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What Classes Should I Take?	What Should I Major In?
What Are the Admission Requirements for Law School?	Career and Educational Resources for Law

 

What Classes Should I Take?

In selecting classes, you should focus on the following:

• Enhancing your ability to express yourself competently in writing. Although the commonly held perception of lawyers is that of arguing frequently in a courtroom, many lawyers work in areas where courtroom appearances are never required. However, all lawyers must compose written briefs and arguments and, to do so, effective writing skills are critical. Therefore, you should choose courses that require substantial writing.
  
• Enhancing your ability in critical understanding of the human institutions and values with which the law deals. To achieve such understanding, you should make certain that your program of study is broadly conceived. Courses in history, literature, political science, religious studies, philosophy, sociology, psychology, and economics are all important in this category.
  
• Enhancing your ability to think creatively. As already stated, you should seek courses that require not only considerable written work but oral performance as well, such as in the numerous undergraduate seminars and courses that include active participation by your fellow students. Only through such advice can you sharpen your ideas so that they not only are based on realistic foundations but make sense to others as well.
  
• Enhancing your knowledge of computers, word processing and electronic research.

 

What Should I Major In?

Because of the rich complexity of the law itself, there is no pre-law curriculum or major that best prepares you for law school. While no one major embraces all of the characteristics listed above, the following areas of study encompass these recommendations and require courses which prepare students for the study and practice of law:

Business	Mathematics and Logic
Communications	Philosophy
Computer Science	Political Science
Economics	Psychology
Engineering and Science	Sociology
History	(or any other major which you feel would prepare you)

NOTE: Paralegal is not a recommended major for those planning to apply to law school.

 

What Are the Admission Requirements for Law School?

The student's undergraduate GPA and his/her score on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) are the primary factors on which law schools base their admissions decisions. The importance of these factors cannot be overestimated.

Good grades are essential to those interested in being accepted at a well regarded law school. When undergraduate transcripts are viewed by law school admission committees, a great deal of attention is given to the difficulty and desirability of the courses chosen by the student. For many law schools, grades of "NC" (No Credit) are counted as an "F," and if a course is repeated, the two grades are averaged.

The LSAT is typically given in September, December, February, and June at one or more testing centers in the Bay Area. Pre-law students should obtain LSAT registration materials and law school applications early in their final year of college. Many pre-law students take preparation classes before attempting the LSAT. However, these courses are expensive and students are advised to investigate particular review classes carefully.

The following are links to a few selected local (except for Harvard) law programs:

University of California, Berkeley School of Law, Boalt Hall	University of California, Hastings College of Law
University of California, Davis School of Law	Harvard Law School
University of San Francisco School of Law	Stanford Law School
Santa Clara University School of Law	For a complete listing of law schools follow this link: Lists of Law Schools

Career and Educational Resources for Law

These links can help you explore your career and educational options. The icons indicate:

	Occupational information about the nature of the work, working conditions, training and/or educational requirements, job outlook, and earnings.
	Lists of graduate, professional, and other educational programs.
	Information of special interest to multicultural populations.

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Select a more specific career field from the following list,

• Law
  • [General]
  • Lists of Law Schools
  • Specialties
    • [General]
    • Corporate
    • International
    • Public Interest
    • No page would be complete without Lawyer Jokes

   

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  Law : [General]

Lawyers and Judges Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)

California Occupational Guide: Lawyers California Labor Market Information Division

Arbitration American Arbitration Association

Jobs in Law Law.com

The LSU Pre-Law Society Home Page Louisiana State University Pre-Law Society

Career Guide: Lawyers Saludos Hispanos

Career Guide: Judges Saludos Hispanos

Lawyer Monster.Com

Law WetFeet.com

Law: Research Guide Rutgers University

 

Law: Lists of Law Schools

 

A Directory of Law Schools University of Southern California

U.S. Law Schools The Emory List

Law : Specialties : [General]

Jobs in Law Law.com

 

Law : Specialties : Corporate

Jobs in Law Law.com

 

Law : Specialties : International

Jobs in Law Law.com

 

Law : Specialties : Public Interest

Jobs in Law Law.com