So you want to be a lawyer? There’s a major (or two) for that

In the world of academia, there are no prerequisites for law school; anyone with a bachelor’s degree, regardless of major, can get accepted with the right GPA and LSAT score.

So, what if you’re an Auburn student with an undeclared major and a dream of practicing law? Fear not, because at Auburn, you’ve got options, and you can choose the major and the career path that is right for you.

The obvious choice: Law and justice

Before you do anything else, you’ll want to consider the College of Liberal Arts’ (CLA) law and justice major. Students take required coursework in political science, communication and philosophy while choosing electives based on their own interests and professional goals. Required courses include Introduction to the Legal Profession, Legal Research and Writing, Introduction to Torts, Philosophy of Law and Federal Jurisdiction.

On Jan. 28, the Pre-Law Scholars Program and Pi Lambda Sigma sponsored the Auburn University Law School Fair, with more than 440 Auburn students from across campus in attendance.

On Jan. 28, the Pre-Law Scholars Program and Pi Lambda Sigma sponsored the Auburn University Law School Fair, with more than 440 Auburn students from across campus in attendance.

On Jan. 28, the Pre-Law Scholars Program and Pi Lambda Sigma sponsored the Auburn University Law School Fair, with more than 440 Auburn students from across campus in attendance.

On Jan. 28, the Pre-Law Scholars Program and Pi Lambda Sigma sponsored the Auburn University Law School Fair, with more than 440 Auburn students from across campus in attendance.

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Senior Jackson Faggard, who declared the law and justice major as a freshman and has already been admitted to one of his first-choice law schools, points to the major’s supportive faculty as a defining strength of the program.

“The professors in law and justice are, simply put, amazing,” he said. “They invest in their students and realize they are developing the next wave of attorneys who will serve as district attorneys, public defenders and civil litigators. I have no doubt I will be accepted to some of my top law schools because of the preparation from the major and its courses.”

Beyond the major

Regardless of your area of study, you’ll want to sign up for CLA’s Pre-Law Scholars Program. Anyone can join; students with 30 hours of academic credit and a 3.0 or greater GPA can be full members, while those not yet meeting that criteria are associate members who can still participate in all programming. All students in the Pre-Law Scholars program automatically become members of Pi Lambda Sigma, the pre-law honor society.

Members and associate members have access to academic advising, internship listings, on-campus events and networking opportunities that will help students develop the skills necessary for the study of law.

Lawyer and Professor of Practice Debra Armstrong-Wright, who serves as the program’s director and the advisor to Pi Lambda Sigma, recommends students take advantage of these resources, focus on maintaining a strong GPA and develop relationships with faculty in their areas of interest. Armstrong-Wright is enthusiastic about the profession’s outlook and feels now is a great time to consider a career in law.

“Nationally, the number of applicants to law school continues to grow, and the same is true for Auburn students,” she said. “The American Bar Association just recently reported that the number of attorneys grew by 5.6% this year alone. Students involved in the Pre-Law Scholars Program number well over 500 at any given moment and come from almost every college on campus.”

Other majors to consider

While any bachelor's degree will do when it comes to law school, many students focus on academic areas related to critical thinking, writing and government, including political science, history, philosophy, English and communication.

However, some choose to study non-traditional areas, including business, science, agriculture and engineering. And plenty of alumni have used their Auburn educations to develop an early focus on a certain area of law.

One example is alumnus Cam Humphrey, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and a minor in political science before earning a Master of Environmental Management at Yale. Currently a law student at Columbia, he’s combining his knowledge of agriculture and public policy to become a civil rights lawyer in the South. And alumna Isabella Weyerman, who earned bachelor’s degrees in political science and vocal music performance at Auburn, is now a student at Georgetown Law, where she is pursuing a career in intellectual property entertainment law.

Shape your career through coursework

For those who want to specialize in environmental protection, Auburn’s College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment (CFWE) offers a minor in environmental law. Students in this program take Environmental Law and Property Law with Professor of Practice Jim Noles, who has 27 years of private practice experience in environmental law, and another nine credits in electives.

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Across campus, students can find courses that provide in-depth exploration of legal topics within specific fields. In CLA, students can take courses on health law, economics laws, aviation law, mass media law and election law. Other discipline-specific courses include:

• Agricultural Law in the College of Agriculture
• Business Law in the Harbert College of Business
• Legal Aspects of Civil Engineering in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering
• Coastal Law, Energy Law and Wildlife Conservation History and Law in CFWE
• Construction Law and Risk Management in the College of Architecture, Design and Construction

Regardless of major, every Auburn student has access to resources that will help them get accepted to their dream school and shape the career they want.

“In 2025, Auburn had the highest law school acceptance rate in the SEC,” said Armstrong-Wright. “Our students are competitive and smart about where to apply, and despite an increase in the average LSAT score nationwide, our students continue to fare extremely well.”