Do law schools care about the classes you take?

Asked by: Mortimer Schinner  |  Last update: October 1, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (22 votes)

In one word, NO. Law schools care about many things: your GPA, your LSAT, the story you tell, the obstacles you've overcome. But if there is one thing law school admissions committees care least about, it may be your major.

Does it matter what classes you take in law school?

If you know what field of law you plan to practice in, take courses in that field. “If there are courses or instructors that interest you, take them even if the courses are not related to your planned field of practice. “Do not take courses just because the subject will be on the bar exam.

Does law school care about course rigor?

There's really no way around it—your LSAT score, GPA, and the rigor of your undergraduate course work are basically the most important things law schools are looking for.

Do law schools care what school you go to?

While the reputation of your undergraduate college can have some impact on law school admissions, it's far from being the most important factor that admissions committees will consider.

Do law schools look at course load?

Yes they do. If your course load is too busy and you get bad grades they will care.

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20 related questions found

Do law schools care what classes you took?

In one word, NO. Law schools care about many things: your GPA, your LSAT, the story you tell, the obstacles you've overcome.

What is the most difficult class in law school?

First-year law school classes tend to be the most difficult of any that you will experience in your three years of law school, as you are getting used to new subject matter and heavier readings. Some of the hardest classes in law school, according to current and former students, are: Constitutional Law. Civil Procedure.

Can you get into Harvard law with a 3.5 GPA?

The most recent Harvard Law entering class had a median GPA of 3.92; the lowest GPA accepted was 3.82. As such, Harvard does not consider a 3.0 GPA competitive, so it's very unlikely you will get into it if you have this GPA.

Is 174 a good LSAT?

So, a great score on the LSAT is a 172, but more than 100,000 people take the LSAT every year and only 1% score 172 or higher. For the top 50 law schools, the median LSAT score is between 164 and 174. A good LSAT score for top tier(defined by T14 schools for this article) law schools is between 171 and 174.

What matters more, LSAT or GPA?

Those rankings unquestionably value median LSAT score more highly than they do UGPA; in fact, a peek at the full details of the rankings (only available to those willing to pony up $29.95 for inside access) shows the LSAT score placed front and center, whereas it takes several clicks and some scrolling to discover the ...

What is the hardest year of law school?

Law school is an academic challenge; most students agree the first year (“1L” year) is the most difficult. In part, this is because law school is taught using methods entirely different than the lecture method used in most college classrooms.

Do law schools accept C's?

What matters is the overall GPA, not the individual grades. A single C isn't the problem, the 3.48 GPA is. Bring it up to 3.8, get a good LSAT and then you'll be competitive.

Is law school mostly memorization?

Misconception #1: Law school is all about memorization

Instead, it's about taking that information and applying it to new situations. The focus is on developing a deep understanding of the law and learning to think like a lawyer, rather than rote memorization.

What type of lawyer makes the most money?

Patent Attorney Salary

Patent attorneys are the highest-paid type of lawyers, with an average salary of $185,351, ranging from $119,88 to $285,530. Various factors contribute to a patent attorney's average salary, including experience, firm, location, and subject matter expertise.

How much harder is law school than college?

Studying. Law school typically has a heftier work load than undergrad. You should treat it like a full-time job, dedicating at least 40 hours (or more) to reading and studying each week. And you should make sure your study and time management skills are up to snuff too.

What is a good LSAT score?

According to U.S. News, law school admissions experts recommend striving for at least a 150; however, for a top-ranking law school, you should aim for a 160 or better. For a Top 10 law school, a 170 or more is desired. Of course, this all depends on which schools you are applying to.

What was Obama's LSAT score?

The easiest to predict, by far, is Barack Obama's score, mostly because we have some data. Based on admissions records, we can deduce — somewhat reliably — that Barry-O scored between the 94th and 98th percentile on his LSAT. Using today's grading system, that would place him somewhere around a 170.

How rare is a 180 LSAT?

How Hard Is It To Get A Perfect Score On The LSAT? According to LSAC, only 119 test-takers out of nearly 60,000 achieved this in 2022. So when you ask, “How many people get a 180 on the LSAT?” the answer highlights the rarity and difficulty of this achievement.

Is 3.5 too low for law school?

Among the 191 ranked law schools that submitted grade data to U.S. News in an annual survey, the average median GPA of entering law school students in 2021 was 3.55. But at the 20 highest-ranked law schools, the average median GPA is much higher – 3.86.

What is the hardest law school in the USA?

1. Yale University. With an acceptance rate of just 6.9%, it's no wonder that Yale is the hardest law school to get into. Only around 1 in 15 of their highly qualified applicants makes it through.

What is the lowest GPA Harvard Law will accept?

A high GPA is 3.99 and the median is 3.92. There's no lowest GPA but you probably won't get into Harvard with a 2.5 GPA. Your GPA still needs to be somewhat competitive with the median GPA. That said, you can get into Harvard Law School even if your GPA is 3.82 or lower.

Is a 3.33 GPA good for law school?

A low GPA for law schools will entirely depend on your goals. If your GPA is at or below a school's 25th percentile, your GPA will be considered low for that school. So generally, if you're trying to get into the top schools, a GPA below 3.6 will be considered low.

What is the easiest law degree to get?

The easiest law degree to earn is a Master of Legal Studies degree. For more information about earning a Master of Legal Studies or for help finding a program, reach out to Learn.org today.

How hard is 1L really?

1L is the hardest academic year. The professors of the core classes- criminal law, contracts, civil procedure, and the dreaded property- are trained to wear you down, scare students into working hard, and embarrass them publicly in front of their peers if they are not adequately prepared for class.

Is it normal to struggle in law school?

The law is an ever-changing field, and many law school students are expected to master a wide range of legal concepts. Third, the competition in law school is hard and fierce. Law school is a highly competitive environment for most people, and students are constantly vying for grades and job opportunities.