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Hi, law school prospective here. Question: Are non-students allowed to audit law school classes? If so, which type of classes are large enough that I wouldn't be noticed? I hope to audit a few classes (maybe even follow a single class for a month) to get a sense for how a law course runs, or "feels" like.

I'm currently on the fence about (re)applying to law schools, so I figured any bit of engagement with law schools would be helpful in making my decision. Am I right to think so? Or is auditing a waste of time? It would pretty cool if I even got to speak to some students about their thoughts on their law school experience -- but I don't know if I'd actually go that far... it might come off as creepy/annoying.

If it makes a difference, I'd be auditing at a large t-14. I am a very recent grad who applied last cycle but was wait listed / rejected everywhere. I might re-apply in the fall, and will be spending the next year doing volunteer work, maybe at a legal clinic. While I hope to volunteer on a full-time basis, I'm pretty sure I'll still have a decent amount of down-time.

A sort of related question: How do lawyers feel about prospective law students "shadowing" them? Shadowing seems "so high school," so I'm not sure even sure if that is a viable option for a college graduate. Is it? I have a couple of interests in mind within the legal field, but I know virtually nothing about the practice of law, so I don't want to cross anything off the list prematurely. I've long hated the idea of big law, for instance, without really understanding the nature of the field. Biglaw is often associated with soul-crushing work, but the truth is, I don't understand at all what the soul-crushing work entails. Clearly, doing paralegal or administrative work is a better way to a "get a feel" for a legal environment, but ITE, even those jobs are hard to get by. Sorry that my post got a bit derailed. The main q here is: Is shadowing lawyers possible, worthwhile?

Your first question is simple enough: most law school tours include the option to sit in on a class. Your choice of class might be limited, depending on the school, but it can't hurt to ask.

The shadowing thing is a bit tougher. The standard way to get a feel for the profession without getting an internship or admin gig is to ask for informational interviews. Most people have no problem setting aside some time to talk with a prospective student about their day-to-day. Shadowing, on the other hand, would probably be a concern from a confidentiality standpoint. Not to mention it's a bit more invasive than an informational interview.

Shadowing a lawyer would be boring as fuck. If you can find a picture of someone sitting at a computer, you could just stare at it for 10 hours and imagine the occasional typing sound.