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2L at a T2 school, just above median. Full scholarship, have roughly 15k in student loans. As of now, no job prospects. Aside from dealing with people knowing I dropped out of law school, is there any reason why I shouldn't just drop out? I'm hate this school and the people in it, and I don't give a shit about this field any more. There are aspects of it I would enjoy, but I won't be getting work in those fields. I can probably just go back and work for my parents. It'll be a bit embarrassing I guess, and people will be disappointed. Should I just stick it out for 4 more semesters (2 of which are a joke)? Or cut my losses? I'm sick of exams and assignments, I would be much happier just going to work and coming home without any of it still on my plate.

Sorry if this is some serious sadsackery.

I see no reason to stay if you hate it and don't want to practice law. What's the point? Who cares what others think? It's your life.

chem! wrote:I see no reason to stay if you hate it and don't want to practice law. What's the point? Who cares what others think? It's your life.

I mean, I would like to practice environmental law (on the pro environment side), but I just don't see it happening with my grades and lack of journal. This place is just driving me nuts.

emarxnj wrote:

chem! wrote:I see no reason to stay if you hate it and don't want to practice law. What's the point? Who cares what others think? It's your life.

I mean, I would like to practice environmental law (on the pro environment side), but I just don't see it happening with my grades and lack of journal.

You are the only one who can make this decision. If you are only interested in a narrow field which you have little chance of entering, then why stay in school?

What would you do if you left?

chem! wrote:

emarxnj wrote:

chem! wrote:I see no reason to stay if you hate it and don't want to practice law. What's the point? Who cares what others think? It's your life.

I mean, I would like to practice environmental law (on the pro environment side), but I just don't see it happening with my grades and lack of journal.

You are the only one who can make this decision. If you are only interested in a narrow field which you have little chance of entering, then why stay in school?

What would you do if you left?

Go back to work for my parents. Decent sized, very successful company. I would probably take over this guy who lefts job which would involve "outreach", so lots of schmoozing at builders association things, but I've done almost every job in the office. I really wish I just hadn't gone to school at all. I worked there for 2 years prior, both my parents and my cousin work there. I would need to talk to them before I made any decision, obviously I could drop out whenever I want, but I would need to know I have my job still, which I likely do, since it's my parents and I completed a few certifications in that industry with relative ease.

emarxnj wrote:

chem! wrote:

emarxnj wrote:

chem! wrote:I see no reason to stay if you hate it and don't want to practice law. What's the point? Who cares what others think? It's your life.

I mean, I would like to practice environmental law (on the pro environment side), but I just don't see it happening with my grades and lack of journal.

You are the only one who can make this decision. If you are only interested in a narrow field which you have little chance of entering, then why stay in school?

What would you do if you left?

Go back to work for my parents. Decent sized, very successful company. I would probably take over this guy who lefts job which would involve "outreach", so lots of schmoozing at builders association things, but I've done almost every job in the office. I really wish I just hadn't gone to school at all. I worked there for 2 years prior, both my parents and my cousin work there. I would need to talk to them before I made any decision, obviously I could drop out whenever I want, but I would need to know I have my job still, which I likely do, since it's my parents and I completed a few certifications in that industry with relative ease.

Sounds to me like you know what you want to do.

FYI - I left school about a month ago, because my kids needed more from me than law school was letting me give. No regrets. Life's too short for that. Make a decision and don't look back, either way.

No, it's not too late. Dropping after 1L if you have bad grades is the way to go. The odds of a good job at this point are pretty low. Although practice is different than law school, there are similarities. You will read statutes, and apply them to facts. There is also always a curve to some extent in keeping your job or getting business. One year isn't such a big loss unless it impacts the next 20 years (like debt would).

chem! wrote: Sounds to me like you know what you want to do.

FYI - I left school about a month ago, because my kids needed more from me than law school was letting me give. No regrets. Life's too short for that. Make a decision and don't look back, either way.

Thank you for the responses. I'm going to give this some consideration, and then speak to my parents. I'm always surprised to see how many frequent posters on here have abandoned the legal field.

emarxnj wrote:

chem! wrote: Sounds to me like you know what you want to do.

