While you may not think of a philosophy degree as an obvious choice for getting into law school, it can actually be quite fitting. Philosophy students study human thought and debate on age-old topics such as knowledge, existence, ethics, and truth. Your coursework can include subjects like ancient and modern philosophy, ethics, theory and logic, and metaphysics.
Most schools will offer a B. Because the basis of many of our laws lies in ethics and human nature, philosophy can make a lot of sense for a law school hopeful. While the official definition of sociology is the study of institutions, those who choose this major will quickly find that it entails much more. Deciding to study sociology as an undergraduate can be the perfect pairing for law school. You can also use your knowledge of sociology paired with your law degree to help sway public policy and advocate for legal reform.
While the majors mentioned above are the most popular undergraduate choices for future law students, they are not your only options. You already know that law school requires proficiency in reading, writing, and public speaking. Approaching law school as an international relations major comes with a variety of benefits. This understanding paired with the ability to think critically and analyze information can be a great foundation for law school.
Whether you choose to focus on business administration or corporate business, your degree will reflect a rigorous course of study, making you an attractive candidate for law school. As a business major, you can expect to study everything from business management and administration to marketing and trends. Your courses will cover topics like accounting, finance, and the legal and ethical principles of business.
These courses will strengthen your understanding of contracts, negotiation, and business structure, all of which are important for law school. Environmental science is a relatively new field that combines biology, chemistry, and earth sciences such as geography with the social sciences such as law and economics.
Majoring in environmental science will mean learning how physical and biological processes work together to shape the world. Your courses are likely to include environmental science, economics, conservation, geoscience, forestry, statistics, and law.
This major will allow you to see issues from different perspectives, something that will be a huge asset in the law world. The fields of social work and law have much in common. Social workers provide resources and counseling to help people overcome challenges such as homelessness, abuse, and addiction.
A degree in social work teaches you how to work with individuals, families, groups, and community organizations. Your courses are likely to cover family services, gender issues, social welfare policy, probation, disability counseling, and employment services. As a student, you will learn the basics and how to analyze social work policy. You also will learn how to use critical thinking and how to apply it to the real world.
Faculty-student ratio is also important, as it is an indicator of how personalized the learning experience will be at each school.
Generally speaking, law students are not required to specialize when they graduate. Secondly, students seeking a well-rounded education should ensure the school offers a rich and diverse list of classes that complement coursework in general law. Through educational training, lawyers develop a range of professional skills, most of which revolve around information.
Lawyers must be able to consume, digest, analyze, and process vast amounts of data. Lawyers should be keen researchers, able to decipher complex legal documents and case studies. Another major skill is communication, both verbally and in written form, which enables proper conveyance of ideas to clients, arbitrators, legal counsel, juries, and the general public.
Although certification has become an important part of the legal profession, formal board certification of lawyers is a fairly recent industry shift. Certification programs are entirely voluntary and lawyers not certified in a specialization e. Lawyers may pursue certification from private ABA-accredited programs, state sponsored plans, and state-accredited private certifiers. For example, lawyers may gain board certification in multiple areas from the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification, including the following:.
Like other fields, the legal industry is experiencing a growing integration of technology into everyday work. In addition to standard office tools and technology e. Nationally, the BLS projects a 4 percent growth of employment for lawyers between and , translating to an additional 32, positions created during this time. Five of the most in-demand practice areas are detailed below. Driven by an increase in proceedings, there is a growing need for skilled legal specialists in areas of commercial litigation and medical malpractice.
Litigation is becoming an increasingly important practice area in the wake of the pandemic. Insurance companies, hospitals, drug manufacturers, and other medical providers are increasingly hiring attorneys to handle litigation, insurance defense, payment disputes, compliance, and patient privacy.
Many individuals and companies find themselves in financial distress in the wake of the pandemic and are hiring attorneys to help them through the bankruptcy and restructuring process. Businesses need attorneys to help them review business agreements, renegotiate contracts, and reduce corporate risk.
Part of this increase is driven by the pandemic, while part is due to financial institutions transitioning from the London Interbank Offered Rate, meaning contracts must be revised. Businesses are hiring labor and employment attorneys for issues related to office reentry after the pandemic, employee health, safety and privacy, wrongful terminations, and more.
States with the best employment outlooks include Colorado, Texas, and Utah. Below is a list of the ten states expected to see the largest percentage of employment opportunities for lawyers between and Curious about lawyer job growth in your state? Select a state below for more information about employment and job growth for this career. Becoming a lawyer is not the only career path available to those interested in this area of work.
A diverse, wide-ranging industry, legal services offers prospective students a wealth of career opportunities that diverge from the actual practice of law. In addition to the practice of law, there are numerous related career paths.
Below is a table of salary data for related careers in the legal field. Becoming an attorney typically requires four years of undergraduate school and three years of law school for a total of seven years. There are plenty of majors that can help you on your journey to becoming a lawyer, including criminal justice, philosophy, political science, psychology, and more.
