Advice Forum

[Magearn]

I am a high school senior who is about to go to college next year. My goal and job I want is to become a prosecutor for my county and Ultimately prosecute crimes on the federal level. I really want to become a prosecutor because I want to make a difference in peoples lives and help the community through public service. The only problem is that my parents won't let me become a lawyer. They claim lawyers are jobless when they come out of law school. They won't let me major in anything else but engineering. Can someone give me advice?

[butterfly333]

Do well on the LSAT and go somewhere that gives you a big scholarship and good job prospects. That way you are not dependent on them and they cannot say anything about it...

[cavalier1138]

Are your parents paying for college?

If they are, then you might need to keep your major in a field that they like in order to keep them paying for it. Or you can tell them that you don't want a career in engineering. Regardless, law school is graduate school. You can major in engineering and still end up in law.

That said, you are far too young to be thinking about any of this. Study what you want in college, work for a few years afterwards, and then start thinking about law school if it's still something that interests you.

[lavarman84]

Your college major won't really matter. Earn a strong GPA. Graduate college. Then, you can figure out whether you still want to be a lawyer. Keep in mind that reality (such as being a prosecutor) isn't always what you think it is. I recommend if you decide being a lawyer is still your goal later in your college career, that you meet with prosecutors and talk with them about the job. It also wouldn't hurt to intern or work for your state/district attorney's office to see if it's a job you'd enjoy.