FYI - I left school about a month ago, because my kids needed more from me than law school was letting me give. No regrets. Life's too short for that. Make a decision and don't look back, either way.

Thank you for the responses. I'm going to give this some consideration, and then speak to my parents. I'm always surprised to see how many frequent posters on here have abandoned the legal field.

Happy to give you feedback. I know it's a hard decision to make.

AReasonableMan wrote:No, it's not too late. Dropping after 1L if you have bad grades is the way to go. The odds of a good job at this point are pretty low. Although practice is different than law school, there are similarities. You will read statutes, and apply them to facts. There is also always a curve to some extent in keeping your job or getting business. One year isn't such a big loss unless it impacts the next 20 years (like debt would).

As I mentioned, I have some debt, but it's minimal and quite manageable. I actually just took one out this semester, I'm wondering if there would be some issue with me dropping out after having recently received a student loan.

Before you drop out, consider how useful and helpful your law degree might be to your parents' business. We have 1 client who's in construction and there are many legal issues related to employees, subcontractors, general contractors, contracts, debts & payments, non-competes, investments, taxes, personal injury, arbitration, and probably some other stuff that I can't remember off the top of my head.

You might not do legal work all the time, but it might be useful if you're going help run the company. Naturally, this should just be one factor in your decision.

emarxnj wrote:

AReasonableMan wrote:No, it's not too late. Dropping after 1L if you have bad grades is the way to go. The odds of a good job at this point are pretty low. Although practice is different than law school, there are similarities. You will read statutes, and apply them to facts. There is also always a curve to some extent in keeping your job or getting business. One year isn't such a big loss unless it impacts the next 20 years (like debt would).

As I mentioned, I have some debt, but it's minimal and quite manageable. I actually just took one out this semester, I'm wondering if there would be some issue with me dropping out after having recently received a student loan.

I don't think so. Seems that would essentially make staying in law school an adhesive contract (which if you're paying sticker would be bullshitttt).

But I would consider staying if your family thought it may be useful. Still, if you never practice you would likely be an inept lawyer. If you were put on as part owner of the business, you could represent your parents pro se if need be. If you're pro se most judges would cut you some slack where as if you're a lawyer they will have less patience.

You don't learn nearly as much second and third year. The thinking like a lawyer crap is what you kinda need before fall exams of 1L year, and all you is maybe refine it from there. You won't know how to file, etc anymore than you do now.

AReasonableMan wrote:

emarxnj wrote:

AReasonableMan wrote:No, it's not too late. Dropping after 1L if you have bad grades is the way to go. The odds of a good job at this point are pretty low. Although practice is different than law school, there are similarities. You will read statutes, and apply them to facts. There is also always a curve to some extent in keeping your job or getting business. One year isn't such a big loss unless it impacts the next 20 years (like debt would).

As I mentioned, I have some debt, but it's minimal and quite manageable. I actually just took one out this semester, I'm wondering if there would be some issue with me dropping out after having recently received a student loan.

I don't think so. Seems that would essentially make staying in law school an adhesive contract (which if you're paying sticker would be bullshitttt).

But I would consider staying if your family thought it may be useful. Still, if you never practice you would likely be an inept lawyer. If you were put on as part owner of the business, you could represent your parents pro se if need be. If you're pro se most judges would cut you some slack where as if you're a lawyer they will have less patience.

You don't learn nearly as much second and third year. The thinking like a lawyer crap is what you kinda need before fall exams of 1L year, and all you is maybe refine it from there. You won't know how to file, etc anymore than you do now.

Eh, I think they would consider it useful for simple stuff, but they would still likely be using the mid-sized firm they have been for actual issues.

Any idea what the career outlook would be long term if you go work for your parents? Would you take over the company some day? Might the law degree be useful on some level?

Based on what you said dropping out sounds like it is probably the best move but if you have to pay for this semester anyway because it's so late and you took out money, I might consider sticking it out for another year and a half if the JD would be at all useful later.

