Pre Law Options
Do certain majors provide better preparation for a career in law?
While no specific major is required to be eligible to sit for the LSAT or for entrance to law school, your choice of an undergraduate major is important! A recent study1compared the average LSAT scores for test takers of different majors. For 2002-2003, the most recent year for which data is available, the 94,391 test takers reported majors in over 150 different fields. Thirteen of these majors had a minimum of 2,200 test takers that year. Of these thirteen majors, Economics with 4,163 test takers had the highest average LSAT score at 156.6. A score of 156.6 on the LSAT is at approximately the 70th percentile.
Another recent study2 funded by the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC), the organization that develops and administers the LSAT, examined the effect of the undergraduate major field on the earnings of those who earn law degrees. Specific undergraduate majors in Science/Engineering, Social Science, Political Science, Education, History, Accounting, Economics (including Business Economics), Business majors other than accounting and economics, and Pre-Law majors were considered for a sample of over 2,000 practicing lawyers. The results showed that of all the undergraduate majors examined, only the economics major is associated with significantly higher earnings for lawyers.
Here is what Scott Schul3, a Clarion economics alumnus, has to say about economics and law.
"One of the most important factors in my success in law school and as a practicing attorney was to study economics at Clarion University. My economics degree taught me how to think in critical, creative and adaptive ways - just the skills one needs in order to be a successful lawyer."
The Department of Economics offers a choice of two majors for pre-law students. Our traditional Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics is offered through the College of Arts and Sciences and our Bachelor of Science degree in Business Economics is offered through the College of Business Administration. More information about these degrees can be obtained by viewing our department web site at: http://www.clarion.edu/econ. For more information about pre-law options in economics, speak with Dr. Rod Raehsler, chairperson, 333 Still Hall, by e-mail at econ@clarion.edu, or by phone at 393-2627.
Wondering which Economics courses to take to prepare you for the LSAT and law school?
The Department of Economics faculty recommends that all students interested in advanced degrees in law take at least six hours of economics. Econ 211: Principles of Macroeconomics and Econ 212: Principles of Microeconomics are specifically recommended.
Economics courses such as Econ 342: The Economics of Government and Business, Econ 351: Labor Economics, Econ 370: Money and Banking, and Econ 371: Public Finance are useful upper-level classes to take in preparation for law school.
Other courses specifically recommended of all pre-law students include:
Actg 251, 252; Hist 120, 121; PS 211, 354, and 364.
1 Nieswiadomy, Michael, "LSAT scores of Economics Majors: The 2003-2004 Class Update," The Journal of Economic Education, V. 37, n. 2, Spring 2006, pp. 244-247.
2 Craft, R. Kim, and Baker, Joe G., "Do Economists Make Better Lawyers? Undergraduate Degree Field and Lawyer Earnings," The Journal of Economic Education, V. 34, n. 3, Summer 2003, pp. 263-281.
3 Scott Schul is a 1988 Clarion graduate and Economics major. J.D., West Va. Univ. College of Law, 1991. LL.M. in Taxation, Boston University College of Law, 1997. He is currently Chair of the Tax Practice Group at Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson in Portland, ME; co-chair of the Maine State Bar Association Tax Section; and Adjunct Professor of Tax Law at the University of Maine School of Law.
