Top Law Schools

Not sure If this is the right board to post on, I usually just stalk TLS and have never posted.

This board has been a huge help to me in navigating the law school process, so I wanted to post here for some advice. I am at a top 20 law school with a half scholarship, and have savings for living expenses. I also have supportive parents (read: would bail me out); so thankfully debt was never and isn't a motivating factor. I want to leave law school because I hate it, and I don't want to be a lawyer anymore. I am keeping up with the work, but I hate it. I don't find any of the reading interesting, and I am annoyed at the concepts. I was previously a pretty good student who liked to learn. I also don't really like many of classmates. I realized that I went to law school because I was afraid of being stuck doing low level office work forever. I worked as an admin for three years at a law firm in order to save up for living expenses. I did mostly administrative work, and didn't have exposure to legal concepts until now.
i know that I screwed this up, but I am looking for advice about moving on. This isn't even grade dependent- I do not want to be doing this work for the rest of my life. Does anyone have any stories/encouragement? How would I deal with this on my resume? Considering that I know this isn't right for me, it is probably better to get out now and have 2.5 years to figure out what I am doing with my life. I know some people say that law school isn't like practice anyways, but I can't imagine sticking it out for a whole year.

If you don't want to be a lawyer tomorrow, or finish out finals. Just don't pay a dime more to this shit tier profession.

flawschoolkid wrote:If you don't want to be a lawyer tomorrow, or finish out finals. Just don't pay a dime more to this shit tier profession.

You've really taken on the debbie downer, fuck-everything garb these past few weeks bro.

To pile on, life is pretty shitty, law school especially so but really its not like other trades are that much more rewarding unless your parents are wealthy and you can chill for a while. I actually think I'm having a better time in law school than I expected to. Unfortunately, we exist in a state of perpetually unrequited psychosis, alternating between cautious hope and the stank of wrenching disillusion and abject misery. Just keep doing what you love, until the reality that its boring or prohibitively expensive or emotionally unhealthy sets in and you pretend to find something else.

People quit JDs/PhDs/MDs all the the time. If it's just a couple of months, you could probably leave it off your resume entirely. Best of luck.

banjo wrote:People quit JDs/PhDs/MDs all the the time. If it's just a couple of months, you could probably leave it off your resume entirely. Best of luck.

Right, this is the actual answer. Its good you arrived at this decision before investing too much more into it. Take the week to think it over in as objective a light as possible and then feel confident in going your own way.

At least finish the semester so you can put it on your resume. "Earned 12 credits toward Juris Doctor."

sparty99 wrote:At least finish the semester so you can put it on your resume. "Earned 12 credits toward Juris Doctor."

There is absolutely no reason at all to do this. The 8? 9? 10? weeks you've put into school is a totally normal gap between jobs for most people. Earning 12 credits toward a degree you didn't get won't benefit you in any way.

Drop out tomorrow. If you don't want to be a lawyer, don't even bother going through finals. Find out how much of your costs you can recover and get out of there.

jbagelboy wrote:Unfortunately, we exist in a state of perpetually unrequited psychosis, alternating between cautious hope and the stank of wrenching disillusion and abject misery. Just keep doing what you love, until the reality that its boring or prohibitively expensive or emotionally unhealthy sets in and you pretend to find something else.

you've been hanging out with equallywrong haven't you

A. Nony Mouse wrote:

sparty99 wrote:At least finish the semester so you can put it on your resume. "Earned 12 credits toward Juris Doctor."

There is absolutely no reason at all to do this. The 8? 9? 10? weeks you've put into school is a totally normal gap between jobs for most people. Earning 12 credits toward a degree you didn't get won't benefit you in any way.

I say:

if tuition still refundable: cop dat refund and gtfo
if tuition not refundable: get non-legal job, spend time doing that, finish out semester with whatever effort you can manage, then gtfo

Seeing as tuition's not refundable, may as well stick it out through finals. But yeah, then drop out.

First of all, you can make great grades in law school. Don't give up! Second, you need to read "SPAM." It's on Amazon. I hated law school during my first year until I figured out how to make good grades. I literally went from making D's to making A's on the Dean's List. Don't let yourself give up and do whatever it takes to stay motivated! Which starts by reading books like the one suggested above and make significant changes with your study habits !!

wow
so you went to cooley and now you've written a book about success in law school?
wow

You can listen to negativity or you can focus on the positive and get your law degree! No one will give you the law degree, but if you want it then go get it and ignore the voice that says quit!

