SOME ADVICE FROM BADSEAN ON WHAT TO STUDY IN #COLLEGE (#LAWSCHOOL #LSAT): What to Study in College Unlike the American Medical Association, the American Bar Association has not established a required “core” of courses that undergraduates must take in order to be admitted to professional school. You can major in virtually anything and still be attend law school. If you are certain that you want to be an attorney, then feel free to major in something that interests you. If you love languages, major in languages. If you love math, major in engineering or computer science or physics - or even in mathematics. If you love politics, then major in history or political science. Truly, as far as law schools are concerned, you can major in anything. In making your decision regarding a major, two considerations are paramount. First, whatever choice you make, you must make sure that you can handle the coursework. Its nice to be interested in how things work, but if you can’t handle Calculus I and II, don’t pick a major in the engineering school. If you are intrigued by ideas, but aren’t a very strong reader, majoring in philosophy is a bad idea (and law school will be very difficult - but by no means impossible - for you) Second, no matter what your major, make sure you take a few (as many as you are comfortable with actually) courses that require extensive reading and writing. If you want to do well in law school, you must develop reading and writing skills. They are vital for success in top law schools. There is no way around it. Plus, becoming a strong reader and effective writer puts you at a competitive advantage relative to other students your age. Insert data from Academically Adrift Now, the fact that you need to be a strong reader and effective writer does not mean that you have to (or even should) take a speed reading course or learn to write in iambic pentameter (which is actually a hobby of one of us - the d-bag we mentioned above). In fact, we know some very, very (almost obscenely) successful attorneys who are not strong readers or writers. They went to law school and “just got by.” They knew that law review wasn’t for them. They knew that they would never clerk for a Supreme Court Justice or draft important trade legislation. In effect, these men and women viewed law school as a vocational school. They were there to learn the basics, earn degrees, and take the bar. A few of them had a clear business plan - they went to law school wherever they got in, passed the bar and became personal injury attorneys. Other attorneys we know went to school just to take over the family law practice. They too went to school pretty much wherever they got in, concentrated on the subjects that fit the needs of the family firm (family law, immigration, collections, traffic, real estate, etc.) and transitioned smoothly into jobs that were waiting for them. There is nothing wrong with this approach. Many of these people have had great and rewarding careers. They have helped thousands of people and they have made important contributions to the legal community. At the same time, this approach to law school isn’t for everyone. All of the people we know in this circumstance went to college - and then to law school - with a very specific plan. And that’s what we are trying to help you do with this book. Now a lot of you have heard that there are certain majors that law schools are looking for. We’ve asked around and done quite a bit of reading, and we have determined this to be pure myth. As far as gaining admission to law school is concerned, your undergraduate major is essentially irrelevant. What really matters - as we explained above - is your undergraduate GPA. This doesn’t mean that your undergraduate major has no impact on your legal career. Certain majors - especially from schools with outstanding programs - can provide you with a leg up in your search for an associate position once you have completed law school. Patent firms like engineers, which makes sense. International law firms like people with language skills, which also makes sense. What we’ve done is take a look around the legal community - and in the world around us - in order to come up with non-traditional majors (for lawyers anyway) that we think may give you a bit of a boost - or at least a second look - when it comes to your post-law school job search. Please keep in mind that this list reflects nothing more than our opinion of where we think the business world and the legal community will need attorneys with some very particular skill sets over the next decade or so. Having a degree in one of these fields may tip the scales in your favor when applying to certain firms or certain companies. Seven “Non-traditional” Majors that Future Attorneys May wish to Consider 1. Agriculture We’ve lost you already, haven’t we? But think about it. Seriously. You may know some vegetarians and you may even know some vegans, but do you know anyone who doesn’t, um, eat? And notice we didn’t recommend that you become a farmer after law school. We recommend that you consider studying the science or the economics of agriculture. Think of the possibilities: patenting incredible genetically engineered food products, assisting third world nations as they develop crops that can naturally resist drought or infestation without pesticides or toxic fertilization, developing foods that can feed the billions around the globe, negotiating high level trade agreements and tariff reduction treaties. Are you serious about your desire to change the world? This is a place where you can actually do that. Besides, it might give you the experience for a great and unique personal statement. Admissions offices will get thousands of essays from economics and philosophy majors. How many will they get from someone who knows the business end of a cow? Some schools to consider: Texas A&M University, University of Florida, University of Iowa. 2. Economics We know that its odd to think of economics as a “non-traditional” major. After all, it has been part of the core of liberal arts education for centuries. Still, not that many people actually graduate with degrees in economics. You may not believe this, but there is actually a shortage