What Course of Prelaw Study Should I Take?

There is no standard prelaw curriculum. Law schools do not require any particular undergraduate degree, course of study, or particular courses in order to gain admission. Statistics on the entering class of every law school will demonstrate that students come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Perhaps the largest number of law students started out as political science majors, but other majors from the arts and social sciences are well represented, including history, English, psychology, and sociology. Law schools generally have a high concentration of business majors, including tax and accounting, general business, economics, criminal justice, and international relations. There are usually smaller but significant numbers from the hard sciences like physics, chemistry, and biology, or engineering. Other majors, such as journalism, environmental science, and art, music, or drama, are likely to be found in a typical first-year class.

Because law schools only require that you complete an undergraduate degree, every degree program is equal, at least in theory. In practice, law schools may find that they have had better success with graduates from certain degree programs at certain universities than others. Individual admissions committee members at different schools may have their own ideas about what kind of prelaw training will prepare students best for law school. Undergraduate advisors may channel prelaw students into certain majors that they perceive to have a nexus with law school. If your research discloses that certain concentrations or degree pro-grams are likely to receive favorable treatment in the admissions process of schools where you plan to apply, you would be wise to pursue such a course of study.


Otherwise, the best advice for your pre-legal education is to follow a curriculum that you enjoy and in which you possess an interest independent of law school. There are two important reasons for this: First, chances are that you will do better in a subject area that you enjoy than you will in one that you hate. If you have to struggle each day to get up and go to class, it will undoubtedly be reflected in your grades, and a poor showing will adversely affect your chances to be admitted to law school. Second, if you do not get into law school or decide not to go to law school, you will have pursued a course of study that will help you in some alternative career path.

Much the same advice can be said about specific courses. Take courses that you like, that provide an intellectual challenge for you personally. Study under professors who are interesting and exciting, rather than those who put you to sleep. Take classes that make you want to learn, rather than those that fit into a convenient schedule or guarantee an "A."

There is no washout course for prelaw, like Organic Chemistry for premed majors. There is no one course that every law school applicant must complete. Yet, prelaw students continue to pose the question: What courses will help me most in law school? At the risk of negating the advice of take what you like, the following are some suggestions:
 

1. Logic or reasoning. Much of law school centers on legal analysis, which is fundamentally deductive logic. Learning about logic and reasoning can help to prepare you for the kind of thinking you will be required to do in law school.
    
2. Legal history. Although you will read historical cases in law school, you may find a paucity of information about the roots of our legal system. A course that traces the development of the law, particularly Anglo-American jurisprudence, will provide you with a useful background throughout your legal career.
    
3. Public speaking. You will be required to speak when called on in class, and you will need to be able to make oral arguments throughout law school. Courses that polish your speaking ability and the skill of thinking on your feet will make the inevitable speaking requirements of law school more palatable. A course like this might be particularly valuable for someone who is not accustomed to, or afraid of, standing up and speaking publicly.
    
4. Research and writing. Any course that imposes a demanding regimen of critiqued writing based upon academic research will help you in law school. All law students are required to complete research and writing assignments during law school- an activity that does not end with graduation, because much of lawyering involves research and writing. In addition, many law school exams are essay tests, which favor effective writers. The more writing experience you get, the better off you will be in law school.
    
5. Basic accounting. Certain law school courses in the areas of contracts business and tax, assume a fundamental understanding of financial and accounting terms and principles. Legal practitioners are constantly required to deal with their clients' money, as well as their own. Understanding the basics of accounting and business will prove invaluable.
    
6. Speed reading. You will probably be required to do more reading in law school than you ever have before. You will also be expected to understand the material in greater depth than in the past. Accordingly, the ability to pore over a great amount of reading with a high level of retention is important. Many universities offer such courses on either a credit or noncredit basis; if yours does not, consider taking such a course outside of school.

Here are a few other suggestions for course selection in undergraduate school: Do not be afraid of courses that are intellectually demanding; these classes will train your mind for the rigors of a legal education. Get a well-rounded education; take courses outside your major. Legal problems draw from the experience of humankind, and so lawyers inevitably must be renaissance people in order to understand these legal problems. Master technology; most universities are now wired environments, and students use computers in a variety of ways. Do not think that you can avoid technology by attending law school; conversely, if you embrace technology, you will find that there are many applications for your knowledge in law. Do more than go to classes; get involved in extracurricular activities as well. Evidence of learning is found in more places than transcripts.

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If it has been several years since you were in school, you may find yourself experiencing some uneasiness about returning to the world of education. Some of this malaise you should discount out of hand. You will find that your reclamation to school comes quickly. You will also discover that life experiences gained since college give you valuable perspectives that you will use in the law. The discipline of managing life in the real world will undoubtedly help you to organize your time and maximize your performance in law school. If you have been out of school for a long time, or remain nervous about returning to school for any other reason, then take courses before you apply to law school. These might be undergraduate courses at a local community college or a university, or they might be graduate level courses offered through your employer. Such experiences may help to make the transition go more smoothly.
Although the bulk of this section has dealt with undergraduate education, it is worth noting that a significant number of law school entrants possess advanced degrees, including MBAs, CPAs, master's degrees in a variety of other fields, Ph.D.s, MDs and other medical degrees. You should not be surprised in your first year law school class to find yourself sitting between an anesthesiologist and a history professor. You may have obtained a graduate degree yourself, and wondered if there is room in law school for someone like you. The answer is yes.

People who come to law school with professional degree certification usually fall into one of two groups: those who hope to build upon their prior training with a degree in law, and those who hope to make a complete career change because they are not satisfied with their chosen occupation. Both groups are well represented in law school. Graduate level training can be a useful credential for law school admission and an excellent preparation for the study of law. However, because the admission process typically focuses on undergraduate grades, A's in graduate school will not wipe out C's in college.

Finally, a word about which college. Law schools take into consideration the reputations of undergraduate institutions just as other graduate programs do. If you went to a school with an excellent reputation, or a highly regarded degree program, it will help you in the application process. Because law schools are able to compare the performance of admitted students with their undergraduate institutions, they may have evidence to show that students from a particular school or college perform above or below the average of admitted students. This may be because the undergraduate school recommends more or fewer of its better students to a particular law school. It may be that a larger number of applicants coming from a particular university (say a local one) means that admitted students fall within the full range of qualifications in the entering class. Whatever the reasons, your school does make a difference. If you think that law schools may not know enough about your pre-legal schools or degree programs to be able to make an accurate assessment of your abilities, send informational material about the school or program with your application.

In the final analysis, your pre-legal education can help you in a variety of ways to prepare for the rigors of law school. The absence of specific requirements gives you a great deal of freedom in choosing a path. Select one that builds the skills you will need in law school that is simultaneously interesting and fulfilling on its own.