I'm an attorney. Undergraduate majors are irrelevant. I was an English major. We had chemistry majors, a black studies major (he was white), business majors, etc. It comes down to whether you have good communication and reasoning skills. Fast reading and good comprehension are the keys.
Take a bar review course before you go to law school and have a mentor/upper class law student who is willing to explain what law school professors always fail to explain: how to write essay issue spotting exams.
I feel like majors like History, Political Science, Philosophy, English Lit, Sociology, Law and Justice/Criminology/Criminal Science/Criminal Justice (whatever your school calls it), Public Policy (if your undergrad offers it), Psychology. All perfect majors that cover at least SOME of the things that you will need to know for the LSAT and even during Law school.
I studied history during the undergraduate and I found History major is well-prepared for law schools. It trains your ability in writing, reading comprehension, research, and logical reasoning, basically everything you need for law schools.
Do you think English literature is good for these abilities? I'm actually interested in English and I want to become a lawyer. Do you think it's a good idea to study English in college? I've heard it's good but is that gonna train my abilities in certain things I probably need in a law school?
@@hehehig Heyy so I’m not in uni yet obv but from what I’ve heard, English is a very common major for undergrad before law. Your writing will definitely be tested regularly and will improve significantly because with English, you’re basically always reading, writing, and interpreting texts, which are all skills you need in law school. For me, I definitely want to do law, but I’ve been pretty stressed these past couple days because I have no idea what I wanna do for my undergrad. So I guess forget about what’ll prepare you best because as he said in the video, nothing really can. Choose whatever you like, but something with a lot of reading and writing would be better
My husband is a nurse and he’s looking into law school. He’s always wanted to be a lawyer but his parents kind of pushed him into nursing. He thought he was stuck with nursing but I reminded him that you don’t need to have a particular degree to apply to law school. Thanks for information you provide on this channel. I’d love to know more about how you get a job after law school, different types of lawyers, etc.
Personally, I would say to pick a major that you're actually interested in not just because it will help you get good grades but, also you never know if during your undergrad years you might decide you don't want to go to law school anymore. It would suck to end up with a major you picked just to help prepare for law school and then not going to law school. Long story short unless your 1000000% sure you want to go to law school, just study something that genuinely interests you, and you think would be useful to you in the future, regardless of whether you go to law school or not. That's just my take on it tho
I would also add that it also works becauae the law profession itself is so split up that your career as a lawyer might actually have something to do with your major in UG.
@@gabrielsilvas692 except, this user worded it in a way that helped me take away something different than what I did just from the video: to study something that genuinely interests you, as in you would be satisfied with having studied it and whether or not you proceed to law school is irrelevant.
Oou, I was thinking of double majoring in philosophy and poli-sci too. Is the work an overload? Has it been super stressful? and do you have a minor? Do you have time for side hobbies or a part time job?
Im also majoring in Poli-Sci. I find it really interesting on how things operate and the theories behind them. Plus, I like to piss people off when I start picking apart their arguments.
If you want to really split hairs, the Socratic dialogues don't feature discussions between Socrates and Plato either. While Plato likely witnessed these dialogues, they are mostly between Socrates and Socrates' acquaintances whom he met in a variety of ways (i.e. they were not all "disciples").
I agree with this advice, but I should point out that my major, philosophy, totally taught me how to think like a lawyer... or at least the beginnings of it. Logic, rhetoric, hypotheticals, that's all philosophy. "Jurisprudence" means legal philosophy. Also, Aristotle was not a student of Socrates, he was a student of Plato and Plato was a student of Socrates.
@John R Watters II I would also add that a basic background in science is helpful. You need to be able to read and evaluate technical expert writing, even if you are not an expert yourself. If you want to go into patent work, there are minimum science requirements for that which are more rigorous. In terms of usefulness of this stuff, during law school, I was one of the few people who understood the Rule Against Perpetuities easily off the bat. I wrote it down in formal first order logic and that was all the notes I needed on the subject.
@@az-yz4sy I took 2 400 level logic classes (1st order logic and modal logic) and both were cross listed between math and philosophy. I also took math up through Diff EQ and Group Theory. I can't say much of the math has been directly useful (the logic has), but getting comfortable with rigorous analytics certainly has been useful.
@@az-yz4sy Just to be clear, the logic was useful directly. The Differential equations and group theory were interesting and helped me learn to be rigorous about complex topics, but they don't apply that often in the law.
I’m a philosophy major and I never considered going into law school until every one questioned me if I was planning to go into law school. I was like: why? I’m majoring in it because I like the critical thinking associated with it but the plan is med school. I found out through my philosophy professors that those that major in philosophy scores the highest on exams like the LSAT, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, etc.
Is it better to study a harder undergraduate that gives you good job security (in case you don't go to law school), or an easy undergraduate that has no job security but gives you a better GPA for law?
That is a great question. I can tell you with my own experience, job security matters. My three bachelors didn’t provide me with the ability to get a good job. I was forced to go to law school. I have since graduated from law school and is waiting to take the bar. I still find it difficult to get a job that can pay my bills, which are even bigger now that I have more student loans. It does also depend on where you live and the local economy too though. Good luck to you.
@@handsomeunnie you get a bachelors degree in any major of your choice, take the LSAT exam, apply to law school and attend that school for approx 3yrs, pass bar exam and depending on your branch of law you may need additional certification
@@handsomeunnie you cannot become an attorney by a bachelors of law, you can take prelaw/CJ courses and get your degree there but they typically score much lower grades throughout law school
I majored in philosophy and political science. The philosophy major required that I take an upper division course in formal logic, which I found to be tremendously helpful in preparing me for the LSAT. Philosophy majors also spend their time analyzing and constructing arguments, thinking critically, and writing long essays packed with cogent arguments. As for the poli sci major, perhaps I am biased, but I think it provided me with an edge over those who majored in other disciplines like English or the sciences.
4 years late but did you major in philosophy and minor in poli sci? also my dad is a very STEM heavy person and is dead set on my going down a STEM route especially engineering, but i want to take your exact route (major in philosophy and minor in poli sci and go to law) how can i convince him that philosophy will actually help me and isn’t a useless major? thanks
just finished my first year of undergrad. Initially, I wanted to double major in History and English. But I didn't enjoy the introductory History course and now plan on changing to an English specialist instead and might minor in classical civilization. Many people told me to major in Political Science or Philosophy because they believe these two majors are critical in preparation for Law school. It's true that it really depends on you and your interests. Instead of trying to choose what major or degree prepares you the most, improving your reading comprehension, and writing(style & skills) is essential. Although I don't have much experience to be giving tips and this seems to be obvious to most people, I learned the hard way. To all the high school students that might read this comment. READ READ READ. Read anything you can get your hands on. Books, magazines, scholarly articles...Speed reading is crucial in undergrad and even more in Law School. Also, by reading more you pick up more vocabulary and improve your overall writing style. I would also recommend taking essay writing classes, before undergrad and some are even taught by university professors. LOVE YOUR VIDEOS
Sep G I’m planning on getting a degree in pre law poly science. I have talked to counselors and teachers (internships are provided and relevant coursework for law school)
Philosophy is helpful because that field fine tunes your critical thinking and reading skills while political science teaches the influence between government and law. I would go with philosophy out of the two. However, I would go with STEM or business. STEM does yield a lower GPA but there is more rigor and more critical thinking. Also, there are plenty of opportunities in patent and IP. Business is very analytical (especially Accounting and Finance) and lots of law is tied to business.
currently studying philosophy and public speaking in hopes for law school, ur videos have been really nice to get myself excited for the concept of going into law!
