Columbia Law Tops 'Go-To' Rankings

STEM In Demand At Law Schools

STEM students are in demand at law schools. As tech continues to influence a number of industries, the legal industry is finding its niche for STEM professionals.
“The legal industry has an acute need for STEM-trained professionals and offers enormous opportunity,” Forbes contributor Mark Cohen writes. “They have an opportunity to help transform a huge industry and to gain market share from outdated providers that have failed to foresee and/or respond to law’s rapid digitization.”
STEM Popularity in Law School Admissions
STEM is becoming an increasingly attractive background among law schools. According to Cohen, a STEM background offers numerous benefits in the law school setting.
“A background in math and science is not only useful in upgrading delivery capability but it is also extremely helpful in understanding the complexities of large, complex global businesses,” Cohen writes.
Applying to Law School as a STEM Applicant
In a Q&A piece, Julie Ketover, a contributor at U.S. News & World Report, says applicants with STEM backgrounds are attractive candidates for law school admissions officers. However, Ketover notes that exam scores and grades are still a top priority.
“Your GPA and LSAT scores will still be primary admissions criteria, so you should focus on maximizing those numbers,” Ketover writes. Regarding your GPA, law schools are aware that there can be less grade inflation in STEM-related subjects than there is in humanities and social sciences courses.”
STEM students have the luxury of a strong background in logical reasoning skills, which Ketover says may benefit them when it comes to the LSAT.
“For the LSAT, the logical reasoning skills you’ve gained through your coursework will serve you well in the games section, but you will likely need to practice critical reading skills in order to perform well on the exam,” Ketover writes.
How to Create a Balanced Application
 STEM students will need to prove that they have expertise that go beyond STEM knowledge. Ketover advises that STEM students take a diverse variety of courses during their undergraduate career.
“I recommend that college students who major in STEM-related subjects take courses of interest in the humanities and social sciences to strengthen reading, writing and research skills that are essential to success in law school,” Ketover writes. “Dabbling and succeeding in these areas of study might also reassure admissions committee members that you can excel in a different paradigm of learning than the one you are used to in STEM classes.”
In addition to coursework, it may be useful if STEM students can demonstrate professional knowledge and experience of the legal industry.
“STEM applicants should highlight or seek out professional experiences that relate to a law career,” Ketover writes. “You don’t need legal experience to gain admission, but it is in your  interest to round out your STEM background with professional experiences that relate moreclosely to the legal world.”
Sources: Forbes, U.S. News