Grisham book.

[El Gallo]

Or you might decide that you have a law degree and hate lawyering..... 
Heh. That describes 95% of the lawyers I know.

Amen.

[SirBruce]

That's okay; 95% of the non-laywers hate lawyering, too. :)

Bruce

[Strazos]

How does applying with Master's factor in?

[CmdrSlack]

A second GPA that needs to be good?

There's plenty of people in law school with too many degrees.

So with a Master's, you'd fit right in.

[Flashman]

A second GPA that needs to be good?

There's plenty of people in law school with too many degrees.

hahaha so true.

In my class we has a handful of actual MD's. Imagine that. college-medical school-residency-law school. And these people had done that in order. So, they were essentially in school/training from 18 to their mid 30's. Bet they got one hell of a job though.

[MahrinSkel]

In my class we has a handful of actual MD's. Imagine that. college-medical school-residency-law school. And these people had done that in order. So, they were essentially in school/training from 18 to their mid 30's. Bet they got one hell of a job though.

Malpractice law, either side (depending on whether you prefer big bucks or security).  Lots of money, most cases settled without having to go to a jury, more like a chess game than anything else.  It's all about showing that at some point, the doctor diverged from the standard course of treatment (or that he didn't, if you're playing defense).  If the plaintiff's attourney ever manages to gather proof of that, the only thing left to work out is how much the settlement will be for.  It's easier for a lawyer to do that if they are well acquainted with medical practice, in a way that only hands-on experience can make them.

--Dave (not a lawyer, but I know one well)