I signed up for a degree in English and literary studies. It helped a lot because we were tasked with reading a lot of books and novels each semester,oral communication for speaking purposes and we were also taught on research methods. English was indeed a very lovely course as it has helped to improve my diction and expanded my knowledge in many areas
Thank you this video has helped put me at ease as a computer science and philosophy major. I’ve been on edge about how beneficial or harmful it may be.
Yeah I'm jealous... I am doing econ and psyc rn.... wish i did double econ and comp sci instead, so i could have taken the patent bar exam as well. good luck to you!
I am a senior in high school. I have always had a fascination with both law and Computer Science. To me this really has helped me because I have always felt that I must choose one or the other for college, but now I know that is not the case and I am going to peruse both fascinations!
It’s 3:00 am here. I couldn’t sleep because of my thinking. I just wanna say thank you! You made me wanna work hard on my major and I wanna study so hard until I finish my four years and I will go raid my bout with everybody else! Law school!
I’m hopefully starting law school fall of 20/20 and I’m a double major in philosophy and psychology. I started with philosophy but added psychology late in the game because I love it. I also love most philosophy. Everything is so metaphorical that you’re forced to read between the lines , research, and think abstractly. I also read that philosophy students statistically score best on the lsat. So there’s that.
I’m a first year student, starting college in the fall. Currently, I’ve chosen Philosophy and Economics as my majors. How is double majoring working for you? And how is the course load for Philosophy? I feel extremely lost because I don’t know what to expect.
I want to go to law school & i'm currently working on my undergrad degree in history. From my research, this is a good major for prospective law students as it'll teach you how to write, read a large volume of information, and research skills.
I was a nurse who always knew i wanted to be a lawyer. Now i work at the top law firms in New York and I really enjoy my life. I have found the thing that us for me.
Your degree does matter for those of you interested in Patent Law. A hard science degree is required to be eligible for the patent bar. In the current market, a degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science will serve you best but the others will work as well (I was a Mechanical).
It's sad that this is an accurate view of how law school views students. Major doesn't matter. It should, but it doesn't. The answer is philosophy. Without a doubt. Philosophy teaches you to write impeccably, reason well, think in depth about moral dilemmas, speak with precision, and read dry, dense, complex material and still be somewhat fascinated by it. If you hate your experience getting a bachelors in philosophy, then you'll likely hate law school and being a lawyer.
Are you a lawyer and did you major in philosophy? I'm a high school student and law is a very attractive field to me. However, I have been recommenced English as a major as well as poly sci but never philosophy. Can you tell me more about why philosophy is the best major to go into in prep for law school.
I majored in philosophy back in college and currently a 1L. I had high hopes that I'd somewhat kick ass in law school. But law school is definitely a different beast. The first few weeks to a month of law school was quite difficult for me. It requires different methods compared to how I did it back in undergrad. But later on it got better if not best. I get to impress my professors in my recitations as well as my classmates. It's pretty good and I get to finally relate or channel it to how I studied back in college. Oh and I have professors who were philosophy graduates too and they went on and became lawyers. They're really good, competent, and sharp.
I had no idea what major I wanted to do other than law, so I went to the UK where law is an undergraduate degree and will be practicing in London in August!
I have a major in English, a minor in Philosophy, and a creative writing certificate. Yes! I love it (I am in my last semester before Law school), and I wouldn't have changed it for anything. I have excellent grades (grades are like bank accounts; it's not respectful to mention). If I took history or science because someone once told me that these two subjects help teach a person to think better (realistically), I would have been miserable. I still cannot wait to graduate into law school; I have been reading law books for fun for about three years now, and I love it (I find the cases to be as beautiful and filled with lessons that are better than fiction. :)
Something inside me wants to be a lawyer, but Im scared because my grammar is horrible. But this coming semester I took AA Speech Communication to polish my orator skills and take as many writing and english class as possible, I'm even taking ESL Lol. Do you think focusing on my weaknesses is also a good strategy?
Spending time working on your writing or speaking skills is a good investment no matter what field you go into. Good writers and good public speakers always stand out because most people are bad writers and are afraid of public speaking. Lawyers put an even higher premium on those skills.
Kylee Tijamo I am doing the same. I want to be a lawyer since long time but my English grammar is horrible. I am planning to get English classes to overcome it
Current mechanical engineer undergrad considering law because if I fail law school, I have a very good backup career on deck. I’m in a 5 year program designed to give me 18 months of internship experience. 3 months in now. If I’m getting this idea now I’m wondering if I’m just young and dumb or maybe I just hate my job that much 😅
The university education system in the U.S. is crazy! Here in Europe, the Czech Republic at least, you go to a five-year law school straight after high school. The workload during those five years is enormous, including a 100-page (maybe more) thesis at the end of the fifth year and the final exam that is unheard of in the U.S. But then you get your MA degree and you can practice law, once you have also passed the bar.
I am in law school now. I am in my third semester. My legal studies courses went over some of the same subjects as my actual J.D. program. Some of the best students I know GPA wise also had legal studies degrees and already knew things like consideration (contracts), proximate vs. actual cause, and important aspects of Constitutional Law like Due Process. It is a huge advantage if your Legal Studies courses actually teach you law, and not just philosophy.
I’m planning on going to law school and majoring and political science currently. The same notion goes for pre-med, my dad majored in English and went to med school, it comes down to if you have an interest and passion for law
I’m planning on getting a degree in linguistics, I feel like it will help me, and it seems really interesting! After I get my degree, I’m going to go to law school, then pass the bar!
Poli-sci student here! Pre-law B.A. However, when I chose my degree I had not yet decided to attend law school, but, once I got into classes, I quickly realized that I finally wanted to take my parents advice and become a lawyer. They’ve told me since I was 3 that I would be a lawyer someday. Something about me being a little sh*t that argued over every little thing.
Thank you Legal Eagle. But, I think the consensus is that Philosophy is one of the more popular majors. Having studied it myself I believe that it indeed reigns supreme. But, if you have time pick up a philosophy book for table talk and you might find yourself really interested in the subject matter. Philosophy itself is great and one of my favorite philosophers was Aristotle.
I would say accounting, finance, or a business STEM major would be a great major for law school, it’s a fantastic balance between difficulty and application.
I would recommend Philosophy. Most of the LSAT was formal logic and law school writings are basic deductive arguments with an added technical layer of applying rules to facts. In a sense, the law, at least the theoretical aspects focused on in law school, is basically philosophy applied in real life.
I’m a politics & law major, I’m also a history buff. Nonetheless I do want to become a lawyer and hopefully of owning my own law firm in life that’s what I’m striving for, also almost done with undergrad and we’ll see where this goes.
I’m going into economics for my Major to become a lawyer. I wish there was more information on economics but I have faith in the degree and having good marks.
Hometown rapper my brother got econ degree then went to law school awhile before deciding law didnt interest him! Found out if you're going to get an econ degree without law then you'd better have a graduate degree! He also found that an econ-law degree wont get u as far as a grad degree in internat studies! Along with your econ degree! Course if you'll be practicing econ law u gotta go to law school!
