preLaw - Back To School 2008 - (Page 42) HELPFUL ADVICE Do you really need to major in pre-law? BY HILLARY MANTIS, ESQ. Y ou have heard all the rumors and seen all the movies — law school, especially the first year, is probably going to be grueling. You have heard about the scary Socratic method, and seen the enormous casebooks that the law students tote around. You have seen “The Paper Chase” and read “One L.” But what does that mean for you now, while you are still in undergrad? Should you major in pre-law or political science to learn as much as possible before you start law school? Should you take all of the pre-law courses you can? And will it help your chances of getting into law school? In a word — no. You probably don’t have to. What are the Admissions Committees looking for, anyway? Research, writing and analytical skills, as well as verbal communication skills, are critically important. Admissions committees are looking for students who demonstrate these skills, and for students who will succeed in law school. They look to see that you have done well, academically. They also are familiar with the curricula at different colleges, so they will know if you are taking challenging courses or “gut” courses. Choosing a major First of all, let’s talk about your major. You can really major in whatever you want to, as long as you take challenging courses and do well in them. In fact, many colleges do not offer pre-law majors at all. You don’t have to have a formal pre-law major to apply to law school. The American Bar Association has said that their recommendation for law school is a good broad-based liberal arts education. (See the www.abanet.org section on legal education if you want to read it for yourself ). Admissions committees are generally not overly influenced by a pre-law major. In fact, they look for diversity in their class, with students from different academic backgrounds and majors. When I used to work in Career Services, I saw all sorts of majors on law students’ resumes. I saw everything, ranging from political science, to English, to art history to biology. If you are worried about learning to read cases, I can also probably put that fear to rest. When you get to law school, they have a whole course in your first year that teaches you how to read and brief a legal case. It is usually called “Legal Research and Writing,” and it is mandatory during your first year at almost every law school in the country. Having said that, if you want to take some pre-law courses, and major in political science, feel free to do so. I have found that political science is a popular major for pre-law students, as is English, history, and even economics. Law school is very analytical in nature, and also requires good research and writing skills, so think about taking courses that mirror those skills. 42 So what can you do now to prepare for law school? First of all, by studying what you love. You will probably do best academically, anyway, by taking courses you really like. I was an English Literature major prior to law school, and I never regretted it. You may never again get the chance to study what really interests you, so do it now. You can supplement your studies with some “real life” experience if you have the time. I recommend that you work as a paralegal, do a legal internship or summer job or some legal volunteer work. And if there is a law school on your campus, go to the bookstore and look at the casebooks to see what legal cases are like. But most of all, study what you love, major in what you want to, and do the best you can. HILLARY MANTIS is a consultant to pre-law students, law students and lawyers. She is the pre-law advisor at Fordham University, the former director of Career Services at Fordham University School of Law, and the author of Alternative Careers for Lawyers, and Jobs for Lawyers. She can be reached at altcareer@aol.com preLaw http://www.abanet.org
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