Legal Question in Criminal Law in Florida

Study hard, pursue a degree in something that interests you. Law schools don't really care what your degree is in (for the most part), but they do care about your abilities and aptitude. Take classes that will broaden your knowledge and enhance your writing and analytical skills.

Spelling, grammar, punctuation, research, and analysis of research are all important skills in law school and in practice. Unless you are seeking to enter into patent law, tax, or some other specialized area of practice, the discipline of your undergraduate degree is not usually a huge deal.

Law schools don't care about an applicant's undergraduate major, as long as she can demonstrate that she is skilled in research, writing and logical analysis. These skills are naturally a part of most undergraduate programs. Even students who major in fields that don't emphasize these skills -- say, music performance or studio art -- can become proficient at them via elective classes.

All else being equal, a degree from a prestigious undergraduate school will probably help you more when you apply to law school than would one from an obscure college. Usually, though, all else is not equal. You should choose the college that best fits your needs in terms of location, course offerings, cost, etc. Declining an admission offer from a college you really want to attend because you think another college will look better to law schools would be a very bad decision.

Mr. Gwaltney is correct that, in some areas of law, it is very helpful to have particular types of majors. Patent lawyers, for instance, almost all majored in science, engineering or a related field. Law school admissions committees won't care much about your major, but it may still matter for other reasons. Most colleges offer advisers and counselors who can help pre-law students design a program that will meet their individual needs.

Good luck.