Yeahhhh I’ve noticed the ‘it depends’ thing. I was given the opportunity to shadow a few lawyers in my area since I was really interested in the field. I was allowed to follow two around for two sessions, a prosecutor who took me to court with him one day and kept me in his office to ask questions another, and a civil lawyer who mostly did personal injury who had me do the very basic of work and had me again stay in his office one day for me to ask questions. On the days where I didn’t sit there and watch, most of my questions were met with “Depends on a few things” “In what situation do you mean?” “There’s a lot of answers to that” “Maybe an example would help to explain that, but keep in mind it’s not always like this” So I was both getting a grasp on what things were and horribly confused at the same time? And it was great.
Now, i am a mechanical engineering student. I do plans to pursue law but at first, i was concerned that my major will not qualify me to pursue it. But after watching this video, i am confident that i could as long as i have good grades.
Philosophy is the best major to prepare you for law school, it looks the best on your application, and it is probably the most interesting too. It teaches the skills described par excellence. It is probably the only major that actually teaches you how to think and reason, and no major is better for developing reading and writing skills.
Ucla Hist major here with 4.0 my first 2 quarters. Im scared that this stay at home stuff will mess with my grades because i dont live in a contemporary living situation. i currently live in a laundry room attached to my mothers house with 4 younger brothers and little space to focus my energy on my work. im doing my best but i hope my best is enough in this situation. I feel alot more comfortable being in a classroom setting too but now that everything is online and pre recorded i feel like my efforts wont be as appreciated as much as if i was in a classroom getting to know their preferences in assignment delivery etc. I wanna go to law school but i hope this pandemic doesnt tarnish me atm :/
What's the point of having people go through college if ultimately it doesn't matter what you do? Why can't one be allowed to go directly to law school? I'm not sure myself how things work here in Europe but US colleges seems to be extended high schools to me at this point.
Do you want laywers that have no idea about life outside of law school? He says the major is irrelevant - no it is not. The mayor will set you up to meet your clients eye to eye. If you study engineering, clients that are in an engineering field will feel that they talk to an engineer. You will understand them in a way other lawyers can not. You studied design? That will be helpful in contextualizing an artwork, helping to defend your clients work. You studied chemistry? great - you will know if a patent shows innovation or is not what the paper it is printed on. Computer Science? Great in a file sharing case. American History? Helpful when you have to work with anachronistic law and contracts from the funding time. Business? You will know what the numbers mean your client is presenting you.
That seems a pretty weird and bad argument, why do yo NEED to relate to any specific group? Not sure what you get from having your lawyers to be specifically relatable to one group, which in theory could be people you wouldn't find anywhere close to the field those lawyers end up working.
G-Rex Saurus yea as someone who just graduated Law school i kinda agree but at 18 I didn’t know I wanted to go to law school so it bought me some time. I have a cousin in colombia who is four years younger than me but they go straight into their careers so she will graduate automatically with a law degree and same with friends I have from Ireland. To make te best out of my situation here in the US I look at it like this, that since the law governs everything you can delve into a field (ie education engineering fashion design psychology etc) to gain some background and then after law school you can combine both fields. For example my brother graduated in film and he can go to law school for entertainment law or I did my undergrad in psychology and I could have gone into mental hygiene ... but at the same time counseling courses helped me meet with clients so there’s also that
@Rich 91 To be a barrister or solicitor in the UK you need to do a Masters. A university liaisons officer came to my high school and showed us a report of all the BAs taken by qualified lawyers: none of them was law.
@@lawrences6824 yeah, we could. But the US has most of the best universities in the world. It just doesn't make sense to go somewhere else when we are receving a high quality education in our own country
I am majoring in psychology and until very recently I wanted to go to law school to be a lawyer. I decided I do not want to be a lawyer anymore, but now I do not know what I want as a career. I have some ideas, but do not have anything like when I wanted to be a lawyer. I think there is a small part of me that still wants to be a lawyer and after watching some of your videos that part of me was stirred up. I was told by one of my psych professors that my personality type would not do well in the legal system; I am very passionate about seeking justice and helping people in need. So I guess, my question is, apart from grades (my grades are excellent so that won't be an issue for me and I am also very good at conducting research, writing essays, etc), does having a certain type of personality affect how well people perform as law students and as lawyers in general?
I ended up being interested in law when I was in highschool, but realized I just don’t have that type of personality and skill set. Years fly and I loved undergrad psych because i loved analyzing case studies. I realized that the years it takes just to be a mental health practitioner is not favorable for someone impatient like me. So then I looked into IO psychology (workplace psych and similar to Human Resources) then made it my minor and focused on Human Resources. That kinda brought me back to law. Never ever in a million years saw myself being an HR personnel. I guess you have to experiment around with different fields for a while and gain a feel for if you can see yourself getting excited and invested. Sometimes the field you least expect to get excited about will stick later on in your college years (Also it helps to see an increase of jobs in that field...lmao)
Currently considering studying to be an attorney. This was very direct, and practical. Which equates to common sense. I am passionate in two areas Human service and Special Education.
I plan on taking Nursing as an undergraduate then try to take LSAT, apply for law school and if I don’t get in, at least I have a back-up - I’ll just be a nurse. If you think you’re in trouble because you’re interested into many fields, DO NOT! - Make that as an advantage instead. I’m currently trying to improve my writing skills, my vocabulary is decent (because I watched House of Cards), I think my understanding in politics and government is enough. I also need to overcome public speaking and confrontation. If you’re really interested into something, there is no reason for you to not be able to comprehend it.
I’m still contemplating if a legal career is for me, but since I seek to gain marketable skills that are great in any field, I am majoring in Ethnic Studies & Speech Communication and Rhetoric, to gain further experience in public speaking and writing through understanding racial injustices, two of my personal passions! Thank you for this wonderful, insightful video - all the way from Hawai’i!
just watching these now. I finished a degree in criminal justice back in 2013. im highly considering law school but now have a mortgage a wife and 2 kids so it's going to be a struggle.
In my view Business major is the best major for law school. First of all Business administration degree teaches you corporate and business law, tax law, bankruptcy law, secondly it's content heavy. Thirdly, it can make new opportunities for you for example you can pursue corporate law, tax law etc easily because it mixes both business and law. Business degree also helps you to start your own law firm. Acceptance rate is high for business undergrad majors.
Haha I’m a mechanical engineering major. I seriously thought you had to be a philosophy, political science major type to sign up for law school. I’m kinda binging your videos to see if I would like law school or what career specialities there are.
Here in New Zealand it's a little bit different. You study law as a 4-year undergraduate degree (non-professional degrees take 3 years here,) but your first-year results determine if you can continue for the next three years. As well as that, 99% of people doing law also have another major. That's how I'm double-majoring in biochemistry and law... are they complementary? Who knows?
I'm struggling to choose what major I want to choose. I want a major that makes good money if for some reason I choose not to go to law school. I'm lost.
I’m currently majoring in Natural Science with a minor in history. I plan to take more reading intensive courses cause I’m a pretty slow reader too lol. Love your videos btw.
I am a Legal Studies major and a Psychology minor at my school. My major courses include Contract Law, Civil Procedure, Personal Injury, Legal Research and Writing, etc. I feel as thought my curriculum is preparing me for law school.
AC .Waller that’s amazing. I just graduated law school in May. There is fashion law actually (it involves a lot of Intellectual property.. contracts etc) think about it like this... everything we do touch see is governed by the law. The law is everywhere which is why you can major in everything
I’m 18, and about to graduate highschool and go to college. What steps should I take now to prepare myself best for law school? Also im majoring in history because I feel like it’s what I am mostly interested in and would get highest grades for that reason.
May i ask what state you’re in? I’m actually part in planning a national conference in NYC that takes place in about two weeks and we have a pipeline program for people wanting to go to law school!
