undergraduate classes for law school Forum

[stinestine]

I'm an undergraduate student at a small college in the northeast about to start my last semester. I am choosing classes to take this term, and I am wondering what types of classes law schools might want to see. I know that your GPA is primarily what matters, but obviously they are not going to be impressed if you raised your GPA with a lot of music/PE/dance/art classes or other easy classes. Usually the school has some section on what students who want to pursue a legal career should take in their undergraduate, and they usually say things such as History, Philosophy, Sociology, Political Science, Legal Studies, Public Policy, etc, but I am not sure if they mean that these classes would help prepare a student for the type of work demanded in law school or if these are actually classes that law schools want to see. I have already taken a fair number of classes in some of these departments (I am a philosophy major and have an interdisciplinary minor that involves mostly sociology classes). I actually heard from one friend that law schools prefer that students do not take undergraduate classes specifically on law because they would prefer that students come in with no preconceptions about the legal system. Is this true? Also, I am already taking a couple of difficult classes this semester and do not want to load myself down too much with tons of difficult classes that might end up lowering my GPA. Any suggestions?

[jcl2]

I'm an undergraduate student at a small college in the northeast about to start my last semester. I am choosing classes to take this term, and I am wondering what types of classes law schools might want to see. I know that your GPA is primarily what matters, but obviously they are not going to be impressed if you raised your GPA with a lot of music/PE/dance/art classes or other easy classes. Usually the school has some section on what students who want to pursue a legal career should take in their undergraduate, and they usually say things such as History, Philosophy, Sociology, Political Science, Legal Studies, Public Policy, etc, but I am not sure if they mean that these classes would help prepare a student for the type of work demanded in law school or if these are actually classes that law schools want to see. I have already taken a fair number of classes in some of these departments (I am a philosophy major and have an interdisciplinary minor that involves mostly sociology classes). I actually heard from one friend that law schools prefer that students do not take undergraduate classes specifically on law because they would prefer that students come in with no preconceptions about the legal system. Is this true? Also, I am already taking a couple of difficult classes this semester and do not want to load myself down too much with tons of difficult classes that might end up lowering my GPA. Any suggestions?

Take something easy and up your gpa, law schools aren't going to care what classes you take. Also, how have you not started your last semester yet? Isn't it almost February?

[Cole S. Law]

Of all the classes I took, Economics exams came closest to a law school exam. Generally in an econ test you're given a fact pattern "X country increases their money supply and decreases government spending at the same time....what result?" Essentially you identify the economic issue, tell what the generally accepted economic prinicipal is applicable, apply it the the facts presented, and make some educated guess at the result. This is pretty much an IRAC like a law school exam. Most of my other classes (esp. liberal arts/social science) wanted fancy sounding prose and analysis. You could probably write an A law or econ exam with a vocabulary of less than 800 words.

[stinestine]

My semester just started 2 days ago. We start really late. I still need a couple of more classes. I assume you mean easy academic classes, i.e. ones that I heard were easy, as opposed to taking acting classes or dance classes?

[sumus romani]

Given what you say, it seems that you have not taken the LSAT yet, and are applying at a later cycle. If this is so, you might want to consider taking courses that would help with the LSAT, such as informal logic. This may be a requirement of you major, but it might not. A course in symbolic logic will help you a little bit on the LSAT too, but informal logic is better. Also, statistics courses aimed at the general student populace can be good too.

[09042014]

Whatever you want, they don't really care.

They review your application in about 5 minutes, they don't have time to see what you took.

[jcl2]

My semester just started 2 days ago. We start really late. I still need a couple of more classes. I assume you mean easy academic classes, i.e. ones that I heard were easy, as opposed to taking acting classes or dance classes?

Just take something you will enjoy and do well in, it really doesn't matter. And start studying for the lsat, at this point that will matter much more than any incremental gpa change from how well you do this semester, and certainly will matter much more than what classes you take this semester.

[jcl2]

Of all the classes I took, Economics exams came closest to a law school exam. Generally in an econ test you're given a fact pattern "X country increases their money supply and decreases government spending at the same time....what result?" Essentially you identify the economic issue, tell what the generally accepted economic prinicipal is applicable, apply it the the facts presented, and make some educated guess at the result. This is pretty much an IRAC like a law school exam. Most of my other classes (esp. liberal arts/social science) wanted fancy sounding prose and analysis. You could probably write an A law or econ exam with a vocabulary of less than 800 words.

I totally rocked my graduate level econ classes (never took any undergrad econ), and that is exactly how the exams were structured. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will bode well for my law school exam taking ability.

[stinestine]

Whatever you want, they don't really care.

They review your application in about 5 minutes, they don't have time to see what you took.

OK, yeah that's what I heard too. So I could just take whatever I think is easiest I guess.

[stinestine]

Given what you say, it seems that you have not taken the LSAT yet, and are applying at a later cycle. If this is so, you might want to consider taking courses that would help with the LSAT, such as informal logic. This may be a requirement of you major, but it might not. A course in symbolic logic will help you a little bit on the LSAT too, but informal logic is better. Also, statistics courses aimed at the general student populace can be good too.

Yeah, actually I am taking symbolic logic right now. My school doesnt have informal logic unfortunately. Why is a stat's class good? Do you mean that it helps in law school or that they like to see it on your transcript, if they even have time to look at it?

