How is practicing better than Law School? Forum

[lawstoodent]

When I was in law school, on average most practitioners would say that the practice of law is better than law school. 1-month in and I honestly disagree. It's about on par, or at most slightly better.

So, I'm curious. Do you find practicing better than law school? Is this something that comes with time?

[zot1]

Practice is better than law school for some. I own my evenings and weekends instead of worrying about homework. I have control of how I spend my time within reason. What I do is far more interesting than anything in law school. I get paid to learn things instead of actively going into debt.

But to answer the question, neither is better. They both suck.

[lawstoodent]

Practice is better than law school for some. I own my evenings and weekends instead of worrying about homework. I have control of how I spend my time within reason. What I do is far more interesting than anything in law school. I get paid to learn things instead of actively going into debt.

But to answer the question, neither is better. They both suck.

Does "owning your evenings and weekends" get easier as you gain seniority? I spent the past 2 nights working well past midnight. I also am either completely bored or very stressed, based on work flow.

[lawhopeful100]

Been working for like two months. Haven't stayed past 7:30. School was still way better but I expected that. At school, at least my 3L year, I could go out three nights a week, sleep in, skip class, whatever. It didn't really matter and you have tons of free time. Work you have to bill a lot of hours each day. Have to turn in actual work each day not just skim a reading. The only bright side is the pay as you wouldn't be able to live off loans forever but outside of that school is so much better.

[zot1]

Practice is better than law school for some. I own my evenings and weekends instead of worrying about homework. I have control of how I spend my time within reason. What I do is far more interesting than anything in law school. I get paid to learn things instead of actively going into debt.

But to answer the question, neither is better. They both suck.

Does "owning your evenings and weekends" get easier as you gain seniority? I spent the past 2 nights working well past midnight. I also am either completely bored or very stressed, based on work flow.

I'm in government. I'm off work every weekday before 4pm.

[rpupkin]

Practice is better than law school for some. I own my evenings and weekends instead of worrying about homework. I have control of how I spend my time within reason. What I do is far more interesting than anything in law school. I get paid to learn things instead of actively going into debt.

But to answer the question, neither is better. They both suck.

I don't understand the bolded at all. I had *way* more control over my time when I was in law school. And if you're working at a firm, your whole life is homework. You're never free of responsibility and obligation.

There are good things about practicing. I like getting paid. And there are times when I find the work more interesting than law school. But in terms of quality of life, it's just no contest: law school was paradise.

[rpupkin]

Practice is better than law school for some. I own my evenings and weekends instead of worrying about homework. I have control of how I spend my time within reason. What I do is far more interesting than anything in law school. I get paid to learn things instead of actively going into debt.

But to answer the question, neither is better. They both suck.

Does "owning your evenings and weekends" get easier as you gain seniority?

Not really. As you gain seniority, you also gain more responsibility.

[Anonymous User]

What do you by better? Easier? More fulfilling? More interesting?

I consider practicing law more fulfilling than being a student, which to me is more important than pretty much any other factor, so I'd agree that practicing is "better" than law school. Ultimately this is a very subjective question.

[Nebby]

Practice is better than law school for some. I own my evenings and weekends instead of worrying about homework. I have control of how I spend my time within reason. What I do is far more interesting than anything in law school. I get paid to learn things instead of actively going into debt.

+1

[zot1]

Practice is better than law school for some. I own my evenings and weekends instead of worrying about homework. I have control of how I spend my time within reason. What I do is far more interesting than anything in law school. I get paid to learn things instead of actively going into debt.

But to answer the question, neither is better. They both suck.

I don't understand the bolded at all. I had *way* more control over my time when I was in law school. And if you're working at a firm, your whole life is homework. You're never free of responsibility and obligation.

There are good things about practicing. I like getting paid. And there are times when I find the work more interesting than law school. But in terms of quality of life, it's just no contest: law school was paradise.

Gotta read it in context. Right before that I said for some. In my experience, I always had something to do for law school: readings, essays, applications, pro bono, extracurriculars, you name it. Now I just chill. It's nice. I'm sure this isn't the same for biglaw folk.

[rpupkin]

Practice is better than law school for some. I own my evenings and weekends instead of worrying about homework. I have control of how I spend my time within reason. What I do is far more interesting than anything in law school. I get paid to learn things instead of actively going into debt.

But to answer the question, neither is better. They both suck.

I don't understand the bolded at all. I had *way* more control over my time when I was in law school. And if you're working at a firm, your whole life is homework. You're never free of responsibility and obligation.

There are good things about practicing. I like getting paid. And there are times when I find the work more interesting than law school. But in terms of quality of life, it's just no contest: law school was paradise.

Gotta read it in context. Right before that I said for some. In my experience, I always had something to do for law school: readings, essays, applications, pro bono, extracurriculars, you name it. Now I just chill. It's nice. I'm sure this isn't the same for biglaw folk.

