How many years did you/ are you taking off before law school Forum

[blah...]

So far Im at one, but will most likely do two

Are you glad you took the time off? Do you wish you took more time off or less?

ANNNNDDD GO!

[achilles]

taking one year off, mainly because i needed my senior year grades included in my gpa. i'd be willing to defer another year if i got a full ride as incentive...

[Ginj]

On my third. It gives you a good amount of perspective and motivation to go back to school and do well. I highly recommend it.

[Moxie]

Make a poll?

It would definitely be interesting to see.

[blah...]

Make a poll?

It would definitely be interesting to see.

Done

[cinefile 17]

Make a poll?

It would definitely be interesting to see.

I agree. Especially considering some of the trends that frequenters of TLS seem to exhibit (higher likelihood of being in the top or your class, higher likelihood of attending a top law school, ect.---BTW I know these are debatable). It would also be interesting to see if there are any trends as far as taking time off.

Edit- Of course, this thread is also more likely to be clicked on by people who have taken time off

[blah...]

Make a poll?

It would definitely be interesting to see.

I agree. Especially considering some of the trends that frequenters of TLS seem to exhibit (higher likelihood of being in the top or your class, higher likelihood of attending a top law schools, ect.---BTW I know these are debatable). It would also be interesting to see if there are any trends as far as taking time off.

Edit- Of course, this thread is also more likely to be clicked on by people who have taken time off

It should be up there now... is it not?

[cinefile 17]

Yup, late reply. Thanks.

[Hawkeye Pierce]

.

[Adjudicator]

I graduated UG in 2006, and I'm planning to start law school next fall. Previous poster was right, it really gives you the motivation to go back to school. I don't even think I would have been ready for this undertaking straight out of UG.

[deadhipsters]

I will have taken four years off. I am glad I did, otherwise I would have graduated in this midst of this giant economic downturn. I feel sorry for my friends who did. Plus I got to travel, live in cool places, and save up about 20,000 dollars. Overall, I would say I made the right decision. In addition to that, my work experience as a paralegal has steered me away from Biglaw altogether. And as other posters have said, I am far more motivated to do well. Nothing will make you want to succeed like working an entry level job for several years.

[wwaideli]

agreed, I'll be out 4 years when I go back this fall. I'm definitly more motivated now. I applied after undergrad and turned it down for a job offer in financial services. At the time getting a nice salary seemed better than taking out loans. Now in my 2nd post graduation job (since half of my first company was laid off thanks to the reccession) I know that I'll work harder than any incoming UG and will have a leg up on them with the job experince when it comes time to interview with firms (all of my friends who either just graduated or are in their final year say that prior work experince is a huge factor for firms this year).

[r6_philly]

This is my first years out, but I am in my 30's so what should I vote? 65 and thinking?

[jarofsoup]

Two. And its bloody long enough. It sucks out here. Not a lot of work.

[vanwinkle]

I did 5 years; I think 3-5 years is ideal, since it's enough time to really get a lot of real-world experience, but not so long that you get set in a particular way and have trouble adjusting to a new environment (or are too old to get the most economic advantage out of a law degree).

[09042014]

Two. And its bloody long enough. It sucks out here. Not a lot of work.

You are going to love the legal market.

[NonTradHealthLaw]

10 from undergrad, 8 from grad.

[homestyle28]

Was really tempted by the 65+ option...it'll have been 10 years from UG and 1 year from most recent M.A.

[Lwoods]

I graduated UG in 2006, and I'm planning to start law school next fall. Previous poster was right, it really gives you the motivation to go back to school. I don't even think I would have been ready for this undertaking straight out of UG.

Same here, and I agree.
Beyond the motivation, I think I also have a much better grasp on how the world works now. Perhaps many UGs aren't as sheltered as I was, though.

[jarofsoup]

Two. And its bloody long enough. It sucks out here. Not a lot of work.

You are going to love the legal market.

I intern in a law firm I know its rough, but I am one of those optimists.

[bk1]

I'm glad I came to my senses and took a year off to retake/reapply.

[ATR]

I'm applying this cycle straight out of UG. I considered working a year or two with the organization I'm employed by while enrolled full-time, but the lost earning potential was too much for me to give up. Plus, I'm eager to get started.

[Sandro]

I took a year off and felt it was good because I got to prep a lot more, worked a job that was pretty cool, and got a break from taking a ton of UG classes to make up for bad first two years. I think I would have burned out very quick if I went last fall.