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Hey all, looking for a bit of advice from people who have finished at least their 1L.

I live in DC and will be going to GULC barring a waitlist miracle. I am currently applying for a job that would start in the fall and I think that I have a pretty good chance at getting it.

I would be more or less an RA at a university here. I would have to be on call a few nights a week, but I could study about 95% of the time. I would also have to work an average of 10-15 hours per week actively (sorting the mail, planning events, counseling students, etc.).

The job comes with free housing in a very nice and convenient area plus a nice monthly stipend. This would save me from taking out extra loans for food/housing/expenses, so over three years I expect it would cut down my expenses significantly.

Obviously school is going to be my first priority. I want to know what people think - is this doable for 1L?

Use the search function...

But to answer your question, the general consensus is not to work. Although youll only be officially working 10-15 hours a week, an RA puts in way more time that that. Especially being on call. That sucks. You can get woken up at 4 in the morning because someone had a problem with his/her roommate. You could get a knock on your door from a resident that wants to talk all the while you were trying to study. There is a general level of stress involved in making sure that nothing bad happens on your watch or to any of your residents.

But it seems like you're set on doing this. Good luck! Enjoy Georgetown.

Keep in mind that full-time first year students aren't technically allowed to work any sort of job during 1L with few exceptions. I do think it would be doable however you might find that it puts you at a disadvantage to those students with no other outside obligations. Given how expensive the DC area is though, perhaps it could be worth it. Also, if it's going to be a freshman dorm, it seems like you might have to deal with a lot of headaches (eg noise, dealing w/ drinking etc).

2009 Prospective wrote:Keep in mind that full-time first year students aren't technically allowed to work any sort of job during 1L with few exceptions. I do think it would be doable however you might find that it puts you at a disadvantage to those students with no other outside obligations. Given how expensive the DC area is though, perhaps it could be worth it. Also, if it's going to be a freshman dorm, it seems like you might have to deal with a lot of headaches (eg noise, dealing w/ drinking etc).

Actually, the ABA says no more than 20 hours/week. Your school may have a different policy.

blhoward2 wrote:

2009 Prospective wrote:Keep in mind that full-time first year students aren't technically allowed to work any sort of job during 1L with few exceptions. I do think it would be doable however you might find that it puts you at a disadvantage to those students with no other outside obligations. Given how expensive the DC area is though, perhaps it could be worth it. Also, if it's going to be a freshman dorm, it seems like you might have to deal with a lot of headaches (eg noise, dealing w/ drinking etc).

Actually, the ABA says no more than 20 hours/week. Your school may have a different policy.

I'm not sure what the official ABA policy is but my school allows 10 hours / week for full-time 1Ls and only where there is a severe hardship of some sort. Upper levels are allowed 20 hours / week.

oops

thanks for the replies. i tried searching this, but could not really find a specific answer to my question. i haven't researched the official rules for this at all, but that is something i will look into for sure. i was drawn into applying because it seemed like only a bit more hours per week than my work study and a lot more compensation. housing in dc is not cheap by any means.

my chief concern, which i think you all have helped me realize is justified, would be the unpredictable aspects of the job. i.e. planning on doing some heavy reading while on call and then having to take care of some passed out drunk kids, etc. i know this would be limited, but even a couple of events like that would really mess me up for a semester. obviously i want to take 1L very seriously, which is why i asked for help.

thanks so much for the input, and let me know if you have any further insights.

Easily doable if you work efficiently & are organized.

CanadianWolf wrote:Easily doable if you work efficiently & are organized.

thesealocust wrote:You will regret this so much it's impossible to articulate. NO. The first year of your legal education will make or break your career, but it will DEFINITELY break your you. Do not fuck with it. This isn't college part two.

For most, I think the answer comes somewhere in the middle of these two responses. Either way though, you should certainly be well aware going in how important first year grades are and expect that your grades could very likely be affected doing the RA gig, not to mention the added stress.

oops

0L here, but I think it also depends on what else you might be doing outside of law school. How would you be spending your free time if you didn't have a job? Do you plan on having a social life? Or would you likely just be playing video games/hanging out on TLS? I would expect law school + RA job + social life to be too much to handle and still do well, but if you don't intend to go out and socialize, RA-ing might help you get a mental break from the law that you wouldn't otherwise get.

I would be worried about how unpredictable/uncontrollable it is though. Getting a library job where you can study most of the time is one thing. Being in charge of freshmen is something else entirely. If you haven't done the RA thing before, I wouldn't recommend it--to me it just sounds terribly stressful.

oops

I wouldn't do it. I was an RA during college (in DC). One semester I had to take care of 2 lock outs between 2-5 am, the night before 2 finals. Let's just say it made it hard to concentrate come test time. You really don't need that kind of a risk in law school.

I vote no- I worked second semester of law school about 6-8 hours a week and when it got close to finals I really regretting losing those hours in the week. I'm sure you could make it work, but it would make your life harder and add stress, IMO.

Wow. So even 10 hours can be a bit much when attending FT? How do PT students get by with FT jobs? That was my plan lol. Granted my job is a bit flexible and I could work 40 hours in 4 days and have 3 days off, but from what I gather, it seems I will have to put a lot of effort to balance the different work loads.

Just to clarify I am a FT student and I certainly don't want to put myself at a disadvantage (especially in a class as vast as Georgetown's). It looks like I will be passing on this job....

Thanks for the comments everyone.

If it is not too late, you should reconsider. Many of my classmates have families, jobs, etc. The pressure of taking out loans can be greater than a job where you can study. I worked during 1L and also found plenty of time to network, party and study.

thesealocust wrote:Fixed that for ya' champ

Do you get a kick out of being rude to random people on the Internet? Unlike most people on here, I admitted up front that I don't have personal experience with the OP's dilemma, and suggested some things he/she might want to consider. The OP and others with similar questions who read this thread can choose to discount my advice or not.

oops

fwaam wrote:Do you get a kick out of being rude to random people on the Internet?

Is this your first time on a message board?