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Hello! I have been lurking on this forum for a while, but this is my first time posting. I am working on preparing a list of expenses for my 1L year beyond the obvious things like tuition, textbooks, rent, food, etc. What are some "surprise" expenses you didn't even consider until you arrived at law school? Thanks!

Depending on what your current wardrobe consists of, you will likely need to purchase some business suits at some point, shirts, ties, shoes, ect.

You will need to budget a decent amount of alcohol and nights out into your finances.

Car insurance, renters insurance, also not sure what you are planning on doing health insurance wise, if anything.

You should also plan to spend a small amount of money on clothing, bumper/window stickers with your school's name on it.

Thanks, kellyfrost! I am a female, and I definitely plan to add to my business attire before school begins. I have heard that as a female in the legal profession, it is best to stick with pantsuits instead of skirt suits. Would other females out there agree? And as you can tell by my username, factoring alcohol into my budget will definitely be a priority! Thanks again!

No problem. I can't really give advice as I am not female, but pant suits do seem to be most popular although it isn't unheard of to see skirt suits.

Glad to hear your are factoring in alcohol into the equation. It will make life more enjoyable.

Probably not a bad idea to factor in contraceptives as well.

I always end up buying a hornbook or two in a panic when I'm outlining at the end of the semester, so you may want to factor that into your book budget.

Also your school may have membership fees for some clubs to support club activities. Some of the clubs at my school do, usually the ones focused more on outside interests than the law, and the fees are usually between $25-40/year

bourbonandlawbooks wrote:Thanks, kellyfrost! I am a female, and I definitely plan to add to my business attire before school begins. I have heard that as a female in the legal profession, it is best to stick with pantsuits instead of skirt suits. Would other females out there agree? And as you can tell by my username, factoring alcohol into my budget will definitely be a priority! Thanks again!

While you're likely fine with either, the opposite re skirt/pants suits is true. Skirt suits are considered more conservative and safer.

Mullens wrote:

bourbonandlawbooks wrote:Thanks, kellyfrost! I am a female, and I definitely plan to add to my business attire before school begins. I have heard that as a female in the legal profession, it is best to stick with pantsuits instead of skirt suits. Would other females out there agree? And as you can tell by my username, factoring alcohol into my budget will definitely be a priority! Thanks again!

While you're likely fine with either, the opposite re skirt/pants suits is true. Skirt suits are considered more conservative and safer.

Wow, really? I suppose it is more traditional!

bourbonandlawbooks wrote:

Mullens wrote:

bourbonandlawbooks wrote:Thanks, kellyfrost! I am a female, and I definitely plan to add to my business attire before school begins. I have heard that as a female in the legal profession, it is best to stick with pantsuits instead of skirt suits. Would other females out there agree? And as you can tell by my username, factoring alcohol into my budget will definitely be a priority! Thanks again!

While you're likely fine with either, the opposite re skirt/pants suits is true. Skirt suits are considered more conservative and safer.

Wow, really? I suppose it is more traditional!

+1 on skirt suits being more conservative

Skirts also let you get away with a less than perfect fit. If you don't want to pay for tailoring and/or are worried about your weight fluctuating a bit, skirt suits are a safer bet.

As far as the pants v. skirts question, I think it might depend geographically on where you are. In Texas, for instance, 90% of my female classmates wore skirt suits at OCI. I feel like that may be different in NYC or somewhere, but I'm not sure. But to be fair, my classmates who wore pants didn't have any problems getting a job or anything. So I don't think it matters all that much. I would agree though that it's a lot easier to get away with buying a skirt suit off the rack and not having to get it tailored than it is a pants suit, so if you're looking to save money, skirt suits are the best option.

Since you are a woman, make sure you factor in the cost of haircut/manicure/brow wax a couple times a year for big stuff: before firm holiday receptions, before an interview, before OCI, etc. Seems like a small expense but when you're living on a student budget, that extra $120 you spend on grooming one month feels like a pinch.

Also think about the cost of printing, study aids/supplements, parking at school if you're going to be driving to campus.

Your school may require you to pay a one-time fee to download exam software onto your computer for taking exams. I think ours was like $50 or something. I didn't see it coming and was definitely annoyed when I had to pay.

Office supplies. I can't remember the last time I killed so many pens and highlighters. I have also spent a significant amount of money on paper and printer ink, as well as at a printer shop.

Barristers' Ball dress

legit wrote:Barristers' Ball dress

^^^This.

Although I highly recommend Rent the Runway if you're the kind of person who always prefers a new dress instead of wearing something old. (I am, and so RTR has been a life saver.)

emkay625 wrote:Since you are a woman, make sure you factor in the cost of haircut/manicure/brow wax a couple times a year for big stuff: before firm holiday receptions, before an interview, before OCI, etc. Seems like a small expense but when you're living on a student budget, that extra $120 you spend on grooming one month feels like a pinch.

A thousand times yes to this! Being a law student is no excuse for bad brows or nails. Will definitely have personal grooming in the budget.

legit wrote:Barristers' Ball dress

TRUE. Can't forget about that!