Is law school really that hard? Forum

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sophie316

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by sophie316 » Wed Mar 17, 2010 1:45 am

It's not easy/fun(unless you're some kind of bizarre academic masochist that thrives on boredom) but I also think that people make it harder than it needs to be.

270910

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by 270910 » Wed Mar 17, 2010 5:45 am

I think it's important to realize that it's only hard to do well in law school. Most people, with a little guidance, can really phone it in and still pull down median.

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underachiever

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by underachiever » Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:50 am

OP, it depends where you go and what your goals are....The material (2nd semester 1L talking now) isn't difficult, its mostly boring. I find the classes boring too. While I dislike law school (for these facts + the uber intense students + im PAYING!!!...all law schools have these 3 things, so I'm NOT knocking on my LS at all).
I did very little studying last semester and did okay in my classes and that's all I wanted.
So to me, it is harder then UG b/c of the curve and lots of other very smart students, but then again in UG I had 2 jobs and was always taking an overloaded schedule, so I was busier then i am in law school, but strangely less stressed back then b/c now all I want is the grades to get a 6-figure job!

....now if you'll excuse me, I must get Kegs and Eggs @ 7am

dreman510

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by dreman510 » Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:37 am

Its hard because you need to motivate yourself to read uber boring material that no one in their right mind should be forced to read :shock:

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badfish

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by badfish » Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:58 am

There is a lot of reading and most of it is dense. Analytically the concepts aren't that difficult, in fact most professors make their classes harder than they have to be. By far the most difficult part about law school is the curve. If you go to a good program everyone is a hard worker, everyone is smart and everyone is used to being at the top of their class. It leads to a lot of stress and anxiety when finals come around. It also leads to a lot of modest pie after grades come out, which I'm always a fan of.

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heyguys

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by heyguys » Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:03 am

It feels absurd because you go in thinking that you're attending a trade school of sorts, but 99% of the stuff you learn you'll never use when you're actually in practice.

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Puffy

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by Puffy » Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:04 pm

Your undergrad GPA is a very poor indicator of your actual abilities, especially if a huge portion of it comes from humanities. And this is not just because of grade inflation. Truth is professors and TAs care very little about your grades. Of course, because grades are very important to them, undergrads have a hard time understanding that people who teach their courses place grading at the lowest possible rung of priorities, but generally it is: Research/ Administration > Teaching > Errands > Freecell >>>>>>>>>> Grading papers and exams.

TLDR: Your 3.9 is just as much the result of people randomly giving you As to save time as your actually earning them.

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tomhobbes

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by tomhobbes » Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:22 pm

heyguys wrote:It feels absurd because you go in thinking that you're attending a trade school of sorts, but 99% of the stuff you learn you'll never use when you're actually in practice.
You're at Yale, aren't you? I think what I've gathered from this thread is that Yale is exceptionally easy.

finalthrill

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by finalthrill » Sat Mar 02, 2013 10:19 pm

No law school is not that difficult. If you read every word of every case, law school is very boring and you might hate it. I just read the case briefs and used outlines. I studied 1/100 of what a lot of my friends did and I got just as good grades if not better. Is this fair to the people who read every case? No but who cares? In law school they want you to try and figure out everything on your own and you don't have to. Companies that sell supplements in your law school book store have already briefed your cases for you and created outlines that explain the law for you. So you can read 60 hours of cases every week and be confused about the law, or you can study 4 hours a week on what you need to know and understand the material. So no... I would say law school is not that difficult and it doesn't even have to consume your time if you take the available short cuts.

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RodneyRuxin

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by RodneyRuxin » Sat Mar 02, 2013 10:21 pm

finalthrill wrote:No law school is not that difficult. If you read every word of every case, law school is very boring and you might hate it. I just read the case briefs and used outlines. I studied 1/100 of what a lot of my friends did and I got just as good grades if not better. Is this fair to the people who read every case? No but who cares? In law school they want you to try and figure out everything on your own and you don't have to. Companies that sell supplements in your law school book store have already briefed your cases for you and created outlines that explain the law for you. So you can read 60 hours of cases every week and be confused about the law, or you can study 4 hours a week on what you need to know and understand the material. So no... I would say law school is not that difficult and it doesn't even have to consume your time if you take the available short cuts.
I hate you for reviving this thread.

