Osmosis Mom Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 What would you suggest for high school for a student considering becoming a lawyer? He does not have a real focus yet, but likes to argue as well as bringing home a big paycheck (!). So, yes, I'll take any kind of motivation. What should he not miss during high school and what do you suggest for college in order to get into a good law program? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 If he has STEM-leaning interests, I'd definitely encourage those. Even in a dreadful job market, prospects are usually better for lawyers with technological training and experience. An undergraduate degree in engineering, for instance, could be a good start for a career in patent law (as well as a way to distinguish himself from all the poli sci majors applying to law school). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elinor Everywhere Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 What would you suggest for high school for a student considering becoming a lawyer? He does not have a real focus yet, but likes to argue as well as bringing home a big paycheck (!). So, yes, I'll take any kind of motivation. What should he not miss during high school and what do you suggest for college in order to get into a good law program? For college, I have 2 friends who are lawyers and they both majored in the Classics (different schools). They said law schools were highly interested in classics majors, so, since it meshes perfectly with my dd's interests and current educational path, that's what she's planning on doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osmosis Mom Posted August 29, 2012 Author Share Posted August 29, 2012 Hmm, he is very interested in computer stuff and finances actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HecticMama Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Hi! I was a lawyer (pre-mom). I had an English major. Law schools really have no preference as to major. They want people who can think on their feet, analyze and write well. I would suggest having him do several increasingly difficult logic programs and analogies (that's where you win your arguments in court!). He should also get into one of the public speaking groups to debate. If he is interested in computers, have him look on line for the latest internet cases to see if that's really what he wants to do. As far as finances go, tax law is still a biggie (at least until they overhaul the tax program). Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in TX Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Dd17 is leaning towards law school. This is ideal for her because she's been arguing since she could speak :). A lawyer I met recently told me that she majored in English as an undergrad, and she felt that that was ideal preparation for law school, because she was constantly analyzing texts and formulating arguments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted August 29, 2012 Share Posted August 29, 2012 Critical thinking skills across the board; exactness in speech and writing; a basic understanding of business, marketing and accounting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 What would you suggest for high school for a student considering becoming a lawyer? He does not have a real focus yet, but likes to argue as well as bringing home a big paycheck (!). So, yes, I'll take any kind of motivation. What should he not miss during high school and what do you suggest for college in order to get into a good law program? If he has the opportunity, participating on a Mock Trial or speech/debate team would probably be a good learning experience. As far as the big paycheck, you may want to have him do some research. The job market for new law grads is abysmal right now and many lawyers are happy to find any job. Several law schools are even being sued for misrepresenting their placement data. Law schools are big money makers for universities and they are churning out way more lawyers than the market can absorb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Information security, health law, those are fields I'd look at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 Undergrad philosophy majors supposedly have the highest earnings of all majors after twenty years -- because so many of them go into law! (Almost all of them at my kids' college double major -- overachievers! :tongue_smilie:) Seriously, philosophy trains students in how to think and how to analyze. That's what it's all about! At my kids' college, philosophy and comp sci were a VERY popular paring for a double major. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCal Sandra Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 If it has a webpage similar to this one http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Public/Pamphlets/BecomingALawyer.aspx your son can begin his investigation there. Some other recommendations for your son: Develop excellent writing and analysis skills. If he can develop those skills in high school by studying logic, getting involved with debate or public speaking, and writing expository and persuasive essays he won't have to learn them in college. Instead, he can hone them within the context of his major or in other college classes. For college he should earn the best grades that he can. A business or economics major might interest him, as might a computer science or other STEM major. Majoring in English is excellent preparation, but in today's world I would choose the STEM or business major and try to develop the language and analysis skills as much as possible before college. Your son will be required to take the Law School Admissions Test, so as the time nears he should begin studying and taking practice tests or prep courses for that because he will want to score as high as possible. I practiced law for 20 years and found it to be a very rewarding career. My best wishes to you and you son! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osmosis Mom Posted August 30, 2012 Author Share Posted August 30, 2012 Thanks for all the great advice. Interestingly enough about the Philosophy major and ability to argue; dd's best friend majored in this from Wellesley and is absolutely the most well-spoken, argumentative and logical person I have met! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candid Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 I agree that law schools do not use major for the most part, but it would be wise to steer clear of political science or any other major that seems to accumulate hopefuls. My husband is a litigator and had a math and economics major. He's always felt that helped him get into a top five law school (then, now it is at ten), but he had a bunch of unusual qualifications. He went to a state school, but not the one from his own state and he was a walk on on the baseball team. So developing a full life would help as well. For now, debate and challenging himself to the hardest work he can handle are the smart choices. For undergrad he needs to go to a solid school but not necessarily the cream. Look at his debt load. AND even more important, when it comes to law school he needs to go to a solid school that is well ranked. There are a lot of law schools that are turning out lawyers who can't get jobs. I think I read recently that new law school grads have one of the highest rates of unemployment. He'd tell you that in a down economy litigators always have work but in a boom economy other areas will make more money (real estate and banking). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted August 30, 2012 Share Posted August 30, 2012 (edited) . Edited January 12, 2016 by wapiti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Mint Hill Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 (edited) If he has the opportunity, participating on a Mock Trial or speech/debate team would probably be a good learning experience. As far as the big paycheck, you may want to have him do some research. The job market for new law grads is abysmal right now and many lawyers are happy to find any job. Several law schools are even being sued for misrepresenting their placement data. Law schools are big money makers for universities and they are churning out way more lawyers than the market can absorb. Yes, this is so true. My oldest just started law school, and he thought long and hard before applying, since he was well aware of this state of affairs. He talked alot with friends who are practicing lawyers, and he knows that it is *not* necessarily an easy way to earn a big paycheck, but he feels called to this kind of career anyway. Here is what his advice would be to someone interested in being a lawyer (based on what he has learned from all his law friends and his own very limited experience): He won a nice scholarship based on his essays and LSAT score, but he says that if only he'd worked on keeping his GPA up when he was at Covenant, he might have been able to get a full ride. (he had only a 3.1 gpa, so that goes to show you that the gpa isn't everything!) But as an undergrad he was more interested in having a social life and being the editor of the school paper, since he thought he wanted to work as a journalist. He majored in philosophy and is an excellent writer. If one is interested in becoming a lawyer in the banking business or in finance, I would suggest majoring in Economics. or something like this. But be prepared for a very high pressure job! One of my son's friends is a lawyer for a big bank, and he doesn't have a second to breathe! Bottom line: major in a subject that is challenging and that you are very interested in, keep your gpa up, and study lots of logic. The gpa won't be worth much if it's not earned while taking challenging courses. Edited September 2, 2012 by Beth in Mint Hill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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