Ah, sorry...I missed your earlier post where you mentioned that you are a government attorney.

[zot1]

It's cool.

Honestly, regardless of type of practice, I think getting paid is what makes it better. I'd rather get paid to read for 8 hours than actively going into more debt.

[dixiecupdrinking]

I found law school largely pointless. It was one manufactured hoop to jump through after another. It enabled and encouraged the most obnoxious people to be the most vocal. I hated feeling like I was bleeding money for no reason.

In practice, I'm actually contributing to concrete, measurable accomplishments. When I'm working late at night or on a weekend, it's for a reason (and as much as I hate billable hours, they do make it feel like you're getting credit). The obnoxious gunners are largely weeded out in favor of people who know how to work well with others. And I get paid a lot.

There sure are plenty of days I wish I was in school again, but working has its advantages.

[Startled Rabbit]

I found law school largely pointless. It was one manufactured hoop to jump through after another. It enabled and encouraged the most obnoxious people to be the most vocal. I hated feeling like I was bleeding money for no reason.

In practice, I'm actually contributing to concrete, measurable accomplishments. When I'm working late at night or on a weekend, it's for a reason (and as much as I hate billable hours, they do make it feel like you're getting credit). The obnoxious gunners are largely weeded out in favor of people who know how to work well with others. And I get paid a lot.

There sure are plenty of days I wish I was in school again, but working has its advantages.

This is exactly how I feel. I really like not having to suspend my disbelief in order to muster up the inclination to work.

[spyke123]

Do I miss law school? Hell no. Do I miss having free time? Yes. I think those who think law school is better may be confusing the two. You can regain some freedom back by avoiding biglaw. You will mostly get to enjoy the evenings and the weekends. I certainly don't miss going to boring classes, studying for pointless exams, dealing with gunners and becoming poorer everday.

[Pokemon]

School is better than work and law school is a joke in comparison to biglaw.

[MKC]

I found law school largely pointless. It was one manufactured hoop to jump through after another. It enabled and encouraged the most obnoxious people to be the most vocal. I hated feeling like I was bleeding money for no reason.

In practice, I'm actually contributing to concrete, measurable accomplishments. When I'm working late at night or on a weekend, it's for a reason (and as much as I hate billable hours, they do make it feel like you're getting credit). The obnoxious gunners are largely weeded out in favor of people who know how to work well with others. And I get paid a lot.

There sure are plenty of days I wish I was in school again, but working has its advantages.

I couldn't agree with the bolded more. I hated every day of law school as yet another series of tasks to be completed that benefited no one. I hated spending hours and hours of my life drafting some document that someone would evaluate as quickly as possible and throw away. Its not even about the money. I just hated wasting my time.

I'm a new attorney, so maybe this will fade over time, but holy shit does it feel better knowing that the shit I'm working on will actually have a measurable impact for someone. The manufactured pressure of law school was the worst. Generally, I thrive under pressure and am at my most productive. I have found this to be true in my first month of practice at a small firm. I have no idea what the Biglaw hamster wheel feels like, but when a partner here hands me something, it's because he actually needs it to be done, and it actually matters to a client. I have yet to get a bullshit research project.

I'll check back in in a year after all of my enthusiasm is gone and my soul has drained from my body like the wet spot left on the counter when a piece of fruit rots.

[BaiAilian2013]

I found law school largely pointless. It was one manufactured hoop to jump through after another. It enabled and encouraged the most obnoxious people to be the most vocal. I hated feeling like I was bleeding money for no reason.

In practice, I'm actually contributing to concrete, measurable accomplishments. When I'm working late at night or on a weekend, it's for a reason (and as much as I hate billable hours, they do make it feel like you're getting credit). The obnoxious gunners are largely weeded out in favor of people who know how to work well with others. And I get paid a lot.

There sure are plenty of days I wish I was in school again, but working has its advantages.

This is exactly how I feel. I really like not having to suspend my disbelief in order to muster up the inclination to work.

Completely agree. It is soooo much easier to be motivated at work, and that's a lot healthier emotionally.

Some related points:

(1) Active versus passive work. The majority of what you do in law school is pretty passive - reading and absorbing. Maybe you highlight too (oh well now I'm excited). At work, I'm actually DOING things - drafting, editing, searching for answers. One of the hardest parts of my job is actually proofreading, because literally several times a page, my brain is just like NO DO NOT WANT and I'm off on some tangent. ALL of law school was like that.

(2) Procrastination. I lost a lot of emotional energy in law school to the following three-step process:

(a) Eyeball to-do list and determine whether I can procrastinate. (Feel guilty already.)
(b) Procrastinate, feeling vaguely guilty all the while.
(c) Feel very very guilty about procrastinating.

It wasn't fun and relaxing. It was very draining. At work, there are REAL consequences if I don't do something, so all of that is lifted off my shoulders.

