Pathway
Law, Policy & Government
Arguing, negotiating, and writing rules, courts, campaigns, agencies, advocacy. Long training for the lawyer version, but many policy roles need only a bachelor's.
Majors
- Political Science
- Public Policy
- History
- Philosophy
- Economics
- Criminal Justice
Jobs people do
- Lawyer (requires law school)
- Policy analyst
- Legislative aide
- Paralegal (two-year path)
- Lobbyist / advocate
- City planner
Watch out
The choices that quietly close a door here
Believing you need a 'pre-law' major.
Law schools accept any major and care about GPA, LSAT, and writing. Students sometimes pick a weaker program because it has 'pre-law' in the name.
Instead Major in something you'll do well in and that teaches hard writing and reasoning.
Ignoring math and statistics.
Policy analysis is quantitative work, and even litigation runs on data now. It quietly narrows the roles you can take.
Instead Take Statistics. It's more useful here than calculus.
Course ladder
Grade by grade
Course names differ at every school, and graduation requirements differ by state. Take this list to your counselor so the two of you are working from the same page.
Grade 8
- Debate or speech, if availableWorth doing
Grade 9
- English 9, honors if availableLoad-bearing
- World HistoryLoad-bearing
- Debate or speechWorth doing
Grade 10
- AP World History or AP European HistoryWorth doing
- English 10Load-bearing
- World language, year 2Worth doing
Grade 11
- AP US HistoryLoad-bearing
- AP English LanguageLoad-bearing
Argument construction, which is the job.
- AP Statistics or EconomicsWorth doing
Policy work is quantitative more often than students expect.
Grade 12
- AP US Government & PoliticsLoad-bearing
- AP EconomicsWorth doing
- Constitutional law or street law electiveIf you have room
Outside class
Debate team
The highest-signal activity on this path, and it teaches the actual skill.
From grade 9
Mock trial or Model UN
Mock trial is closer to law; Model UN is closer to policy. Try both.
From grade 9
Volunteer on a campaign or with an advocacy group
Local races take anyone who shows up. You'll see how the process actually works.
From grade 10
Intern for a city council member or state legislator
More available than people assume. Ask in the off-season.
From grade 11
Things to build
Get one thing changed at your school or in your town
A policy, a rule, a budget line. Document the process. This is the single most convincing thing you can do here.
From grade 10
Write a policy brief on a local issue
Problem, evidence, three options, a recommendation. Two pages. Send it to someone.
From grade 11
Is this actually a fit for you?
Ten minutes of questions, and Bearing turns this into a plan that starts from the grade you're in.
Take the survey