Economics and Law School

Studying economics as an undergraduate is excellent preparation for law school because many legal questions involve economic issues (e.g., is Microsoft a monopoly?). Antitrust law is an entire legal branch that deals with economic policy concerning business competition. Furthermore, articles based on economic reasoning appear frequently in major law reviews and major law schools typically have at least one economist on the faculty.  

Economics majors develop strong quantitative and problem-solving skills, which are valued by law school admissions boards.  According to a 1998 study analyzing LSAT scores by majors, economics students as a group have the highest average scores on this critical admissions exam.

There are a wide variety of courses that can help one prepare for law school.  Below is a list of recommended courses for economics students who are considering a career in law:

Cognates: Students are required to take 2 cognates (6 credit hours)

ACC297 or 298: Useful to those who plan to take on a managerial role in a law practice. 

CIS 121 and 122; or CIS123; or CIS112 or MIS120: Basic computer skills will help both in law school and in a law career.

MATH113 or 115; OR MATH114 or 116: Provides valuable training in logic and reasoning.

PHIL234, 350, 485: Philosophy provides needed training in logic and reasoning.  

CCM (or CIS or IMSE) 150, 200, 250: Basic computer skills help in law school and in a law career.

Economics Electives: Students are required to take 5 economics elective courses (15 hours), one course (3 hours) must be at the 400-level.                              

For more information on the UM-D economics degree go to: http://casl.umd.umich.edu/socsci/econ/

Note: Good communication skills are highly prized by law schools.  Seek out courses (both in and out of economics) that require papers, research projects, and/or class presentations.