Undergrad law classes vs. actual law classes? Forum

[kyledavidsmith]

Hey folks,

for anyone who took any political science classes in constitutional law or similar topics as an undergraduate, I'm wondering how similar these classes are to the law classes you encounter in law school. Can they be used as a good basis for deciding whether or not you'll like law school?

I've now taken two semesters of constitutional law as an undergraduate, and I really enjoy the type of thinking, reading, and writing that it involves. They have probably been my favorite classes within my major (which, I know, probably makes me a massive nerd).

One of my sections was actually taught by a guy who is a graduate of Yale Law School, and he taught it similarly to how I've heard law school is taught. He would assign us a large amount of case reading before every class, expect us to memorize the facts of every case we read, and randomly call on one or two kids to basically answer every question he had for that entire class period. It was terrifying not knowing when your day would be and a lot of other kids in the class struggled being put on the spot like that, but I think it kept me accountable for my work and reinforced my knowledge of the material. Is this a good indicator that I'll like law school?

[DoveBodyWash]

Here's the problem, what law school classes are "like" goes beyond than how the class is taught.

Imagine your Con Law class, except now it's graded on a curve. Now imagine that your entire grade is based on a 3-hour final at the end of the semester. Now imagine that your grade in Con Law is 1/6 of the reason of why you will or won't get a decent paying job after graduation.

That's before we address the reality that every professor teaches their course differently (to varying degrees).

There's a level of psychological pressure in law school classes that just can't be imitated in undergraduate classrooms. And there's the variance among professors.

Con Law is probably the outlier in the 1L curriculum. Your other classes won't require the same kind of thinking/analysis as Con Law.

[kyledavidsmith]

Here's the problem, what law school classes are "like" goes beyond than how the class is taught.

Imagine your Con Law class, except now it's graded on a curve. Now imagine that your entire grade is based on a 3-hour final at the end of the semester. Now imagine that your grade in Con Law is 1/6 of the reason of why you will or won't get a decent paying job after graduation.

That's before we address the reality that every professor teaches their course differently (to varying degrees).

There's a level of psychological pressure in law school classes that just can't be imitated in undergraduate classrooms. And there's the variance among professors.

Con Law is probably the outlier in the 1L curriculum. Your other classes won't require the same kind of thinking/analysis as Con Law.

Thanks for the insight. For what it's worth my school handles con law in a similar way: graded on a curve, only one person in the class gets an A, and the large majority of the grade is dependent on the final exam. It does make sense though that there's far more pressure in law school, but I guess that would be the case for any advanced degree or professional program.

[kay2016]

Chiming in...

Having one class on a curve is different than having all of your classes on a curve.. There's really only so much (barely any) that you can control.

I know very few people who genuinely "like" law school on a day to day basis. Yea, there are things that we like, sure. And most of us still know why we want to be a lawyer.. but Law school basically sucks, even if you happen to like the material. I second the poster that said Con Law is a different beast than most other first year classes.

It's not the same type of pressure as other advanced degrees for a few reasons.. My understanding is that a lot of other advanced degrees aren't graded on a forced curve. Also, the legal market currently sucks and is fundamentally changing.. That's a lot of competition and a lot of stress and pressure, without a lot of certainty for a long time.

But really.. don't go to law school unless you know you want to be a lawyer. Liking law school isn't really a good enough reason to go, at all, because law school and practicing are totally different. Even if you think you want to be a lawyer, do what I didn't. Go out and work a few years in whatever you would be doing if you didn't go to law school. After 2 or so years, if you still want to go to law school.. go for it and I'll cross my fingers that you are one of the lucky ones who "like" school instead of the majority of us who tolerate it.