What would the best major be to become a tort law attorney?

Question

I want to work in a big firm doing tort law or litigation. I was wondering what the best education before law school would be. Any college, majors, minors, or any other suggestions would be really helpful. I need to know specifically what to take while in college.

Answer 1

I am pre-law as well and I am majoring in English, with a minor in History (because that interests me). I plan on becoming a probate attorney and I know that a political science, although popular for pre-law students, is not really looked upon as a wonderful choice. English is a great major to have in my eyes due to the simple fact that you are doing a massive amount of reading, writing and analyzing; all of which you are going to have an abundance of in law school.

At this point, there is no real needed emphasis on becoming the type of attorney that you want to be. That will come when you are in law school. Yes, you will have required courses, but you will still have a certain level of "electives" where you can take classes that have emphasis on tort law.

Good luck to you and all of your future studies.

Answer 2

Well, first, what sort of "tort law" attorney do you want to be? When I hear "tort law," I think plaintiff's personal injury attorney. Generally those people don't work at big firms--they're small shops. For those people, I'd suggest that you get a bioscience degree--biology, kinesiology, health--because most of those claims revolve around personal injury and if you understand the science, you're one step ahead. Those people also have to be very personable--psychology, perhaps.

If you want to work at a "big firm," you're going to be doing corporate law, intellectual property, business litigation, insurance defense, or some mix of those genres. A _real_ business degree (like accounting or economics) helps; a fluffy business degree (like marketing or business management) doesn't.

Really, if you want to be an attorney, take interesting courses that make you read a little, write a little, and think a lot. Philosophy is great (it will help you in law school), as will English and rhetoric. If you want really to practice in Intellectual Property (i.e. patent prosecution), you MUST have a hard science degree. But then you miss out on the good courses that target your communication skills. Also think about extracurricular activities -- these days, most law schools (and it's where you go to law school, and how well you do there, that largely determines your future job with "big firms) look for interesting people-- learn a second (or third) language; be a poet or an artist, do sports, VOLUNTEER, get involved in law-related activities like mock trial in college. Be a smart, well rounded, busy, dedicated individual.

And are you sure you want to be a lawyer? Most "big firms" work their associates like dogs; something like 80% of associates leave after 3-5 years. You don't really make BIG BIG money--if you want to make money, get your MBA or finance degree and run a business or work on Wall Street. At big firms, you're not going to be in the courtroom EVER. 98% of all civil cases settle, and the courtroom work of large cases will be handled by your partners, not you. You will spend most of your time writing research memos, briefs, and reviewing discovery documents. When you get advanced (or if you're lucky enough to get a pro bono case) you'll be able to take depositions and maybe appear in court for motion hearings. It's not super glamorous; you have to love it.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Does your school have a pre-law program? That would be the most obvious choice. Actually, the best you can do is take what you like and get superlative grades. That will assure your acceptance into a good law school. All that really matters in getting hired at a big firm is how well you did in law school and the law school you attended.

You can take some law-related classes in undergrad, but they will only provide marginal assistance once you get into law school. I found that taking classes that required a lot of reading and writing prepared me a bit, but it's a stretch to say that I wouldn't have been able to do well without that extra bit of preparation. Hone your studying skills as best you can regardless of the subject matter.

Do something in college, volunteer or paid, that gives you an answer to the question: what made you decide to go to law school?

Answer 4

Do the basics, and do them well: writing, politics/government/history, and some science wouldn't hurt (particularly if you're thinking of patent litigation.) If you can find some statistics or symbolic logic, that could help...

Don't worry about specialization - you'll have plenty of time for that, starting in your second year of law school.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

learn to lie and lose your ethics and common sense