Cold Feet for LS Forum

[webbylu87]

What the hell am I doing? I am totally unsure about LS.

3 years of my life, tons of money, and the feeling that once I work in the field I am forever "stuck." I would rather do something creative, but it seems like everywhere is a closed door for me... plus I crave security.

I think LS will give me the ability to forge ahead, and if i absolutely hate it, leave biglaw after a couple of years working to pay off debt.

Part of this is due to those who make LS out to be a passion they've had since childhood. I am looking at it as a good way to earn a living, expose me to other areas of life/business, and I believe it's a good match for my skills.

Advice? Is this normal?

I think a lot of these feelings are totally normal. It's a big commitment financially, professionally, and personally. I can appreciate these and definitely share some of them. I'd be surprised if people didn't feel some sort of apprehension.

Edit: Dear God, I am scared too.

[pleasetryagain]

Part of this is due to those who make LS out to be a passion they've had since childhood.

"99% of people who claim LS as a passion they've had since childhood have no fucking idea what they are getting into, will hate the day-to-day of a career in law when they realize they will not be saving the world, and will preside over the future JDU."

- Winston Churchill

[adameus]

Most of you will be the trolls that come back in a year or two and completely scare the crap out of 0L's that will be certain that law school is the worst thing you could ever possibly imagine and that they should have gone to H-Vac school or became a plumber's apprentice. You'll be all "lulzzzzzz at u thinkin' you'll get a 30k job out of Haavad, you'll be lucky to be da dumpster lickerz at Mickey D's and /self b/c uf 800k in debt."

wahhhh?

[quickquestionthanks]

Part of this is due to those who make LS out to be a passion they've had since childhood.

"99% of people who claim LS as a passion they've had since childhood have no fucking idea what they are getting into, will hate the day-to-day of a career in law when they realize they will not be saving the world, and will preside over the future JDU."

- Winston Churchill

love it and plan on making up my own Churchill quotes in the future. Not here of course

[Chicklets]

It's pretty normal to have second thoughts at the beginning of a new BIG venture. But you're never really STUCK if you honestly consider all of the options. I'm excited for law school. I expect to succeed in school, and in finding employment after graduation. My financial situation is such that I won't have huge debt (worked for 10 years and saved, and will attend a school with a good LRAP). I think for those who are flexible about the location they will accept work and the specific type of legal work that they start out doing, there is little to fear IF they don't start out with a HUGE debt. I would worry if I was set on Big Law in NYC... not because of the difficulty in getting the job, but I'm pretty sure I would hate the lifestyle, as my family is really my priority. I'm really pretty optimistic that things will be pretty good by the time we all graduate. So good luck everyone!


From the US Dept of Labor:

Employment of lawyers is expected to grow 13 percent during the 2008-18 decade, about as fast as the average for all occupations....Perhaps as a result of competition for attorney positions, lawyers are increasingly finding work in less traditional areas for which legal training is an asset, but not normally a requirement—for example, administrative, managerial, and business positions in banks, insurance firms, real estate companies, government agencies, and other organizations. Employment opportunities are expected to continue to arise in these organizations at a growing rate. In May 2008, the median annual wages of all wage-and-salaried lawyers were $110,590. The middle half of the occupation earned between $74,980 and $163,320.