Preprofessional Opportunities, Part 4: Pre-Law

We asked various students on preprofessional tracks to share more about their experiences at Emory so far. Today we hear about Pre-Law, written by Natalie Lewis, 18B. Read Part 1: Pre-Med and Pre-Dental, Part 2: Pre-Nursing and Pre-Public Health, Part 3: Pre-Business, and Part 5: Pre-Veterinary.

Pre-Law: More Than Just Debate

Why are you studying these majors as an undergraduate, and how do you think that will help you in a future career in law?
Something that is really cool about pre-law is that you can major in anything you want. Even biology, or business, or something that isn’t related to law at all. I’ve always been fascinated by both political science and psychology so I decided to pursue my passions in picking my major. But both are related to law because they really force me to focus on my critical thinking skills and write a lot of papers which is extremely important for law school.

Why are you interested in studying law? What part(s) of law are you interested in pursuing?
I can’t imagine myself doing anything besides law. I am on Emory’s debate team and was on my high school debate team. I guess I love arguing! I am interested in two really different parts of law. The first is constitutional law and the second is intellectual property law with a focus on contracts and patents.

What resources are you using at Emory to prepare yourself for the law application process? What events does Emory host to get you familiar with the field?
The pre-law society always has networking nights, guest speakers, LSAT prep tips, etc. Plus our pre-law adviser (Rodia Vance) is always available to meet with us.

What is your favorite class that you have taken that will help you with your future in law?
Political Science 150 – Foundations of American Democracy. The class is all about how and why the country was founded the way it was. Reading first-hand documents like the Federalist Papers, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution made me so excited to go to law school.

Sahar Merchant, 18C
Political Science and Psychology
Chicago, IL

Pre-Law: Supreme Witness

Why are you studying this major as an undergraduate, and how do you think that will help you in a future career in law?
I am studying Philosophy as an undergraduate for a multitude of reasons. First off, Philosophy is one of the few majors that truly encompasses the liberal arts education at its purest form. Additionally, the content we discuss in Philosophy courses is extremely relevant to modern complications, such as the ethics behind cloning and STEM cell research to the moralities of politics and war. Philosophy will most definitely help, if not set me apart from others, in a future career in law. Philosophy has taught me how to take complex ideas and questions, break them down into smaller concepts, use critical and logical analysis to carefully investigate these ideas, and then present these arguments in a clear and concise fashion. And, statistically speaking, Philosophy majors tend to score the highest on the LSAT, which I think is really cool.

Why are you interested in studying law? What part(s) of law are you interested in pursuing?
When I was twelve years old, I was given the opportunity to sit in on a Supreme Court case. Here’s the coolest part: my grandma was one of the lawyers, and she ended up winning the case (Giles v. California). Even though my twelve-year-old self didn’t have a very good grasp on what was going on at the time, I knew from that point on I wanted to be a lawyer. I am interested in pursuing Criminal Law, Entertainment Law, Personal Injury Law, and Intellectual Property Law.

What resources are you using at Emory to prepare yourself for the Law application process? What events does Emory host to get you familiar with the field?
I use my Philosophy adviser, the Pre-Law Advising Office, the Pre-Law Society, and the Career Center to get prepared for the law school application process. Emory hosts a plethora of events to help students realize what we’re getting ourselves into by bringing in representatives from the nation’s top law firms and law schools to talk to us about what it takes to be successful in Law. I am really excited to see where my future in Law takes me, and Emory has really helped me shape my journey.

What is your favorite class you have taken that will help you with your future career in law?
Intro to Logic, because it teaches you to take complex situations and view them as symbolic and analytic scenarios. It will also be extremely helpful when it comes to the LSAT.

Ben Goldfein, 18C
Philosophy
Atlanta, GA

Photo of Supreme Court interior by Wikipedia user Phil Roeder

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