OLD SCHOOL (must be 30 and over ITT) Forum

[homestyle28]

Hey it's finals time fellow oldies...everyone excited? Also, overnighted papers to close on selling our house...finally only 9 months on the market and 4 offers that fell through...

I think that this is the time that we might be at a disadvantage. I tried to get a leg up by outlining ahead, but I wasn't able to maintain it. So I'm starting almost from scratch and I don't have the discretionary time that everyone else does.

Here's to killing it anyway!

Yeah I certainly feel this one...what I wouldn't give for weekends w/o obligations...but I appreciate how seeing my little guy laugh kind of puts all this stress in it's place.

[r6_philly]

I got nothing done over the break, too many family related activities. It was actually nice to not be a law student for a weekend, but I do feel behind now.

[sidhesadie]

I'm definitely behind and have less time than the singles and younger people.
I'm not sure how much the disadvantage is, though. When I walk through the library they're all on youtube and facebook.

[ahduth]

I'm definitely behind and have less time than the singles and younger people.
I'm not sure how much the disadvantage is, though. When I walk through the library they're all on youtube and facebook.

I'm behind, but that's of my own doing. I feel like I'm over-outlining - if anyone needs a complete and detailed summary of the Friedenthal Miller procedure casebook after I'm done with this thing, lemme know.

[delusional]

I'm definitely behind and have less time than the singles and younger people.
I'm not sure how much the disadvantage is, though. When I walk through the library they're all on youtube and facebook.

I'm behind, but that's of my own doing. I feel like I'm over-outlining - if anyone needs a complete and detailed summary of the Friedenthal Miller procedure casebook after I'm done with this thing, lemme know.

Start taking practice tests. I have not done close to that amount of outlining, but I feel like I get more from tests.

[sasuke]

Rents are getting crazy in my neighborhood, would taking on a mortgage before I start law school be the worst idea ever?

[homestyle28]

Rents are getting crazy in my neighborhood, would taking on a mortgage before I start law school be the worst idea ever?

It depends right? My wife and I bought a house when we moved for law school, b/c we know we want to stay here after and purchased what we could afford just on her salary - so it's a much more modest place than some of the apartments the single students where I go to school rent. What are you looking at? A condo or a house...one thing I didn't think enough about was the amount of time house upkeep takes...it feels like a real sacrifice to take an hour to mow the lawn or rake the leaves.

Just food for thought I guess.

[sasuke]

Fair but I'm single and when my savings runs out after my first year, I would have to rely on spousal support and student loans to cover my mortgage payments. I'm only interested in apartments and co-ops.

[unc0mm0n1]

I got nothing done over the break, too many family related activities. It was actually nice to not be a law student for a weekend, but I do feel behind now.

We are almost finished our first semester!!!!! It seems like just yesterday we were applying to schools and posting pics of our favorites.

[r6_philly]

I got nothing done over the break, too many family related activities. It was actually nice to not be a law student for a weekend, but I do feel behind now.

We are almost finished our first semester!!!!! It seems like just yesterday we were applying to schools and posting pics of our favorites.

I know! Penn's ED decisions are supposed to be released this week, so it's exactly one year!

Today is the last day of our fall semester! First exam on Monday!

Can I have a job now?

[kalvano]

Damn, 2L is better than 1L.

[ahduth]

I got my clock cleaned on a procedure practice exam yesterday. Managed to get a whole pile of weird shit and didn't take the bait on some other stuff, but completely forgot about this little case called Shaffer, and a briefly mentioned concept known as quasi-in-rem, which caused me to tie myself in knots trying to establish jurisdiction.

I guess this is why we have practice exams. Sigh.

[delusional]

I got my clock cleaned on a procedure practice exam yesterday. Managed to get a whole pile of weird shit and didn't take the bait on some other stuff, but completely forgot about this little case called Shaffer, and a briefly mentioned concept known as quasi-in-rem, which caused me to tie myself in knots trying to establish jurisdiction.

I guess this is why we have practice exams. Sigh.

Yeah, it's tough - you think you know everything, and then you see an exam and you're like, "did I download the right document?" But you're right that that's the purpose of the practice exams. I hope that my intuition that after you've taken three or four on a subject you kind of know the material that can be raised is correct.

[delusional]

Overdue for a bump. How were your holidays, old folks?

[r6_philly]

Overdue for a bump. How were your holidays, old folks?

Doing great! Kids are happy that I am around a bit more. Just slightly. Can't believe school starts in a week!

[delusional]

Overdue for a bump. How were your holidays, old folks?

Doing great! Kids are happy that I am around a bit more. Just slightly. Can't believe school starts in a week!

Why just slightly? Did you slack off during the semester, or are you working hard over the holidays?

I have been so useless over this vacation. It's the first time I have had a stretch of a few days home without the kids since I started working about five years ago. It makes me uneasy, like I really should be doing something. But outside of applying for summer jobs, I can't figure out what.

[r6_philly]

Why just slightly? Did you slack off during the semester, or are you working hard over the holidays?

I have been so useless over this vacation. It's the first time I have had a stretch of a few days home without the kids since I started working about five years ago. It makes me uneasy, like I really should be doing something. But outside of applying for summer jobs, I can't figure out what.

Job searching took a lot of time. I also start an adjunct position next week, so busy preparing for that. We really only have two and half weeks anyway. It's ok, I wouldn't know what to do with free time anyway.

