What is up with this semester?! Forum

[BDP]

I am in my second semester at a tier 1 school. I have done okay, I am in the top 1/3. I don't know if it is just me, but there is a feeling of depression I get when I am at school. It is more than just my personal feelings, I don't mind the reading or writing (it is harder to do than last semester, but I get through it). I have no desire to comment in class, and perffer to just "pass" when called on, not wanting to give any effort to banter with the professor. When I am at school I get this feeling of disenchantment/hopelessness from the other students, especially from the 2L's and 3L's. Has anyone else noticed this? Is this common or is it just me and the realization that law school isn't as glorious as I naively believed it to be my fist semester?

This is more of just a rant/bitch than anything else. Just not as excited as I used to be. God 2 more years is going to be tough.

[kalvano]

Sure like to feel some pride
But this place just makes me feel sad inside

[ap1987]

Glad to know I'm not the only one that feels like this.

[ran12]

Law school is like the most annoying, soul sucking kid you know on roids.

[portaprokoss]

This semester is rough. I love the intellectual challenge and I love the law, the way of thinking and solving problems. But I hate law school, law students, and law professors. I've really started to resent cold-calls, chronic hand-raisers, and people who cross-their arms and snort when other people talk. The people are walking yin-yangs of ego and insecurity; what would they do without law school?

I'm starting to feel like the law is a rat race that nobody wins. I have family members and family friends who graduated top of their class from top law schools and have been extremely successful in big law or big gov. Some are obscenely wealthy. Some have made an "impact" on the law. They're all unhappy. The only happy lawyer I know is an equity partner who agreed to postpone his retirement on the condition that he work 100% out of his home and not deal with other lawyers.

If you're the kind of person who cannot be content unless he's #1, you will never find satisfaction in the law. If you're top-5%, you'll wish you were #1. If you're #1, you'll be bitter that you weren't at Yale. If you're at Yale, you're be bitter that your scholarship wasn't higher . . . ad nauseum. People come to law school b/c it's the ultimate intellectual cock-measure, but only one person has the biggest cock; and that person still wishes theirs was bigger. What makes so sickening is it's all so thinly, thinly veiled. You're obliged not to acknowledge it, obliged to be polite, be a good sport about the whole thing. But everyone knows what's behind the veil.

/rant

[ephemeral.bete.noire]

Xanax, works like a charm..

[Mce252]

This semester is rough. I love the intellectual challenge and I love the law, the way of thinking and solving problems. But I hate law school, law students, and law professors. I've really started to resent cold-calls, chronic hand-raisers, and people who cross-their arms and snort when other people talk. The people are walking yin-yangs of ego and insecurity; what would they do without law school?

I'm starting to feel like the law is a rat race that nobody wins. I have family members and family friends who graduated top of their class from top law schools and have been extremely successful in big law or big gov. Some are obscenely wealthy. Some have made an "impact" on the law. They're all unhappy. The only happy lawyer I know is an equity partner who agreed to postpone his retirement on the condition that he work 100% out of his home and not deal with other lawyers.

If you're the kind of person who cannot be content unless he's #1, you will never find satisfaction in the law. If you're top-5%, you'll wish you were #1. If you're #1, you'll be bitter that you weren't at Yale. If you're at Yale, you're be bitter that your scholarship wasn't higher . . . ad nauseum. People come to law school b/c it's the ultimate intellectual cock-measure, but only one person has the biggest cock; and that person still wishes theirs was bigger. What makes so sickening is it's all so thinly, thinly veiled. You're obliged not to acknowledge it, obliged to be polite, be a good sport about the whole thing. But everyone knows what's behind the veil.

/rant

Yet tomorrow you will gladly pull out your ruler to guage your progress.

[Flash]

If you're at Yale, you're be bitter that your scholarship wasn't higher

I doubt the person #1 at Yale is better their family wasn't poorer.

[portaprokoss]

Yet tomorrow you will gladly pull out your ruler to guage your progress.

I'm here; aren't I? I like to think I see what I ought. Not what I can.

[Mce252]

My point exactly.

"The law is a jealous mistress, and requires a long and constant courtship. It is not to be won by trifling favors, but by lavish homage."

-Justice Story

[sillyboots]

This semester is rough. I love the intellectual challenge and I love the law, the way of thinking and solving problems. But I hate law school, law students, and law professors. I've really started to resent cold-calls, chronic hand-raisers, and people who cross-their arms and snort when other people talk. The people are walking yin-yangs of ego and insecurity; what would they do without law school?

I'm starting to feel like the law is a rat race that nobody wins. I have family members and family friends who graduated top of their class from top law schools and have been extremely successful in big law or big gov. Some are obscenely wealthy. Some have made an "impact" on the law. They're all unhappy. The only happy lawyer I know is an equity partner who agreed to postpone his retirement on the condition that he work 100% out of his home and not deal with other lawyers.

If you're the kind of person who cannot be content unless he's #1, you will never find satisfaction in the law. If you're top-5%, you'll wish you were #1. If you're #1, you'll be bitter that you weren't at Yale. If you're at Yale, you're be bitter that your scholarship wasn't higher . . . ad nauseum. People come to law school b/c it's the ultimate intellectual cock-measure, but only one person has the biggest cock; and that person still wishes theirs was bigger. What makes so sickening is it's all so thinly, thinly veiled. You're obliged not to acknowledge it, obliged to be polite, be a good sport about the whole thing. But everyone knows what's behind the veil.