Well I'm majoring in English literature and I'm working on a legal studies minor that they offer at my college as well I hope this is a good preparation for law school
I'm a criminal justice major which is a lot of fun and isn't tedious, however I think I may switch to political science. Every thing I do in undergrad is only for the cause of attending law school. I love the law and everything about it, especially as a subscriber of yours. Thanks for the encouragement.
After watching this then going to download your checklist, I read your profile on the download page.. I feel like I’m gonna have a heart attack and I’m only on my first semester of undergrad-
I've read that some schools like to see STEM majors because it's becoming increasingly important for lawyers to understand the technical aspects of various issues. Northwestern in particular has a lengthy statement about this on their admissions site. You talk about undergrad majors only in terms of whether they prepare you for law school, but shouldn't we also be considering what skills might complement the things you learn in law school? You'd think an engineering degree would be valuable to have as a patent attorney, for example?
At Texas A&M they offer "Society, Ethics and Law" which on their website says "Society, Ethics, and Law (S.E.A.L.) is a university degree that has been designed for students who are interested in pursuing law school, or developing a highly transferable skill set that is useful to non-profits and businesses alike." What do you think about this degree and is it something I should consider? I at first was considering political science but I believe this looks more applicable. Please help?!?
Flunking out of law school is probably the best thing that ever happened to me professionally. I now make considerably more money than the average attorney and I have a much better quality of life than most attorneys.
Since high school I’ve wanted to be a lawyer but went with what I was good at and became a Harley mechanic but now I’m seriously thinking about going back to school to become a tribal lawyer
Studied philosophy (many years ago) and had heard that it was a favorable course of study for law school. You’d referred to it a couple of times and thought that in addition to making the points you did (eg being passionate about your chosen major, etc.), you might have opined on what tools some majors might offer. Hard to strenuously object to you as you’ve got a law degree and I do not, but it seems quite unsatisfying (and honestly hard to believe), that four years of undergraduate studies are largely unhelpful (other than the attainment of grades to qualify for law school).
I want to dual major. I know I will take philosophy, but I’m undecided between poli sci and economics. I know eco will prep me better for LSATS, but I think I can get higher grades in poli sci. Which should I take?
I know this is super super late, but I'm surprised he didn't mention the idea of an undergrad degree relating to a legal specialty you've already decided on, if you have decided. For example, if you want to specialize in cyber law, start with a cyber security degree. If you want to be in environmental law, start with a degree related to that. It's a place to start if you already know your top passion and it's a specialty that exists.
I’m almost done with my bachelors degree in Business Management. I’ve explored different degrees and it is taken a long time to get to my final semester. Unfortunately, straight out of high school, college was not a priority. My grades were poor in science and math but high in psychology. I went through my first two years aimed at being a psychology major, and did well there, but with my other courses my GPA was not great. It was right about a 3.0. Fast forward, add a marriage, and add working in the field and deciding psychology wasn’t great. I’m at a 4.0 in my business major and will likely end with slightly below that 3.8ish after my last semester. The average comes out to be about 3.5 from what I can see on my transcript. My concern is that my first couple of years will impact any pursuit into law school as I began to navigate this trajectory. Could this negatively impact getting into a law school? I understand the LSAT matters and that I wouldn’t get into something like Harvard.
Is there one or two in particular that would help to specifically become a corporate lawyer? I can’t really decide between political science, economics, psychology, and philosophy
Anime Master it honestly doesn’t matter. You just have to have amazing grades in law school (and in undergrad to get into law school). I’ve seen a lot of poli sci majors though but it really doesn’t matter
The struggle of finding a major when you have interest in everything
Silly Kitty fuckin hate it
@@jordankelly4684 Omg yes... I wish we had enough years on Earth to do it all. :(
Mathematics
Sounds like will all do well
They do the thing you're best at
I'm an attorney. Undergraduate majors are irrelevant. I was an English major. We had chemistry majors, a black studies major (he was white), business majors, etc. It comes down to whether you have good communication and reasoning skills. Fast reading and good comprehension are the keys.
Very true. I did a whole video about that...
dedaze black studies major and he was white!? That’s so cute and funny, lol ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️. Did he ever say why he was studying that!?
feminist dance therapy must have been taken
Is black studies an actual thing? What in the world
Take a bar review course before you go to law school and have a mentor/upper class law student who is willing to explain what law school professors always fail to explain: how to write essay issue spotting exams.
how did this guy make it through the whole video without telling us what his undergrad degree was in
It's Poly Sci. He mentioned it in another video.
Anthony H 😂
He didn't go to college
Michael Shaleen incorrect
This guy is a mechanic
I feel like majors like History, Political Science, Philosophy, English Lit, Sociology, Law and Justice/Criminology/Criminal Science/Criminal Justice (whatever your school calls it), Public Policy (if your undergrad offers it), Psychology. All perfect majors that cover at least SOME of the things that you will need to know for the LSAT and even during Law school.
How can you miss the King of Pre-Law majors "Business Administration or Management"! Perfect degree for law.
Thank you! You did better than this guy in the video.
I signed up for a degree in history and ended up with major depression, does that count?
i shouldn't be laughing but the pun was pure genius.
I am doing a bachelor's in history and can feel you
I choked
The Great Depression
@@alexkirby4502 this is ahahhaahahahahah im a history major also ahhahaa
Even though it’s not directly relevant to law school, at least my history degree has prepared me to read large stacks of huge, dusty books. :)
Hah! Fair enough!
Steven Luo I remember I had 10 books assigned for my Roman History class.
A history major is something a lot future lawyers major in. So it is relevant :)
Lmao "huge dusty books". Hilarious
I feel this 😭🙏🏽
I studied history during the undergraduate and I found History major is well-prepared for law schools. It trains your ability in writing, reading comprehension, research, and logical reasoning, basically everything you need for law schools.
Do you think English literature is good for these abilities? I'm actually interested in English and I want to become a lawyer. Do you think it's a good idea to study English in college? I've heard it's good but is that gonna train my abilities in certain things I probably need in a law school?
@@hehehig Heyy so I’m not in uni yet obv but from what I’ve heard, English is a very common major for undergrad before law. Your writing will definitely be tested regularly and will improve significantly because with English, you’re basically always reading, writing, and interpreting texts, which are all skills you need in law school. For me, I definitely want to do law, but I’ve been pretty stressed these past couple days because I have no idea what I wanna do for my undergrad. So I guess forget about what’ll prepare you best because as he said in the video, nothing really can. Choose whatever you like, but something with a lot of reading and writing would be better
@@aleezasheikh827 thank you for this
Wouldn’t any humanities major prepare you well for law school?
Get a BA in Stress Management. You’ll need it
Underrated 🤣
My husband is a nurse and he’s looking into law school. He’s always wanted to be a lawyer but his parents kind of pushed him into nursing. He thought he was stuck with nursing but I reminded him that you don’t need to have a particular degree to apply to law school. Thanks for information you provide on this channel. I’d love to know more about how you get a job after law school, different types of lawyers, etc.
He should have never become a nurse if that was not what he wanted. Why did his parents pushed him into nursing?
@@itzelmontalvo6645 my parents are doing the same thing, i will major in nursing but i will go to law school after
@@Bofua Me too girl! Same I was in school for nursing just taking prerequisites while working as a CNA. I want to go to law school too.
So did he get his BSN prior to law school?
