Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture? Forum

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Tom Joad

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by Tom Joad » Sat Sep 29, 2012 12:50 pm

Scotusnerd wrote:
Tom Joad wrote:You just go to bars and ask people if they are lawyers?
No, I get introduced by other students and attorneys like a normal person.
Well that is good. I don't think my school trusts us enough to allow alcohol around actual people who matter yet.

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sunynp

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by sunynp » Sat Sep 29, 2012 1:05 pm

Peg wrote:I love being a 2L. No stress about classes, tons of free time (because I'm not on a journal and I'm thrilled about it), etc. But outside my small group of 5-6 friends, the social life at law school really grates on my nerves. There are tons of smart, nice people here, but they pretty much only socialize drunk. You're not "sociable" unless you're at a shitty sports bar or disgusting nightclub downtown, drinking your face off and generally being raucous and fratty.

Does anyone else hate the drinking culture? I love my classmates as people and I do want to get to know some of them better, but they pretty much all bond over alcohol and their idea of fun is constantly getting shit-faced. I enjoy a beer now and then, but I just don't really see the fun in drinking at all. It's so hard to connect with people who you know would be good friends if you could just pry the beer can out of their hands.

I have a full life outside of law school these days and it's probably because I don't bother to read for class anymore or study at all. I literally come to law school to hang out with friends and shop online during class. But I find it very, very difficult to build friendships with other 2Ls and 3Ls. Part of it is the inherently cliquey nature of law school - after 1L, people just aren't as interested in making new friends. And part of it is my total lack of interest in way they party. The married people are easier to make friends with, but I feel like I'm losing out on a valuable network (and possibly good friendships) by not being able to relate to the other twenty-something students. Anyone else have this problem?


OP: you need to figure out how to make these situations worth for you. You will have to socialize to network with people all of your life. Attorneys don't stop going to bars and drinking too much just because they graduate.

LSATNightmares

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by LSATNightmares » Sat Sep 29, 2012 5:03 pm

I forgot to write this earlier... Why don't you start a club for people who feel like you? At our school, I actually run an older students group, and we try to do things like have early happy hours and lunches. I'm not sure our club totally works... as the semester goes on, attendance really drops off. But maybe it would be more successful at your school.

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Antrim

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by Antrim » Mon Oct 01, 2012 8:26 am

LSATNightmares wrote:I forgot to write this earlier... Why don't you start a club for people who feel like you? At our school, I actually run an older students group, and we try to do things like have early happy hours and lunches. I'm not sure our club totally works... as the semester goes on, attendance really drops off. But maybe it would be more successful at your school.
Law school: where what most people do normally on their own requires a club, meetings and dues to get done.

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UnamSanctam

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by UnamSanctam » Mon Oct 01, 2012 12:53 pm

Antrim wrote:
LSATNightmares wrote:I forgot to write this earlier... Why don't you start a club for people who feel like you? At our school, I actually run an older students group, and we try to do things like have early happy hours and lunches. I'm not sure our club totally works... as the semester goes on, attendance really drops off. But maybe it would be more successful at your school.
Law school: where what most people do normally on their own requires a club, meetings and dues to get done.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Going out and having drinks with people is literally one of the easiest things to do and you should feel bad if you're unable to will yourself to go socialize.

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cinephile

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by cinephile » Mon Oct 01, 2012 3:35 pm

LSATNightmares wrote:I forgot to write this earlier... Why don't you start a club for people who feel like you? At our school, I actually run an older students group, and we try to do things like have early happy hours and lunches. I'm not sure our club totally works... as the semester goes on, attendance really drops off. But maybe it would be more successful at your school.
Thursdays are kind of hard days to have these things since there are so many other events planned on Thursdays (both lunches and after school). Otherwise I know people like myself would like to be more active in these activities.

LSATNightmares

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by LSATNightmares » Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:46 am

cinephile wrote:
LSATNightmares wrote:I forgot to write this earlier... Why don't you start a club for people who feel like you? At our school, I actually run an older students group, and we try to do things like have early happy hours and lunches. I'm not sure our club totally works... as the semester goes on, attendance really drops off. But maybe it would be more successful at your school.
Thursdays are kind of hard days to have these things since there are so many other events planned on Thursdays (both lunches and after school). Otherwise I know people like myself would like to be more active in these activities.
Yeah, you're right. We should probably do something on like a Wednesday or something. We had been doing Thursdays, because it works best with the 1L schedule (so it's high in demand). I'll suggest that to the board. Thanks, R!

Btw, to others: clubs are great if you're interested in meeting NEW people. I did suggest earlier that OP just grab people to have lunch or early drinks with. But if you want a forum to meet people outside of your section, it's harder to find one.

LSATNightmares

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by LSATNightmares » Tue Oct 02, 2012 9:36 am

I should also add... such a club is also important for other reasons. Older students come in with different issues. For example, there are indeed law students who have kids. Sometimes, a forum really helps those people who probably have tons of others things on their minds but would still like to meet people in an easy way. I also know that many spouses wouldn't be happy if you went out really late at night to drink all the time. In any case, such a club doesn't have to be just focused on non-drinking activities... ours also does panels on adjusting to top-law-schools.com or how to study.

Younger Abstention

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by Younger Abstention » Wed Oct 03, 2012 2:03 pm

I think what we've learned from this thread is that pretty much every law student except for the OP enjoys drinking heavily.

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dreakol

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by dreakol » Wed Oct 03, 2012 3:02 pm

nope. love it.

don't like the students all too much because all they seem to do is talk about law shit, how busy they are, and "subtly" try to glean your job prospects/class rank from you, but, yeah man, drinking is fun as shit.

Theopliske8711

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by Theopliske8711 » Wed Oct 03, 2012 3:05 pm

Now's the time to brush up on the "I'm gonna be a lawyer, bang me!" stuff.