Good luck dude (and Chem). Lots of respect for you guys being able to make these tough decisions, it's not easy.

emarxnj wrote:

AReasonableMan wrote:

emarxnj wrote:

AReasonableMan wrote:No, it's not too late. Dropping after 1L if you have bad grades is the way to go. The odds of a good job at this point are pretty low. Although practice is different than law school, there are similarities. You will read statutes, and apply them to facts. There is also always a curve to some extent in keeping your job or getting business. One year isn't such a big loss unless it impacts the next 20 years (like debt would).

As I mentioned, I have some debt, but it's minimal and quite manageable. I actually just took one out this semester, I'm wondering if there would be some issue with me dropping out after having recently received a student loan.

I don't think so. Seems that would essentially make staying in law school an adhesive contract (which if you're paying sticker would be bullshitttt).

But I would consider staying if your family thought it may be useful. Still, if you never practice you would likely be an inept lawyer. If you were put on as part owner of the business, you could represent your parents pro se if need be. If you're pro se most judges would cut you some slack where as if you're a lawyer they will have less patience.

You don't learn nearly as much second and third year. The thinking like a lawyer crap is what you kinda need before fall exams of 1L year, and all you is maybe refine it from there. You won't know how to file, etc anymore than you do now.

Eh, I think they would consider it useful for simple stuff, but they would still likely be using the mid-sized firm they have been for actual issues.

Why can't OP use his legal reasoning skills without the degree then? search on google for a statute and apply it? The degree only has use for jobs in law. That's it's only tangible value. Everything else could be got with an internet connection.

chem! wrote: FYI - I left school about a month ago, because my kids needed more from me than law school was letting me give. No regrets. Life's too short for that. Make a decision and don't look back, either way.

really? I didn't know. Just a leave of absence, or done for good? Good luck to you

jbagelboy wrote:

chem! wrote: FYI - I left school about a month ago, because my kids needed more from me than law school was letting me give. No regrets. Life's too short for that. Make a decision and don't look back, either way.

really? I didn't know. Just a leave of absence, or done for good? Good luck to you

Done for good. I left in good standing and could return if I wanted, but I don't see that happening. It's all good, though, and thanks!

Generally, no it's not too late to drop out. It's just unfortunate, and I do feel for you. I know you've been working toward law school since spring of 2011. That's nearly four years of emotional investment, not to mention the financial investment and the sacrifices in opportunity cost for other pursuits.

What do you want in life? I'm going to push a little here so that you think about your choices from every perspective. To be fair, the only "ships" that have truly sailed for you at this career juncture are those legal positions with the most entrenched recruitment processes and the highest burden of pedigree, i.e., mega-law firms operating in the private sector; federal government work, either in chambers or the department of justice; and academic or gov't fellowships. This isn't to say getting any other type of job is easy. Outside of OCI it's objectively more difficult. But I want to highlight, just once, that there remains demand for practicing attorneys in the US, especially in areas like access to justice and plaintiffs work, potentially with smaller environmental agencies. These are low paying positions, or often even pro-bono/volunteer, but they exist: there's a severe mismatch of talent to legal service demand. Don't think you can't become an attorney just because your degree doesn't open up the type of opportunities someone from an elite school can access. The majority of your classmates will have to scrounge for these kinds of alternative positions. That being said, as the experience of others on this website illustrates, it can be incredibly demoralizing and certainly not worth indebting oneself for.

I would suggest that if you can overcome your C&F, you are uniquely situated with low debt obligations and a good back-up with your family business to enter the Vale and take the time to find a position practicing law between now and graduation or after, albeit not a position this website would consider prestigious. I'm probably also slightly biased as a result of the substantial investment I know you've put into this over the years. Then again, if you don't want this life -- if you'd prefer to work at a successful company and you don't really care about practicing law -- then just drop out. Unlike others, you have something to fall back on that can jettison you into a different career.

good luck

Reread some details I skimmed. You have to assess how much your not giving "a shit about the field" is an emotional response to things not playing out as you hoped. While it would be good to like a place where you spend significant time, and have people you like there, they're very short sighted factors. The truth is that things slightly above median at a TT are way more likely than not to lead to a strikeout, and you knew/should have know this before hand. Not criticizing, but after that it's mostly all small law, which happens later. You will have very little debt, and if you keep grades may be able to get a small law position. Don't let emotions factor into the choice. Get a change of perspective before making the decision - get drunk, and think it over.