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Any TLSers bound for law school this fall getting nervous about it?

I have a good offer, but I've been out of school for a few years and am conflicted. I have a good job now that I enjoy, but it's in a declining media industry -- little long-term job security and, perhaps more importantly for me, not a great path to income growth.

I guess I'm just getting nervous the closer I get to leaving my job to go $90,000-$110,000 in debt, with a tough legal market, etc. I am losing sleep over it, and I'm not sure if I'm making the right move.

I'm in a similar situation though I plan to attend PT and keep my job.

I'm getting a bit nervous now because the registration deadline is tomorrow. I know I want to do it but I am nervous and I have some concerns about how this will affect my current job, which is a 12 year career I'd rather not jeapordize.

Also nervous because I know my wife and kids will be sacrificing quite a bit by not having me around 4 nights a week, and out studying on Saturday.

It's a tough decision when you have something to lose.

I'm meeting with my company's General Counsel this Thursday and I'm going to ask him about his thoughts, and what I would need to do to make myself attractive to my company in the legal dept., which is where I'd like to end up...

The problem is, the registration deadline is tomorrow. I'm thinking about calling the school and telling them I need til Friday to decide. If they tell me I'm out of luck, then maybe I take that as my sign that it wasn't meant to be.

rdcws000 wrote:I'm in a similar situation though I plan to attend PT and keep my job.

I'm getting a bit nervous now because the registration deadline is tomorrow. I know I want to do it but I am nervous and I have some concerns about how this will affect my current job, which is a 12 year career I'd rather not jeapordize.

Also nervous because I know my wife and kids will be sacrificing quite a bit by not having me around 4 nights a week, and out studying on Saturday.

It's a tough decision when you have something to lose.

I'm meeting with my company's General Counsel this Thursday and I'm going to ask him about his thoughts, and what I would need to do to make myself attractive to my company in the legal dept., which is where I'd like to end up...

The problem is, the registration deadline is tomorrow. I'm thinking about calling the school and telling them I need til Friday to decide. If they tell me I'm out of luck, then maybe I take that as my sign that it wasn't meant to be.

Yes. I have ~7 years in my field.

Where are you thinking about going?

Add me to the list. I'm leaving a pretty good paying job. The legal market is uncertain but things are equally uncertain here where I am now. I'm taking a chance by going and a chance by staying. It's been a very difficult decision.

The best advice I've had is to make my decision, move forward and never look back.

This scares the crap out of me. I haven't studied (except for the LSAT) in five years.

I think it's us folks who have had careers that are worried. The young bucks are just enjoying their summers and thinking "Hooray! More school in a new place." We're thinking "I have to move, quit my job, and hope everything works out."

It's the lack of stability that we have become accustomed to, I think, that makes the difference. Kids straight out of school, they're used to school. People who've been out a while, we're used to working. Going to LS will definitely be a major life change for me, and one that I'm not entirely convinced will be an easy one.

Also, I do not look forward to being poor for three years.

Yes

HBK wrote:This scares the crap out of me. I haven't studied (except for the LSAT) in five years.

I think it's us folks who have had careers that are worried. The young bucks are just enjoying their summers and thinking "Hooray! More school in a new place." We're thinking "I have to move, quit my job, and hope everything works out."

It's the lack of stability that we have become accustomed to, I think, that makes the difference. Kids straight out of school, they're used to school. People who've been out a while, we're used to working. Going to LS will definitely be a major life change for me, and one that I'm not entirely convinced will be an easy one.

Also, I do not look forward to being poor for three years.

yup. I havent studied since my senior year of high school. college was an absolute joke, so its will be a good 9 years since i have had to use my brain (not counting the lsat). also, being on a strict budget will be difficult. with a combined income over six figures, my fiance and i live pretty comfortably. but in the end, i know my current job isnt where I want to be long-term. i feel guilty at times uprooting us and going to a different state, but i know this is the right decision. im actually excited to start this new stage in life.

