College Major?

Question

Hey yall I'm filling out college applications and I know that I want to be a lawyer, but I don't know what to major in for undergrad. I was thinking about political science or sociology. I really want to be a criminal lawyer who deals mainly with hate crimes. Do yall have any ideas???

Answer 1

Actually, Yale has been ranked #1 for law schools for years :). Not that it matters.

Both of those majors would be good for pre-law. History is another good choice. However, major in whatever makes you happiest. What matters most is academic strength, obvious passion, and depth of interest. See below for further discussion.

You're looking for the following skills in majors:
analytical ability
reading skills
writing skills
oral presentation skills.

But the best way to get there is not through your major per se, but rather through extra-curriculars, internships and work. Intern with a prosecutor's office and see if you like working in that environment. The Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section prosecutes hate crimes. They accept students to work through the summers sometimes. Local prosecutors' offices would be easier to work for, I would think.

Strongly consider taking time off between college and law school. Most students find that they are better students, more balanced for that choice.

Answer 2

I am so glad to hear that there will be some social activist out there. In this highly neoconservative society hate crimes are on the increase as are all other forms of oppression. You need to decide what university you plan on attending and find out what the prerequisites for there law degree is. Criminology, sociology and social justice are all degrees tied in with what you plan on taking one you get into law. Take something that you feel passionate about and you will find you can just breeze through it. I have been advocating for the oppressed for almost twenty years now and I am back at school working on a double major in gender studies and social science just to round out my expertise especially when it comes to the smear campaigns launched against the victims during hate crimes. Good luck to you we need a lot more brave souls like you in this world. Please try and watch the film Blue Eyes about the teacher Elliot and her experiment. Our work may not alway be easy we always sleep well at night knowing that we are doing the right thing. God bless.

Answer 3

I would choose the major that you think you would enjoy most. You're going to be studying the law for three years of law school, and then dealing with it for the duration of your professional career. This is the best time for you to experiment and try something non-law related. Law schools aren't necessarily looking for somebody who has a legal background; rather, they're looking for intelligent, well-rounded students with good GPAs and high LSAT scores. Pick a course of study that will help you develop your critical thinking skills (which is pretty much anything) and that you will like enough to get good grades in.

Personally, I was a cellular biochemistry major with a psychology minor. This has actually broadened my career options--if you have an undergraduate major in a technical field, you are eligible to take the "patent bar" and be licensed to work as a patent attorney.

Regardless of what you choose to major in, I would highly recommend taking a course or two in economics--you will be very glad you did when you take Torts your first year. Good luck!

Answer 4

I'm also Prelaw-and I would suggest that you visit Harvard.edu and look at what they expect a student to have learned upon entrance to their law school. From there you should pick a major based on those requirements that's in line with your skills and interests. Since, Harvard law is the best in the nation their standards set the bar for other schools. So, visiting their website might help you select a major. Remember that you don't have to be a poli sci Major just because you're prelaw there are criminal lawyers who've major in many subjects. Good luck! Oh and don't forget to consult your advisor on this matter.

Answer 5

Consider Criminal Justice. Law school tends to focus on business and civil law, so your undergraduate work in CRJ might give you a great background for criminal prosecution. I'm sure that the future in hate crime prosecution will be very bright since the liberals want to make everybody think the same and label everything with which they disagree as "hate speech". You can work for the thought police and prosecute people for what the believe instead of how they behave. Good luck in the coming socialists' agenda.

Answer 6

from a law student's perspective, I think philosophy is a good choice to prepare you.