Top Law Schools

Here's the deal:

-T25 school
-No debt thanks to merit scholly, outside scholly, and parents helping out a lot
-GPA is a steaming pile of horseshit. Have a mixture of A's, B's and C's. Failed a 1L class that I am now retaking. Upward trend though. Fall 2L GPA was ~3.6 despite hardly doing the readings. Still, I feel very inferior to my classmates, and I cannot for the life of me shake these sentiments off.
-No journal. No moot court.
-No interest in BigLaw. Aiming for PD/Legal Aid. Resume is chock full of do-gooder stuff.
-Have a paid PD/Legal Aid jerb for the summer (granted, it's a stipend, but better than the 99% of unpaid PI internships). Really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, there is an infinitesimal chance of this turning into a FTLT jerb.
-Currently wrapping up two yearlong PI internships (immigration/family law). Really enjoyed them. Only redeeming aspect.

Problem is I HATE law school--I literally have made no friends here. I despise the social milieu, the cutthroat atmosphere, the forced curve, the Boomerisms spouted by profs/career services etc. etc. I know there's a light at the end of the tunnel, but I can't see it. Is dropping out at the end of 2L credited? I am so depressed and miserable. I am trying to get 3L visitor status at a local school close to home. I know quality of life at law schools is virtually fungible, but at least I will be close to family/friends that I stupidly left behind in order to go to a more "prestigious" law school.

no

care to explain why?

Anonymous User wrote:Here's the deal:

-T25 school
-No debt thanks to merit scholly, outside scholly, and parents helping out a lot
-GPA is a steaming pile of horseshit. Have a mixture of A's, B's and C's. Failed a 1L class that I am now retaking. Upward trend though. Fall 2L GPA was ~3.6 despite hardly doing the readings. Still, I feel very inferior to my classmates, and I cannot for the life of me shake these sentiments off.
-No journal. No moot court.
-No interest in BigLaw. Aiming for PD/Legal Aid. Resume is chock full of do-gooder stuff.
-Have a paid PD/Legal Aid jerb for the summer (granted, it's a stipend, but better than the 99% of unpaid PI internships). Really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, there is an infinitesimal chance of this turning into a FTLT jerb.
-Currently wrapping up two yearlong PI internships (immigration/family law). Really enjoyed them. Only redeeming aspect.

Problem is I HATE law school--I literally have made no friends here. I despise the social milieu, the cutthroat atmosphere, the forced curve, the Boomerisms spouted by profs/career services etc. etc. I know there's a light at the end of the tunnel, but I can't see it. Is dropping out at the end of 2L credited? I am so depressed and miserable. I am trying to get 3L visitor status at a local school close to home. I know quality of life at law schools is virtually fungible, but at least I will be close to family/friends that I stupidly left behind in order to go to a more "prestigious" law school.

NO. Unless you are that guy on youtbue who dropped out after 2L and became a comedian. NO. Unless you have a job at an I-bank or McKinsey/Bain Consulting. NO. Unless you were accepted into Harvard's MBA program with a scholarship. I don't know your gpa or rank, but hopefully it is over a 3.0. Your time to leave has long expired. Take your 3L year with stride. Go to another school, study abroad, or return to your original school and take "gpa booster" classes. Start focusing on non-law classes so you can leverage another career (i.e. business) in case you can't find FT legal employment.

my gpa is not above a 3.0

with the retake it should be, though.

Anonymous User wrote:my gpa is not above a 3.0

with the retake it should be, though.

I'm below a 3.0, but I still get interviews. It's not a lot, but 20-30% of the 3L OCI, I got interviews. Have landed some interviews through Simplicty through the school year. I go to T25-50.

sparty99 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:my gpa is not above a 3.0

with the retake it should be, though.

I'm below a 3.0, but I still get interviews. It's not a lot, but 20-30% of the 3L OCI, I got interviews. Have landed some interviews through Simplicty through the school year. I go to T25-50.

are you a URM? vet? what positive mitigating factors do you possess?

Anonymous User wrote:

sparty99 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:my gpa is not above a 3.0

with the retake it should be, though.

I'm below a 3.0, but I still get interviews. It's not a lot, but 20-30% of the 3L OCI, I got interviews. Have landed some interviews through Simplicty through the school year. I go to T25-50.

are you a URM? vet? what positive mitigating factors do you possess?

I don't list my gpa on my transcript, resume, or anything. Additionally, I have prior work experience and have a diverse set of legal experience. I'm not all "public interest" or "corporate law." I'm also not all "criminal law" or "civil law." I could apply to both areas and no one would be the wiser.

