lmiles08

i know that i want to study law but what do i need to study before entering law school?should i get a degree in pre-law?should i get a degree in business? i really have no clue about what to study for the 4 years that i go to school before then. i know i want it to help me with law school. my friend is going to study business and get a 4 year degree in business but i also know that there is a pre-law program and that sounds like it would greatly help prepare me for law school. what should i do????

theory5

Engineering/Sciences OR WHATEVER YOU WANT!

If you want to go into Intellectual Property law (patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights) I suggest you get an engineering degree or some sort of science degree (physics would be great or chemistry). Why? Because then you are eligible to take the patent bar which would make you more marketable!!!

I just finished specializing in IP law but am not eligible for the patent bar because I don't have a science background. So I definitely suggest the science/engineering route!

On the other hand...pre-law is GREAT because you can basically major in WHATEVER you want. I majored in English Lit as an undergrad (don't judge my abilities by this late night typing while on Nyquil!). My passion was Jane Austen, Thackarey, Tolstoy, etc...so I was able to enjoy my undergrad years and still acquire a lucrative degree later on. So my suggestion is...study whatever you have a passion for! In the end what most matters is your gpa and LSAT score (I am being 100% serious). Oh and if you happen to have a rough freshman year and end up graduation with a 2.6 or 2.7...you can still attend a good law school!!! HOW??? You study your tush off in order to get a GREAT LSAT score. If you're able to get over a 165 you are set no matter what your gpa looks like!

nocturn

You should study what interests you

Law school is mostly based on (not completely) GPA and LSAT. That means you should study in anything that interests you so that you can do well in college. With that said, you should also show that you are really interested in law school, which usually requires good writing skill, reading skill, and logic application. Therefore, pre-law may be a good major along with another major that interests you.

If you want to be a patent attorney, you will have to major in science or computer, or you will not be able to take the patent bar exam.

Business is a pretty good major because you can elect more business writing classes and business law classes to prepare you for the law school. Of course, getting a CPA or an accounting degree will not hurt if you are interested in practicing corporate law.

rbrad227

I'm a new college freshman, planning on law school in the future. What do I do now?
The short answer, one that eventually will greatly distinguish you down the road, is....get great grades. Get great grades. The common pattern of GPAs of college students seeking law school admission in the future, is a bumpy first year, with relatively lower grades, followed by progressively improving grades in the second, third and fourth years of college. But it is clearly those applicants with the very highest GPAs (meaning high grades during the freshman year, as well as the rest of their college years) who break into the top ten--especially the top five--elite law schools. If Yale, Stanford and Harvard have law schools with enrolling student classes in the 3.8 GPA range, you can't afford too many grades lower than an "A".

So, if you want to be the most effective future competitor for a spot at an elite law school, stay focused now, in your freshman year, on all your courses. Do what gets measured. Attend all your classes. Get to know your professors. Do all your reading. Contribute positively to class discussions. Prepare thoroughly for each exam. Seek to discover what your professors' old exams are like. Perhaps they are on file at your school in a way that is accessible to you, such as at your school's library.

In addition, move forward in other ways. Engage your college's community in a creative way. Get involved in activities and projects of interest to you, especially if they can be law-related. Some examples: offer volunteer service to a local legal aid clinic. Just walk in, introduce yourself, and use the magic "v" word: "I'm a new college freshman at (name your school) and I want to volunteer some time to your organization." The doors will spring open. You may be doing low-level clerical work at first, but stay with it, and you will climb the learning curve, and begin to learn the work of the lawyers there. Make yourself indispensable there, with the time you have to give.

Or pick a political or social cause of interest to you, on campus or in the surrounding community. What are you passionate about? What changes would you like to see made to society? What are the organization's lawyers doing? How does the current state of the law affect things? Join in and help out. In the internet age, your potential field of influence is global.

For more assistance in making your plans for law school, please see my website www.PrelawAdvisor.com.

posted by Brad Dobeck

tast604

Something that will help you think and demonstrate your logic ability

A degree in electrical engineering is looked at more favorably than a degree in music because it demonstrates your ability to think and your ability to solve problems logically.

Of course you should do something that interests you, but if you are asking this question, then I am guessing that you don't have a very very strong interest in one particular subject. I would recommend MIS in business because then if you want to be a patent attorney, you can just take more computer classes. however, if you want to stay in business, you can still do so.

Also, it can demonstrate your ability to think logically, and thus getting you the credit you need from law school admission office!