Legal educators argue that students are most successful when they study subjects they enjoy. Although the career comes with a lucrative salary, becoming a lawyer can be a strenuous process. You must make it through three rigorous years of school, as well as two exams: the LSAT, to be accepted in law school, and the bar exam — an examination you must pass to become a licensed attorney.
Learn everything you need to know about attending plumbing school, and find a program near you on our list of the best programs. If you want to become an HVAC tech, attend a program that teaches what you need and get you hired. Depending on the program, a rad tech degree usually takes two years. You'll typically need an associate degree to become a radiologic technologist. Read on to find the best radiology tech programs. Step 1. Step 2. Step 3. Step 4. Popular concentrations include: Corporate law : Corporate or business law is a lucrative field with responsibilities such as the formation and dissolution of corporations, mergers and acquisitions, corporate disputes, and more.
Step 5. Step 6. Lawyer Career Basics. Lawyer Career In-Depth. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming. Did You Know? Legal Skills Introduces students to the elements of practicing law, including legal analysis, policy, and writing.
Contracts Students are introduced to the basic principles of contracts, including creation, termination, and alteration. Civil Procedure Students gain an understanding of court procedures that do not involve criminal matters; includes the study of trial litigation, discovery process, and jurisdictional rules. Constitutional Law Teaches students about the U.
Torts This course examines civil liabilities of conduct and topics such as medical malpractice and tort reform. South Carolina. South Dakota. New York. Paralegals and Legal Assistants Court Reporters 9. Court, Municipal, and License Clerks Education and Training: High school diploma or equivalent. Legal Secretaries Judicial Law Clerks 9. Personal Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers 9. Become Team. Latest Posts. See all Posts. With Lantern, browse and filter careers by criteria you want.
These students will learn how to follow the rules of logic when making arguments as well as how to take the opposite side of an argument and question the premises and assumptions that support a conclusion. This type of training is important for an aspiring lawyer because learning how to understand the inner mechanics of how to argue and think outside of the box are important qualities in a future lawyer.
Philosophy merges history with analysis. It is the most similar to what you will get in a law school classroom. The Socratic method of teaching, which is used in the majority of law schools, is very akin to how most philosophy courses are taught. Political science majors should be prepared to study political systems, public policy, and the relationship between types of government and the law.
This major is probably the closest to a law school curriculum in undergrad that a student will find. Common classes: American political systems, early and modern political thought, principles of economics, law, politics, and justice, and research methods.
Young adults who want to become lawyers should consider majoring in political science in college. These are all critical if you want to work in the law. When I was in college, my political science classes fostered great conversations and debates, which helped me to hone skills that have been invaluable to me as an attorney.
I learned to identify an issue, analyze important information, and generate a thought-out and reasoned argument. Since my discussions were somewhat tied to the law, I feel as though that provided me with a great foundation for law school.
Psychology is the study of human behaviors and this major gives students insight into the human psyche. For instance, students might apply their psych studies to criminal cases, questioning how human error could possibly lead to wrongful convictions or how innocent people sometimes make incorrect judgments. Common classes: biological psychology, history of psychology, neuroscience, sensation and perception, and social psychology.
Meredith Atwood, former attorney and founder of Swim Bike Mom. The best majors for aspiring lawyers will be in the realm of human behavior, public speaking, and writing. The practice of law is essentially the pursuit and communication of justice and conflict resolution, so any training in communication will be key to winning cases, handling clients, and more. Psychology is powerful because it will help in all aspects: dealing with clients, helping in mediation, and understanding behaviors and experts.
For students considering a career in law, some majors are a reliable source of the skills and knowledge central to the profession. However, no major will guarantee a law school acceptance letter — and no major will disqualify a student, either. No matter what major students ultimately choose, a high undergraduate GPA and killer LSAT score will boost their chances of gaining admittance to a top-tier program, and from their, securing a position at a firm and launching their career.
Michael Dye was awarded a bachelor of science from the College of Business Administration with a concentration in economics from Gardner-Webb University in While there, he was a member of the Law Journal and authored an article examining various provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the respective effects on the economies of Mexico and the United States.
Upon graduating and passing the Florida bar exam, Dye accepted employment at a nationwide securities litigation and arbitration firm. In , Dye opened his own practice primarily focusing on criminal defense. Since opening the firm in , he has been committed to helping accident victims assert their rights and obtain the money they deserve. Louis metropolitan area for most of his life. After law school, he immediately went to work as a trial lawyer for some of St.
During that time, he litigated numerous cases and was responsible for managing litigation on behalf of a Fortune Company in both Illinois and Missouri. Since then, the two have spent most of their time litigating personal injury cases in the St.
Louis metropolitan area. Michele S. Mirman is a nationally-recognized trial attorney with more than 40 years of experience representing accident victims across New York City. David Reischer, Esq. Reischer is a New York business attorney who was admitted to the bar in New York in and specializes in real estate, mortgages, finance, and general tax and estate planning law. He is committed to the traditions of client service, professional development, and community involvement, while embracing the innovations driving the legal profession in the 21st century.
0コメント