HBK wrote:This scares the crap out of me. I haven't studied (except for the LSAT) in five years.

I think it's us folks who have had careers that are worried. The young bucks are just enjoying their summers and thinking "Hooray! More school in a new place." We're thinking "I have to move, quit my job, and hope everything works out."

It's the lack of stability that we have become accustomed to, I think, that makes the difference. Kids straight out of school, they're used to school. People who've been out a while, we're used to working. Going to LS will definitely be a major life change for me, and one that I'm not entirely convinced will be an easy one.

Also, I do not look forward to being poor for three years.

This, this, all of this! Well, except for the fact that I've been working at a non-profit, so I'm already poor, I'm not looking forward to ANOTHER three years of being poor. But that whole quitting my job, moving, etc thing is totally on the button.

Not exactly the same boat.

Ive taken the LSAT twice and was planning on applying next cycle.

Fast forward to now: I am now contracting to commission into the US army after graduation.

moandersen wrote:

HBK wrote:This scares the crap out of me. I haven't studied (except for the LSAT) in five years.

I think it's us folks who have had careers that are worried. The young bucks are just enjoying their summers and thinking "Hooray! More school in a new place." We're thinking "I have to move, quit my job, and hope everything works out."

It's the lack of stability that we have become accustomed to, I think, that makes the difference. Kids straight out of school, they're used to school. People who've been out a while, we're used to working. Going to LS will definitely be a major life change for me, and one that I'm not entirely convinced will be an easy one.

Also, I do not look forward to being poor for three years.

yup. I havent studied since my senior year of high school. college was an absolute joke, so its will be a good 9 years since i have had to use my brain (not counting the lsat). also, being on a strict budget will be difficult. with a combined income over six figures, my fiance and i live pretty comfortably. but in the end, i know my current job isnt where I want to be long-term. i feel guilty at times uprooting us and going to a different state, but i know this is the right decision. im actually excited to start this new stage in life.

I think we're the exact same person. Except my fiancee and I are staying in-state because she would have to take another bar exam to go to the school I wanted to attend (WashU).

OP, I'm pretty damn near your exact situation. Same WE years. Same industry. Same GPA (Then again, I no longer loved my job, and alas, I hit your LSAT score only in coupla PTs.)

My solution to cold feet was to quit the biz back in February for an in-between job. That way, I figured, there would be no way out.

Now, last day at new job is 2 weeks away. Moving in 3.5 weeks. I just today accepted my gargantuan loan package. And every time I re-examine the budget for fiance&me (only 2 more paychecks?!?!?), it all gets more and more real, in a very discomfiting way. And while I'm glad there's no escape hatch and am 99% sure I'm doing the right thing, I'm still kind of scared shitless.

I keep telling myself that this is what I want to do, but it seems like every day there's another article about how bad it is. I hope I can ramp my brain up to speed in a short time as I haven't been in school in over a decade. I hope my toddler son doesn't shit all over my homework. Yep, a little nervous.

Er, not to be pessimistic, but I would emotionally prepare yourselves for it to get worse. I think a lot of people spend their first semester thinking, "Wait, why did I do this? What am I doing here? Did I just make the worst decision of my life?" Hell, I loved the work I was doing first semester, and even so I was consistently asking myself these things and panicking. I spent a lot more time anxious about whether or not I had made the right choice than I spent anxious about my classes and work. So just, go in prepared. But it does get better.

Part of my problem is, I actually really like what I do now, all things considered. It's interesting and, for the most part, fun work.

But the industry is crumbling and there's no longer the support for good wages. The Internet makes news free, which doesn't exactly lend itself to supporting $80k-a-year writers or whatever. I look 10 years down the road, and even assuming I still have a job, it's doubtful it'd be a really well-paying one.

scribelaw wrote:But the industry is crumbling and there's no longer the support for good wages.

Are you talking about your current job or the legal sector?