[jared6180]

I am 31, married, 1 child and a dog I adore and would not want to have to get rid of to be close to school, I will graduate UG in Fall 2013/Spring 2014 depending on how many classes i take, but with the timing of law school decisions i think my GPA will benefit from the Spring graduation.I haven't taken the LSAT yet, but with a 3.3-3.4 GPA I should be good in the T20 schools. My school list is the following: Dream School- Cornell, Reach School- WUSTL or Fordham, Safety School- University of Kansas or Washburn Law, which is literally 3 minutes from my house. I would like to go to work in NYC BigLaw or Kansas City BigLaw...if you can call it that based on KC's lower population, I usually call KC MidLaw.

My problem, I would probably be considered a bum compared to some of you guys, I came from a radical religious background where the pastor's kids were told to go to college, and have good lives, while virtually everyone in the congregation was told that getting a job, getting married, and having children was the way we should live life, and my parents, and I believed it. I spent my life from 18-28 working jobs, not careers, fast food, cell phone sales, meaning less jobs. I went way out on a limb and joined the Army, only to become disabled 2.5 years into it, so from 21-23 I feel I had a career, but obviously that was squelched by my disability. From 26-28 I worked for a financial firm that laid everybody off, so that career failed. Now I am unemployed, but have been in school full time for 1.5 years, and I know I want to be an attorney, but how do I explain my poor work record?

FYI, for you conservative right wingers, don't worry I did not claim unemployment after my lay off from my last job, my disability pay gets me by ok, I try not to just take from the government unless it is a need. Yes I am probably a little defensive, but I used to be an extreme right winger, and I really don't care for the Glenn Becks, Sean Hannitys and Bill Oriellys of the world, Rush Limbaugh I will say is at least entertaining.

[AlexanderSupertramp]

I'm ready to get back to school. I had a great time with my kids this break but they're bored and hyper by now. My stbx has no structure for them either and lets them watch TV all day so they're kind of detoxing from that too.

I got a summer job offer (I'm a 1L) in my hometown- where my parents live and I still own a house. It's a good thing but it'll be hard to swing. Don't know how I'm going to afford daycare for all three kids since school will be out.

[delusional]

I am 31, married, 1 child and a dog I adore and would not want to have to get rid of to be close to school, I will graduate UG in Fall 2013/Spring 2014 depending on how many classes i take, but with the timing of law school decisions i think my GPA will benefit from the Spring graduation.I haven't taken the LSAT yet, but with a 3.3-3.4 GPA I should be good in the T20 schools. My school list is the following: Dream School- Cornell, Reach School- WUSTL or Fordham, Safety School- University of Kansas or Washburn Law, which is literally 3 minutes from my house. I would like to go to work in NYC BigLaw or Kansas City BigLaw...if you can call it that based on KC's lower population, I usually call KC MidLaw.

My problem, I would probably be considered a bum compared to some of you guys, I came from a radical religious background where the pastor's kids were told to go to college, and have good lives, while virtually everyone in the congregation was told that getting a job, getting married, and having children was the way we should live life, and my parents, and I believed it. I spent my life from 18-28 working jobs, not careers, fast food, cell phone sales, meaning less jobs. I went way out on a limb and joined the Army, only to become disabled 2.5 years into it, so from 21-23 I feel I had a career, but obviously that was squelched by my disability. From 26-28 I worked for a financial firm that laid everybody off, so that career failed. Now I am unemployed, but have been in school full time for 1.5 years, and I know I want to be an attorney, but how do I explain my poor work record?

FYI, for you conservative right wingers, don't worry I did not claim unemployment after my lay off from my last job, my disability pay gets me by ok, I try not to just take from the government unless it is a need. Yes I am probably a little defensive, but I used to be an extreme right winger, and I really don't care for the Glenn Becks, Sean Hannitys and Bill Oriellys of the world, Rush Limbaugh I will say is at least entertaining.

As someone (well, probably most people in the thread are like this) who took a major leap off of one path into law school, I wish you the best.
First of all, I don't know that your career record is necessarily a poor one. But even if it is, you're stuck with it, so there isn't much to address. When you apply to school, they care mainly about your numbers, so there's little that an employment gap should affect you, and if I were hiring a lawyer from a T1 school, I would not check into the duration of each fast food job before law school. You seem to have a pretty compelling story, so that should help for admissions and possibly interviews, as long as you are unapologetic and approach it all as positive.
The one thing that you should be aware of is that since you are somewhat unimpressed with your resume, you should be even more dedicated than most to making sure that your numbers are competitive. If you are sure that you want to go to law school, now is the time to start taking underwater basket weaving so that you can get the absolute highest GPA possible. You should also study as hard as you can for the LSAT. On both numbers, don't aim for what you need - aim for the highest possible. Aim for a 4.0 and a 180, not whatever numbers you need for Fordham. Good Luck!

(Oh, and BTW - take the damn unemployment. Nobody knows you're a hero and you need the money.)

[AlexanderSupertramp]

(Oh, and BTW - take the damn unemployment. Nobody knows you're a hero and you need the money.)

Especially since your employer paid into it in case they had to lay someone off. I, too, had a less than perfect resume- I worked in the unemployment office!

[kalvano]

FYI, for you conservative right wingers, don't worry I did not claim unemployment after my lay off from my last job

What the hell is this? Part of the state taxes you pay go to fund unemployment insurance. It's your money, get it back if you can.

[ahduth]

I wish I could collect unemployment over winter break.

[r6_philly]

I wish I could collect unemployment over winter break.

Haha if you had eligibility left why not?

[jpal13]

31 here. At what point in law school can you reasonably work? 1st or 2nd semester of year 1? Can the school give you some tips on job searching?