I am a second-year law student at UC Davis School of Law. While an undergraduate at UC Davis, I majored in Religious Studies and Political Science: Public Service. The RST major helped prepare me tremendously for law school and my future legal career.
First, the RST major taught me critical thinking and analytical writing skills - two skills that are essential in law school. While I was writing my thesis, I did a lot of reading, analyzing and theorizing. Second, the RST major improved my writing skills overall. As an attorney, writing clearly and succinctly is crucial. It is true that the legal writing style is a bit different than traditional essay writing styles. Nevertheless, I developed the ability to tell my reader what I wanted to say - and then say it in a clear manner. This skill can probably be developed in any major where you are doing a lot of writing - but it helps to do it in a subject matter you find interesting. Third, because so many of my RST classes were small (which I loved!), I had the opportunity to interact with my classmates and professors in a meaningful way. This also meant that there were many opportunities to give presentations! Public speaking is a great skill to have as an attorney. Additionally, I was lucky to have great faculty mentors, Professors Venkatesan and Watenpaugh, who were incredibly patient and encouraging.