NOT already know what kind of law you're interested in?

[AboveTheLawSchool]

Does everyone already know what kind of law they want to practice, before starting law school? I honestly am not sure, and was planning on figuring that out after I had taken actual law classes... I think IP law sounds interesting, but from my understanding since I do not have a science background I have no chance at getting a job in this field? Sorry for being ignorant about all this.

[rman1201]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=144984

Dream big or go home

[SoPro]

Criminal defense.

[istara]

With the number of people who seem to go through any form of higher education without actually knowing what they want to do with it, I imagine you're not alone.

[retake]

You really aren't in a position to think about what kind of law you want to practice before you even start LS. hth

[TTH]

You really aren't in a position to think about what kind of law you want to practice before you even start LS. hth

This is correct. Go to law school with an open mind. You're going to meet a lot of attorneys that have a lot of different practices. You may find you're interested in something you didn't even consider during law school. Your school's affinity groups will have lunchtime programs with practitioners in their respective fields, go to these and listen...and eat a free lunch of course.

[pkt63]

I definitely feel like I want to be open-minded. I have a few specialties that will be obviously stronger due to my extensive work experience, but there's so much else I want to explore, like human rights and international law. And I kinda resent the feeling I get that I am supposed to knw exactly what I want to do with my law degree just because I do have the work experience. You know, I do want to use the skills and what not that I learned in my career so far, but I'm doing this for a career change. I really don't need an advanced degree to get farther in my former career, and I was making tons of money...I'm doing this because I want a change. But I am afraid that saying that (in a JR1 for instance, knock on wood that I get one) would be an automatic ding for me.

Also I feel like evn if it's ok to be that way now, there's not enough time in law school to figure it out. Like, from the middle of the first semester, you have to be prepping or 1L summer jobs and that job better give you some good experience for the type of law in general that you want to go into 3 years later. Like god forbid you do an externship with a judge or a stint with the ACLU 1L summer and then decide, Nah I really want to go BigLaw instead and interview for that 2L OCI? Or am I catastrophizing?

[PEguy]

Corporate Law: specifically Real Estate finance / M&A (REITs, Hotel Operators, Developer, etc.)

I don't know that much about it (from a legal side--- I do from the investor side), but that's what I'd like to study.

[too old for this sh*]

You really aren't in a position to think about what kind of law you want to practice before you even start LS. hth

Not always accurate.

Would concur that it IS likely accurate for the fresh-out-of-undergrad 20-something though...