What Do I Need to Major in to Become a Lawyer?
The essential skills of a lawyer, those that should be honed prior to entering law school, are clear writing analytical thinking. These skills can be developed in a wide variety of a undergraduates majors, so there is no single track that is best for becoming a lawyer. In fact, most law schools accept applicants representing all sorts of backgrounds and majors from science to drama.
Traditional Pre-Law Majors
If you were to ask someone 10 or 20 years ago which majors are the best preparation for law school, at the top of the list would have probably been English, philosophy, criminal justice and political science. The reasons would have been two-fold. First these majors don't often lend themselves to an obvious job path, which leads many to graduate school. Second, all these majors emphasize the two major skills of attorneys, analysis and writing. Political science can be particularly useful in understanding the legislative process and interpreting statutes. A criminal justice degree can provide a good head start to someone looking to pursue a career in criminal law as a prosecutor or defense attorney.
Sciences
The explosion of information technology and pharmaceutical drugs has led to a boom in patent litigation and intellectual property law in general. Though any legal training can impart the skills needed to understand the principles of intellectual property law, the leaders in these fields tend to have an educational background in science because the underlying issues are frequently science and technology based. On a more specific level, an individual must have a science or engineering degree to be accepted to the U.S. Patent Bar, which is the prerequisite to representing an inventor in their efforts to obtain a patent.
Non-Traditional Approaches
With the legal field dividing into numerous specialties, a typical first-year law class is likely to represent many diverse majors and employment backgrounds, even those that don't necessarily stress the traditional lawyerly skills. An increasing number of business majors are flocking to the law, or earning dual degrees, to apply both sets of skills to the entrepreneurial world. Just as advances in technology have made lawyers with a knowledge of science in demand, individuals with medical training can make effective attorneys as well in specialties involving expert medical testimony or related litigation. Because some legal practice involves public speaking, or even performance, those with backgrounds in high drama and experience on stage can also make effective advocates.
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