Would law schools be more lenient on GPA if I major in Chemical Engineering and aspire to be a patent lawyer?

Question

I'm a second-year ChemE major student at UC Berkeley. I want to go to law school and practice patent law, but my GPA is a little less than a 3.0. Do I have a chance?

Answer 1

I think you do have a chance. Law schools typically look at things such LSAT scores, your GPA, and class rank.

I know how difficult it is to major in chemical engineering, and yet you find that you are competing with people who took "easy" majors like political science, sociology, and administration of justice.

I think law schools would cut you some slack based on your major if all other factors are positive. If you are a student at University of California at Berkley, you are enrolled in one of the best-regarded universities in the United States. That, in itself, is worth something.

Schools also look at "geographical diversity" and you may be pleased to find that you may be more attractive to a law school in the eastern states. It may be worthwhile to apply to one or two law schools outside your geographic area.

Answer 2

Well, certainly, majoring in a real academic discipline, as opposed to some culture studies thing, will score you extra points. However, when it comes to top law schools at least, your GPA is a lot less important than your LSAT score. It sounds counter-intuitive, but it's true: the more prestigious the law school, the more weight the LSAT score carries. Perhaps, admissions committees are just lazy: after all, it's easy to arrange candidates on a list using a single numerical criterion -- a lot easier than carefully evaluating applications on balance, the way undergraduate colleges do. But whatever the reason, nail the LSAT. Score above 165 or below 140 -- and I guarantee you, your GPA and your major won't mean squat.

Answer 3

Hell yeah. You can certainly get into a law school with that. The schools will also look at your LSAT score, but you will certainly be able to get into a school, even if you don't do great on the LSAT, it just might not be your first choice. No pressure there. Good luck. Also, you might change your mind once you get in and decide to practice human rights law for migrant workers. It is good to be goal oriented, but according to your plans, you still have at least five more school years in front of you.

Answer 4

There are speical laws and rules on becomming a patient attorney, you need to check patient office and your state bar.