High School Preparation for a Law Career

Q: I’m a freshman in high school and I’ve been told that some of the classes you take in high school could help increase your chance of becoming a successful lawyer and my question is what classes do you suggest I take?

A: I commend you for your eagerness in wondering which courses to take in high school, with possible law studies and practice in mind. But in all honesty, your high school curriculum will make little or no difference in your eligibility for law school admission or law practice. To practice law, you will need good writing skills, so you might want to spend some time in writing composition. But in high school, as in college, the most important task is to develop some understanding of who you are and of your strengths and interests. The future will unfold out of the present; too much advance planning could tie you up in knots and deprive you of some important lived experience in the present. Read some good books, make some good friends, find a teacher mentor or two, learn a sport or a musical instrument, and get to know yourself. Law school can wait.