Ads to Advocacy: How an MSU Advertising Major is Paving His Way to Law School
By: Ella Jones
For many students, finding the right career path takes time. For Michigan State University advertising management major, Arman Rahimi, that path took several turns before he found a direction that felt right.
He entered MSU thinking he might pursue medicine, but the fit was never quite there. The turning point came when he switched into advertising.
“Once I got into advertising, I found I had the ability to distill complex messages in a human relatable way,” said Rahimi, “I enjoyed shaping how people think and presenting ideas strategically. That connection to law made sense to me.”
He says his coursework helped him realize how communication and strategy play central roles in the legal field. That realization pushed him to explore law more seriously, which led to a summer internship at a Grand Rapids law firm. There, he gained exposure to client communication and case-preparation support, which gave him a clearer look at how advocacy works in practice. That experience strengthened his interest in becoming a lawyer.
His internship also coincided with hours of LSAT prep, the exam required for admission to law school, and a renewed commitment to pursuing law. Now he is preparing to apply to law school with a unique academic background that sets him apart.
Balancing LSAT prep with coursework wasn’t easy. He studied mostly over the summer of 2024 and avoided burnout by sticking to a consistent schedule. While he tried a formal prep course, he recommended affordable resources like LawHub, which helped him sharpen his skills using real test questions.
When it came time to write his personal statement, the essay that allows law school applicants to explain their motivations and experiences, he says his advertising background gave him a strong narrative foundation.
“Law schools often get a lot of political science and philosophy majors, which is great, but advertising brings something different. I got to do real-world projects, work on teams and build strategies,” Rahimi said.
His story is also shaped by identity and purpose. As the child of immigrants, he grew up with a deep awareness of the power of fair systems and the consequences when those systems do not exist.
“In some countries, people don’t have access to fair systems. Here, we do and I want to be part of that,” he said.
For other MSU students considering law school from nontraditional majors, Rahimi has uplifting advice.
“You don’t need to follow a certain path,” he said. “If you’re passionate, your major can be your strength.”
