IdahoBarrelRacer756 - 2017-01-11 4:43 PM I majored in Political Science. My program offered an emphasis in Public Law and Political Theory - the classes I took for my emphasis taught me a lot and prepared me for law school a lot more than the basic Poli Sci classes. Especially the political theory classes. If your business program offer a Business Law or Legal Environment of Business class, take that one. Take a logic and a reasoned discourse and some philosophy classes if you can, and as many criminal law classes as your Criminal Justice Department offers. It sounds strange, but I took abnormal psychology as well, and it was oddly helpful for law school and my practice. The best thing I did was join the Pre-Law society that my school had. They had a lot of people available to help you with prepping for the LSAT, applying to law schools, and going through the whole process. Get really close with at least two or three of your professors in your chosen major. You're going to need them for letters of recommendation. Good luck!

**Cowgirl Up** - 2017-01-11 3:47 PM


This is a ton of helpful information, I'm definitely copying/pasting for future reference... Thank you!  

Coop - 2017-01-12 10:53 AM If you are looking for classes to prepare you for the LSAT, I would recommend taking advanced English and literature courses to enhance your reading and writing skills, as they are crucial for success on the LSAT. Argument and logic courses (usually offered through the philosophy department) may help you with the logical reasoning section, and symbolic logic (another philosophy course) is helpful for the analytical reasoning portion. However, the best way to prepare for the LSAT is to study actual LSAT material - read the prep books, take the practice tests, etc. The courses I mentioned above will help with various aspects of the test, but nothing will be as effective at preparing you for the whole thing as actually practicing the exam material and becoming familiar with the questions. 



As far as admissions, the top schools generally prefer liberal arts majors. History, economics, English, etc. Choose something rigorous that shows that you are prepared to succeed in difficult law school courses. Don't major in criminal justice or anything of the sort - many people make this mistake thinking it shows their passion for the law, but it is not seen as a rigorous program and you will likely be passed over for admission to the top schools. Take courses outside your major in a variety of different subjects to demonstrate intellectual curiousity. Most importantly, major in something that you feel you can do well in, as good grades are key to a successful application. 



Good luck. 

**Cowgirl Up** - 2017-01-11 4:37 PM I'm not sure how many lawyers we have on here but I'm utilizing all sources I can for information.

What did you major in before law school? Do you think it helped prepare you for the LSAT? What do you think would be the most beneficial major for an undergrad before law school? And anything else you think may help me decide if I want to pursue law school 

Red Raider - 2017-01-13 10:03 AM Not sure how helpful this will be -- I never was the popular one -- and am certainly not of the hob-knob elite society of attorneys but here's what it's worth coming from a rebel, renegade or otherwise uncouth country attorney: 



Major Choice:  Find something you love.  For God's sake, you're paying for it and will be for a good while out if you don't have scholarships paying for it like I did.  Pick something that you can make a difference in and get some experience from.  I majored in Government and double minored in History (that I really loved) and Psychology (that has come in handy more than I ever planned on it doing).  I kicked ass in college and was one of the Dean's favorite students.  I partied hard and I got some really good living experiences.  Coming from that type of an environment was a Godsend when I got to the cold walls, halls and attitudes of law school that will try to kick your ass every day you walk into there.  The truth is that many attorneys don't always continue practicing law as their major career.  It doesn't hurt to have built a background in something else you love too because you just might have to fall back on it sometime.  



LSAT Prep:  Get the **** books (all of them -- practice, practice, practice) and a bottle of whiskey.  My study buddy was Jim Beam and a young puppy who kept me awake hours on end trying to study and keep him from periodically peeing on our newly carpeted floor.  You can't fall asleep when you're doing that and you'll be bored enough to keep on studying.  If you don't like your first score, brush it off and take it again.  I took it four times trying to hit a pretty high number to get a scholarship -- I came up shy 1-2 points every time -- never got it but I survived.  When you're finished bequeath the books to some other chump getting ready to take it and never think about it again.  



During my time as a lawyer, I've mainly practiced criminal law and family law.  I worked for an attorney that did a little bit of everything -- country lawyers sometimes have to in order to make a living -- and the one thing that came in handy the most was a good background in psychology.  Most people aren't in your office because their life is going good and that usually comes back to how they view life and what's going on in their heads that make them see it that way.  If you don't have a clue about mental health issues and the such, you better get one now because the practice of law is a crash course into the mind.  



The hardest part I remember applying to law school was answering one question on the application:  why do you want to be a lawyer?  It took me a week, couple of bottles of Jim Beam, a day playing hookie from Russian III and a last-minute road trip to slum in a Mexican border town before I had my answer.  I put down that I really didn't know -- I just knew that there wasn't anything else I wanted to do more ever since I was eight years old and hot wire breaking cattle for wheat pasture in the snow on Christmas break.  I typed that, put the application in the mail and figured I'd never hear from them again. 



Eight months later I was sitting in class, in that law school, when one of our professors asked if anybody answered that particular question by saying that they didn't know why.  I tentatively raised my hand, looking around to see if anybody else was either delusional or ballsy like myself and I found that at least a third of us were looking around, doing the same with a sheepish grin on our faces.  Of course we were looked down upon by all those who did know, had known and had everything in their perfect little lives planned out on the perfect track for their perfect career.  I didn't care -- I had found my tribe of misfits in raised hands that were as clueless as I.  We all found our way -- you will too.  Don't be afraid to take a different path than everybody; just make sure you make it count and you love it.  It's not worth it if you don't love it.