John Brewer is an attorney from Phoenix, Arizona specializing in product liability and personal injury law. With over 20 years of experience, John has carved out a niche for himself in the legal practice, specifically working with cases regarding wrongful death, burn injuries, and catastrophic personal injuries. His expertise has allowed him to successfully represent burn victims whose injuries resulted from cases of faulty engineering and design, such as those associated with automotive manufacturing, helicopter fuel systems, and more.
John completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California and graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. He then continued his education at the American Graduate School of International Management and earned his Masters in Management (M.I.M) in Finance in 1993. After the completion of his graduate program, John Brewer still felt compelled to continue his education. He enrolled in the University of San Diego School of Law in 1993 and graduated with his Doctor of Law degree (J.D.) three years later.
He started his career in law under the purview of his father, Charles M. Brewer, one of the leading personal injury attorneys in the United States and the world. It was here that John began litigating catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and product liability cases. In the 25 years since then, John Brewer has started his own law firm and has represented clients facing a number of Fortune 100 companies as well as some of the largest helicopter and airplane manufacturers in the aviation industry.
Over the last quarter of a century, John Brewer has developed expertise in the area of helping burn victims. This cause is especially close to him, for his daughter is a burn survivor herself. This, coupled with his desire to help others, fuels his sharp attention to detail and fervor in litigation. Fortunately, throughout the course of his career, there has been an impressive amount of development in the care and treatment of burn victims. John, however, believes that the fight to prevent future incidents is not over and that there warrants a greater need for a focus on manufacturing processes and other elements of the production process.
John Brewer’s ultimate goal is to see corporations take a more proactive approach to research and development to prevent individual suffering and break the cycle of only changing products and processes through litigation.
For students considering law school, John Brewer shares his recommendations for the best pre-law undergraduate majors.
There is no undergraduate major that will guarantee entry into law school, nor will it ensure success once you’ve been admitted. There are no restrictions for which bachelor’s degrees are acceptable for law school, and ultimately, your choice of major should align with your goals and interests, especially if you favor a certain specialization in one area of law over another. For example, if you plan on going into environmental law, it might be worthwhile to pursue a degree in environmental science prior to law school. Yet, it’s understood that the process of choosing a major is a daunting task. For those that are unsure, there are some majors that tend to lend themselves more readily to law school preparedness, so John Brewer, a lawyer himself, recommends these.
History
History is one major common among pre-law students, and with good reason. The American legal system grew out of the English legal system during years of colonization, and history majors will be able to learn how those early years affected society and the laws of the subsequent periods. Students will cover developing political systems, famous trials, treaties, and international history, all of which will afford the student knowledge of how these events influence the law. Furthermore, knowing the history behind the law can help the student become a more persuasive litigator down the road.
English
Reading and writing are two fundamental skills for lawyers, so it is critical that an attorney possesses strong skills in these areas. When arguments are presented in court, they are first well-researched, thought out, and composed. Strong reading skills will enable a student to learn how to absorb large amounts of information at a fast pace, while strong writing skills will help them to formulate persuasive arguments. In addition, an English major will develop excellent critical thinking skills in the student. Good attorneys are required to analyze each case in order to determine the best way to approach a resolution. At the core of an English major is the ability to analyze, compare, and contrast a wide variety of literature, which in turn develop a student’s ability to think critically.
Political Science
Political science is one of the more popular degrees among pre-law students. Politics and law go hand-in-hand, and this major exposes the student to the intricacies of the judicial system. With a major in political science, students will learn how the law is structured and carried out as well as foreign policy, historical cases, treaties, and foreign legal systems. Along with an understanding of politics and the law, political science students will also hone their public speaking skills, which is a necessity in court. Studying political science will require students to write comparative papers on a myriad of political issues, which lends itself well to the rigors of law school.
