Road to become a lawyer Forum

[IAFG]

Go to a state university on a full ride, take the easiest possible major, get a 4.0, spend all your free time studying for the LSAT from sophomore year on, ???, PROFIT!

a good portion of my L1 friends actually took this route. They were Philosophy or Philosophy,Politics& Law (PPL) majors during undergrad. They laughed at my 3.77 GPA (Finance major) with their near perfect GPAs.

i lol at finance majors at any GPA

[MrKappus]

Go to a state university on a full ride, take the easiest possible major, get a 4.0, spend all your free time studying for the LSAT from sophomore year on, ???, PROFIT!

Go to the best school you can get into. You aren't guaranteed an awesome LSAT or a super GPA. Also, grade inflation FTW.

[Veyron]

[/quote]

Go to the best school you can get into. You aren't guaranteed an awesome LSAT or a super GPA. Also, grade inflation FTW.[/quote]

^ No idea what he's talking about. I followed this advice - I'm glad I went to my UG, one of the more prestigious schools in this country of ours, for a host of reasons and everything turned out all right at the end but I assure you that ASU had more grade inflation.

If law school had been my only goal I would have definately been better served going to ASU (and of course I would have had more fun and paid less )

[MrKappus]

^ No idea what he's talking about. I followed this advice - I'm glad I went to my UG, one of the more prestigious schools in this country of ours, for a host of reasons and everything turned out all right at the end but I assure you that ASU had more grade inflation.

If law school had been my only goal I would have definately been better served going to ASU (and of course I would have had more fun and paid less )

^ No idea what he's talking about. At 17, you are not even close to the person you're going to be in life. To advise someone to take a route based on the notion that it's the best way to a 4.0 for LS admissions is the stupidest advice I've ever heard. I also went to an elite school (though I don't feel the need to make its coat of arms my 'tar), and the options for afterwards, whether you like saying it or not, are far superior to those of a state school. Also, OP may decide in 5 years he/she doesn't want to go to LS (god forbid). There may not even be a legal industry in 5 years, if you believe some of the posters on TLS.

[IAFG]

^ No idea what he's talking about. I followed this advice - I'm glad I went to my UG, one of the more prestigious schools in this country of ours, for a host of reasons and everything turned out all right at the end but I assure you that ASU had more grade inflation.

If law school had been my only goal I would have definately been better served going to ASU (and of course I would have had more fun and paid less )

^ No idea what he's talking about. At 17, you are not even close to the person you're going to be in life. To advise someone to take a route based on the notion that it's the best way to a 4.0 for LS admissions is the stupidest advice I've ever heard. I also went to an elite school (though I don't feel the need to make its coat of arms my 'tar), and the options for afterwards, whether you like saying it or not, are far superior to those of a state school. Also, OP may decide in 5 years he/she doesn't want to go to LS (god forbid). There may not even be a legal industry in 5 years, if you believe some of the posters on TLS.

i went to my state flagship. at 17 i didn't know wtf i was doing, but at least i had the sense enough not to go to the best school i could get into and end up with a ton of debt.

[MrKappus]

i went to my state flagship. at 17 i didn't know wtf i was doing, but at least i had the sense enough not to go to the best school i could get into and end up with a ton of debt.

I'm glad it worked out for you (not sarcasm), but most ppl agree that the options you have out of an Ivy or MIT* are worth it. If you're not deadset on law school (and I'm arguing that a 17 year-old can't be), then it just seems silly to foreclose the possibility of elite bank/consulting/public interest/publishing work simply to get a 4.0 cheaply. But whatever, to each his/her own.

* or Duke, or CalTech, or LAC, &c, &c....

[IAFG]

i went to my state flagship. at 17 i didn't know wtf i was doing, but at least i had the sense enough not to go to the best school i could get into and end up with a ton of debt.

