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Will not working my gap year hurt me?

Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 4:17 pm
by lsataddict242
I just graduated and have been studying for the LSAT most of the summer. I plan to continue studying until December and not work or work 16 hours (preferably not at all). I get too tired to study when I get home in the evenings. I know this from previous work experience. If I plan to apply in December, will this negatively impact my application? Will law schools think of me as lazy? :?: Thanks!

Re: Will not working my gap year hurt me?

Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 4:42 pm
by rpupkin
lsataddict242 wrote:I just graduated and have been studying for the LSAT most of the summer. I plan to continue studying until December and not work or work 16 hours (preferably not at all). I get too tired to study when I get home in the evenings. I know this from previous work experience. If I plan to apply in December, will this negatively impact my application? Will law schools think of me as lazy? :?: Thanks!
It probably won't hurt you for law school, but it could hurt you when you look for legal jobs.

Re: Will not working my gap year hurt me?

Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 4:47 pm
by lsataddict242
rpupkin wrote:
lsataddict242 wrote:I just graduated and have been studying for the LSAT most of the summer. I plan to continue studying until December and not work or work 16 hours (preferably not at all). I get too tired to study when I get home in the evenings. I know this from previous work experience. If I plan to apply in December, will this negatively impact my application? Will law schools think of me as lazy? :?: Thanks!
It probably won't hurt you for law school, but it could hurt you when you look for legal jobs.
Because of lack of WE/less WE or because of the gap in work history/part-time classification? Please specify :) Also, do you think that applies to BigLaw as well after graduating from a T14?

Re: Will not working my gap year hurt me?

Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 4:50 pm
by rpupkin
lsataddict242 wrote:
rpupkin wrote:
lsataddict242 wrote:I just graduated and have been studying for the LSAT most of the summer. I plan to continue studying until December and not work or work 16 hours (preferably not at all). I get too tired to study when I get home in the evenings. I know this from previous work experience. If I plan to apply in December, will this negatively impact my application? Will law schools think of me as lazy? :?: Thanks!
It probably won't hurt you for law school, but it could hurt you when you look for legal jobs.
Because of lack of WE/less WE or because of the gap in work history/part-time classification? Please specify :)
Both.

ETA: If someone asks you what you did during your gap year (which is a common interview question), an answer of "I studied for the LSAT" or "I was afraid of working while preparing for the LSAT because I couldn't handle both" is a very, very bad answer.

Re: Will not working my gap year hurt me?

Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 4:52 pm
by lsataddict242
rpupkin wrote:
lsataddict242 wrote:
rpupkin wrote:
lsataddict242 wrote:I just graduated and have been studying for the LSAT most of the summer. I plan to continue studying until December and not work or work 16 hours (preferably not at all). I get too tired to study when I get home in the evenings. I know this from previous work experience. If I plan to apply in December, will this negatively impact my application? Will law schools think of me as lazy? :?: Thanks!
It probably won't hurt you for law school, but it could hurt you when you look for legal jobs.
Because of lack of WE/less WE or because of the gap in work history/part-time classification? Please specify :)
Both.
For BigLaw as well after finishing a T-14? I feel like it can't be that big of a deal for employment considering the fact that many students went straight to law school after college and have no WE.

Re: Will not working my gap year hurt me?

Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 4:54 pm
by rpupkin
lsataddict242 wrote:
rpupkin wrote:
lsataddict242 wrote:
rpupkin wrote:
lsataddict242 wrote:I just graduated and have been studying for the LSAT most of the summer. I plan to continue studying until December and not work or work 16 hours (preferably not at all). I get too tired to study when I get home in the evenings. I know this from previous work experience. If I plan to apply in December, will this negatively impact my application? Will law schools think of me as lazy? :?: Thanks!
It probably won't hurt you for law school, but it could hurt you when you look for legal jobs.
Because of lack of WE/less WE or because of the gap in work history/part-time classification? Please specify :)
Both.
For BigLaw as well after finishing a T-14?
Yes, definitely. See my edited answer in my previous post.

Re: Will not working my gap year hurt me?

Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 4:56 pm
by lsataddict242
rpupkin wrote:
lsataddict242 wrote:
rpupkin wrote:
lsataddict242 wrote:
rpupkin wrote:
lsataddict242 wrote:I just graduated and have been studying for the LSAT most of the summer. I plan to continue studying until December and not work or work 16 hours (preferably not at all). I get too tired to study when I get home in the evenings. I know this from previous work experience. If I plan to apply in December, will this negatively impact my application? Will law schools think of me as lazy? :?: Thanks!
It probably won't hurt you for law school, but it could hurt you when you look for legal jobs.
Because of lack of WE/less WE or because of the gap in work history/part-time classification? Please specify :)
Both.
For BigLaw as well after finishing a T-14?
Yes, definitely. See my edited answer in my previous post.
Thanks. Hm, well I plan to work starting January. Maybe that will offset the 3 months between now and December. What do you think? :)

Re: Will not working my gap year hurt me?

Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2017 4:58 pm
by rpupkin
lsataddict242 wrote:Thanks. Hm, well I plan to work starting January. Maybe that will offset the 3 months between now and December. What do you think? :)
I think that will help a lot. Not working from June through December is probably fine. (Folks will likely just assume you were traveling or fucking around for a few months, which isn't a big deal.) I'd make sure you have a job lined up for January, though.