[TLSModBot]

Paying dearly to learn shit I will never use, jumping through endless make-work hoops, while dealing with the uncertainty of landing a job that will make it all worth it

vs.

Getting paid pretty decently, actual responsibility, learning shit I'm going to use on future projects.

Biglaw hours are rough. Only a month in and I vary wildly between checking out at 5 and working straight til 10 or so. The unpredictability and long hours are going to really, really suck, but I'll take it over the cost and uselessness of law school.

[notgreat]

I found law school largely pointless. It was one manufactured hoop to jump through after another. It enabled and encouraged the most obnoxious people to be the most vocal. I hated feeling like I was bleeding money for no reason.

In practice, I'm actually contributing to concrete, measurable accomplishments. When I'm working late at night or on a weekend, it's for a reason (and as much as I hate billable hours, they do make it feel like you're getting credit). The obnoxious gunners are largely weeded out in favor of people who know how to work well with others. And I get paid a lot.

There sure are plenty of days I wish I was in school again, but working has its advantages.

I was going to say that I get paid instead having to pay, but then I saw this guy's post. Only a stub year, but agree with the above 100%. I'm sure I will feel even stronger when I am doing non-grunt work that won't be largely written off.

[Rowinguy2009]

Personally I loved law school. I hated the uncertainty that came with the job hunting process, especially given the state of the economy at the time, but other than that it was great (and once I eventually secured summer employment, I was really able to enjoy it). It never really bothered me that the assignments were "made up," I think I was sufficiently motivated by a desire to do well. I also was able to take part in some extracurriculars that I thought were really meaningful, and that were also pretty varied from one another so it didn't feel like I was constantly doing the same thing every day.

I hated working for a biggish law firm. The unpredictability, the hours, working for a litany of partners who all wanted to monopolize your time. I definitely could not get over the fact that while working at a firm my primary "goal" was to bill a lot of hours.

I have really enjoyed clerking/government work - it has many of the perks that come with firm practice (ie, money, real work) without many of the downsides.

So I guess my personal ranking is law school > clerking/government >>>>>> biglaw.

[Tanicius]

Did not like law school. Got real sick and tired of the studying for classes on material that didn't matter and talking about esoteric policy in seminar classes for way-too-long two-hour periods at a time. My practice is grounded and a lot more focused on the equities than advanced pinpoint legal citations. Get to help people every day, and the work swings from utter depression to total hilarity in the same hour. I feel like I'm an emergency room doctor for people with legal equivalents of life-threatening illness and broken bones. We ain't got time for textbooks or journal articles.

[PeanutsNJam]

Law school is pretty chill and easy... taking 12 credits, spending 1 hr to read/1 hr of class, so averaging 24 hrs of work a week. Maybe a few extra hours here and there for journal stuff. It turns into like 35-40 hrs/week near finals because outlining, reviewing, and practice exams. There's no question which grants you more "free time" or more control over what you do and when you do it.

The uncertainty is largely alleviated after 1L too. Unless you struck out at OCI, then yeah it's pretty stressful.

You pay to go to law school though, and in practice you have income. Money is nice.

[andythefir]

Did not like law school. Got real sick and tired of the studying for classes on material that didn't matter and talking about esoteric policy in seminar classes for way-too-long two-hour periods at a time. My practice is grounded and a lot more focused on the equities than advanced pinpoint legal citations. Get to help people every day, and the work swings from utter depression to total hilarity in the same hour. I feel like I'm an emergency room doctor for people with legal equivalents of life-threatening illness and broken bones. We ain't got time for textbooks or journal articles.

If I remember correctly, Tanicius is a PD, and I am a DA. I agree that the rush of helping real people in concrete ways immediately is better than anything in law school. Real trials in front of real jurors are also a blast, compared with overwrought law student witness/jurors with overly complicated fact patterns. State side criminal work can get repetitive, though, and I miss the intellectual stimulation of law school (no dormant commerce clause in a DUI trial). Especially in rural criminal land, reputation can matter more than the law, which is super frustrating.

Something I haven't noticed in this thread is the social element you lose when you leave law school. For me the most enjoyable part of law school-by far-was getting to know and spend time with awesome people. Outside of school, everyone has families and lives that they have to get to, and it's much harder to make friends.

[lawstoodent]

A lot of the things posters mentioned as the "pros" of practice, I cannot relate to.

I personally don't find the work meaningful or fulfilling in anyway. I don't think lives are impacted by what I do, so it feels just as arbitrary as law school. Only difference being I actually got feedback in law school and I had a clear goal (i.e., graduate).

Day to day, I'm struggling with how what I do even matters, even though on some level of course, it does. Just doesn't feel like it. I don't really socialize with anyone outside of work. Zero free time, of course. And worst of all, I don't really care about the money factor aside from paying off my loans.

Maybe I stepped into wrong profession...ha.

#rantover