Queens College Political Science Pathways Find your year

Law school

The JD: what admissions weighs, what to do each year, the fields of law, pre-law programs and internships, and the LSAT. Not sure law school is for you? Take the quiz.

The courthouses on Foley Square in Lower Manhattan

What law school takes

Admissions weigh two numbers most, your LSAT score and your GPA, then your personal statement, letters and résumé. Your major does not need to be pre-law or political science. Not sure what kind of law? See Fields of law.

One application cycle (LSAC's steps)

  1. Spring before you applyRequest the LSAC fee waiver if you might qualify, at least 6 months before your first LSAT.
  2. June or September–OctoberTake the LSAT. Many schools want a score by November or December.
  3. SummerDraft the personal statement; ask 2–3 professors or supervisors for letters.
  4. 6–8 weeks before your first deadlineRegister for CAS, which sends your transcripts and letters to every school.
  5. September–DecemberSubmit applications. Earlier is better at schools that admit on a rolling basis.
  6. Winter–springDecisions and scholarship offers. QC's pre-law advisor helps you compare and negotiate.

The LSAT today

Since August 2024 there are no logic games: two scored Logical Reasoning sections, one scored Reading Comprehension section and one unscored section, scored 120–180, plus a separate Argumentative Writing sample (LSAC). Many schools also accept the GRE.

Time off is normal

86%

of Harvard Law's Class of 2029 spent at least a year out of college (HLS)

~1 in 3

of 2024 first-year law students nationally came straight from college (LSAC)

Fields of law

Law is many different jobs. You don't have to pick a field before law school, but knowing them helps you choose internships and explain your interest in your personal statement. For a paragraph on each, see LSAC's Fields of Law; for more depth, read the guide linked under each field below. Most were written by law school career offices.

Criminal lawProsecutors charge and try crimes for the government; defense lawyers, often public defenders, represent the people accused. Read: UCLA Law's guides to public defense and prosecution. Try it: the Queens DA or the city's defender offices.
Civil rights and civil libertiesLawyers who use lawsuits, policy advocacy and government enforcement to protect equal treatment, voting, speech and other rights. Read: Civil Rights/Civil Liberties (Georgetown Law). Try it: the ACLU, LatinoJustice LAWbound or the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
Immigration lawLawyers who help people get visas, green cards, citizenship or asylum, and defend people facing deportation. A second language helps. Read: Immigration Law Career Guide (Harvard Law). Try it: Immigrant Justice Corps after college.
Public interest and legal aidNonprofit lawyers who represent low-income clients for free in problems like evictions, debt, public benefits and consumer fraud. Read: Legal Services Career Guide (Harvard Law, 2013). Try it: the Hope Reichbach Fellowship at a Brooklyn nonprofit.
GovernmentCity, state and federal lawyers who advise agencies, enforce and defend laws in court, and draft legislation and regulations. Read: State and Local Government Career Guide (Harvard Law), which profiles the NYC Law Department. Try it: the State Attorney General or the Mayor's Office.
Corporate and business lawLawyers who help companies form, raise money, merge and make deals, mostly drafting and negotiating contracts rather than going to court. Most start at large firms. Read: Careers in Transactional Law (Georgetown Law, 2021). Try it: the SEO Law Fellowship.
Civil litigationLawyers who handle non-criminal lawsuits between people, companies or governments, from gathering evidence through settlement, trial and appeal. Read: Civil Litigation (University of Baltimore Law). Try it: a judge's chambers through the Sotomayor internship or the state courts.
International law and human rightsLawyers working on the rules between countries and on human rights, for governments, the UN, international courts, nonprofits or global firms. Read: Careers in Public International Law and Human Rights (UCLA Law, 2019). Try it: the Council on Foreign Relations or, after college, the Carnegie Junior Fellows.
Environmental and energy lawLawyers working on pollution, climate, land, water and energy rules for agencies, advocacy groups, companies or utilities. Read: Different Career Paths in Environmental Law (American Bar Association, 2020). Try it: the Udall Scholarship.
Labor and employment lawLawyers who handle unions, wages, discrimination and firing, for workers, unions, employers or agencies like the NLRB and EEOC. Read: Employment/Labor Law (Georgetown Law).
Family lawLawyers who handle divorce, custody, child support, adoption, domestic violence and child-welfare cases. Read: Constructing a Legal Education for a Career in Family Law (NYU Law), which names New York City employers. Try it: the city's defender offices, several of which have family defense practices.
Intellectual property, technology and privacyLawyers who protect inventions, brands and creative work, and advise on technology, data privacy and cybersecurity. Patent work needs a science or engineering background; trademark, copyright and privacy work doesn't. Read: Intellectual Property Law (Georgetown Law).
Health lawLawyers who advise hospitals, insurers, drug companies, patients and agencies on health regulation, fraud, privacy and access to care. Read: Health Law (Georgetown Law).
Tax lawLawyers who plan deals around tax rules and handle audits and disputes, at firms, accounting firms, companies or the government. Read: An Introduction to Tax Careers for J.D.s (American Bar Association, 2019).
Election law and voting rightsLawyers who work on voting rights, redistricting, campaign finance and how elections are run, for campaigns, parties, nonprofits and election agencies. Close to political science. Read: Polling Election Lawyers (Harvard Law's Center on the Legal Profession, 2022). Try it: the Brennan Center or Emgage in Queens.

Programs to apply to

The next deadlines for students headed to law school.

    All programs