Importance of Course Selection in Undergrad for LawAdmission?

[kidchicago]

Hi, I am applying to law schools soon and have some questions.

When I entered college I was initially a premed, and so the first two years of college I took a lot of science classes. However, the last two years I took more political science and history related courses. I still have an interest in science, especially biology. So basically when I graduate college I have majored in political science minored in biology. I know its a weird combination.

Anyways, how will law schools view this? Will they take the science courses I took into consideration or will they basically ignore those courses?

*Also I have another question. I know someone who is pre-med and majoring in biochemistry. He has taken predominantly science classes throughout college, besides some GED. However, besides taking the MCAT, he took the LSAT. He is applying to colleges for a dual MD/JD program. How will law school admission people view this? He barely has any humanities or anything besides biology and chem classes.

[carnodel]

He is applying to colleges for a dual MD/JD program.

Ummm, I don't even think that is physically possible, just kidding - here's a link to the Baylor and University of Houston's dual degree programs, which this is one of the available options among M.D./M.S., M.D./Ph.D., and  M.D./M.B.A:

 http://www.bcm.edu/education/dual_programs.cfm

It is, however, a pretty ridiculous and very ambitious plan.  Let me first ask - what does he plan to do with both degrees - medical/pharmaceutical law or medical malpractice?

First, I will address your first question.  No, you should be fine with the diversity you have in your academic career.  Law Schools might even view this as a plus, but will most likely just not count it against you.

Secondly, your friend is going to have to apply only to schools that have programs such as this.  He would be among a very select few specializing in both according to this site:

http://md-jd.info/jd-md.htm

Which, he may want to check out and contact some of those people to see what they did.  At the bottom of the page here - those are some of the select programs that actually do dual MD/JD degrees.  And I would assume that if he majored in something as difficult or at least thought of as difficult as biochemistry, these select programs would not hold it against him that he didn't have enough humanities if he does well on the LSAT.

If anything, he could take a few legal studies courses over the summer, but I would have to say that they wouldn't even really be worth it.  Humanities in undergrad are a well known joke - especially to law schools and "superspecially" (haha) to Dual MD/JD programs.

[OtterBee]

Your friend worried about the dual degree program and lack of humanities hurting him should really just focus on the LSAT.  If he's got the grades for law and med school, and crushes the LSAT, then no worries.

[Bulldog86]

I've always heard from law schools and prelaw advisors that undergrad curriculum just doesn't matter: One should take whatever classes they are interested in, and will make the best grades in. Which isn't to say that schools would look at a biochem major and a sports studies major in exactly the same way -- just that there's no set pre-law course of study that demands certain classes. To someone in pre-med, this is probably pretty foreign, since med schools do require a particular curriculum.

The advice to focus on the LSAT is the credited response.

[Allen]

The only time your undergrad course load matters is if you take many obviously "easy" or non-academic classes. You have nothing to worry about.

[sloppy2d]

hmm