why law school Forum

[slsorhls]

Seriously, why do people go, and what is a good reason for going?

[Gail]

Why? Usually for $$$$ and bourgeois prestige.

[tedalbany]

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[slsorhls]

I'm starting to look at a bunch of course titles and just...get bored. I start to wonder, why am I going into this? Shouldn't something this expensive be super fun and exhilarating? I mean...think of what else costs this much.

Plus, I seriously can't find a single person from even the top, top law schools who is satisfied and happy about their choices.

[tedalbany]

I'm starting to look at a bunch of course titles and just...get bored. I start to wonder, why am I going into this? Shouldn't something this expensive be super fun and exhilarating? I mean...think of what else costs this much.

Plus, I seriously can't find a single person from even the top, top law schools who is satisfied and happy about their choices.

Law is just boring. You'll probably end up bored with many parts of it, even more so in practice, but it's a job. If you think you can put with it then go for it, but if you're already bored with it this early in the game then you may want to think long and hard about other options.

It's expensive because it has the potential to lead to high paying jobs (though it isn't 'likely' unless you go to a top school), you aren't paying for amusement.

[slsorhls]

I'm starting to look at a bunch of course titles and just...get bored. I start to wonder, why am I going into this? Shouldn't something this expensive be super fun and exhilarating? I mean...think of what else costs this much.

Plus, I seriously can't find a single person from even the top, top law schools who is satisfied and happy about their choices.

Law is just boring. You'll probably end up bored with many parts of it, even more so in practice, but it's a job. If you think you can put with it then go for it, but if you're already bored with it this early in the game then you may want to think long and hard about other options.

It's expensive because it has the potential to lead to high paying jobs (though it isn't 'likely' unless you go to a top school), you aren't paying for amusement.

Is everyone bored with law? I mean, we're always talking about interesting area _____ ......................and law. It's like everyone would get into these areas just for their own sake, but then law is attached to it. I'm talking about technology/intellectual property, international affairs, biotech, various public interest causes, etc. Maybe it's just a bunch of people skilled in arguments/logic who apply that to what actually interests them?

Listen, I do say that I look at course titles, and they look boring. My reason for going, on the other hand, is it does seem like I have skills that would be great for this arena. In fact, I think I could probably contribute to this sort of stuff more than anything else, just because that's where a lot of my talents lie. At the same time, I don't see "law" as an area of substance that interests me. But maybe I'll be (or should be) like those other people and just get involved with what I'm interested in through the law angle.

[tedalbany]

I'm starting to look at a bunch of course titles and just...get bored. I start to wonder, why am I going into this? Shouldn't something this expensive be super fun and exhilarating? I mean...think of what else costs this much.

Plus, I seriously can't find a single person from even the top, top law schools who is satisfied and happy about their choices.

Law is just boring. You'll probably end up bored with many parts of it, even more so in practice, but it's a job. If you think you can put with it then go for it, but if you're already bored with it this early in the game then you may want to think long and hard about other options.

It's expensive because it has the potential to lead to high paying jobs (though it isn't 'likely' unless you go to a top school), you aren't paying for amusement.

Is everyone bored with law? I mean, we're always talking about interesting area _____ ......................and law. It's like everyone would get into these areas just for their own sake, but then law is attached to it. I'm talking about technology/intellectual property, international affairs, biotech, various public interest causes, etc. Maybe it's just a bunch of people skilled in arguments/logic who apply that to what actually interests them?

Listen, I do say that I look at course titles, and they look boring. My reason for going, on the other hand, is it does seem like I have skills that would be great for this arena. In fact, I think I could probably contribute to this sort of stuff more than anything else, just because that's where a lot of my talents lie. At the same time, I don't see "law" as an area of substance that interests me. But maybe I'll be (or should be) like those other people and just get involved with what I'm interested in through the law angle.

Idk, I once thought along the same lines, but you'll eventually realize that it's all the same stuff, and all typically pretty boring. They all have to do with mostly the same types of laws, the same long dry reading, the same technical jargon, etc. The only thing that changes is the subject matter. You're still evaluating some drawn out contract claim, whether the party is Pfizer Pharmaceuticals or John Cusack.

