They say law school totally changes the way you think Forum

[roranoa]

Is it true?

Do you become especially more logical or maybe even smarter?
Are you able to gain more insight on....say....the economy by thinking like a lawyer?

This seemed like a silly question even in my head but I'll just give it a try.

[071816]

Your IQ automatically goes up 20 points upon completion of the first semester.

[Tom Joad]

I am a 0L but I heard it turned you into an asshole.

[rad lulz]

.

[GoldenGloves]

I am a 0L but I heard it turned you into an asshole.

[bk1]

Are you able to gain more insight on....say....the economy by thinking like a lawyer?

Halfway through 1L I realized the cure to our country's economic woes. I drafted a plan and sent it to Obama. He's implementing it as we speak and expects a full recovery around June of 2013.

[Tom Joad]

Are you able to gain more insight on....say....the economy by thinking like a lawyer?

Halfway through 1L I realized the cure to our country's economic woes. I drafted a plan and sent it to Obama. He's implementing it as we speak and expects a full recovery around June of 2013.

THANKS MAN!

[MrPapagiorgio]

Ya dude it makes you a cynical dick.

[dingbat]

Is it true?

Do you become especially more logical or maybe even smarter?
Are you able to gain more insight on....say....the economy by thinking like a lawyer?

This seemed like a silly question even in my head but I'll just give it a try.

I've worked with a bunch of lawyers and have noticed many of them think differently.
It's not about being smarter, or more logical. It's really just in two ways that (well-trained) lawyers think differently:
1) more inquisitive: a good lawyer always tries to find out the next level of detail. Why is that the case? What else can you tell me about it?
2) more defensive: what can I do to protect myself? How can this come back to haunt me? Do I have proof of what you just said? How do I not leave "incriminating" evidence behind?

The first way of thinking is especially prevalent amongst trial lawyers
The second way of thinking is especially prevalent amongst corporate/transactional lawyers

[roranoa]

Is it true?

Do you become especially more logical or maybe even smarter?
Are you able to gain more insight on....say....the economy by thinking like a lawyer?

This seemed like a silly question even in my head but I'll just give it a try.

I've worked with a bunch of lawyers and have noticed many of them think differently.
It's not about being smarter, or more logical. It's really just in two ways that (well-trained) lawyers think differently:
1) more inquisitive: a good lawyer always tries to find out the next level of detail. Why is that the case? What else can you tell me about it?
2) more defensive: what can I do to protect myself? How can this come back to haunt me? Do I have proof of what you just said? How do I not leave "incriminating" evidence behind?

The first way of thinking is especially prevalent amongst trial lawyers
The second way of thinking is especially prevalent amongst corporate/transactional lawyers

Thanks for the only decent comment!

[roranoa]

Are you able to gain more insight on....say....the economy by thinking like a lawyer?

Halfway through 1L I realized the cure to our country's economic woes. I drafted a plan and sent it to Obama. He's implementing it as we speak and expects a full recovery around June of 2013.

Wow, I know the question is badly formulated but c'mon....

[MTal]

Yeah, it changes the way you think about having 150k of non-dischargeable debt and no job.

[Kabuo]

Yeah, it changes the way you think about having 150k of non-dischargeable debt and no job.

lol. Was not expecting an MTal sighting in this thread. Law school making you smarter is laughable btw. It probably doesn't do anything, but if it does, it makes you dumber. Narrows the way you think to be useless in a lot of areas, and more effective in working within a set of rules.

[Bobby Dazzler]

Yeah, it changes the way you think about having 150k of non-dischargeable debt and no job.

Ya dude it makes you a cynical dick.

Both of these are credited.

[solotee]

Law school helped clear my thinking and writing.. but I was just dumb to begin with

[Julio_El_Chavo]

I am a 0L but I heard it turned you into an asshole.

[spleenworship]

I have become more inquisitive, more risk averse, and perhaps slightly more logical in an idiosyncratic way. I am also less sensitive to slights, more willing to be wrong (provided I lose nothing by doing so), and significantly more fatalistic.

Still, honestly, despite all that I don't feel that much different. Of course, I went in as a risk averse, inquisitive, pessimistic person, so maybe not that much different.

[Top-Q]

I am a 0L but I heard it turned you into an asshole.

This. But a little self restraint fixes the problem.

[Gail]

You're more likely to be depressed. Probably more likely to be an alcoholic too.

[LSATNightmares]

I've heard that, too, but I haven't really noticed anything after one semester. I nit-pick words more closely. I argue both sides more frequently. That's about it, though.

[LOLyer]

This may sound odd, but I personally think that constant mental strain makes your brain work faster (i.e. you become "smarter").

It's been stipulated that your brain can be exercised like a muscle to perform better. I agree with this.

[bk1]

This may sound odd, but I personally think that constant mental strain makes your brain work faster (i.e. you become "smarter").

What constant mental strain?

[LOLyer]

This may sound odd, but I personally think that constant mental strain makes your brain work faster (i.e. you become "smarter").

What constant mental strain?

Law school, of course.

Unless you're just so amazingly brilliant that high level academics are child's play, which is clearly the case with you.

[Flash]

This may sound odd, but I personally think that constant mental strain makes your brain work faster (i.e. you become "smarter").

What constant mental strain?

Law school, of course.

Unless you're just so amazingly brilliant that high level academics are child's play, which is clearly the case with you.

If you think law school is hard, you're doing it wrong. The material's easy hence the curve.

[09042014]

Only if you are retarded and don't think analytically already. And I bet shitty schools don't even change that. Can't teach a downsie dog new tricks.