I would try to finish, especially if you can do so with no debt. I hated every second of every day I was in law school and literally learned nothing, so I had similar thoughts. But you do get more flexibility in your third year. I loaded up all my classes on two days of the week to minimize my time there, and put absolutely no effort into anything for class. I spent the other three days working first at a small accounting firm and then in a financial services firm. I didn't even take the bar, but I felt like finishing school that way helped me ease my way into a career as a financial advisor that I really like, and even though I will never use the degree I feel like having it still adds some degree of value. Just my thought though, good luck with whatever you decide.

philly_law wrote:I would try to finish, especially if you can do so with no debt. I hated every second of every day I was in law school and literally learned nothing, so I had similar thoughts. But you do get more flexibility in your third year. I loaded up all my classes on two days of the week to minimize my time there, and put absolutely no effort into anything for class. I spent the other three days working first at a small accounting firm and then in a financial services firm. I didn't even take the bar, but I felt like finishing school that way helped me ease my way into a career as a financial advisor that I really like, and even though I will never use the degree I feel like having it still adds some degree of value. Just my thought though, good luck with whatever you decide.

Yes. A JD would add some tangetial value. People will respect you for having a law degree. And it is a good degree to go into financial advising.

sparty99 wrote:

philly_law wrote:I would try to finish, especially if you can do so with no debt. I hated every second of every day I was in law school and literally learned nothing, so I had similar thoughts. But you do get more flexibility in your third year. I loaded up all my classes on two days of the week to minimize my time there, and put absolutely no effort into anything for class. I spent the other three days working first at a small accounting firm and then in a financial services firm. I didn't even take the bar, but I felt like finishing school that way helped me ease my way into a career as a financial advisor that I really like, and even though I will never use the degree I feel like having it still adds some degree of value. Just my thought though, good luck with whatever you decide.

Yes. A JD would add some tangetial value. People will respect you for having a law degree. And it is a good degree to go into financial advising.

I don't know shit about financial advising. Like I said, I have a PD/PI-heavy resume.

Anonymous User wrote: I HATE law school--I literally have made no friends here. I despise the social milieu, the cutthroat atmosphere, the forced curve, the Boomerisms spouted by profs/career services etc. etc.

I don't have a lot of advice, but I can't even express how much I agree with this sentiment. FWIW, there are others out there that feel the same way.

Anonymous User wrote:Here's the deal:

-T25 school
-No debt thanks to merit scholly, outside scholly, and parents helping out a lot
-GPA is a steaming pile of horseshit. Have a mixture of A's, B's and C's. Failed a 1L class that I am now retaking. Upward trend though. Fall 2L GPA was ~3.6 despite hardly doing the readings. Still, I feel very inferior to my classmates, and I cannot for the life of me shake these sentiments off.
-No journal. No moot court.
-No interest in BigLaw. Aiming for PD/Legal Aid. Resume is chock full of do-gooder stuff.
-Have a paid PD/Legal Aid jerb for the summer (granted, it's a stipend, but better than the 99% of unpaid PI internships). Really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, there is an infinitesimal chance of this turning into a FTLT jerb.
-Currently wrapping up two yearlong PI internships (immigration/family law). Really enjoyed them. Only redeeming aspect.

Problem is I HATE law school--I literally have made no friends here. I despise the social milieu, the cutthroat atmosphere, the forced curve, the Boomerisms spouted by profs/career services etc. etc. I know there's a light at the end of the tunnel, but I can't see it. Is dropping out at the end of 2L credited? I am so depressed and miserable. I am trying to get 3L visitor status at a local school close to home. I know quality of life at law schools is virtually fungible, but at least I will be close to family/friends that I stupidly left behind in order to go to a more "prestigious" law school.

Do the summer 2L internship, especially if you get court experience, and see how you feel. It sounds like you actually like your internships, which may mean you like being a lawyer. Law school ≠ what your life will be like as a lawyer. I have been fairly miserable in law school but am about to graduate and can't wait to get out there and practice. I mean, yeah, when I get a job. (The unfortunate thing about public interest is that it's much harder to get that job before graduation, which means more hustle during 3L.). I loved getting experience, interning, being in court. Hated being in school.

OP - Why do you feel inferior in class? I don't get it. If someone makes a smart comment you get intimidated? First off he could be really loving the material, and isn't any smarter than you but just playing his best game. Alternatively, who cares? Exams not class. If someone says something smart and interesting it'll be better for you to talk to them instead of making it a competition. Take interest in them and then maybe ask a question. This doesn't have to be a you v. the world thing. It's very hard to make lasting friendships if you approach it from the standing point you're always against them. If you live that way then you probably don't even want to make real friends. I'm sure it works wonders for some as friends take time, but are necessary if you lack the volition to grind every day.

What are your options if you don't continue in law school? If you have options that you like just as much/better and pay just as much/better as a PI legal job, then leaving probably isn't a big deal. If you don't, because you actually like the practice of law, it seems like leaving would be shooting yourself in the foot - you just need to plow through school and get it over with so you can get on to the good stuff.

