To become a lawyer, you need to earn a bachelors degree and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school. The majority of lawyers spend four years getting their bachelors degree and three years attaining their J.D. degree. Law schools in California do not place restrictions on your undergraduate degree choice, so your bachelor’s degree does not necessarily need to be tied to legal studies. However, it will be easier for students to get accepted into law school if they take courses like public speaking, history, mathematics, English, government, and economics. Some schools have a pre-law program that helps to prepare students for going to law school after they graduate with their bachelor’s degree.

There is no required major for law school, and students can major in any discipline because law schools don’t exclude applicants without law degrees. However, some degrees may be more beneficial than others. For example, a bachelors degree in criminal justice is a good choice because law and criminal justice studies overlap. Other degrees that may be helpful include pre-law and criminal justice, English, philosophy, and economics. Ultimately, the best major is one that you are passionate about and find interesting.

In summary, to become a lawyer, you need to earn a bachelors degree and a J.D. degree from an accredited law school. While there is no required major for law school, some degrees may be more beneficial than others.