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Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 4:54 pm
by ohiohawk58
I am no longer 100% confident I want to be a lawyer. Should I stick out the entire year? It doesn't really have to do with the amount of work or staying in on the weekends, I'm just not completely sold that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. The only advantage is that because of my scholarship I only had to take out 3k in loans for the entire year (both rent and tuition). Anyone else go through anything like this? Any answers would be helpful.
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 4:54 pm
by foxtrottortxof
ohiohawk58 wrote:I am no longer 100% confident I want to be a lawyer. Should I stick out the entire year? It doesn't really have to do with the amount of work or staying in on the weekends, I'm just not completely sold that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. The only advantage is that because of my scholarship I only had to take out 3k in loans for the entire year (both rent and tuition). Anyone else go through anything like this? Any answers would be helpful.
Law school is a very small slice of what it can mean to be a lawyer.
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 4:56 pm
by imchuckbass58
ohiohawk58 wrote:I am no longer 100% confident I want to be a lawyer. Should I stick out the entire year? It doesn't really have to do with the amount of work or staying in on the weekends, I'm just not completely sold that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. The only advantage is that because of my scholarship I only had to take out 3k in loans for the entire year (both rent and tuition). Anyone else go through anything like this? Any answers would be helpful.
Can you think of something else you'd rather do, other than being a lawyer?
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:00 pm
by ohiohawk58
I graduated with an accounting degree from a top 25 business school so I'm not really stuck like most people would be with their majors.
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:11 pm
by imchuckbass58
ohiohawk58 wrote:I graduated with an accounting degree from a top 25 business school so I'm not really stuck like most people would be with their majors.
Sure, you're not stuck, but would your prefer being an accountant (or whatever else you'd do with your accounting degree) to being a lawyer?
The answer may very well be yes, my point is just that many people end up disappointed because they feel that they're supposed to find one true calling that they love. Many people find this. Many people don't, and it's not for lack of trying. In the latter case, rejecting a career just because it's not your ideal might be a bad idea if you don't have a clear idea of what you would like better (unless you hate it so badly that the answer to what you would like better is "anything"). You may abandon law school just to find that whatever other career you choose has just as many (if not more) downsides. Pretty much every job has parts that suck, you just have to determine which mix of sucky and satisfying parts fits you best.
On the other hand, if you can think of something you'd like to do better, and it's a realistic possibility given your background, you should by all means drop out and do that instead.
Also, I'll reiterate what a previous person said in terms of law school bearing little resemblance to being a lawyer. I know many people who hated law school but love being a lawyer (or vice versa).
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:16 pm
by BaiAilian2013
What is it that you've learned about being a lawyer that makes you not want to be one? 1L is very litigation-focused.
Also, maybe it's just the wording you chose, but "not completely sold" is a really low bar to give up a possible career. Are you completely sold on accounting?
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:26 pm
by DC_Patent_Law
foxtrottortxof wrote:ohiohawk58 wrote:I am no longer 100% confident I want to be a lawyer. Should I stick out the entire year? It doesn't really have to do with the amount of work or staying in on the weekends, I'm just not completely sold that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. The only advantage is that because of my scholarship I only had to take out 3k in loans for the entire year (both rent and tuition). Anyone else go through anything like this? Any answers would be helpful.
Law school is a very small slice of what it can mean to be a lawyer.
+10000
I've been doing patent prosecution for several years after taking the patent bar (and have not yet gone to law school). I am only now applying to go to law school since I am doing the same prosecution work as most attorneys anyways. Depending on the type of law you are doing law school might not be indicative of what you will be doing at a firm, in a corporation or a government job that requires a law degree. I'd say get a summer internship to feel it out. Since you're not incurring any loans and are already a year into it, might be a waste to let go. You could complete the degree and then get an MBA or do a joint JD/MBA if they let you at this point. A law degree supposedly is a very versatile degree that teaches you how to think like a lawyer and is useful no matter what you end up doing later.
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:37 pm
by tfer2222
DC_Patent_Law wrote: A law degree supposedly is a very versatile degree that teaches you how to think like a lawyer and is useful no matter what you end up doing later.
I don't know from personal experience, but I'm positive that 80% of the posters on here will strongly disagree with this statement.
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:39 pm
by dreakol
DC_Patent_Law wrote: A law degree supposedly is a very versatile degree that teaches you how to think like a lawyer and is useful no matter what you end up doing later.
