1L. Already thinking of leaving. Forum

[V56391]

I need some help here. It's 3/4 into the semester and I realized that I do not want to be a lawyer. After attending networking events and having a chance to talk to many attorneys who say they spend an exorbitant amount of time at the office and are very stressed, I'm not sure if the legal profession is for me.

My entire family is full of attorneys and my parents are supporting me (tuition, housing) while I attend. They said that a law degree could lead to many different career opportunities and that I didn't have to necessarily practice law when I got out, but I know now that that's BS.

I'm panicking because all this time I should be spending studying for finals, I'm stressing over whether I should just drop out now and start getting experience in another field with my relevant job/internship experience or if I should stick it out since the only thing I'm wasting with this is time.

[malleus discentium]

Drop out. If you don't want to be a lawyer, don't waste three years of your life getting a JD.

[BigZuck]

I'd lean toward drop out if you are for sure this isn't what you want to do. Somewhat depends on what school you go to I guess. I'd probably stick out a free Yale but pass on a TTT. Guessing it's more the latter?

[V56391]

I'd lean toward drop out if you are for sure this isn't what you want to do. Somewhat depends on what school you go to I guess. I'd probably stick out a free Yale but pass on a TTT. Guessing it's more the latter?

Yep.

[chem!]

I'd lean toward drop out if you are for sure this isn't what you want to do. Somewhat depends on what school you go to I guess. I'd probably stick out a free Yale but pass on a TTT. Guessing it's more the latter?

Yep.

If you are sure you don't want to practice law, I say drop out and move on.

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

Drop out. You're lucky you realized this early in the process. Don't waste the $ or time.

[checkers]

I'd say give it a week, talk to some people, and if you're still feeling this way, drop out. Life is too short, and law school is too expensive.

Out of curiosity, what did you see yourself doing with a JD if not working in an office while stressed?

[ohioguy99]

Since you aren't going into debt(being supported by family) I'd at least stick it out through finals and see how well you do.

But you do have to at least be content with being a lawyer to justify going forward.

And you can't do anything with a law degree. But it can still be somewhat applicable to other settings if you can market yourself well and have experiences in other areas. The issue is that often those who end up working in other sectors, didn't need a law degree to get that job. So yes, people with law degrees do a lot of things. But those other things usually don't require a law degree.

I only say this because you aren't in a bad financial place. If you were taking on a lot of debt and had no desire to be a lawyer, I'd say drop out now.

But since you aren't taking on debt to go, I wouldn't jump off the law school train without some idea of what you want to do.

Just my two cents. I know others will disagree.

[baal hadad]

Drop out. If you don't want to be a lawyer, don't waste three years of your life getting a JD.

[V56391]

I'd say give it a week, talk to some people, and if you're still feeling this way, drop out. Life is too short, and law school is too expensive.

Out of curiosity, what did you see yourself doing with a JD if not working in an office while stressed?

I thought I could work in an office, also stressed, but dealing with business I'm interested in. That's why I wanted to pursue entertainment law originally until I realized that it might suit me better to have actually gone to business school to get an MBA or continue production experience.

[twenty]

It sounds like what might be a better plan for you is to actually work somewhere for a few years.

edit> after dropping out, of course.

[shock259]

Drop out. But realize that you're probably going to be spending a lot of time at the office being stressed regardless of what career path you take.

[TheSpanishMain]

Drop out for sure. At least you're realizing this early on.

[Young Marino]

Definitely think to yourself why you came to law school in the first place. Was it something you did because you just didn't know what to do you with your life? Or, is there some area of law that you were passionate about prior to attending? If you know for sure you don't want to be an attorney, consider yourself lucky that you found out this early on and drop out.

[Sheriff]

Definitely think to yourself why you came to law school in the first place. Was it something you did because you just didn't know what to do you with your life? Or, is there some area of law that you were passionate about prior to attending? If you know for sure you don't want to be an attorney, consider yourself lucky that you found out this early on and drop out.

Lol @ YM telling others to drop out

[Redfactor]

I need some help here. It's 3/4 into the semester and I realized that I do not want to be a lawyer. After attending networking events and having a chance to talk to many attorneys who say they spend an exorbitant amount of time at the office and are very stressed, I'm not sure if the legal profession is for me.

