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I'm interested in becoming a lawyer but, quite frankly, my knowledge of what a lawyer actually does is very limited. What different types of lawyers are there and where can I read more about them? The only reason so far that I am leaning towards going to law school instead of to grad school is that I find it much more pleasant to study for the LSAT than for the GRE. I realize however that this shouldn't be the factor that guides my future career choice. So, what should I do/read in order to find out if law school is right for me? What made you decide that law school was the way to go?

Thanks.

Find a lawyer. Speak with him personally about his work/experience/expectations.

Work in a law firm. You'll get a chance to see what lawyers do from day to day, and save some $$ if you decide you'd like to go to law school.

For books that discuss about the law school experience itself, suggest Ivy Briefs (Kimes) or Lawyer Boy (Lax). These are personal narratives about the whole experience including the bar and starting a job (Kimes - at Columbia) or mainly the first year (Lax - at a non-T14). Much more engaging, up-to-date, and normal than Turow's One L.

Question: Why would you be interested in becoming a lawyer if you don't know what lawyers do?

No13baby wrote:Work in a law firm. You'll get a chance to see what lawyers do from day to day, and save some $$ if you decide you'd like to go to law school.

this. 'getting your feet wet' is a great way to truly understand what it'll be like.

Are you in college? What year? Ever had a job or would you be a K-Grad student? Where you are in life affects the kinds of things you can do to see if this profession would fit. Getting a job or internship with a firm could help, but keep in mind that different firms and practices operate differently and have different salaries and employment opportunities. Be sure to do serious research on prospects. There are lots of unemployed and under employed attorneys out there, with more graduating every year. And if you think the GRE is prohibitively unexciting to study for, be forewarned of the Bar.

paratactical wrote:Are you in college? What year? Ever had a job or would you be a K-Grad student? Where you are in life affects the kinds of things you can do to see if this profession would fit. Getting a job or internship with a firm could help, but keep in mind that different firms and practices operate differently and have different salaries and employment opportunities. Be sure to do serious research on prospects. There are lots of unemployed and under employed attorneys out there, with more graduating every year. And if you think the GRE is prohibitively unexciting to study for, be forewarned of the Bar.

TCR - also can't say I've ever seen it referred to as K-Grad but great imagery.

vanwinkle wrote:Question: Why would you be interested in becoming a lawyer if you don't know what lawyers do?

Good question! That's the question I need to find an answer to before deciding whether law school is right for me. I have a general interest in law and everything law related but that interest is based on a very superficial understanding of what lawyers actually do. I clearly need to find more information about this before deciding whether or not to apply to law school.

paratactical wrote:Are you in college? What year? Ever had a job or would you be a K-Grad student? Where you are in life affects the kinds of things you can do to see if this profession would fit. Getting a job or internship with a firm could help, but keep in mind that different firms and practices operate differently and have different salaries and employment opportunities. Be sure to do serious research on prospects. There are lots of unemployed and under employed attorneys out there, with more graduating every year. And if you think the GRE is prohibitively unexciting to study for, be forewarned of the Bar.

I'm a senior in college. I.e., it's time for me to figure out what to do and to decide whether or not I should take the LSAT in June next year. I think getting an internship is the way for me to go.

What exactly is the bar? I had the impression that it was just a summary of everything you learned in law school. Sort of like a final exam.

What exactly is the bar? I had the impression that it was just a summary of everything you learned in law school. Sort of like a final exam.

Students don't always take all the subjects tested on their state's bar exam. I know I didn't take secured transactions or commercial paper, nor did I take state-specific classes. In MA anyway, we were tested the first day (6 hours) on general principles of law in 6 subjects. This was multiple guess. On the second, 10-essay day (again, 6 hours), we had to know state-specific law in - up to 15+ subjects. Sometimes these rules are different than the ones applicable on the first (multistate) day.

Then too, some states make you do a practical exercise, say, write a memo, and some states have 3 days instead of 2.

Most people choose to prepare for the bar exam by taking a private review class that teaches the relevant law as well as test-taking tips.