Don't worry about your skill set, I'm sure you can convince yourself you have the skills for plenty of other jobs as well. Think about whether you could actually find any enjoyment in being a lawyer. Go read cases, legal docs, supplements, whatever, to try and get an idea of what the law really is.

[slsorhls]

I'm starting to look at a bunch of course titles and just...get bored. I start to wonder, why am I going into this? Shouldn't something this expensive be super fun and exhilarating? I mean...think of what else costs this much.

Plus, I seriously can't find a single person from even the top, top law schools who is satisfied and happy about their choices.

Law is just boring. You'll probably end up bored with many parts of it, even more so in practice, but it's a job. If you think you can put with it then go for it, but if you're already bored with it this early in the game then you may want to think long and hard about other options.

It's expensive because it has the potential to lead to high paying jobs (though it isn't 'likely' unless you go to a top school), you aren't paying for amusement.

Is everyone bored with law? I mean, we're always talking about interesting area _____ ......................and law. It's like everyone would get into these areas just for their own sake, but then law is attached to it. I'm talking about technology/intellectual property, international affairs, biotech, various public interest causes, etc. Maybe it's just a bunch of people skilled in arguments/logic who apply that to what actually interests them?

Listen, I do say that I look at course titles, and they look boring. My reason for going, on the other hand, is it does seem like I have skills that would be great for this arena. In fact, I think I could probably contribute to this sort of stuff more than anything else, just because that's where a lot of my talents lie. At the same time, I don't see "law" as an area of substance that interests me. But maybe I'll be (or should be) like those other people and just get involved with what I'm interested in through the law angle.

Idk, I once thought along the same lines, but you'll eventually realize that it's all the same stuff, and all typically pretty boring. They all have to do with mostly the same types of laws, the same long dry reading, the same technical jargon, etc. The only thing that changes is the subject matter. You're still evaluating some drawn out contract claim, whether the party is Pfizer Pharmaceuticals or John Cusack.

Don't worry about your skill set, I'm sure you can convince yourself you have the skills for plenty of other jobs as well. Think about whether you could actually find any enjoyment in being a lawyer. Go read cases, legal docs, supplements, whatever, to try and get an idea of what the law really is.

Of all the stuff I've looked at so far, what I like the most are reading appellate briefs. That actually does interest me quite a bit. I like the idea of being able to use logic to get results. I also like to come up with creative arguments.

Also, isn't there interesting work to be done on the margins? I know that when it comes to technology, there seems to be a lot left in the open...I guess that could be interesting?

[rayiner]

I'm starting to look at a bunch of course titles and just...get bored. I start to wonder, why am I going into this? Shouldn't something this expensive be super fun and exhilarating? I mean...think of what else costs this much.

Plus, I seriously can't find a single person from even the top, top law schools who is satisfied and happy about their choices.

Law school is professional school to learn to do a job. I don't see what is supposed to be fun and exhilarating about it.

As for being happy with their choices... most law students never had a real job before. They got a political science degree thinking they'd be advising the president and shit, and went straight to law school and now bitch about it. I worked as an engineer at a startup before law school, and I'm quite happy with my choice. Working at a startup is fun and exhilarating, but man if you think the respect/work ratio is bad for law, it's an order of magnitude better than for engineering.

[cedarseoul]

I've been working at a Korean hagwon for four years.

It's definitely time for a change.

[r6_philly]

I'm starting to look at a bunch of course titles and just...get bored. I start to wonder, why am I going into this? Shouldn't something this expensive be super fun and exhilarating? I mean...think of what else costs this much.

Plus, I seriously can't find a single person from even the top, top law schools who is satisfied and happy about their choices.

Law school is professional school to learn to do a job. I don't see what is supposed to be fun and exhilarating about it.

