EXPLORING LAW DEGREESUndergraduate Degree Options
The educational road to becoming a
lawyer begins well before law school. The path is varied, allowing students to customize their approach. For any undergraduate, choosing a major and starting down a career path can be challenging. For the student looking to select a prelaw program, it can be even more difficult given there is no singular path at the undergraduate level.
The American Bar Association (ABA) does not currently recommend any particular discipline to prepare students for advanced legal/law education. According to the ABA, students from nearly every educational discipline are admitted to law schools, ranging from English to history, political science to business. Popular undergraduate degree areas to consider include philosophy, economics, political science, journalism, and math.
Law schools examine the student’s background, grades, overall GPA, and scores from the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). The ABA recommends students pursue an undergraduate program that is broad in nature and affords the opportunity to develop core skills in the following areas:
hese skills share a common trait–they are relied upon by lawyers in all legal fields. Law school teaches future lawyers how to think like a
lawyer, and critical thinking and reading are the basis for judgment and evaluation. Students learn how to critically analyze their own thinking process. Lawyers must also be expert communicators who can prepare, understand, explain, and defend complex legal documents such as contracts or court opinions. Because the ultimate goal of legal practice is to win cases, the above skills are crucial for developing and presenting persuasive arguments.
Prospective students should be aware that some universities and colleges have prelaw advisors to assist them in selecting a major, preparing for the LSAT, gathering letters of recommendation, and applying to law school.
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