Personally, I would say to pick a major that you're actually interested in not just because it will help you get good grades but, also you never know if during your undergrad years you might decide you don't want to go to law school anymore. It would suck to end up with a major you picked just to help prepare for law school and then not going to law school. Long story short unless your 1000000% sure you want to go to law school, just study something that genuinely interests you, and you think would be useful to you in the future, regardless of whether you go to law school or not. That's just my take on it tho
I would also add that it also works becauae the law profession itself is so split up that your career as a lawyer might actually have something to do with your major in UG.
It's your take, but he literally said all of that lol
@@gabrielsilvas692 except, this user worded it in a way that helped me take away something different than what I did just from the video: to study something that genuinely interests you, as in you would be satisfied with having studied it and whether or not you proceed to law school is irrelevant.
@@BelieveInJMH but the point is to go to law school, but I see your point as well
Going into my senior year as a Philosophy, Poli-Sci Doubble mojor. I think its been great, certainly love philosophy more than the Politics side.
Do you have a minor?
Oou, I was thinking of double majoring in philosophy and poli-sci too. Is the work an overload? Has it been super stressful? and do you have a minor? Do you have time for side hobbies or a part time job?
Im also majoring in Poli-Sci. I find it really interesting on how things operate and the theories behind them. Plus, I like to piss people off when I start picking apart their arguments.
ooh this is exactly what i want to do
@@selenacruz7545yrs later and i have the same questions lol
This helped me lots, thank you! I’m majoring in Sociology.
I’m actually starting med school in September but I find your videos entertaining for some reason 😂
You tell yourself that at least you didn't go to law school.
Congratulations on going to med school!
Dude fucking same.
I love to watch Lavishruby even though I am planning on going into law and not medicine lol
Literally same, I'm studying to become a Physician Assistant.. but this video is quite interesting to me.
Socrates didn't mentor Aristotle. Socrates taught Plato who then taught Aristotle. Splitting hairs but that's what UA-cam comments are for right? 😂
Ugh, yes fine. I was imprecise with my language. Glad you're here to keep me honest! (...I guess).
Lawyers are meant to be precise anyway ^^.
I was thinking the same thing as I was watching this. Glad someone said it.
It's not splitting hairs, it's the difference between being correct and not. Good pick up!
If you want to really split hairs, the Socratic dialogues don't feature discussions between Socrates and Plato either. While Plato likely witnessed these dialogues, they are mostly between Socrates and Socrates' acquaintances whom he met in a variety of ways (i.e. they were not all "disciples").
I agree with this advice, but I should point out that my major, philosophy, totally taught me how to think like a lawyer... or at least the beginnings of it. Logic, rhetoric, hypotheticals, that's all philosophy. "Jurisprudence" means legal philosophy.
Also, Aristotle was not a student of Socrates, he was a student of Plato and Plato was a student of Socrates.
@John R Watters II I would also add that a basic background in science is helpful. You need to be able to read and evaluate technical expert writing, even if you are not an expert yourself. If you want to go into patent work, there are minimum science requirements for that which are more rigorous.
In terms of usefulness of this stuff, during law school, I was one of the few people who understood the Rule Against Perpetuities easily off the bat. I wrote it down in formal first order logic and that was all the notes I needed on the subject.
Also, math would help as well. It is fascinating and teaches logic.
@@az-yz4sy I took 2 400 level logic classes (1st order logic and modal logic) and both were cross listed between math and philosophy. I also took math up through Diff EQ and Group Theory. I can't say much of the math has been directly useful (the logic has), but getting comfortable with rigorous analytics certainly has been useful.
@@Sam_on_UA-cam Oh ok, thanks! :)
@@az-yz4sy Just to be clear, the logic was useful directly. The Differential equations and group theory were interesting and helped me learn to be rigorous about complex topics, but they don't apply that often in the law.
Engineer majors and philosophy majors preform the best on average on the LSAT
Mona Miller physics/math
Physics + Math + Application = Engineering
If you have the brains and the study skills, double major in Engineering and Philosophy.
I’m a philosophy major and I never considered going into law school until every one questioned me if I was planning to go into law school. I was like: why? I’m majoring in it because I like the critical thinking associated with it but the plan is med school. I found out through my philosophy professors that those that major in philosophy scores the highest on exams like the LSAT, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, etc.
All science majors increase your acceptance rate in elite law school as compared to humanities and business
Is it better to study a harder undergraduate that gives you good job security (in case you don't go to law school), or an easy undergraduate that has no job security but gives you a better GPA for law?
That is a great question. I can tell you with my own experience, job security matters. My three bachelors didn’t provide me with the ability to get a good job. I was forced to go to law school. I have since graduated from law school and is waiting to take the bar. I still find it difficult to get a job that can pay my bills, which are even bigger now that I have more student loans. It does also depend on where you live and the local economy too though. Good luck to you.
Very few majors actually correlate to an actual career path.
@Smith Smith deep, I’m feeling this now
@@handsomeunnie you get a bachelors degree in any major of your choice, take the LSAT exam, apply to law school and attend that school for approx 3yrs, pass bar exam and depending on your branch of law you may need additional certification
@@handsomeunnie you cannot become an attorney by a bachelors of law, you can take prelaw/CJ courses and get your degree there but they typically score much lower grades throughout law school
I majored in philosophy and political science. The philosophy major required that I take an upper division course in formal logic, which I found to be tremendously helpful in preparing me for the LSAT. Philosophy majors also spend their time analyzing and constructing arguments, thinking critically, and writing long essays packed with cogent arguments. As for the poli sci major, perhaps I am biased, but I think it provided me with an edge over those who majored in other disciplines like English or the sciences.
4 years late but did you major in philosophy and minor in poli sci? also my dad is a very STEM heavy person and is dead set on my going down a STEM route especially engineering, but i want to take your exact route (major in philosophy and minor in poli sci and go to law) how can i convince him that philosophy will actually help me and isn’t a useless major? thanks
@@aneeshkumar7740 This is what I want to do too! I'm currently applying to schools with an accelerated law program now
just finished my first year of undergrad. Initially, I wanted to double major in History and English. But I didn't enjoy the introductory History course and now plan on changing to an English specialist instead and might minor in classical civilization. Many people told me to major in Political Science or Philosophy because they believe these two majors are critical in preparation for Law school. It's true that it really depends on you and your interests. Instead of trying to choose what major or degree prepares you the most, improving your reading comprehension, and writing(style & skills) is essential. Although I don't have much experience to be giving tips and this seems to be obvious to most people, I learned the hard way. To all the high school students that might read this comment. READ READ READ. Read anything you can get your hands on. Books, magazines, scholarly articles...Speed reading is crucial in undergrad and even more in Law School. Also, by reading more you pick up more vocabulary and improve your overall writing style. I would also recommend taking essay writing classes, before undergrad and some are even taught by university professors. LOVE YOUR VIDEOS
Sep G I’m planning on getting a degree in pre law poly science. I have talked to counselors and teachers (internships are provided and relevant coursework for law school)
Thanks for the advice:) will help in law school
Philosophy is helpful because that field fine tunes your critical thinking and reading skills while political science teaches the influence between government and law. I would go with philosophy out of the two.
However, I would go with STEM or business. STEM does yield a lower GPA but there is more rigor and more critical thinking. Also, there are plenty of opportunities in patent and IP. Business is very analytical (especially Accounting and Finance) and lots of law is tied to business.
currently studying philosophy and public speaking in hopes for law school, ur videos have been really nice to get myself excited for the concept of going into law!