[ughOSU]

The only way it will have any affect (and it still probably won't), is if it's something that's too difficult for normal people to do... try quantum mechanics.

[vanwinkle]

Law schools don't really care so much as they care if you have a high GPA.

With that said, there are classes that could be advantageous to have had once you are in law school. First and foremost is probably an intro to economics class if you haven't had one already. I could've used at least a basic economics background for some of the stuff we talked about in Contracts, and it probably would've helped me more with Torts too given how much the professor talked about the incentivization of everything.

[ughOSU]

Law schools don't really care so much as they care if you have a high GPA.

With that said, there are classes that could be advantageous to have had once you are in law school. First and foremost is probably an intro to economics class if you haven't had one already. I could've used at least a basic economics background for some of the stuff we talked about in Contracts, and it probably would've helped me more with Torts too given how much the professor talked about the incentivization of everything.

I have found that a limited number of econ classes in UG gives you a different and deeper perspective on many things... However, a lot of econ classes in UG usually makes you an overconfident douche. Just MHO.

[wired]

Law schools don't really care so much as they care if you have a high GPA.

With that said, there are classes that could be advantageous to have had once you are in law school. First and foremost is probably an intro to economics class if you haven't had one already. I could've used at least a basic economics background for some of the stuff we talked about in Contracts, and it probably would've helped me more with Torts too given how much the professor talked about the incentivization of everything.

I have found that a number of econ students in UG are naturally overconfident douches. Just MHO.

FTFY. And I am an econ major.

[09042014]

Law schools don't really care so much as they care if you have a high GPA.

With that said, there are classes that could be advantageous to have had once you are in law school. First and foremost is probably an intro to economics class if you haven't had one already. I could've used at least a basic economics background for some of the stuff we talked about in Contracts, and it probably would've helped me more with Torts too given how much the professor talked about the incentivization of everything.

I have found that a number of econ students in UG are naturally overconfident douches. Just MHO.

FTFY. And I am an econ major.

The civil engineering department at my school forced their students to take macro econ for some reason. It was hilarious when they broke the curve against students who were majoring in econ.

[ughOSU]

Law schools don't really care so much as they care if you have a high GPA.

With that said, there are classes that could be advantageous to have had once you are in law school. First and foremost is probably an intro to economics class if you haven't had one already. I could've used at least a basic economics background for some of the stuff we talked about in Contracts, and it probably would've helped me more with Torts too given how much the professor talked about the incentivization of everything.

I have found that a number of econ students in UG are naturally overconfident douches. Just MHO.

FTFY. And I am an econ major.

The civil engineering department at my school forced their students to take macro econ for some reason. It was hilarious when they broke the curve against students who were majoring in econ.

After thermodynamics I took macro... destroyed it. For some reason after interpreting 3-D phase graphs for a semester, 2-D graphs just aren't that bad.

[mikeyp]

nothing is going to "look good" that law schools will care about. your best option is to take something that will better prepare you. take something with a lot of reading involved like philosophy, or some sort of logic class.

[beach_terror]

My school offers some classes on certain law subjects (torts, environment, contracts, etc). We had a LRW class that local lawyers came in to help teach, but there wasn't enough interest. The classes are just good for early exposure to the type of reading you'll encounter, but not to remember anything substantive about the cases.

[kipwinger1980]

There is no magic pill for law school prep. Enjoy your last semester, and try to flip through the Economist every once and a while.

[Aloha4]

Take something easy and up your gpa, law schools aren't going to care what classes you take. Also, how have you not started your last semester yet? Isn't it almost February?

^ = Fail

Law schools definitely care what kind of classes you take and guage the difficulty of your course work.

[09042014]

Take something easy and up your gpa, law schools aren't going to care what classes you take. Also, how have you not started your last semester yet? Isn't it almost February?

^ = Fail

Law schools definitely care what kind of classes you take and guage the difficulty of your course work.

No they don't. Avoid majors that sound retarded and you'll be fine.

[vanwinkle]

Take something easy and up your gpa, law schools aren't going to care what classes you take. Also, how have you not started your last semester yet? Isn't it almost February?

^ = Fail

Law schools definitely care what kind of classes you take and guage the difficulty of your course work.

^ = Epic fail, bolded is completely false (and also "gauge" is misspelled).

[Aloha4]

Take something easy and up your gpa, law schools aren't going to care what classes you take. Also, how have you not started your last semester yet? Isn't it almost February?

^ = Fail

Law schools definitely care what kind of classes you take and guage the difficulty of your course work.

^ = Epic fail, bolded is completely false (and also "gauge" is misspelled).

^= Uber Fail on two accounts. Bolded is completely true given that I have relatives that work in the admissions process. And you actually attacked me for making a typo. Wow you are cool man...

[jcl2]

Take something easy and up your gpa, law schools aren't going to care what classes you take. Also, how have you not started your last semester yet? Isn't it almost February?

^ = Fail

Law schools definitely care what kind of classes you take and guage the difficulty of your course work.

Law schools may care to some extent. For example a 3.7 with a major in interpretive dance is not going to be viewed the same as a 3.7 in engineering, but they don't care that much, the 3.7 in interpretive dance is probably still going to get in to most schools over a 3.0 engineering major given the same lsat, and that is a very extreme example. What law schools are going to think of a course should really not be part of OPs calculus in deciding on one additional class in his/her final semester, it really won't make a difference at all. OP should take something that will be enjoyable and won't be too time consuming.