Shouldn't one become jaded before going to law school? Forum

[Kafkaesquire]

I think it is unwise to have an idealistic, enchanted view of the world before going to law school.

When people say they want to go to law school to save the world, or make a difference, or fight for the little guy, or protect people's rights, even, I recommend that they get out of their shell and take a look at the darker side of things before going to law school.

Is there anyone who would say otherwise?

[nickb285]

.

[Kafkaesquire]

Cool

Shut up nickb285. You would never understand!

Blowing off steam from work...

[pupshaw]

Great thread.

[Kafkaesquire]

Fuck it, then. I don't want to waste anybody's time. An admin should delete it.

[nickb285]

.

[Flash]

Jaded cynicism should be taught in elementary school. Kids need to grow up learning that most of their life will be wasted working a shit job that they hate.

[Br3v]

Fuck it, then. I don't want to waste anybody's time. An admin should delete it.

Now that you have come to terms with the darker side of how the interent works, we may answer your question.

[cubswin]

But the market for international human rights lawyers is booming.

[El Principe]

Maybe you should have become jaded before making a thread.

179

[born4law]

I think it is unwise to have an idealistic, enchanted view of the world before going to law school.

When people say they want to go to law school to save the world, or make a difference, or fight for the little guy, or protect people's rights, even, I recommend that they get out of their shell and take a look at the darker side of things before going to law school.

Is there anyone who would say otherwise?

Absolutely agree. Ignore the haters. You're spot-on about this. For the majority of people, law school is not easy, too expensive, and likely not a certain path to "good" employment (whatever a person might define "good" as).

Getting as jaded as possible before starting law school is highly recommended. That way, should you decide to attend, you know you're doing so with all the facts on the table, with the grimmest of the grim and the brightest of the bright, all laid out before you. If you decide on going to law school despite your awareness of how shitty it can be, you're either an idiot for doing something you won't enjoy, or very smart for doing something you're certain to be OK with.

Not feeling a little jaded before starting is naive at this point. For people to expect someone to just enter a whole life's profession on a whim without serious doubts/reservations is ludicrous. It's always risk/reward and law school is no different.

[Tekrul]

In HS, I wanted to be a public defender like the Dad in The O.C. (yea I watched the o.c. wanna fight about it? )

In UG, I wanted to get into international law and play a role in humanitarian issues worldwide. Then I wanted to learn N.Korean legal systems to be on the frontlines world peace and arbitration. Then I wanted to be a philosophy of law professor.

In LS, I will take no classes that don't have the words Corporations, M&A, $$$101, or Making it Rain in the course description.

[Kafkaesquire]

I think it is unwise to have an idealistic, enchanted view of the world before going to law school.

When people say they want to go to law school to save the world, or make a difference, or fight for the little guy, or protect people's rights, even, I recommend that they get out of their shell and take a look at the darker side of things before going to law school.

Is there anyone who would say otherwise?

Absolutely agree. Ignore the haters. You're spot-on about this. For the majority of people, law school is not easy, too expensive, and likely not a certain path to "good" employment (whatever a person might define "good" as).

Getting as jaded as possible before starting law school is highly recommended. That way, should you decide to attend, you know you're doing so with all the facts on the table, with the grimmest of the grim and the brightest of the bright, all laid out before you. If you decide on going to law school despite your awareness of how shitty it can be, you're either an idiot for doing something you won't enjoy, or very smart for doing something you're certain to be OK with.

Not feeling a little jaded before starting is naive at this point. For people to expect someone to just enter a whole life's profession on a whim without serious doubts/reservations is ludicrous. It's always risk/reward and law school is no different.

Well, jaded and informed are not synonyms. I feel that what I said earlier is easily debatable, and I am not even sure about it myself.

I mean, on one hand, you have to have a reason for going to law school other than the money, assuming that no one would be stupid enough to go to law school with money being the only interest. So you have to have some sort of higher ideal, right?

I'm not saying that it's easy to just become a pessimistic person who has no ideals about the world of law, but I would assume that, not for life, necessarily, but for this profession, that would be the most straightforward route.

[dixiecupdrinking]

On the one hand, being a cynical shell of a human being is probably useful if you're going to join the majority of the profession who are miserable, make decisions based on money and prestige, and/or take on a ton of debt they can't ever pay off.

On the other hand, it seems to me that the handful of people who are truly successful in the law—that is, happy, fulfilled, and at least relatively financially secure—have specific but obtainable goals that they never compromise, remain optimistic about their chances of achieving them, and don't pay any attention to the crowds of naysayers.

Chances are you're doomed to being in the former group, so you might as well get jaded and depressed now, but if you're the special snowflake who can pull off the second, then stick to your ideals. Don't know which group you're in? If you post on TLS (because this place is a cesspool of negativity, albeit informed negativity) and/or aren't going to Yale, it's probably the first one.

[Kafkaesquire]

On the one hand, being a cynical shell of a human being is probably useful if you're going to join the majority of the profession who are miserable, make decisions based on money and prestige, and/or take on a ton of debt they can't ever pay off.

On the other hand, it seems to me that the handful of people who are truly successful in the law—that is, happy, fulfilled, and at least relatively financially secure—have specific but obtainable goals that they never compromise, remain optimistic about their chances of achieving them, and don't pay any attention to the crowds of naysayers.

Chances are you're doomed to being in the former group, so you might as well get jaded and depressed now, but if you're the special snowflake who can pull off the second, then stick to your ideals. Don't know which group you're in? If you post on TLS (because this place is a cesspool of negativity, albeit informed negativity) and/or aren't going to Yale, it's probably the first one.

Lol...

[KD35]

I feel like those students who aren't jaded are the ones who are more apt to pay full sticker at non T-14 schools...so they are a crucial part of the system as well.

[jingosaur]

But the market for international human rights lawyers is booming.

Only if you practice in Space.

[Kafkaesquire]

I wonder...

...if one were truly jaded, he/she would have enough sense not to go to law school at all.