I signed up for a degree in English and literary studies. It helped a lot because we were tasked with reading a lot of books and novels each semester,oral communication for speaking purposes and we were also taught on research methods. English was indeed a very lovely course as it has helped to improve my diction and expanded my knowledge in many areas
Thank you this video has helped put me at ease as a computer science and philosophy major. I’ve been on edge about how beneficial or harmful it may be.
That's actually a killer combination.
Yeah I'm jealous... I am doing econ and psyc rn.... wish i did double econ and comp sci instead, so i could have taken the patent bar exam as well. good luck to you!
I am a senior in high school. I have always had a fascination with both law and Computer Science. To me this really has helped me because I have always felt that I must choose one or the other for college, but now I know that is not the case and I am going to peruse both fascinations!
I did my undergrad in comp sci and now in law school
Did you end up going to law school?
It’s 3:00 am here. I couldn’t sleep because of my thinking. I just wanna say thank you! You made me wanna work hard on my major and I wanna study so hard until I finish my four years and I will go raid my bout with everybody else! Law school!
I’m hopefully starting law school fall of 20/20 and I’m a double major in philosophy and psychology. I started with philosophy but added psychology late in the game because I love it. I also love most philosophy. Everything is so metaphorical that you’re forced to read between the lines , research, and think abstractly. I also read that philosophy students statistically score best on the lsat. So there’s that.
Sweet, sounds like you followed my advice before I gave it.
LegalEagle maybe this type of forward thinking will help me when I get there. ☺️
i'm a polsci major starting in the fall. Should I switch to philosophy?
Sarah Song if it were me, I’d consider it. Philosophy is hard, but I’m not sure anything else can teach critical thinking like philosophy.
I’m a first year student, starting college in the fall. Currently, I’ve chosen Philosophy and Economics as my majors. How is double majoring working for you? And how is the course load for Philosophy? I feel extremely lost because I don’t know what to expect.
I'm going to be a lawyer
Cool, good luck!
And did you?
Did you?
Are you??
Client: Is it okay that I killed the cop?
Lawyer: Well it depends.
it really does depend
@@jareduwu5849 frrr
I second @jared uwu, it definitely does depend. It always depends.
for all of you guys who are short on time; just pick a major that will grant you good grades.
it doesn't matter what you major in?
@@KarenLopez-tp7bt not for law school as long as you get good grades you’ll be fine
Thanks a lot for the advice dumb ass, now I have a degree in pornography
@@kaleyscott7647 yeahhhhhhh
@@jasonspades5628 chileeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee noooooooooooo. lmfaooooooooooooooo
Wow, this was actually the answer I really needed to hear. Thank you so much for squashing my nerves.
I want to go to law school & i'm currently working on my undergrad degree in history. From my research, this is a good major for prospective law students as it'll teach you how to write, read a large volume of information, and research skills.
I was a nurse who always knew i wanted to be a lawyer. Now i work at the top law firms in New York and I really enjoy my life. I have found the thing that us for me.
Can I email you ? I need guidance
Your degree does matter for those of you interested in Patent Law. A hard science degree is required to be eligible for the patent bar. In the current market, a degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science will serve you best but the others will work as well (I was a Mechanical).
It's sad that this is an accurate view of how law school views students. Major doesn't matter. It should, but it doesn't.
The answer is philosophy. Without a doubt. Philosophy teaches you to write impeccably, reason well, think in depth about moral dilemmas, speak with precision, and read dry, dense, complex material and still be somewhat fascinated by it. If you hate your experience getting a bachelors in philosophy, then you'll likely hate law school and being a lawyer.
Are you a lawyer and did you major in philosophy? I'm a high school student and law is a very attractive field to me. However, I have been recommenced English as a major as well as poly sci but never philosophy. Can you tell me more about why philosophy is the best major to go into in prep for law school.
Leck Gomez I’m going to u of c in the fall. I decided to do economics major and maybe a philosophy minor but aid I could do finance minor I would
I majored in philosophy back in college and currently a 1L. I had high hopes that I'd somewhat kick ass in law school. But law school is definitely a different beast. The first few weeks to a month of law school was quite difficult for me. It requires different methods compared to how I did it back in undergrad. But later on it got better if not best. I get to impress my professors in my recitations as well as my classmates. It's pretty good and I get to finally relate or channel it to how I studied back in college. Oh and I have professors who were philosophy graduates too and they went on and became lawyers. They're really good, competent, and sharp.
Jaimee Coleen Aguelo so did philosophy help young significantly? Also, what was your Lsat score?
this channel is awesome. I'm only a junior in high school but my mind is set on law school in the long term I love love love the socratic method
I had no idea what major I wanted to do other than law, so I went to the UK where law is an undergraduate degree and will be practicing in London in August!
I have a major in English, a minor in Philosophy, and a creative writing certificate. Yes! I love it (I am in my last semester before Law school), and I wouldn't have changed it for anything. I have excellent grades (grades are like bank accounts; it's not respectful to mention). If I took history or science because someone once told me that these two subjects help teach a person to think better (realistically), I would have been miserable. I still cannot wait to graduate into law school; I have been reading law books for fun for about three years now, and I love it (I find the cases to be as beautiful and filled with lessons that are better than fiction. :)
this is honestly some of the best general degree advice I've ever gotten
Something inside me wants to be a lawyer, but Im scared because my grammar is horrible. But this coming semester I took AA Speech Communication to polish my orator skills and take as many writing and english class as possible, I'm even taking ESL Lol. Do you think focusing on my weaknesses is also a good strategy?
Spending time working on your writing or speaking skills is a good investment no matter what field you go into. Good writers and good public speakers always stand out because most people are bad writers and are afraid of public speaking. Lawyers put an even higher premium on those skills.
Kylee Tijamo I am doing the same. I want to be a lawyer since long time but my English grammar is horrible. I am planning to get English classes to overcome it
Current mechanical engineer undergrad considering law because if I fail law school, I have a very good backup career on deck. I’m in a 5 year program designed to give me 18 months of internship experience. 3 months in now. If I’m getting this idea now I’m wondering if I’m just young and dumb or maybe I just hate my job that much 😅
The university education system in the U.S. is crazy! Here in Europe, the Czech Republic at least, you go to a five-year law school straight after high school. The workload during those five years is enormous, including a 100-page (maybe more) thesis at the end of the fifth year and the final exam that is unheard of in the U.S. But then you get your MA degree and you can practice law, once you have also passed the bar.
I lot of countries do a similar LLB degree. In the US, law school is like graduate school.
I am in law school now. I am in my third semester. My legal studies courses went over some of the same subjects as my actual J.D. program. Some of the best students I know GPA wise also had legal studies degrees and already knew things like consideration (contracts), proximate vs. actual cause, and important aspects of Constitutional Law like Due Process. It is a huge advantage if your Legal Studies courses actually teach you law, and not just philosophy.
I’m planning on going to law school and majoring and political science currently. The same notion goes for pre-med, my dad majored in English and went to med school, it comes down to if you have an interest and passion for law
I’m planning on getting a degree in linguistics, I feel like it will help me, and it seems really interesting! After I get my degree, I’m going to go to law school, then pass the bar!
So CS is fine, as long as I have good grades.
Poli-sci student here! Pre-law B.A. However, when I chose my degree I had not yet decided to attend law school, but, once I got into classes, I quickly realized that I finally wanted to take my parents advice and become a lawyer. They’ve told me since I was 3 that I would be a lawyer someday. Something about me being a little sh*t that argued over every little thing.
