When discussing postgraduate plans with Dartmouth students, it can be surprising how often law school comes up as a potential next step. It seems that law school functions as somewhat of a catch-all for students pursuing a whole host of career paths. Unlike those interested in medical school or other specialized graduate programs, pre-law students can pursue virtually any academic interest during their undergraduate years and still be well-equipped to apply.
As a result, pre-law students at Dartmouth choose a variety of academic paths. Arianna Dunkley ’27 believes there isn’t one set major you need to be successful in law. Though she’s still “weighing [her] academic interests,” Dunkley is currently pursuing a history major and a public policy minor. Dunkley said that when she was applying to Dartmouth, her alumni interviewer — who practices security law — helped persuade her that it wasn’t necessary to major in “any of the stereotypical majors to get into law school.”
“She said that studying things like history and English may help for when I have to write papers and evaluate the intricate complexities of the history of law and different things like that, but there’s no set path,” Dunkley said.
Other students, however, choose what are often viewed as typical pre-law majors. Caroline Lesser ’25 is following one of those more traditional routes — majoring in government, because she thinks the “best classes” she’s taken at Dartmouth have been in this department.
Just as students’ academic paths may differ, so do their motivations to enter the legal field. Laci Pendergraff ’24, a first-year law student at Arizona State University, said she was motivated to enroll based on her childhood experiences as a member of the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma. Pendergraff said she has always been interested in a career where she could “give back to [her] community and others like it.”
“I really fell in love with Native American Studies at Dartmouth, learning about treaties and the government and relations with tribes and even international relations,” Pendergraff said. “I felt like a law degree was something that I could use to give back to my community, because my professors taught me that law school is so much more than being just an attorney.”
Dunkley, too, said her background has contributed to her interests in the field. Dunkley explained that she immigrated to the United States from Jamaica at a young age, which later inspired her to explore the idea of a career in policy — specifically, working to simplify the immigration process. However, after experiencing firsthand the complications of the American healthcare system, Dunkley pivoted her focus to healthcare law to “come up with more accessible solutions.”
“I had an uncle that recently passed away because he had to leave the hospital due to being denied insurance,” Dunkley said. “I’m thinking about how this could have been different. How do you get access to affordable health care, or even know how to get on board with that as an immigrant that has been in the country for only a few years?”
The drive to apply to law school doesn’t always stem from personal experiences, however. Though she’s always been interested in attending, Lesser’s professional endeavors in the legal field have been a driving factor in cementing her choice. She’s worked all over, from a New York City pro bono clinic to the United States Senate, with each place informing her career trajectory in distinct ways.
“I knew I was interested in law, but I used off terms and summers to sort of test what was right for me,” Lesser said. “I’ve loved everything I’ve done, but I’ve loved my time in the legal field the most. I just want to feel like I’m helping people when I go into the office. That’s my main goal.”
After graduating, Lesser plans to get her J.D. and work in public interest law. Among the places that interest her, Lesser highlighted Planned Parenthood and the ACLU as organizations she would most want to join.
“If I wanted to work in another field, I wouldn’t get a law degree,” she said. “Maybe at one point in my life I’ll switch careers, but getting a J.D. and not practicing law just seems like a waste of time and money.”
With a law degree, the option of becoming a practicing attorney is always on the table. However, for some students, the appeal of the degree stems from its versatility. According to Pendergraff, “it’s just another form of great education.”
“You can do so many different things with a law degree,” Pendergraff said. “I’m working to get my Indian Legal Certificate, and so I’m definitely going down that avenue of federal Indian law. As of right now, I do think that I would like to practice law with tribes, whether that be on a government basis or on a tribal basis.”
Dunkley also appreciates the “flexibility” of a J.D., emphasizing its potential for impact across any number of career paths.
“So many people I’ve talked to have done different things within law,” she said. “I think what’s important is your desire to create impact and your willingness to explore different paths so that you can try to inspire other people and make a difference in other communities.”
According to Pendergraff, though, that openness to exploring different career trajectories isn’t necessarily reflected in her fellow first-year law students’ motivations. However, she believes many of her classmates will eventually come to recognize the flexibility of their degrees.
“For the most part, everyone comes in and they’re like, ‘I’m going to be a litigator, or … a trial court attorney,’” she said. “Everyone wants to be up there in front of the judge. I lean toward more of the transactional side of law instead of the litigation side of law. I think within a year or so, I’ll see that within my classmates as well.”
At Dartmouth, students weighing whether to apply to law school have access to external resources, such as extracurriculars, to help with the decision. Dunkley said her involvement with the Dartmouth Minority Pre-Law Association — which supports students from underrepresented backgrounds as they work towards legal careers — has provided her with guidance, especially on the flexibility of pre-law academic backgrounds.
“I think the amount of resources DMPLA has provided, especially for students of color and students from unconventional backgrounds, is amazing,” Dunkley said. “I’ve been stressed about when to take the LSAT and my academic record, but being involved in DMPLA has provided me with reassurance about the fact that no matter what point I’m at in my academic journey, I can pursue whatever I want to pursue, and I don’t have to rush into the legal field.”
In contrast, Lesser has navigated the pre-law path largely on her own. She explained that her pursuit fostered independence, finding resources and leaning on family and friends rather than receiving mentorship through Dartmouth organizations.
“It is lucky that the process of applying to law school is very straightforward — you take the LSAT and you write the essays and that’s kind of it,” Lesser said. “There’s no institutional support for students who want to pursue law at this college the way there is for pre-med or consulting or anything like that. That was really frustrating.”
Similarly, Pendergraff said the “academically demanding environment” at Dartmouth left her uncertain about her future in law.
“There were times when I was super discouraged,” Pendergraff said. “I felt like I wasn’t involved enough, or asking the right questions. But there are people at Dartmouth that believe in you and who will give anything to help you.”
Ultimately, Pendergraff found that there is value in maximizing the College’s resources and meaningful connections on her journey to law school. Looking back, Pendergraff said her undergraduate years helped her to appreciate the value of her current position.
“It feels very different from Dartmouth, but also much more tangible,” Pendergraff said. “It feels like I’m actually working towards something that makes some difference.”
