Q: I am about to start junior year of high-school and want to prepare for a career in law. (Illinois)
From what I've heard, most lawyers major in something kind of related to law and then minor in pre-law. Right now, I want to major in Historybeith a minor in pre-law. If there is a pre-law major program I would love that. Question 1: What prerequisites are there to studying pre-law or History? Question 2: What other advice would be useful for me to know in preparation for becoming a lawyer?
A: In almost all colleges and universities, pre-law is not a major nor is it a minor. Some schools offer what is called a "concentration" in pre-law, but you would still need to choose a major. You are not required to have a minor in most schools. Some schools have scholar's programs in pre-law. Saint Louis University and Georgetown have programs that I am aware of. Since pre-law is not a major at most universities, there are no prerequisites specifically for it. As you enter your junior year of high school, you should be assigned a college counselor. Talk to that counselor about your interests and they should be able to help you further. If you have a specific area of law that you are interested in (don't worry if you don't; you have plenty of time), you may want to select an undergraduate major that is related. For example, business is a good major for someone interested in corporate law. History or political science is a good major for someone interested in constitutional law or civil rights law. Engineering is a good major for someone interested in patent law. There are prerequisites for certain majors and certain schools have prerequisites. You should start researching those. Also, grades are very important. Work hard. The scholar's programs have high GPA standards. Best of luck to you!
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