What does pre law ba mean, is that a degree
Thank you Legal Eagle. But, I think the consensus is that Philosophy is one of the more popular majors. Having studied it myself I believe that it indeed reigns supreme. But, if you have time pick up a philosophy book for table talk and you might find yourself really interested in the subject matter. Philosophy itself is great and one of my favorite philosophers was Aristotle.
I would say accounting, finance, or a business STEM major would be a great major for law school, it’s a fantastic balance between difficulty and application.
i am so much interested in environment science, after watching your video i can choose this course without any worry. thank you
I would recommend Philosophy. Most of the LSAT was formal logic and law school writings are basic deductive arguments with an added technical layer of applying rules to facts. In a sense, the law, at least the theoretical aspects focused on in law school, is basically philosophy applied in real life.
I’m a politics & law major, I’m also a history buff. Nonetheless I do want to become a lawyer and hopefully of owning my own law firm in life that’s what I’m striving for, also almost done with undergrad and we’ll see where this goes.
I’m going into economics for my Major to become a lawyer. I wish there was more information on economics but I have faith in the degree and having good marks.
Hometown rapper my brother got econ degree then went to law school awhile before deciding law didnt interest him! Found out if you're going to get an econ degree without law then you'd better have a graduate degree! He also found that an econ-law degree wont get u as far as a grad degree in internat studies! Along with your econ degree! Course if you'll be practicing econ law u gotta go to law school!
Ann Miller what is he doing now?
Yeahhhh I’ve noticed the ‘it depends’ thing. I was given the opportunity to shadow a few lawyers in my area since I was really interested in the field. I was allowed to follow two around for two sessions, a prosecutor who took me to court with him one day and kept me in his office to ask questions another, and a civil lawyer who mostly did personal injury who had me do the very basic of work and had me again stay in his office one day for me to ask questions. On the days where I didn’t sit there and watch, most of my questions were met with “Depends on a few things” “In what situation do you mean?” “There’s a lot of answers to that” “Maybe an example would help to explain that, but keep in mind it’s not always like this”
So I was both getting a grasp on what things were and horribly confused at the same time? And it was great.
Now, i am a mechanical engineering student. I do plans to pursue law but at first, i was concerned that my major will not qualify me to pursue it. But after watching this video, i am confident that i could as long as i have good grades.
Philosophy is the best major to prepare you for law school, it looks the best on your application, and it is probably the most interesting too. It teaches the skills described par excellence. It is probably the only major that actually teaches you how to think and reason, and no major is better for developing reading and writing skills.
He's right about lawyers saying it depends, if you want a concrete answer ask a paralegal.
Ucla Hist major here with 4.0 my first 2 quarters. Im scared that this stay at home stuff will mess with my grades because i dont live in a contemporary living situation. i currently live in a laundry room attached to my mothers house with 4 younger brothers and little space to focus my energy on my work. im doing my best but i hope my best is enough in this situation. I feel alot more comfortable being in a classroom setting too but now that everything is online and pre recorded i feel like my efforts wont be as appreciated as much as if i was in a classroom getting to know their preferences in assignment delivery etc. I wanna go to law school but i hope this pandemic doesnt tarnish me atm :/
I am double majoring in History and Classics which hopefully helps my reading and writing along with some critical thinking skills as well...
THIS!
This is what I was looking for!!!😱💚🖤
What's the point of having people go through college if ultimately it doesn't matter what you do? Why can't one be allowed to go directly to law school? I'm not sure myself how things work here in Europe but US colleges seems to be extended high schools to me at this point.
Do you want laywers that have no idea about life outside of law school? He says the major is irrelevant - no it is not. The mayor will set you up to meet your clients eye to eye. If you study engineering, clients that are in an engineering field will feel that they talk to an engineer. You will understand them in a way other lawyers can not. You studied design? That will be helpful in contextualizing an artwork, helping to defend your clients work. You studied chemistry? great - you will know if a patent shows innovation or is not what the paper it is printed on. Computer Science? Great in a file sharing case. American History? Helpful when you have to work with anachronistic law and contracts from the funding time. Business? You will know what the numbers mean your client is presenting you.
That seems a pretty weird and bad argument, why do yo NEED to relate to any specific group? Not sure what you get from having your lawyers to be specifically relatable to one group, which in theory could be people you wouldn't find anywhere close to the field those lawyers end up working.
In Greece that's what we do. No tuition either although I doubt the quality is anything even close...
G-Rex Saurus yea as someone who just graduated Law school i kinda agree but at 18 I didn’t know I wanted to go to law school so it bought me some time. I have a cousin in colombia who is four years younger than me but they go straight into their careers so she will graduate automatically with a law degree and same with friends I have from Ireland. To make te best out of my situation here in the US I look at it like this, that since the law governs everything you can delve into a field (ie education engineering fashion design psychology etc) to gain some background and then after law school you can combine both fields. For example my brother graduated in film and he can go to law school for entertainment law or I did my undergrad in psychology and I could have gone into mental hygiene ... but at the same time counseling courses helped me meet with clients so there’s also that
@Rich 91 To be a barrister or solicitor in the UK you need to do a Masters. A university liaisons officer came to my high school and showed us a report of all the BAs taken by qualified lawyers: none of them was law.
I have a special interest in psychology, is it a good major for law school?
1:04 “There is no one, best (undergrad) major for law school”. *laugh in bachelor of law program (B.L. or LL.B) 😂😂
VERY few colleges offer that though, at least in the U.S.
Doesn't really exist in the US anymore.
@@AyeeeItsCam you can took it abroad
@@lawrences6824 yeah, we could. But the US has most of the best universities in the world. It just doesn't make sense to go somewhere else when we are receving a high quality education in our own country
@@AyeeeItsCam fair point. my comment was meant for non US citizens who wanted to go to a US law schools such as myself 😂
I am majoring in psychology and until very recently I wanted to go to law school to be a lawyer. I decided I do not want to be a lawyer anymore, but now I do not know what I want as a career. I have some ideas, but do not have anything like when I wanted to be a lawyer. I think there is a small part of me that still wants to be a lawyer and after watching some of your videos that part of me was stirred up. I was told by one of my psych professors that my personality type would not do well in the legal system; I am very passionate about seeking justice and helping people in need. So I guess, my question is, apart from grades (my grades are excellent so that won't be an issue for me and I am also very good at conducting research, writing essays, etc), does having a certain type of personality affect how well people perform as law students and as lawyers in general?
I ended up being interested in law when I was in highschool, but realized I just don’t have that type of personality and skill set. Years fly and I loved undergrad psych because i loved analyzing case studies. I realized that the years it takes just to be a mental health practitioner is not favorable for someone impatient like me. So then I looked into IO psychology (workplace psych and similar to Human Resources) then made it my minor and focused on Human Resources. That kinda brought me back to law. Never ever in a million years saw myself being an HR personnel. I guess you have to experiment around with different fields for a while and gain a feel for if you can see yourself getting excited and invested. Sometimes the field you least expect to get excited about will stick later on in your college years (Also it helps to see an increase of jobs in that field...lmao)
Well I'm just starting pre law student and thanks for the tips man
My major is biochemistry and I have a 3.957 GPA. Is it ridiculous for me to even think about going to law school after I get my bachelors?
The better question is: What are some of the best classes that can help you prepare for the LSAT and law school?
Currently considering studying to be an attorney. This was very direct, and practical. Which equates to common sense. I am passionate in two areas Human service and Special Education.
