Thursday, November 19, 2009

What College Courses Best Prepare You For Law School

Take courses that require extensive research to prepare for law school.


You can take any number of paths to get to law school. Law students who come straight out of a business undergraduate program excel just as well as those with a liberal arts background. Successful law students also come from the workplace, bringing a wealth of real-life experience to the table. According to the American Bar Association, the best pre-law courses are those that excite your intellect and prepare you to be a problem solver and effective researcher.


Analytics


Courses that cause you to think and analyze situations are appropriate for pre-law students. Undergraduate programs in scientific research, sociology and human development provide you with ample opportunities to explore various paths of research and develop theories and explanations for your findings. It's vital that you choose a major that excites your imagination and your thirst for learning. Knowing where to look for answers is more important than having all the answers, so seek undergraduate classes that you find the most interesting to keep you motivated and involved.


Communication








Stick with undergraduate classes that require you to write. Attorneys must be fluent and exact communicators, and writing is an essential skill you'll need in law school. In addition to writing extensively in law school and when you begin working as a lawyer, you've got to prove your exceptional writing abilities in your law school applications. Pay extra attention to the papers you write in your first four years of college, no matter what subject they are in, because it's your writing skills that will be heavily judged in your applications.


English


Law school admissions representatives look at grades, no matter which subjects you studied. At the same time, they consider your experience in reading and critical analysis of literature and language. English majors often fare well on law school admissions tests because they've spent four years learning read complex documents and literary essays. The American Bar Association cites critical reading skills as one of the most valuable attributes law students bring to class from undergraduate studies.


Business








To get through law school and become a successful attorney, you will need to develop exceptional organization skills, talents that you learn in business courses. Management is another arena that will serve you well in law school and in your career. You'll be expected to compile extensive amounts of material for your final grades in law school, as well as organize your research to earn a passing grade in many of your law school classes. A business background prepares you to be task-oriented while you hone your analytical, writing and reading proficiencies.

Tags: American Association, classes that, four years, school admissions, that require, that will, undergraduate classes