of trained economist in the world. Yes, it is a difficult major, requiring extensive training in mathematics and an encyclopedic knowledge of world affairs – at least that’s what economists would have us believe. The math component can seem daunting, but the payoff can be enormous. The truth is that economists can and do play vital roles in a wide variety of industries. Moreover, because Economics is viewed by most universities as a traditional liberal art, you can find outstanding economics programs at places like Princeton and Harvard that do not have undergraduate business programs. Here’s the other thing. Lots of lawyers are bad with math. Rally bad. Understanding how to read a balance sheet or profit and loss statement or an annual report is a great skill to have. Plus, if you are interested in public policy work after law school, an undergrad degree in economic seems like a no-brainer to us. Some schools to consider: Princeton University, Johns Hopkins University, UCLA, George Mason University, University of Maryland. 3. Fashion Merchandizing To the outsider, the fashion industry probably seems unpredictable, precarious and perhaps a bit silly. It is true, fashion trends come and go and the economic fortunes of clothing labels and retailers can be volatile. At the same time, the clothing and textile industry is among the largest in the world. More importantly, it is also among the most stable. Yes, trends do come and go, but key industry players – from designers to manufacturers to retailers – are among the best known and best run companies in the world. These companies engage in complex commercial transactions, deal with intellectual property issues, become involved in litigation, undertake mergers and acquisitions and buy, sell and lease real estate. They need lawyers - both to staff their own internal legal departments from outside law firms. Knowledge of the industry, and a real feel for its business and legal needs could be a real selling point for a future attorney. Schools to consider: Fashion Institute of Technology 4. Mathematics We know this one is a tough sell. A lot of you simply hate math. More than that, a lot of you who are good at math are also good at chemistry and physics or other things that go into making great computer scientists and engineers. That said, mathematicians essentially write the rules of the modern economy. Their programs and their formulas have brought us everything from search engines like Google and Yahoo to the complex derivatives trades that make Wall Street a major source of global wealth. Like it or not, math is king. Math is also wonderful for helping develop critical thinking skills. Mathematics at the university level does not involve memorizing formulas and solving word problems. Instead, it involves the creative application of logic and reasoning to solving problems. That’s exactly what future attorneys are asked to do in their first year of law school. Schools to consider: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Virginia Institute of Technology, Renssalear Institute of Technology. 5. Sales We don’t mean marketing, and we don’t mean advertising. We mean sales. Forget the old stigma associated with high-pressure salesmen and sleazy stockbrokers. The field of sales has evolved into a complex form of business best characterized as “relationship management.” There is a science to sales, and some schools have developed programs to enhance the skill set necessary to excel in the field. Sales majors are exposed to various aspects of commercial and contract law. More importantly, sales majors are required to devote considerable effort to developing their written and oral communication skills - tools that are crucial for success in law school and beyond. Schools to consider: Ohio University. 6. Materials Engineering The demand for renewable, reusable and sustainable products has greatly increased demand for materials engineers. As much as any group of professionals, it is the materials engineers who are shaping how we will live in the decades to come. The products and the process that they develop could literally change the world. These folks - and the companies that they work for - are going to need patent attorneys who understand the complexities of their products and who can help them successfully navigate the intricacies of the patent process in the United States and who can help them successfully assert and protect their intellectual property in the United States Patent Court. Schools to Consider: California Institute of Technology, University of Florida. 7. Public Administration A few years ago, real estate in and around the District of Columbia was generally affordable. Now it is among the most expensive real estate markets in the word. Why? The growth of government – particularly at the senior management level – has caused the area’s population to explode. The growth is not just in the DC area. The federal government continues to expand, bringing more and more highly-paid professionals onto its payroll. And if you’re looking for job security, when is the last time you heard of the government instituting layoffs? Combining the practical knowledge obtained at the undergrad level with the expansive knowledge of a law degree seems like a useful combination of skill and acumen. Schools to consider: Florida State University Some Resources You May Wish to Consider in Selecting a Major Ultimately, your choice of major comes down to a balancing of several considerations. You do want to take challenging courses that will prepare you for the rigors of the first year of law school. At the same time, given the fixation that law schools have developed with rankings, you don’t want to over do it. Grades matter - a lot. So push yourself, bur not too hard. You also want to make sure you actually do have some interest in what you are studying. You have the rest of your life to read the study boring documents and write dry legal memoranda. Find something you enjoy. Plus, you may decide in college that law school really isn’t for you. Its nice to have a fallback plan.
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 21:57:45 +0000
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