I'm glad it worked out for you (not sarcasm), but most ppl agree that the options you have out of an Ivy or MIT* are worth it. If you're not deadset on law school (and I'm arguing that a 17 year-old can't be), then it just seems silly to foreclose the possibility of elite bank/consulting/public interest/publishing work simply to get a 4.0 cheaply. But whatever, to each his/her own.

* or Duke, or CalTech, or LAC, &c, &c....

i agree that some schools have opportunities to make the debt sensible, but that pool is smaller than "the best school you can get into."

[MrKappus]

i went to my state flagship. at 17 i didn't know wtf i was doing, but at least i had the sense enough not to go to the best school i could get into and end up with a ton of debt.

I'm glad it worked out for you (not sarcasm), but most ppl agree that the options you have out of an Ivy or MIT* are worth it. If you're not deadset on law school (and I'm arguing that a 17 year-old can't be), then it just seems silly to foreclose the possibility of elite bank/consulting/public interest/publishing work simply to get a 4.0 cheaply. But whatever, to each his/her own.

* or Duke, or CalTech, or LAC, &c, &c....

i agree that some schools have opportunities to make the debt sensible, but that pool is smaller than "the best school you can get into."

Solid point. I had some logic fail in there...

[Veyron]

^ No idea what he's talking about. I followed this advice - I'm glad I went to my UG, one of the more prestigious schools in this country of ours, for a host of reasons and everything turned out all right at the end but I assure you that ASU had more grade inflation.

If law school had been my only goal I would have definately been better served going to ASU (and of course I would have had more fun and paid less )

^ No idea what he's talking about. At 17, you are not even close to the person you're going to be in life. To advise someone to take a route based on the notion that it's the best way to a 4.0 for LS admissions is the stupidest advice I've ever heard. I also went to an elite school (though I don't feel the need to make its coat of arms my 'tar), and the options for afterwards, whether you like saying it or not, are far superior to those of a state school. Also, OP may decide in 5 years he/she doesn't want to go to LS (god forbid). There may not even be a legal industry in 5 years, if you believe some of the posters on TLS.

The problem with our profession is that we don't have enough people like the OP and we have too many people for whom law school is an passionless fallback. I've wanted to be a lawyer for most of my life so I feel that the OP's assertion that thats wants to be a lawyer is worthy of respect. If he does, the route I have outlined is the best. If he has doubts, its arguable whether the cost of going to an elite school justifies the extra debt and is very much a matter of personal preference.

[JamesGilly]

^ No idea what he's talking about. I followed this advice - I'm glad I went to my UG, one of the more prestigious schools in this country of ours, for a host of reasons and everything turned out all right at the end but I assure you that ASU had more grade inflation.

If law school had been my only goal I would have definately been better served going to ASU (and of course I would have had more fun and paid less )

^ No idea what he's talking about. At 17, you are not even close to the person you're going to be in life. To advise someone to take a route based on the notion that it's the best way to a 4.0 for LS admissions is the stupidest advice I've ever heard. I also went to an elite school (though I don't feel the need to make its coat of arms my 'tar), and the options for afterwards, whether you like saying it or not, are far superior to those of a state school. Also, OP may decide in 5 years he/she doesn't want to go to LS (god forbid). There may not even be a legal industry in 5 years, if you believe some of the posters on TLS.

The problem with our profession is that we don't have enough people like the OP and we have too many people for whom law school is an passionless fallback. I've wanted to be a lawyer for most of my life so I feel that the OP's assertion that thats wants to be a lawyer is worthy of respect. If he does, the route I have outlined is the best. If he has doubts, its arguable whether the cost of going to an elite school justifies the extra debt and is very much a matter of personal preference.

I don't really have doubts, and I'm not the type of person who changes my views/goals monthly. The main reason I'd like to be a lawyer is because I feel it would be the best job, given my strengths. Another reason is so I don't have to struggle every month to pay bills (I've seen far too much of this), so obviously money is a factor, although not my one and only goal.

