What Should I Major In?

As of this writing, there are 200 institutions that have the approval of the American Bar Association. They vary in terms of their size, cost, location and reputation.

Since attending law school myself, I've been asked the question "Should I go to law school?" a number of times by individuals who are captivated by the prospect of earning a huge paycheck from a big-city mega firm, or who dream about the multi-million dollar payday they could experience when their small practice receives its first massive settlement.

These are all legitimate dreams that can be achieved through law school. However, pursuing your legal education carefully can help ensure that you get what you want out of your legal experience while successfully avoiding debt, misery and unemployment.

So you made the decision that you want to attend. What next?

If you're a traditional student, meaning a student  in his or her twenties who is currently an undergraduate somewhere - the first thing I would advise you to do is to formulate a backup plan. I mean this in the nicest way possible. Many people finish their first semester of law school and it dawns on them that they've made a terrible, terrible mistake.

At that point, first-year law students feel that they are "in too deep" and have spent far too much time and money on their legal education to change direction. What can you do to avoid this? First, chose an undergraduate background in something that (a) you enjoy doing and (b) can be applicable towards a career other than law. Think about obtaining a degree in one of the hard sciences: math, chemistry, biology, or engineering.

If you can do that, then not only will you walk away with a profitable skill set, but you'll also set yourself up for a fantastic legal job right out of law school. As of today, the field of Intellectual Property (IP) is the only legal concentration where demand exceeds supply. What do you need to become an IP lawyer? A background in a legitimate science. By the time most people become aware of this, or develop an interest in IP, they're already in law school and they gave up their chance at a meaningful undergraduate degree to pursue something worthless, like political science or philosophy. Don't make the same mistake - give yourself opportunities.

Undergraduate students often adopt the mentality that fluffy, theoretical degrees are a good "stepping stone" for their legal career because it will give them the skill set they need to conquer "logic" problems on the LSAT, or it'll help them understand the material that they'll eventually be reading about in their legal casebooks. It's all bullshit. Your LSAT will last you one day of your life, but your undergraduate degree will stay with you forever. Major in something that will put food on the table for you and your family, that will pay your rent, that will cover your medical expenses. DON'T major in something that might help you out on a couple of test questions, but will otherwise prove to be completely worthless. Big mistake.

For your LSAT, there are preparation courses and test booklets that will prove to be a million times more beneficial and cost efficient than a BA in Criminal Justice, Philosophy, Government, etc.