As for feeling inferior to your classmates - you got admitted, and you got admitted with a scholarship. The school thought you were qualified. Once you get to school, you're competing against people with GPAs/LSATs distributed along a very very narrow band, which means that, basically, almost everyone has the same aptitude for law (to the degree GPA/LSAT shows that). Since schools grade on a curve, someone is going to have to end up with lower grades for work that's probably not significantly different, overall, than the stuff that gets higher grades. Yes, there's usually an objective difference between an A exam and a C exam, but the significance of that difference is a function of the need to grade on a curve, not a judgment that the C somehow objectively shows that you will not be as good a lawyer as the person who got the A. Plus, ability to get good grades in law school classes is very weakly correlated to ability to be a good lawyer. So who cares if your classmates are better at writing exams than you are?

Stop hanging around at school. Skip as many classes as you can and just show up the rest and leave right after. If you hate the social aspects, don't be involved in the social aspects of law school.

The kind of direct service PI stuff you want to do doesn't really care about grades. So your terrible record isn't a huge problem.

Hell, if you aren't paying anything for it, just take C's in all your classes and don't show up anymore. Find classes with no attendance policy. Go home, show back up for finals.

OP, you're not alone. Even some of use who "made it" couldn't stand being around law students for three years. The bad news is that it doesn't get any easier after law school. The same people who you found incredibly annoying during law school become even worse after law school, if you can imagine that.

Is dropping out at the end of 2L ever credited? In some circumstances, sure. But in your case I don't think so. You don't have debt, you go to a decent school, you have reasonable goals, and you've set yourself up to have a good shot at getting the kind of job you want. With all that in mind I don't think you should drop out.

You hate law school, that's fine since law school is merely a means to an end. What DF said is credited. Avoid the parts of law school you hate (social stuff) and get out with the thing that's important to you (a JD since that will help you get the job you want). Law school doesn't have to be your social scene even if it is the social scene of your classmates.

Along those lines, I also meant to add that visiting at the school near your home sounds like a good idea - law school educations are pretty fungible, but the culture does differ, you may find people you like better at that one (or not care, since you'll be near family/friends).

Sometimes, but not in your case.

Anonymous User wrote:

sparty99 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:my gpa is not above a 3.0

with the retake it should be, though.

I'm below a 3.0, but I still get interviews. It's not a lot, but 20-30% of the 3L OCI, I got interviews. Have landed some interviews through Simplicty through the school year. I go to T25-50.

are you a URM? vet? what positive mitigating factors do you possess?

He didn't answer this, but sparty99 is URM. He doesn't think that helped him get interviews despite his poor GPA, although I think it's difficult to explain otherwise.

spleenworship wrote:Sometimes, but not in your case.

Pretty much this. Not many people get a JD and stay debt-free in the process. You only have one more year to suffer through, plus you have an internship lined up. Take a clinic that you find interesting and get a free JD. Try to connect with PD lawyers in your area. Who knows, you might end up with a job.

dead head wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

sparty99 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:my gpa is not above a 3.0

with the retake it should be, though.

I'm below a 3.0, but I still get interviews. It's not a lot, but 20-30% of the 3L OCI, I got interviews. Have landed some interviews through Simplicty through the school year. I go to T25-50.

are you a URM? vet? what positive mitigating factors do you possess?

He didn't answer this, but sparty99 is URM. He doesn't think that helped him get interviews despite his poor GPA, although I think it's difficult to explain otherwise.

There is nothing on my resume that indicates that I am a URM. Consequently, this has played NO PART in me securing interviews. But nice try.

sparty99 wrote:There is nothing on my resume that indicates that I am a URM. Consequently, this has played NO PART in me securing interviews. But nice try.

OK. Here's what you've said elsewhere (http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... y#p7201599):

sparty99 wrote: I know I don't receive a URM boost. If I did, I would have received call-backs at all the career fairs that I attended.

sparty99 wrote: I said there is no URM boost. I'm claiming that grades are the only thing that they care about. I have WE and it' not subpar. It's highly legit. I also had a 1L firm job. Still, no one cared. But I'm not trying to get into a tit-for-tat with you. I'm a minority and jobless.

If you are a URM and not making that clear on your resume then you're really, doing it wrong. And I don't know why you would not do this, but also go to minority job fairs.

No. Use this summer to bolster your resume, and begin applying to JD preferred positions if you truly hate law. A lot of students hate law school. If you have friends who are not in law school, hang out with them and simply be tolerable in class ( if you do in fact end up going).

If you later decide you want to practice law, then think about where you want to sit for the bar.

After 1L is the time to drop and run. Once you are financially committed to Fall 2L, you are halfway done. While this does not pertain to you, the timeframe is still important. Unless, of course, you were offered your dream job. iIn that case drop, but that does not seem to be the case with you.

TLDR: 3LOLOLOL your way, take easy classes and graduate