I plan on taking Nursing as an undergraduate then try to take LSAT, apply for law school and if I don’t get in, at least I have a back-up - I’ll just be a nurse. If you think you’re in trouble because you’re interested into many fields, DO NOT! - Make that as an advantage instead. I’m currently trying to improve my writing skills, my vocabulary is decent (because I watched House of Cards), I think my understanding in politics and government is enough. I also need to overcome public speaking and confrontation. If you’re really interested into something, there is no reason for you to not be able to comprehend it.
Rich 91 damn, is that in US?
I’m still contemplating if a legal career is for me, but since I seek to gain marketable skills that are great in any field, I am majoring in Ethnic Studies & Speech Communication and Rhetoric, to gain further experience in public speaking and writing through understanding racial injustices, two of my personal passions! Thank you for this wonderful, insightful video - all the way from Hawai’i!
Awesome video! Love the advice you give really helps.
Thanks for watching!
Not me nervously sweating this while almost done with my BA in Law
just watching these now. I finished a degree in criminal justice back in 2013. im highly considering law school but now have a mortgage a wife and 2 kids so it's going to be a struggle.
In my view Business major is the best major for law school. First of all Business administration degree teaches you corporate and business law, tax law, bankruptcy law, secondly it's content heavy. Thirdly, it can make new opportunities for you for example you can pursue corporate law, tax law etc easily because it mixes both business and law. Business degree also helps you to start your own law firm. Acceptance rate is high for business undergrad majors.
I have lots of interests but I don't have that "passion" help😂
Didn't expect na makikita kita dito kuya
Frey hahaha.
Haha I’m a mechanical engineering major. I seriously thought you had to be a philosophy, political science major type to sign up for law school. I’m kinda binging your videos to see if I would like law school or what career specialities there are.
Great Video! Gave me a peace of mind. Thank you!
Here in New Zealand it's a little bit different. You study law as a 4-year undergraduate degree (non-professional degrees take 3 years here,) but your first-year results determine if you can continue for the next three years. As well as that, 99% of people doing law also have another major.
That's how I'm double-majoring in biochemistry and law... are they complementary? Who knows?
I'm struggling to choose what major I want to choose. I want a major that makes good money if for some reason I choose not to go to law school. I'm lost.
I love History and would that or Political Science work a little? Im interested in both
I’m currently majoring in Natural Science with a minor in history. I plan to take more reading intensive courses cause I’m a pretty slow reader too lol. Love your videos btw.
Thanks for watching!
So helpful thank you very much. 👍
I am a Legal Studies major and a Psychology minor at my school. My major courses include Contract Law, Civil Procedure, Personal Injury, Legal Research and Writing, etc. I feel as thought my curriculum is preparing me for law school.
Me too!! Legal studies will be my 1st degree (associates) then I plan on studying philosophy for my bachelor's
What about fashion merchandising?
AC .Waller that’s amazing. I just graduated law school in May. There is fashion law actually (it involves a lot of Intellectual property.. contracts etc) think about it like this... everything we do touch see is governed by the law. The law is everywhere which is why you can major in everything
I’m 18, and about to graduate highschool and go to college. What steps should I take now to prepare myself best for law school? Also im majoring in history because I feel like it’s what I am mostly interested in and would get highest grades for that reason.
Focus on getting good grades in college and having a good time.
LegalEagle awesome, thankyou for replying
Nice I’ll be graduating next year from high school and I love math and science it’s the easiest subjescts for me and I just enjoy it
May i ask what state you’re in? I’m actually part in planning a national conference in NYC that takes place in about two weeks and we have a pipeline program for people wanting to go to law school!
Well I'm majoring in English literature and I'm working on a legal studies minor that they offer at my college as well I hope this is a good preparation for law school
I'm a criminal justice major which is a lot of fun and isn't tedious, however I think I may switch to political science. Every thing I do in undergrad is only for the cause of attending law school. I love the law and everything about it, especially as a subscriber of yours. Thanks for the encouragement.
What year are you in college?
After watching this then going to download your checklist, I read your profile on the download page.. I feel like I’m gonna have a heart attack and I’m only on my first semester of undergrad-
amazing video, Thank you
I've read that some schools like to see STEM majors because it's becoming increasingly important for lawyers to understand the technical aspects of various issues. Northwestern in particular has a lengthy statement about this on their admissions site. You talk about undergrad majors only in terms of whether they prepare you for law school, but shouldn't we also be considering what skills might complement the things you learn in law school? You'd think an engineering degree would be valuable to have as a patent attorney, for example?
At Texas A&M they offer "Society, Ethics and Law" which on their website says "Society, Ethics, and Law (S.E.A.L.) is a university degree that has been designed for students who are interested in pursuing law school, or developing a highly transferable skill set that is useful to non-profits and businesses alike." What do you think about this degree and is it something I should consider? I at first was considering political science but I believe this looks more applicable. Please help?!?
Most helpful video
I felt like a total idiot on first day of class in law school. Happy to know that we were all in the same boat. hahaha
I actually want to do a double major in nursing/philosophy or nursing/psychology
Flunking out of law school is probably the best thing that ever happened to me professionally. I now make considerably more money than the average attorney and I have a much better quality of life than most attorneys.
Since high school I’ve wanted to be a lawyer but went with what I was good at and became a Harley mechanic but now I’m seriously thinking about going back to school to become a tribal lawyer
Studied philosophy (many years ago) and had heard that it was a favorable course of study for law school. You’d referred to it a couple of times and thought that in addition to making the points you did (eg being passionate about your chosen major, etc.), you might have opined on what tools some majors might offer. Hard to strenuously object to you as you’ve got a law degree and I do not, but it seems quite unsatisfying (and honestly hard to believe), that four years of undergraduate studies are largely unhelpful (other than the attainment of grades to qualify for law school).
I want to dual major. I know I will take philosophy, but I’m undecided between poli sci and economics. I know eco will prep me better for LSATS, but I think I can get higher grades in poli sci. Which should I take?
Anime Master ECO
Econ
I am a Sport Management Major, and planning on going to Law School.
I know this is super super late, but I'm surprised he didn't mention the idea of an undergrad degree relating to a legal specialty you've already decided on, if you have decided. For example, if you want to specialize in cyber law, start with a cyber security degree. If you want to be in environmental law, start with a degree related to that. It's a place to start if you already know your top passion and it's a specialty that exists.
I’m almost done with my bachelors degree in Business Management.
I’ve explored different degrees and it is taken a long time to get to my final semester.
Unfortunately, straight out of high school, college was not a priority. My grades were poor in science and math but high in psychology. I went through my first two years aimed at being a psychology major, and did well there, but with my other courses my GPA was not great. It was right about a 3.0.
Fast forward, add a marriage, and add working in the field and deciding psychology wasn’t great. I’m at a 4.0 in my business major and will likely end with slightly below that 3.8ish after my last semester.
The average comes out to be about 3.5 from what I can see on my transcript.
My concern is that my first couple of years will impact any pursuit into law school as I began to navigate this trajectory. Could this negatively impact getting into a law school? I understand the LSAT matters and that I wouldn’t get into something like Harvard.
Is there one or two in particular that would help to specifically become a corporate lawyer? I can’t really decide between political science, economics, psychology, and philosophy
Anime Master it honestly doesn’t matter. You just have to have amazing grades in law school (and in undergrad to get into law school). I’ve seen a lot of poli sci majors though but it really doesn’t matter
LadyLal I was thinking eco major poli minor with 1 philosophy and 1 psych