ENFJ + Law = What Major?!

[SpottingTrains]

I'm in my first year of university and I seem to be having a great deal of trouble deciding on a major. My long-term goal is to go into law school so I have great flexibility on the major I wish to pursue. I've compiled a mini-list of things that I deem important:

1. How good will this major serve me if I decide not to goto law school?
2. Do I enjoy it?!
3. How applicable is it to a law degree?

These are the majors I'm considering right now (In no particular order):

A. English
B. Psychology
C. Philosophy

I'm basically looking for any insight on the degrees and maybe what would work best for the ENFJ mbti type. I know it's hard to decide this for someone you have never met before but I find that any insight I can get will be helpful.
Also I'm open to other major if a valid case can be presented!

Thanks for the help!

 

[proteanmix]

I was an English major in undergrad (Language and Linguistics NOT Literature ), but had enough credits in Psychology, Education, and Communication to get certificates (my college's equivalent of a minor) in all three.

I attended a LSAC career fair earlier this year LSAC.org Homepage and talked to several representatives and advisers from various law schools. The general consensus was there isn't one particular major that would help you, they stressed having a well-rounded education more than anything, but their website says:

Course selection also can make a difference in admission evaluations. Applicants who have taken difficult or advanced courses in their undergraduate study often are evaluated in a more favorable light than students who have concentrated on easier or less advanced subjects.

I'm not sure how they define "difficult" or "advanced," if it means choosing a harder major (which really depends on your strengths) or difficult classes within your major. For example, I tried to get an English externship with my state legislature that counted as 500-level (grad level) course in undergrad (sigh, I was rejected). So maybe it's the college equivalent of advanced placement or something. And you don't have to have just one major either depending on how you can swing it. I was on the six year plan in school so I took a lot of classes in different subjects.

Best thing to do right now is see when a law school career fair comes around attend some of the workshops, talk to the counselors or pre-law advisers at your school, and become aware of your options. I also know that when I was at the LSAC fair they discussed going to a regional law school that typically specializes in an issue for a regional area (or if you know you're only going to practice in a certain area), what you can do with your J.D. if you don't pass the bar (a lot!!), and some other stuff I can't remember right now.

 

[SpottingTrains]

From what I have read in law school forums the only major that they really scale at all is Engineering. Anything else they just take your straight GPA and LSAT score.

There is a workshop coming up for future law students that I'm going to attend and hopefully they can give me some good information.

 

[Glycerine]

For the difficulty of the class, you can always ask your professors if you can do an honors project. Instead of receiving an A, you get an HA. This would probably look good on your transcripts regardless of what major you decide to go into. If you take several honors courses, then you will probably have an edge over many applicants.

 

[SpottingTrains]

Yes, I forgot to mention that. I'm looking to do an honours degree for whatever I decide to major in. Decisions ... x.x

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Best majors to prepare you for Law School:

1) Prelaw (if your school has it)
2) Political Science (lots of writing and reading, have to think globally)
3) philosophy (argument practice)
4) english (writing and reading)

Edit: psychology would also be awesome, but take it in addition to one of the others listed as a minor or second major.

 

[Drezoryx]

hi i did an honors in commerce and then law. there is a subject in law called jurisprudence (i found it the most interesting, comes in the last year of law school), its basis is philosophy and it underlays the entire fabric of law. so philosophy is good out of the list you give.

psychology would be good as well specially if you want to go in the criminal law side.

 

[Tiltyred]

ENFJ is not a good personality fit for law, IMO. The ENFJs we have around here cry a lot.

 

[nynesneg]

ENFJ is not a good personality fit for law, IMO. The ENFJs we have around here cry a lot.

Wow, really? I need to meet some more ENFJs!

I rarely cry unless it's about something I'm very passionate about. Like if I'm frustrated at myself about my career progress, or a project I spent a ton of energy on. And that's coming from a female. lol

Personally I'm not sure if I would have trouble working in law with my sense of right and wrong justice, or I would feel sorry for people who weren't my clients. And I don't have the patience to go to years of law school.

But if you can get through the school, sounds like a glamorous job. Lots of great intellectual challenges, and problem solving!

I vote for you to study the psychology side of law, since learning what makes people tick and their view on life is interesting.