/rant

+1, really well put. It's amazing how many people will make it to retirement before they realize they spent their entire lives just trying to prove that they were made of the right stuff. Law school is designed with competition at its core and our legal system is adversarial in nature. It's no surprise that you can spend your whole legal career hopping from "fight" to "fight" and trying to find a way to feel proud and secure while recognizing the people who did better than you or went to better schools than you, or the cases that you've lost or the people who are at wachtell instead of your v20.

When I encounter people now that want to go to law school, maybe the only point I try to get across is that while there is no rule for whether or not you'll enjoy law school, if you're going at all with the intention of proving yourself you're likely either going to be disappointed to do worse than you expected or end up on a permanent treadmill. If you can plug your ears and take median grades throughout law school, and feel happy doing some niche work in a small law office somewhere, then I think your chances for happiness aren't bad.

[Hippononymous]

I'm feeling all of this. I'm hoping that a lot of it has to do with winter; once it starts to warm up and stay light out for later, maybe I'll pep up (never been diagnosed, but I'm fairly confident I get a little S.A.D.).

I don't have any answers. Just here for the commiseration.

[laxbrah420]

i dont go to law school but did research chronic effects of stress/depression on the brain. you should get drugz brah.

[portaprokoss]

"The law is a jealous mistress, and requires a long and constant courtship. It is not to be won by trifling favors, but by lavish homage."

Why is it worth lavish homage? There's all this pomp, but why? Legislation seems to fall into one of two categories: 1) bought or 2) pandering.

[Flanker1067]

I don't know if that quote has to do with what it's worth, so much as its character.

[portaprokoss]

I don't know if that quote has to do with what it's worth, so much as its character.

. . . but that's where I want to take the conversation. What's its worth? What value is there in the study of law. Globally, of course, we need lawyers and law in a society. But is the law even tangentially connected to the summum bonum? Is it a noble profession? Why should an individual pour their talent and energy into it?

[splitbrain]

Do you have many friends outside of law [school]?

[alicrimson]

I think a large part of this feeling is that the "excitement" of law school has worn out. Its no longer novel, we kind of have an idea of how stuff works, and many of us have realized that there are still really fun things in the world still that do not involve 6 page dissents by Scalia. I know I'm not really enjoying this semester as much as last semester. I'm not sure if this is because I despise con law or because its no longer special and fun. I enjoy the material (minus con law), the social stuff, and my classmates (I've been dating a fellow 1L since before school started. *gasp* different section. I'm not sure I could do same section.) I'm sorry I'm not much help but I can commiserate. I'm just trying to get through this semester, start studying early, and be happy that come May there will only be 2 years left until *hopefully* I can start making money. Sad, but true.

[beachbum]

I think a large part of this feeling is that the "excitement" of law school has worn out. Its no longer novel, we kind of have an idea of how stuff works, and many of us have realized that there are still really fun things in the world still that do not involve 6 page dissents by Scalia. I know I'm not really enjoying this semester as much as last semester. I'm not sure if this is because I despise con law or because its no longer special and fun. I enjoy the material (minus con law), the social stuff, and my classmates (I've been dating a fellow 1L since before school started. *gasp* different section. I'm not sure I could do same section.) I'm sorry I'm not much help but I can commiserate. I'm just trying to get through this semester, start studying early, and be happy that come May there will only be 2 years left until *hopefully* I can start making money. Sad, but true.

Pretty much hit the nail on the head.

If anything, I'm trying to fight complacency. The novelty and anxiety of law school has subsided; I think I have a fairly good idea of what is expected/required to prepare for class and do well on exams; and now I'm just kinda... going through the motions. Add to that the fact that the first month or two of the semester (minus LARW) doesn't really count for much, and it's almost been a struggle to stay motivated at times.

I'm still on top of all my readings and everything, but I'm definitely not as excited/tense as last semester. But I'm sure that'll change as finals start to creep into the schedule.

[shock259]

Thanks for giving me your depression.

Also, agree 100% that the novelty has worn off. Trying to stay motivated and keep up the good grades.

[BlueDiamond]

ive found the best way to deal with this is never go to class and ask a new person for their notes each day

[crossarmant]

I'm in the same boat. It also doesn't help that it feels like the courses this semester are harder than the last. Granted, I enjoy the course work, I enjoy all the information within them and the actual classes. I'm just fatigued and tired and burnt out. My fiancee hung back when I came to school and it's eaten at me, couple that with growing annoyance with the location of my school, and I'm just ready for this year to be over. It's hard to really pull up the motivation to do all of my readings and peruse all of my supplements.

[ilovesf]

this semester sucks. i find myself needing more and more breaks from school. i've taken up going out to lunch more often. for some reason it really cheers me up. it's the little things like that that seem to help me feel better.

[shoeshine]

I actually feel the same way. Perhaps the first semester we all look at law school with rose colored glasses but lately everyone and everything relating to the law has annoyed me.

[Breezin]

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