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Law School and Pre-Law Advising

MIT alumni have attended law schools all over the United States including Yale, Stanford, Harvard, Columbia, University of Chicago, NYU, University of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley, and many more! Some alumni decide to enroll in law school immediately after MIT while others decide to take a break or work before beginning law school. The best time for you to go to law school is when you feel ready.

Schedule a meeting with Tianna Ransom, MIT’s Pre-Law Advisor, to explore your law school options and to get support with your applications. Students and alumni within two years of graduation can schedule meetings through Handshake. Sign up for the monthly Pre-Law newsletter, which includes relevant events, updates, and announcements by updating your uConnect profile and preferences to include the Law career interest. Have questions? Contact us.

Join the MIT Pre-Law Society to connect with other students interested in law school. The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) has everything you need from exploring law programs of interest, taking the LSAT, and applying to law school. AccessLex provides financial and academic resources that help prospective and current law students get into law school.

Career Paths and Job Titles

There are a number of employment options for you to explore if you’re interested in a law career. Some options include private practice, business, judicial clerkship, government and military, public interest, and education. Go to nalp.org to see employment and salary outcomes for careers in these areas of the law.

Companies that MIT alumni work at include Wolf Greenfield, Morgan Lewis, and Ropes & Gray. Some MIT alumni enter these companies after completing a JD. Others either start at a company after MIT and earn their law degrees while working, or work for a few years and then enroll in law school full time.

These graduates’ job titles include:

  • Patent Attorney or Patent Agent
  • Associate Attorney
  • Technical Advisor
  • Law Clerk
  • Professor of Practice
  • Partner or Founder
  • Director

Courses

What course is best for someone interested in a career in law? The course you are most interested in! Pick the course that you are most excited about, even if it’s a STEM course. There is a growing need for people to work in the intersection of law and technology, so lawyers with a STEM background are at an advantage in these fields. Some of these areas include intellectual property, privacy, cybersecurity, biotech and life sciences, corporations and startups, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and cleantech and energy.

MIT alumni who have gone onto a career in law have majored in:

  • Materials Science & Engineering
  • Chemistry
  • Mathematics
  • Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
  • Aero Astro
  • Physics
  • And others!

 

Yale Law School Launchpad Scholars Program

The application is due on April 15, 2026.

This program aims to promote access to the legal profession by equipping participants with the tools and resources they need to apply to the law schools of their choosing and succeed as …

By Tianna Ransom
Tianna Ransom Assistant Director, Career Exploration
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APEX Summer Legal Program

Application Deadline: April 30, 2026

Are you a rising junior or senior considering to law school? Do you need guidance on law school admission, the LSAT, law school classes or legal career paths? Join Washington and Lee’s APEX Program, a 

By Tianna Ransom
Tianna Ransom Assistant Director, Career Exploration
Read more

February Career Exploration Events

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about romance—it’s also a great excuse to invest a little love in your future. 💘 This February, CAPD’s Career Exploration events are here to help you explore new paths, meet inspiring professionals, and spark ideas that might …

By Qingqing Ouyang
Qingqing Ouyang Career Exploration Leader
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FSU Law’s 2026 Summer for Undergraduates Program

This program brings undergraduate students from throughout the country together in person for an immersion into legal study. The largest and oldest of its kind, the primary goal of the program is to acquaint students with the study of law …

By Tianna Ransom
Tianna Ransom Assistant Director, Career Exploration
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15.620 Patent Law Fundamentals – Spring H4 Course

Interested in learning more about patent law? Take 15.620 Patent Law Fundamentals during the spring H4 term (April and May)! This course was specifically designed for undergrad and grad students in all MIT departments.

There are no pre-requisites, and no …

By Tianna Ransom
Tianna Ransom Assistant Director, Career Exploration
Read more

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Featured Resources

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Handshake 101: What it is & how to use it*

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MIT’s Legal Studies Concentration

The Legal Studies Concentration introduces students to the academic field of legal studies. Scholars in legal studies draw on disciplines …