 

[Scott N Denver]

ENFJ is not a good personality fit for law, IMO. The ENFJs we have around here cry a lot.

I've read this as well. NF idealism gets them there, breaks their heart, and moves them on to something else.

Don't laugh at me, but have you though about math as a major??? I've read thats its actually a great major, in the sense that it uses lots of logic. Or maybe its just a good major as prep for the LSAT??? I can totally see either polisci or philosophy as good prep too.

 

[SpottingTrains]

Thanks for all of the input. Seems everyone has the same thoughts about the majors as I do.

Also, I think an ENFJ getting into law really has to make sure there is an area that they are very interested in or can see themselves working in that fits with their moral structure. Personally, I'm looking at patent law right now with my comp. eng. background.

slumdogtrillionare, what are your views on English as a major?

Most people say just pick something you have a passion for... I'm finding this task proving rather difficult.

 

[Drezoryx]

passion is always good and for that you're already doing law! law course has some realistic papers and some idealistic papers. the idealism will make you ungrounded so select a course which balances it. but if you want to totally float away into romantics territory then fiction or philosophy will be great. But i'd go with English if it were based more on current and contemporary writings. Mostly consider English if the course is non fiction and based in real life.

 

[SpottingTrains]

I just noticed you have the same enneagram type as me Slumdog. The thing is I think ENFJs are going to be idealistic about anything we do... we're always going to prop things up to unreachable heights. The only career I see that could actually embrace blatant idealism is writing haha.

 

[Drezoryx]

LOL yeah we are going to be idealistic.... aaah life is not easy to accept without our rose tinted shades! but yeah 3w2 should help stay glued to momma earth

writing is a fine fine career too, whatever u pick you'll be a hit!

 

[Spamtar]

English in general is good for law school, think linguistics might even be better. If can be applied as your general ed consider taking some real property/real estate classes as your elective courses.

However if you like Criminal law some Administration of Justice may be helpful in getting the extra leverage to get a job after law school.

(in general getting though ones general ed requirement is a pragmatic path to take in case you, like so many others do, have a change of heart as to what their major will be.)

 

[Tiltyred]

Irony. Patent law's my field. Your first couple years of patent law, you're stuck in an office the size of a closet writing patent applications. Have you ever read any patent applications? Could you write that stuff all day every day for a few years?

Plus, you have to have a degree in a hard science to be a patent lawyer. And you have to take the patent bar.

It's tedious, detailed work. It's really not glamourous at all.

To be a good lawyer, you have to be able to defend a case from any side. Litigation is for competitive people who like to win and who get intellectual pleasure from figuring out where the loophole or the catch is that will let them win. Really good lawyers are not always thinking about what is right. They're thinking about how to win the case for the client. It's nice when the two go together, but if they don't, the super competent lawyers I've seen don't lose any sleep over it. It's a puzzle to figure out. They do what they have to do to defend their client's position and are not emotionally attached.

Not trying to be a buzz-stomper, trying to help. I'm answering you honestly from being a legal secretary for a couple of decades now in patent law firms, working very closely with attorneys doing US prosecution and for the past few years, litigation before the International Trade Commission.

FWIW

 

[SpottingTrains]

Great post Tiltyred, if you have any extra information about anything in the field I would be happy to hear anything.

To be a good lawyer, you have to be able to defend a case from any side. Litigation is for competitive people who like to win and who get intellectual pleasure from figuring out where the loophole or the catch is that will let them win. Really good lawyers are not always thinking about what is right. They're thinking about how to win the case for the client. It's nice when the two go together, but if they don't, the super competent lawyers I've seen don't lose any sleep over it. It's a puzzle to figure out. They do what they have to do to defend their client's position and are not emotionally attached.

The first part seems very natural to me. I'm competitive and enjoy looking at and defending multiple positions.

The emotional attachment part/morals is what I worry about. Sigh.

 

[Thalassa]

English is the most practical, I think, if you decide to go for something else later and will give you great strength in learning to make convincing arguments from either side, as you will constantly do in writing English papers.

Personally I couldn't do law. I would love to, I even think I have the ability to argue and speak and be "on stage." It would cripple me emotionally, though. I realistically have no way of staying detatched in a way that would be required for my continued mental or emotional stability.

Good luck to you...