Brut wrote:wow
so you went to cooley and now you've written a book about success in law school?
wow

wait holy shit. He literally went to Cooley. I thought you meant that as a figure of speech... but i looked up the book. He LITERALLY went to Cooley.

amazon wrote:
J.A. Davis is a 2014 graduate of Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and the information within this book unveils privileged knowledge that is crucial to the success of the seriously-minded law student. Also, the author precisely explains how to minimalize the stressful demands associated with law school. Moreover, this book honestly breaks down the steps needed to obtain superior grades. If you are ready and willing to make the most of being a law student, then prepare to dominate by learning the Ingredients For Making A’s In Law School.

yeah i'm p sure he's troll
he has "TTT" in his handle

Brut wrote:yeah i'm p sure he's troll
he has "TTT" in his handle

hahaha yeah i noticed right after I made my post. probably trolling

jbagelboy wrote:

flawschoolkid wrote:If you don't want to be a lawyer tomorrow, or finish out finals. Just don't pay a dime more to this shit tier profession.

You've really taken on the debbie downer, fuck-everything garb these past few weeks bro.

To pile on, life is pretty shitty, law school especially so but really its not like other trades are that much more rewarding unless your parents are wealthy and you can chill for a while. I actually think I'm having a better time in law school than I expected to. Unfortunately, we exist in a state of perpetually unrequited psychosis, alternating between cautious hope and the stank of wrenching disillusion and abject misery. Just keep doing what you love, until the reality that its boring or prohibitively expensive or emotionally unhealthy sets in and you pretend to find something else.

I'm actually reasonably pleased with my life & law school, haha. I try to give the advice that I would have listened to 18 months ago.

pulstar1 wrote:

Brut wrote:wow
so you went to cooley and now you've written a book about success in law school?
wow

wait holy shit. He literally went to Cooley. I thought you meant that as a figure of speech... but i looked up the book. He LITERALLY went to Cooley.

amazon wrote:
J.A. Davis is a 2014 graduate of Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and the information within this book unveils privileged knowledge that is crucial to the success of the seriously-minded law student. Also, the author precisely explains how to minimalize the stressful demands associated with law school. Moreover, this book honestly breaks down the steps needed to obtain superior grades. If you are ready and willing to make the most of being a law student, then prepare to dominate by learning the Ingredients For Making A’s In Law School.

a) Is "author" JD preferred or merely underemployed?
b) When does the author get a spot in Cooley wiki's notable alumni subheading?
c) "Minimalize" is not a word.

It's used all the time in DC, word or not. Lolling hard at "seriously-minded" tho. Are these law students who are carefully babysat?

Laughing so hard at this dummy trying to sell his book. He's probably the smartest guy at Cooley, and he still didn't realize that he shouldn't claim to have used a book in his classes that was published yesterday.

1989123 wrote:Not sure If this is the right board to post on, I usually just stalk TLS and have never posted.

This board has been a huge help to me in navigating the law school process, so I wanted to post here for some advice. I am at a top 20 law school with a half scholarship, and have savings for living expenses. I also have supportive parents (read: would bail me out); so thankfully debt was never and isn't a motivating factor. I want to leave law school because I hate it, and I don't want to be a lawyer anymore. I am keeping up with the work, but I hate it. I don't find any of the reading interesting, and I am annoyed at the concepts. I was previously a pretty good student who liked to learn. I also don't really like many of classmates. I realized that I went to law school because I was afraid of being stuck doing low level office work forever. I worked as an admin for three years at a law firm in order to save up for living expenses. I did mostly administrative work, and didn't have exposure to legal concepts until now.
i know that I screwed this up, but I am looking for advice about moving on. This isn't even grade dependent- I do not want to be doing this work for the rest of my life. Does anyone have any stories/encouragement? How would I deal with this on my resume? Considering that I know this isn't right for me, it is probably better to get out now and have 2.5 years to figure out what I am doing with my life. I know some people say that law school isn't like practice anyways, but I can't imagine sticking it out for a whole year.

DROP OUT. I have started over my career 5 times now. Of COURSE you can move on to something else.

Most lawyers are miserable anyway.

As for your resume? Just leave a gap and forget about it. In 5 years with some experience, no one will care.

The real trick is this: what will you do instead? Make a plan first. Research industries/jobs.

I would gently suggest becoming a military officer if you think you have it in you...

Voyager wrote:stuff

This dude has returned with a tsunami of good advice lately.

since you know you don't want to be in the legal industry any more, now is the time to get ready for your next career. Instead of focusing on classwork, start researching and applying for jobs/ or whatever the next step is for you. If you have to go to class, or you decide to go to class, do this in class (and who cares if you get called on). Take some time to reassess and reevaluate your next career. Be sure to drop out before finals, however.

If you can get some sort of refund, get the refund and go.