Seriously thinking of quitting law school after 1L and OCI Forum

[rpupkin]

OP, The big issue I see is your frustration that law hiring and practice are based on personalities. It's a very social field. It seems you were hoping to do well in school, keep to yourself, get a good job, and take care of your business. You're finding that the field is political, and it requires a certain stomach for schmoozing and networking.

This isn't a social club. You seem to have the best of intentions, but I think OP has made it more than clear that he wants advice about law school and the legal profession from us. I'm not sure the advice about schmoozing and networking is constructive.

[1styearlateral]

OP, The big issue I see is your frustration that law hiring and practice are based on personalities. It's a very social field. It seems you were hoping to do well in school, keep to yourself, get a good job, and take care of your business. You're finding that the field is political, and it requires a certain stomach for schmoozing and networking.

This isn't a social club. You seem to have the best of intentions, but I think OP has made it more than clear that he wants advice about law school and the legal profession from us. I'm not sure the advice about schmoozing and networking is constructive.

I agree with smallfirm. No one likes the guy who holes up in his office all day. You have to learn to network and socialize... how else do you expect to grow a book of business?

[misterjames]

OP, The big issue I see is your frustration that law hiring and practice are based on personalities. It's a very social field. It seems you were hoping to do well in school, keep to yourself, get a good job, and take care of your business. You're finding that the field is political, and it requires a certain stomach for schmoozing and networking.

This isn't a social club. You seem to have the best of intentions, but I think OP has made it more than clear that he wants advice about law school and the legal profession from us. I'm not sure the advice about schmoozing and networking is constructive.

I agree with smallfirm. No one likes the guy who holes up in his office all day. You have to learn to network and socialize... how else do you expect to grow a book of business?

it's not even just building a book, but promoting yourself. I can't see anyone being very successful in this field if they're hell-bent on keeping to themselves. there's value in getting your name out there so people know who you are in the field. I can near guarantee there isn't a single person in a high government, in house, or firm position that isn't well liked and well known.

[1styearlateral]

I can near guarantee there isn't a single person in a high government, in house, or firm position that isn't well liked and well known.

It's all about being well-liked by the right people. I know plenty of people in gov. (or even my firm) who are loathed by most but liked by higher-ups. But yeah I agree you can't live under a rock in the legal field.

[mrs.miawallace]

this is actually hilarious people who know they need to drop out will drop out quietly before anyone noticed. I bet you dollars this op wanted instead a group analysis on her/ his self-diagnosed mental illness. Dude nobody is doing fine in their lives and especially when you laid out your facts in such an arrogant way- you knew there are people attending schools even lower than your "shitty low T1" and people whose grade fall below "top 11%". FIGURE IT OUR YOURSELF

user outed for anon abuse

[BasilHallward]

this is actually hilarious people who know they need to drop out will drop out quietly before anyone noticed. I bet you dollars this op wanted instead a group analysis on her/ his self-diagnosed mental illness. Dude nobody is doing fine in their lives and especially when you laid out your facts in such an arrogant way- you knew there are people attending schools even lower than your "shitty low T1" and people whose grade fall below "top 11%". FIGURE IT OUR YOURSELF

Inappropriate use of anon. Cut it out.

[rpupkin]

This isn't a social club. You seem to have the best of intentions, but I think OP has made it more than clear that he wants advice about law school and the legal profession from us. I'm not sure the advice about schmoozing and networking is constructive.

I agree with smallfirm. No one likes the guy who holes up in his office all day. You have to learn to network and socialize... how else do you expect to grow a book of business?

Of course smallfirm is right. The ability to schmooze and network is important. But so is attending to one's mental health. Read the post to which I was responding: I was making fun of smallfirm's dismissal of those of us who urged OP to seek professional counseling.

[Anonymous User]

Op here, I too am an INTJ. cursed.

[BaiAilian2013]

Your MBTI type is not holding you back. People who don't naturally relate well to others succeed in law all the time, through some combination of conscious behavior modification, rewiring themselves a little, trying extra hard, and faking it. What's holding you back is your attitude. You don't seem to WANT a better relationship with your fellow man. People can feel that in the air. So you can commit to making a major adjustment to that mindset, and psychological counseling is easily the best way to do that whether you want to put a label on it or not, or you can indeed drop out and find a career where people don't have to like you. You can do either one of those things and succeed in life. But there's really no third option.

[texanslimjim]

Yes, if you're an introvert the deck is probably a bit unfairly stacked against you. But I disagree with the others that it is particularly more stacked against you in law than it is elsewhere; preference for extroversion is pervasive in our modern culture. The deck just isn't stacked so badly that it's insurmountable. I am INTP and got a job. Lots of introverts are successful, both in law and elsewhere.

Relying on your personality as an excuse for why you can't do things and why you should give up on your goals is very unhealthy.

[smallfirmassociate]

This isn't a social club. You seem to have the best of intentions, but I think OP has made it more than clear that he wants advice about law school and the legal profession from us. I'm not sure the advice about schmoozing and networking is constructive.

I agree with smallfirm. No one likes the guy who holes up in his office all day. You have to learn to network and socialize... how else do you expect to grow a book of business?

Of course smallfirm is right. The ability to schmooze and network is important. But so is attending to one's mental health. Read the post to which I was responding: I was making fun of smallfirm's dismissal of those of us who urged OP to seek professional counseling.

I agree with you, but I'm just responding based on the information OP wants. He was talking about the social aspects of school a lot and how introverted he is (paraphrasing). He then made clear he wasn't interested in mental health piece -- in this context. Perhaps he'll get help, but I was trying to direct the thread to something useful instead of just banging head v. wall.

[PeanutsNJam]

introvert =/= predisposed to be socially incompetent