Take some time off Forum

WaltGrace83 · Post by **WaltGrace83** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 5:50 pm

Hey everyone. I doubt too many people will recognize me but I was definitely an LSAT gunner and studied like mad from late 2013 to mid 2014. I thought for sure law was for me and that killing the LSAT, getting into a T14 with a huge scholly, and making good money with a good career was my pathway to happiness. I took the LSAT, got a great score to be paired with my great GPA, and thought I was on my way.

Yet because TLS helped me so immensely during my studies of the LSAT, I feel obligated to say what happened next since I haven't posted regularly in about a year.

I took some time off - due to the advice of TLS largely - and taught high school for a year. Then, I initiated another year off - this time due to a former lawyer who worked with me at school - and began working for a local, mid-sized firm. I was all set to go to law school for the 2016-2017 year. However, as I have been in my current job for about 4 months, I have 100% realized that this life is not for me: working in an office, having clients call you at all hours of the day, the stress, the anxiety, and the general culture. I don't hate my job. In fact, I quite like it as I realize that all jobs have some elements of stress/etc. and I can appreciate that. However, I just am not fulfilled when I come home after a 9-hour day. I have had that fulfillment for most of my life and all of a sudden it is gone.

Now I am not saying that working in the field is terrible (I'm not even a lawyer so I don't think I can really give that advice). What I am saying is that all you KJDs should take time off to get work experience because I did NOT believe that I would turn out to be one who ended up not liking law. In fact, as I write this, I am kind of in shock that I really feel this way. But more importantly, I cannot imagine how my life would be if I realized this AFTER I went to school for 3 years and put myself in a mountain of debt. I would be miserable.

I am sorry if this is completely useless and this gets deleted. I just really wanted to give SOMETHING back to TLS because this community is so great. I thank you for all the support you have given me, TLS. Now I am going to go back into teaching. I wish you all luck! Do what you can to be happy!

TheSpanishMain · Post by **TheSpanishMain** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 6:10 pm

Solid advice. And even if you do decide to go to law school, you'll do much better with the job hunt with work experience. There is never a downside to getting work experience.

Hildegard15 · Post by **Hildegard15** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 6:31 pm

Post removed.

DavidHereford · Post by **DavidHereford** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 1:17 am

80% of lawyers come across the same problem which you are facing. Yet most of them turn out to be a good lawyers like international divorce lawyer Fairfax, VA. The difference is that they just don't quit so easily. Try to motivate yourself and you will do just fine. Think of law asking you,"Make Crime Pay! Be a Lawyer!"

Clearly · Post by **Clearly** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 3:14 am

There's really no downside: it gives you a chance to experience the real world, maybe you find something you like better than law, or if you stick with law I can not overstate the importance of work experience at OCI. I wayyyyy out performed my grades by being a little older and a little more experienced. My interviews all went very well because I could speak about my experience at length. I very well may be unemployed without a few years of WE...it was that pivotal to my oci experience.

SirArthurDayne · Post by **SirArthurDayne** » Sat Nov 14, 2015 11:47 pm

Post removed.

Alive97 · Post by **Alive97** » Sun Nov 15, 2015 11:59 am

What do you want to go into instead?

RZ5646 · Post by **RZ5646** » Mon Nov 16, 2015 1:55 pm

I agree that time off can be helpful, but getting substantive work experience is not a simple thing. If you don't go to a prestigious college, have a highly marketable major, or have connections, you might spend 6 months of your gap year sending out resumes, and the other 6 months working at Subway for minimum wage. In fact, I'd posit that the lack of other employment opportunities is the main reason many KJDs want to go to law school in the first place. So, while your advice is solid, it doesn't apply to everyone.

Effingham · Post by **Effingham** » Mon Nov 16, 2015 2:04 pm

RZ5646 wrote:I agree that time off can be helpful, but getting substantive work experience is not a simple thing. If you don't go to a prestigious college, have a highly marketable major, or have connections, you might spend 6 months of your gap year sending out resumes, and the other 6 months working at Subway for minimum wage. In fact, I'd posit that the lack of other employment opportunities is the main reason many KJDs want to go to law school in the first place. So, while your advice is solid, it doesn't apply to everyone.

Anecdotal and maybe city specific, but we were begging recent college graduates to apply when I was leaving my position, it was a low level marketing position but paid okay. I honestly don't believe a college graduate who says they looked and couldn't find anything in this job market unless they have serious interviewing issues.

WaltGrace83 · Post by **WaltGrace83** » Thu Dec 17, 2015 9:04 am

This thread randomly popped in my head and I thought I'd answer.

Alive97 wrote:What do you want to go into instead?

In October, shortly after I wrote this, I was hired by a local high school to teach persuasive writing. I'm having a blast. I left my job at the firm.

SirArthurDayne wrote:
This is crazy. Walt Grace has written over half of the explanations on Manhattan Forums.

I DO still love the LSAT and would love to tutor it someday.

RZ5646 wrote:I agree that time off can be helpful, but getting substantive work experience is not a simple thing. If you don't go to a prestigious college, have a highly marketable major, or have connections, you might spend 6 months of your gap year sending out resumes, and the other 6 months working at Subway for minimum wage. In fact, I'd posit that the lack of other employment opportunities is the main reason many KJDs want to go to law school in the first place. So, while your advice is solid, it doesn't apply to everyone.

I don't think it is a simple thing (finding a job never is) but I DEFINITELY think it is highly possible IF one would make a good law school candidate anyway. If one has a 2.4 then chances are he or she will not get into a good law school anyway. However, for those with a decent GPA and a decent work-ethic, I think finding an entry-level legal assistant job is doable. Granted, perhaps I am just in a good market.

A. Nony Mouse · Post by **A. Nony Mouse** » Thu Dec 17, 2015 11:07 am

Frankly, supporting yourself by working minimum wage at Subway is probably really good life experience anyway, even if it's not going to change your chances at law school.

PoopyPants · Post by **PoopyPants** » Thu Dec 17, 2015 11:57 am

Great post. I took some time off in the middle of college because I was unfocused and unsure about law and what I wanted to do. My time off actually helped me focus and realize I do want to go to law school, so there really is no downside. It also really put things into perspective. It's hard to get stressed out over a college course when you've had missiles explode right above your head.