I realize that the job market is competitive for graduating lawyers, and I'm an extremely competitive person, which would force me to work as hard as possible during ugrad + lawschool

I also realize the debt that I would get in, and the starting salary for freshly graduated lawyers.

I'm looking at it from all different angles, and these responses from you guys are extremely helpful

If you have anymore to add - please do

[Veyron]

^ No idea what he's talking about. I followed this advice - I'm glad I went to my UG, one of the more prestigious schools in this country of ours, for a host of reasons and everything turned out all right at the end but I assure you that ASU had more grade inflation.

If law school had been my only goal I would have definately been better served going to ASU (and of course I would have had more fun and paid less )

^ No idea what he's talking about. At 17, you are not even close to the person you're going to be in life. To advise someone to take a route based on the notion that it's the best way to a 4.0 for LS admissions is the stupidest advice I've ever heard. I also went to an elite school (though I don't feel the need to make its coat of arms my 'tar), and the options for afterwards, whether you like saying it or not, are far superior to those of a state school. Also, OP may decide in 5 years he/she doesn't want to go to LS (god forbid). There may not even be a legal industry in 5 years, if you believe some of the posters on TLS.

The problem with our profession is that we don't have enough people like the OP and we have too many people for whom law school is an passionless fallback. I've wanted to be a lawyer for most of my life so I feel that the OP's assertion that thats wants to be a lawyer is worthy of respect. If he does, the route I have outlined is the best. If he has doubts, its arguable whether the cost of going to an elite school justifies the extra debt and is very much a matter of personal preference.

I don't really have doubts, and I'm not the type of person who changes my views/goals monthly. The main reason I'd like to be a lawyer is because I feel it would be the best job, given my strengths. Another reason is so I don't have to struggle every month to pay bills (I've seen far too much of this), so obviously money is a factor, although not my one and only goal.

I realize that the job market is competitive for graduating lawyers, and I'm an extremely competitive person, which would force me to work as hard as possible during ugrad + lawschool

I also realize the debt that I would get in, and the starting salary for freshly graduated lawyers.

I'm looking at it from all different angles, and these responses from you guys are extremely helpful

If you have anymore to add - please do

I retract my previous statement. Law is a shitty profession to go into for the money. Most people who go to law school earn less than they would have if they didn't go after adjusting for debt (according to many economists). Do something you love instead, it will pay the bills just as well. Sure elite lawyers make a fuckton but so do elite plumbers, elite basketball players, and elite real-estate agents.

[r6_philly]

If you are making a practical career decisions, you surely can pick a better occupation that lawyer. There are many other occupations with actual projected growth, make about the same or more on average, and require less years education. Actually probably easier to get into as well.

You should only become a lawyer because you want to be a lawyer. The perceived financial incentives should be an added benefit. There are simply many better careers to choose from.

Edit: agree with above.

[JamesGilly]

I do want to be a lawyer. Those 2 reasons I stated were just the icing on top.

[Patriot1208]

Go to a state university on a full ride, take the easiest possible major, get a 4.0, spend all your free time studying for the LSAT from sophomore year on, ???, PROFIT!

a good portion of my L1 friends actually took this route. They were Philosophy or Philosophy,Politics& Law (PPL) majors during undergrad. They laughed at my 3.77 GPA (Finance major) with their near perfect GPAs.

i lol at finance majors at any GPA

why is this?

[JamesGilly]

How many hours would you say a lawyer works on average? I hear so much stuff about them having NO lives outside of their job? Are 80 hour workweeks common? Do you work weekends? Just a buncha little questions =P

[d34d9823]

How many hours would you say a lawyer works on average? I hear so much stuff about them having NO lives outside of their job? Are 80 hour workweeks common? Do you work weekends? Just a buncha little questions =P

Go here: http://www.averyindex.com/longest_hours.php

Keep in mind that law firm business is unpredictable and this is an average, not a schedule.