My entire family is full of attorneys and my parents are supporting me (tuition, housing) while I attend. They said that a law degree could lead to many different career opportunities and that I didn't have to necessarily practice law when I got out, but I know now that that's BS.

I'm panicking because all this time I should be spending studying for finals, I'm stressing over whether I should just drop out now and start getting experience in another field with my relevant job/internship experience or if I should stick it out since the only thing I'm wasting with this is time.

I think you need to have another talk with your parents to get on the same page. You're in the one spot where I think quickly cutting losses is not the right approach. If I were you, I would refocus on finals and push through to the end of the semester, knowing after that you would take winter break to reevaluate and maybe change course.

I only give this advice because 1) your parents are lawyers and may be able to connect you in interesting ways with a law degree, and 2) your parents appear to understand that you're not set on becoming a lawyer and they're okay with continuing to pay for your education.

It doesn't sound like law school is the right answer for you or your parents, but they appear to be okay with paying anyways and you don't have another plan. Develop some life plan that's realistic and actionable - then walk away.

Please keep in mind, 1L is not the practice of law.

---------------------------------------------

BTW, no law school debt feels AMAZING! I feel free to use my degree in whatever way I want. And if it's really about just sitting in an office on things you don't care about, I would suggest you go down to your local state court and observe both PDs and DAs.

I don't care about whether corporation A owes corporation B X millions of dollars for patent infringement. To me, that's a job for a paycheck.

Criminal law though, where you're having a meaningful impact on the lives of your clients, is a different world. Plus you're on your feet in a courtroom - not in an office.

Or being a personal injury lawyer. Especially when you have the ability to turn down clients because you don't have debt, it can be hugely rewarding (plus tons of money). The ability to take someone to court to remedy an injustice is... a powerful tool in bringing about change.

[jbagelboy]

Drop out. But realize that you're probably going to be spending a lot of time at the office being stressed regardless of what career path you take.

[AReasonableMan]

You have finals before Thanksgiving? I would suck it up and go hard during finals so you can reassess after you have grades. You already paid for the semester, and if you ever wanted to do law, bad first year grades would be a big barrier.

[JJ123]

Drop out. If you don't want to be a lawyer, don't waste three years of your life getting a JD.

Yep. Cut your losses.

[AReasonableMan]

Right, but I'd be cautious about dropping out if s/he recently started hating being a lawyer. Different people react differently to stress. One common reaction is to run away from it. Before making a big decision, consider whether you hate what you're going to be doing if things work out, or whether you are stressed and want to escape the cause of the stress.

[sublime]

..

[BankruptMe]

You should drop out.

You don't want to be a lawyer. And then on top of that, I would hate spending 3 years learning about a topic that I have no desire to actually do.

That is like a MD student realizing he does not want to be a doctor and sticking it out...waste of time.

[Pizon]

As a practicing attorney, I would advise you to not base how stressed or unhappy you'll be on speaking with lawyers at networking events. Members of our profession have a tendency to be melodramatic, and perhaps they're at those events because they're looking for something better (not that happy lawyers don't network). In any event, that doesn't have to be you. If you absolutely know you don't want to be a lawyer, then maybe you shouldn't become a lawyer. But it sounds like you had a plan going in. The plan might have to be modified as you acquire new information, but it doesn't mean you should give up. You can have a fulfilling life as an attorney if you're doing what you want to do.

Good luck.

[Wearthewildthingsr]

Look OP, if you're going to Yale then I say stick it out. Since it seems like you're not (TTT) and you don't like the practice of law then DROP OUT.

I know it's a hard choice but it's the right one. Being a lawyer is a difficult career that is not for everyone. We, at TLS, can provide you with an objective and rational choice. Here, it's so hard to get the momentum to drop out, but you should do it if you feel like you can't see yourself practicing the law in the long run.

[yomisterd]

Step One: Think about what you would do other than law school.
Step Two: If this thing you would do otherwise requires stressful office work, proceed to Step Five.
Step Three: If this thing would provide you with meaning and joy and pleasure, drop out.
Step Four: If there is no thing you would do other than law school, proceed to Step Five.
Step Five: Eat, drink, be merry, and stay in school. You are getting a free ride and what you would do out of law school is not going to be that different than what you would do if you dropped out. Why not enjoy three years of no responsibilities?