Legal Careers for Economics and Applied Mathematical Economics Majors


Many students seem to think that it is necessary to major in either political science or public justice in order to attend law school. Law school admissions officers, however, see things somewhat differently. In general, law schools are primarily interested in students who possess strong analytical and communication skills and have a solid liberal arts background.

Since the study of economics requires the development of strong analytical skills, it is a major that is ideally suited to students planning to attend law school. A recent study by Michael Nieswiadomy that was published in the Fall 1998 issue of the Journal of Economic Education notes that in the years he examined (1991-1992 and 1994-1995), economics majors had the highest average LSAT scores among the 14 majors that had more than 2,000 students taking the exam in these years. (An abstract of this study may be found here.)

The study (and practice) of law requires a strong ability to apply general concepts to specific cases; in economics, students develop a similar ability to apply economics models to specific circumstances. In addition, a strong background in economics is helpful for anyone contemplating the study of law because economics examines:

  • the role of property rights in a market economy,
  • the rationale behind government regulation of firms,
  • externalities (a source of many civil disputes), and
  • the institutional structure of the economy (e.g., the nature of firms, labor-management relations, collective bargaining, the role of government in the economy)

Graduates of our economics and applied mathematical economics programs have been accepted by some of the top law schools in the country. Some of our majors have been accepted into programs in law and economics in which students acquire both a law degree and a graduate degree in economics. Many large schools offer coursework in the area of law and economics.

Students planning to attend law school should attempt to acquire a broad mix of liberal arts classes. In particular, students should take classes that develop their logical, analytical, and oral and written communication skills. The following courses are particularly helpful:

  • Eco 311 - Mathematical Economics
  • Eco 355 - Labor Law
  • Eco 356 - Law and Economics
  • Eco 381 - Economics of Business Regulation
  • Phl 111 - Formal Logic I
  • Pol 213 - Western Political Thought, Plato to Machiavelli
  • Pol 223 - Western Political Thought, Hobbes to Mill
  • Mat 210 - Calculus I (more math is advisable)
  • Com 210 - Speech Communication
  • several classes that emphasize the development of writing skills

Competition for admission to top-ranked law schools is quite intense. To be seriously considered by one of these schools, it helps to have a high GPA and a strong performance on the LSAT exam. (Some students choose to attend review classes before taking the LSAT).

Some related links:

Please send any comments, suggestions, or questions to John Kane at kane@oswego.edu.