As for being happy with their choices... most law students never had a real job before. They got a political science degree thinking they'd be advising the president and shit, and went straight to law school and now bitch about it. I worked as an engineer at a startup before law school, and I'm quite happy with my choice. Working at a startup is fun and exhilarating, but man if you think the respect/work ratio is bad for law, it's an order of magnitude better than for engineering.

You mean, a school to prepare you to learn to do a job, right?

That aside, I am very happy about my choices. I have my issues with law school, but I am satisfied and happy. So here, at least one person.

[r6_philly]

Seriously, why do people go, and what is a good reason for going?

As for a good reason: want to become a lawyer, because it's the only way (limited exception in CA, and perhaps elsewhere?)

People are not happy because they only think they want to be a lawyer, and then find out that they don't want to while in law school, or that they want to be something else better.

Since no one can be sure that they want to be work as a lawyer ahead of time, chances are only a few are truly happy that they made the right choice.

Consider how many people would choose the same major in college again if they were to do it over...

[sequins]

Well this is just my personal case. First off, Law school is actually me second choice. My first choice was to get a PhD in english - so I find the complaints about Law school's being hard to get into and job prospects dismal after kinda amusing (Stanford English PhD programme gets like 500 apps a year and takes maybe 5-6. 1% acceptance rate ftw - not to mention everyone applying had stellar undergrad grades, and are genuinely passionate about it) IT takes 5-7 years and you're still looking at a 50k Job afterwards MAX in an even worse market. So in my case Law school is easier and pays better =)

So well for one, it actually fits my skill sets to read tons and tons of material extracting certain information or relevant facts from it, then applying to a theory. And I actually do find it very fun and fulfilling, well reading a story or situation and extracting things from it that other people don't 'see'

The other thing is that I'm really interested in trying to understand how society works, and how individuals function within it (my research interest for English) and even in Undergrad I was reading legal books on say 19th Century women to determine the value, place and role they were expected to perform in their respective society and to determine how characters differ or change in respect to that. Laws to me is not a book of rules we are expected to follow, but a composition of social expectations and an intricate system that is both shaped by and shapes the society around it.

So I'm looking at course titles etc. not so much as boxes to tick off, but thinking of what I can learn about a particular segment of society from it, and how people (or me) can respond to and work with or around the systems we live in. That said I'm probably not like most people here - I was actually very lackadaisical about my apps - I just took the LSAT without any studying beyond trying out a practice paper or two the night before, handed my apps in last minute, - and I'm picking my schools primarily with location and availability of concentrations and areas that interest me rather than cost or employment prospects. (I'm actually turning down higher ranked schools with larger scholarships based on potential fit and areas of specialisation)

But yea - I think I'm in the minority probably, but I think this is always the case in the 'professional' study areas i.e. business, medicine, law, engineering. I find in a lot of those cases there's a good percentage of students who are just in it for the money, and tbh they seem to be the more 'gunnerish' people. Of course money/jobs is a perfectly good motivation to go for it but I'd suggest to try to find some area that interests you more - because I for one cannot imagine spending three years doing something I'll be miserable doing - or even in a place I won't be happy, and succeeding. I was an undergrad in Economics and English in college (I probably wouldn't do Economics again, I was far happier in English) and I was genuinely miserable in most of my econ classes and my grades suffered. Luckily after the mandatory classes I found areas I was interested in, namely feminist economics, monetary and banking systems, public policy economics, and I enjoyed those classes immensely and correspondingly did extremely well. Not trying to off competition or anything here =P but your college experience should have told you enough about whether you are the type of person who can motivate themselves with job prospects/money alone (I know a lot of people who can) or actually need to be interested in a topic to motivate themselves to do well.

[almightypush]

That aside, I am very happy about my choices. I have my issues with law school, but I am satisfied and happy. So here, at least one person.

This.

I, too, have had a few years of "real-world" work experience prior to beginning law school, and am absolutely thrilled about both my decision to go and my options going forward.

In the end, I guess it comes down to opportunity costs. Is there anything you could/would rather be doing that doesn't require a law degree? If so, go do that. If not, then get ready to hit those casebooks.