ETA: welcome to TLS

Mr. Jones

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by Mr. Jones » Sat Mar 02, 2013 10:31 pm

Semesters are 14 weeks. The first 8 are pretty mellow, not hard at all. The material in law school is not that hard, there's just a lot of it. You won't find yourself struggling to wrap your head around difficult concepts, but you'll find yourself trying to apply them to obscure scenarios on tests. As for your 3.9 GPA - really doesn't mean anything unless you were a hard science major. A 3.9 in any social science (save for economics maybe) or humanities is not indicative of your intelligence in the law school world.

sfhaze

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by sfhaze » Sat Mar 02, 2013 10:33 pm

badfish wrote:There is a lot of reading and most of it is dense. Analytically the concepts aren't that difficult, in fact most professors make their classes harder than they have to be. By far the most difficult part about law school is the curve. If you go to a good program everyone is a hard worker, everyone is smart and everyone is used to being at the top of their class. It leads to a lot of stress and anxiety when finals come around. It also leads to a lot of modest pie after grades come out, which I'm always a fan of.
This has been my experience exactly. Putting in the work doesn't necessarily equal a top grade in law school. A big piece of the puzzle is exam taking skills, which is almost an entirely separate skill from knowing the law or class material.

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Mar 02, 2013 11:06 pm

Isn't anyone else going to comment on the fact that OP shouldn't even be posting here b/c HE/SHE ISN'T EVEN IN LAW SCHOOL YET??

Also, I'm betting OP went to a lower tier UG and was a non-techie

just sayin'

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nygrrrl

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by nygrrrl » Sat Mar 02, 2013 11:19 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Isn't anyone else going to comment on the fact that OP shouldn't even be posting here b/c HE/SHE ISN'T EVEN IN LAW SCHOOL YET??

Also, I'm betting OP went to a lower tier UG and was a non-techie

just sayin'
Actually, if you check the post date you will see that OP made this thread 3 years ago.
I believe that OP is now finishing his/her final semester of law school.
Just sayin'.

(Also, inappropriate use of the Anon Feature. Do it again, you'll be outed.)

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JenDarby

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by JenDarby » Sun Mar 03, 2013 1:22 pm

HBK wrote:My best friend is a lawyer who attended a T14 program. Her friends went to T14 and T1 schools. The consensus they've relayed to me is that law school isn't that hard. Rather, its difficulty is a myth perpetuated by attorneys and law students to make law school completion seem like more of an accomplishment. Law students (most of which were top of their classes without necessarily having to work hard, and most of which never had full time jobs) convince each other that they're working hard and that school is difficult, probably because it is harder than undergrad.

From what I've heard, it's like having a really tough job where you have to work 50-60 hours a week.

Of course, you will all disagree with me. The only evidence I can provide is anecdotal from a handful (6) of accomplished attorneys- some currently working in big law. I am a 0L, so I look forward to the scathing remarks.
They're right, law school is NOT hard. That, however, misses the entire point, which so many people have articulated very well in this thread.

Law school is incredibly easy for almost all my friends. Conlaw was a breeze, but only 8 of us got any form of As in my class. The point isn't whether it's easy or hard, its that even if its easy for everyone, 90% of the class will have to fall out of the top 10%. Even if everyone writes a brilliant exam, 3-10% are getting Cs.

I find 2L "hard" just because I have no time. The material is still easy, but this still doesn't mean I will get an A, or even a B+.

I intern for a Judge 16 hours a week, I have class about 11 hours a week, moot court takes up a few hours a week (more when my specific team was competing), journal takes up a few hours a week, being on the board of my schools' student fellowship program takes up at least a few hours of week, etc. If I actually attend all my classes and do all the reading, there isn't too much time for much else at all.

I worked a difficult job 50-60 (often more) hours of week before law school. It was a breeze compared to the time constraints and conflicting obligations that has been my 2L schedule.

Edit: fuck, I hadn't read past page 1.

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Objection

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by Objection » Sun Mar 03, 2013 2:28 pm

The substance of law school isn't hard, it's putting up with the people (including their overcompetitiveness) and atmosphere of law school that's hard.

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laxbrah420

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by laxbrah420 » Sun Mar 03, 2013 2:54 pm

I was able to predict all my grades leaving the exams. The curve is not real. I did best in the classes I went to and read the cases. The material is incredibly straightforward if you have any concept of economic theory and general fairness/morality. Ocassionally old law makes no sense but then some judge says, "that's retarded" and fixes it and that's how the shit is today. If you can think of like 4 reasons why a rule is the way it is, those 4 reasons almost certainly have been discussed --there might be a 6th reason, but 4 out of 6 is good enough to get a good grade. Everything comes down to reasonableness and notice/foreseeability. Law school is way easier than any legit undergrad major because the trajectory of it is so linear and logical. The only "harder" part is that you have about 300 pages to read a week. 16 hours in class plus 15 hours reading is hardly a "hard" life though. The hardest part might be ignoring the pessimists and strivers on TLS and complainers in your class...aka keeping your head straight and clear.

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romothesavior

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Re: Is law school really that hard?

Post by romothesavior » Sun Mar 03, 2013 3:31 pm

This thread is three years old. JFC

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