180
would read again
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:42 pm
by Blessedassurance
DC_Patent_Law wrote: A law degree supposedly is a very versatile degree that teaches you how to think like a lawyer and is useful no matter what you end up doing later.
Do the glossy brochures still say that?
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:43 pm
by Grizz
tfer2222 wrote:DC_Patent_Law wrote: A law degree supposedly is a very versatile degree that teaches you how to think like a lawyer and is useful no matter what you end up doing later.
I don't know from personal experience, but I'm positive that 80% of the posters on here will strongly disagree with this statement.
urrite!
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 5:54 pm
by shock259
I would stick it out. For now. As others have hinted, law school does not equal lawyer.
If you were going to go $200k in debt, I would be more hesitant. I say finish the year and revisit it. If you can't come up with any reasons to quit, it's probably worth sticking out.
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 6:43 pm
by tfer2222
shock259 wrote:I would stick it out. For now. As others have hinted, law school does not equal lawyer.
If you were going to go $200k in debt, I would be more hesitant. I say finish the year and revisit it. If you can't come up with any reasons to quit, it's probably worth sticking out.
yeah I'd say
at least finish first semester and see how your grades are.
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 6:50 pm
by random5483
3k total debt for a year is like 1.5k for the semester. At least finish the semester. Unless you have something better to do for the next year, it might make sense to finish the year. Legal work is nothing like law school. I learnt that pretty quickly in my summer job.
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 7:10 pm
by ohiohawk58
Alright, thanks for all of the responses.
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 7:51 pm
by Renzo
tfer2222 wrote:DC_Patent_Law wrote: A law degree supposedly is a very versatile degree that teaches you how to think like a lawyer and is useful no matter what you end up doing later.
I don't know from personal experience, but I'm positive that 80% of the posters on here will strongly disagree with this statement.
to be fair, I actually do think that there is some value in learning to "think like a lawyer," although law schools don't do near as much to teach this skill as they would have you believe.
As for the versatility of the degree, it's only good for one thing, and it's not even always very good for that. If you don't want to be a lawyer, your a fool to go to law school.
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 11:20 pm
by Gettingstarted1928
tfer2222 wrote:DC_Patent_Law wrote: A law degree supposedly is a very versatile degree that teaches you how to think like a lawyer and is useful no matter what you end up doing later.
I don't know from personal experience, but I'm positive that 80% of the posters on here will strongly disagree with this statement.
If his statement was accurate then I would not be considering dropping out after my first 1L semester. I used to think the same way until TLS crushed my dreams in about 10 minutes. LOL.
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 11:33 pm
by Pato_09
tfer2222 wrote:DC_Patent_Law wrote: A law degree supposedly is a very versatile degree that teaches you how to think like a lawyer and is useful no matter what you end up doing later.
I think this is true.
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 11:44 pm
by typ3
Pato_09 wrote:tfer2222 wrote:DC_Patent_Law wrote: A law degree supposedly is a very versatile degree that teaches you how to think like a lawyer and is useful no matter what you end up doing later.
I think this is true.
A law degree can open the same doors as a business degree does for upper level management at businesses. Key word, can. Now go get that Tax L.L.M.!!
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 2:36 pm
by Renzo
typ3 wrote:Pato_09 wrote:tfer2222 wrote:DC_Patent_Law wrote: A law degree supposedly is a very versatile degree that teaches you how to think like a lawyer and is useful no matter what you end up doing later.
I think this is true.
A
law undergraduate degree can open the same doors as a business degree does for upper level management at businesses.
Key word, can. Now go get that Tax L.L.M.!! And it would save you tens of thousands of dollars in tuition and lost wages!!
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 9:42 pm
by Metaread
Can a law degree help in the following professions though?
-Chef
-Hotel management
-Programmer
-Model
-etc etc
People always say a law degree is versatile, but what occupations can you get out of a law degree other than working as a lawyer or a Fed?
Re: Not sure if I want to be a lawyer
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 3:37 pm
by youarereadingthis
Metaread wrote:Can a law degree help in the following professions though?
-Chef
-Hotel management
-Programmer
-Model
-etc etc
People always say a law degree is versatile, but what occupations can you get out of a law degree other than working as a lawyer or a Fed?
How about, every other service related industry?