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dood

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by dood » Wed Oct 03, 2012 3:17 pm

bizzybone1313 wrote:If you are a K-JD law student and haven't worked a long term full time job, then you have not experienced what is the continuous loop that is working. One day you may wish you had taken advantage of all of this free time to get plastered.
+180.

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20130312

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by 20130312 » Wed Oct 03, 2012 3:20 pm

Younger Abstention wrote:I think what we've learned from this thread is that pretty much every law student except for the OP enjoys drinking heavily.
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the lantern

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by the lantern » Wed Oct 03, 2012 3:24 pm

I only drink on special occasions (e.g. weddings, etc.). I have not had an issue like the OP is describing. At my school, people like to drink, but they are past the undergrad get-as-drunk-as-you-possibly-can phase. People have 2-5 beers with their friends after a long day which, to me, seems pretty normal. At these 2-5 beer get togethers, I just drink water or a diet coke. No one cares nor has anyone ever said anything to me about it.

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kalvano

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by kalvano » Wed Oct 03, 2012 3:25 pm

Even if you don't like to drink, how can you not find drunk people amusing?

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ndirish2010

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by ndirish2010 » Wed Oct 03, 2012 4:26 pm

Stop hanging out with law students.

Peg

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by Peg » Mon Oct 08, 2012 11:45 pm

LSATNightmares wrote:
cinephile wrote:
LSATNightmares wrote:I forgot to write this earlier... Why don't you start a club for people who feel like you? At our school, I actually run an older students group, and we try to do things like have early happy hours and lunches. I'm not sure our club totally works... as the semester goes on, attendance really drops off. But maybe it would be more successful at your school.
Thursdays are kind of hard days to have these things since there are so many other events planned on Thursdays (both lunches and after school). Otherwise I know people like myself would like to be more active in these activities.
Yeah, you're right. We should probably do something on like a Wednesday or something. We had been doing Thursdays, because it works best with the 1L schedule (so it's high in demand). I'll suggest that to the board. Thanks, R!

Btw, to others: clubs are great if you're interested in meeting NEW people. I did suggest earlier that OP just grab people to have lunch or early drinks with. But if you want a forum to meet people outside of your section, it's harder to find one.
Clubs are definitely a good way to meet new people. I am on the e-boards of three right now and I have definitely become closer to some people as a result.

Also, scotusnerd pretty much nailed it with his posts - I know some kids here are incredulous at the idea of "networking" and "bar review" being in the same sentence and think it means I must be really boring, but you "network" by making friends with the right people, and it pays tangible benefits. Scotnerd is one good example. I also know two people in my class who got 1L summer associate gigs from networking at bars with other law students. Shockingly, they are not considered boring people.

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rouser

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by rouser » Tue Oct 09, 2012 12:46 am

Peg wrote:There are tons of smart, nice people here, but they pretty much only socialize drunk. You're not "sociable" unless you're at a shitty sports bar or disgusting nightclub downtown, drinking your face off and generally being raucous and fratty.
In my experience as a 1L, that's just how a lot of law students are. Yet I think there are a lot of people who hate the undergrad bars. But what alternative is there as far as bars? Honestly the best times I've had in both ugrad and law school have been at a party or gathering at someone's house or apartment and a rare occasion at a bar where it's trivia night or something.

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Blessedassurance

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by Blessedassurance » Tue Oct 09, 2012 1:00 am

Fucking teetotalers.

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SemperLegal

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by SemperLegal » Tue Oct 09, 2012 1:18 am

Law schoolers drink like depressed former nerds, and they don't even have the decency to talk about interesting stuff. They also like to go to undergrad bars, allegedly to be ironic, but in reality to make up for what they did not do in ug.

That being said, I really enjoy greasy pub food and occasionally hitting on K-JDs and than wandering off (I'm married), it helps settle my own sense of frustration as the hilarious paradox that is aging effects my domestic situation. So I tend to do trivia stuff, good day drinking stuff (sports and concerts), and every couple bar reviews if the venue has a good hamburger and non-law school people.

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mths

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by mths » Tue Oct 09, 2012 1:21 am

You sound like you're the BEST

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cubswin

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by cubswin » Tue Oct 09, 2012 1:30 am

Peg wrote:You're not "sociable" unless you're at a shitty sports bar or disgusting nightclub downtown, drinking your face off and generally being raucous and fratty.
Didn't you know what you were getting into when you enrolled at UVA?

Also, man up and have a beer or two. A little alcohol never killed anybody. 8)

Peg

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by Peg » Tue Oct 09, 2012 8:17 am

SemperLegal wrote:Law schoolers drink like depressed former nerds, and they don't even have the decency to talk about interesting stuff. They also like to go to undergrad bars, allegedly to be ironic, but in reality to make up for what they did not do in ug.

That being said, I really enjoy greasy pub food and occasionally hitting on K-JDs and than wandering off (I'm married), it helps settle my own sense of frustration as the hilarious paradox that is aging effects my domestic situation. So I tend to do trivia stuff, good day drinking stuff (sports and concerts), and every couple bar reviews if the venue has a good hamburger and non-law school people.
Agreed. I actually enjoyed nasty UG bars when I was an undergrad, I have no idea why. I'd really rather spend the money at a quiet wine bar now, or just doing something else (yes, sports and concerts are always fun).

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BullShitWithBravado

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by BullShitWithBravado » Sun Jan 06, 2013 11:29 pm

You're going to love practicing law, since lawyers are notorious for not drinking.

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kalvano

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Re: Anyone else hate the law school drinking culture?

Post by kalvano » Sun Jan 06, 2013 11:30 pm

Man, this thread really needed to be revived.

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

Now there's a charge.
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