What should I major in to become a successful lawyer?
Friday, January 29th, 2010 at
2:39 am
I hope to become a successful business lawyer buy prescription drugs online in the future. I know that law schools don’t require a specific major, and so I have been considering a double major in political science and finance/ business management. Would this be a good plan of action? Also, what other steps can I take in college to get into a Top 10 Law School and work at a big law firm? Which extracurricular activities would you recommend?
You’re absolutely right- law schools don’t really care what you majored in for your Bachelor’s degree. That being said, they are very interested in your GPA and your LSAT score, so it’s essential that you find a subject where you feel you will have the most academic success.
Are you interested in poly sci and mgmt strictly because it’s relevant to your future career choice? While it’s good to have that relevancy and to have that degree as the foundation for future studies, if you don’t give a hoot about the subjects, you probably won’t study as hard and you won’t get the grades you need to succeed.
Now, to get into a top law school:
a) If you haven’t started college yet, considere where you want to get your undergrad degree. If you have what it takes to get into Harvard or Yale right now, these are obviously the types of schools that’ll get noticed first by the top law schools. (if you can’t get into these- it’s not a huge deal, anything goes)
b) You need to ace your studies. The big-name law schools are so competitive that anything less than a 4.0 GPA will get tossed to the side. And you have to nail the LSAT (Law School Admissions Test). You can take a prep course to help (It’s a pretty steep $1000 plus)
c) You need to get involved in your school. If your college has debate teams or mock trial teams (many do), these are very good options, but volunteering and Varsity athletics are acceptable as well.
d)You need to gain lots of experience in the trenches. To get to the top you have to start at the bottom. Start off at a small firm as a legal secretary (all you need is your GED), then as you progress in your studies you can work as a paralegal to pay the tuition bills. Trial attorneys often start by working as court clerks and aides as they go through school.
e) Network yourself. The people you meet through your scholastic and work experiences may be the ones who help you land the big jobs in the future. If you work at a firm during your studies, make a name for yourself with the attorneys- they`ll serve as great references in the long run.
f) If the top 10 doesn`t work out DON`T GIVE UP- there are tons of excellent BAR accredited law schools that are excellent alternatives. Find one that interests you (some people prefer that smaller size schools anyways) Remember, not all lawyers are Harvard grads
Best Regards
That double major sounds correct. For clubs you want to look for political type clubs such as the student senate more than things like the young republicans/democrats. Also any club that does alot of volunteer/charitable type work always looks good. Becoming president or any of these clubs will look really nice as well.
Also you want to have a meeting with your Advisor at school and let him/her know what your plans are, they will be able to help you along the way and even possibly get you a good internship later if you have had a good academic record.