How much helpful is work experience before law school? Forum

[I<3ScholarlySweets!]

helpful in the sense that one would grow as a person, get exposed to the REAL WORLD, save money, rigorously reflect the decision to go to law school…

[t-14orbust]

very much helpful. so much helpful that it comes much highly recommended

[I<3ScholarlySweets!]

I hate to sound like a jerk, but "very much helpful" is vague. Can you be more specific?

[Ron Don Volante]

You might need a lot more help than work experience can provide.

[t-14orbust]

you pretty much listed every reason to get WE. Get acquainted to the real world, get perspective on law school and life, save/make money, become more mature, experience new things, and also get a slight advantage come law firm interview time. It's very much helpful to get WE because you get all of these advantages with little to no cost. WE comes highly recommended on TLS. Of course, some WE is better than others. An office job is better than working at mcdonalds etc. Choose a field that you might be interested in aside from law school, choose something that will give you valuable transferable skills, etc.

Also, you're not being a jerk. I was lol

[Rigo]

Hopefully it's very helpful in allowing you to practice your grammar.

Sorry your previous thread got locked, but what Kratos wrote here in the best tangible benefit:
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 5#p8198650

Getting WE is very valuable for personal growth too. You'll mature and learn to take law school seriously and as furthering your career rather than merely more school.
And if you realize you don't like the legal field, it will same you a ton of time and money.

[I<3ScholarlySweets!]

What is the recommended time before school? 2-3?

I think anything above 5 is too much for law school.

[Rigo]

What is the recommended time before school? 2-3?

I think anything above 5 is too much for law school.

A lot of places want you to make at least a 2 year commitment.

[I<3ScholarlySweets!]

Ron Don Volante; what do you mean?

[A. Nony Mouse]

Aren't you pretty obviously convinced going K-JD is a bad idea? You seem to have this habit of asking questions to which you have answers already. What do you actually want to know?

[TheSpanishMain]

What is the recommended time before school? 2-3?

I think anything above 5 is too much for law school.

Why is more than 5 "too much?"

[unodostres]

What is the recommended time before school? 2-3?

I think anything above 5 is too much for law school.

Why is more than 5 "too much?"

prob some arbitrary cut off in his mind.

[I<3ScholarlySweets!]

5 years would be too much because I think you'd be too old. Say you are 22 when you graduate UG. You'd go to LS at 27, graduate at 30.

The bigger issue is what you'd be doing during that time period? If I were working for 5 years I think I would have secured a well-paying job with good benefits. Why would I then need to go to law school, especially considering the terrible legal market.

[4LTsPointingNorth]

5 years would be too much because I think you'd be too old. Say you are 22 when you graduate UG. You'd go to LS at 27, graduate at 30.

The bigger issue is what you'd be doing during that time period? If I were working for 5 years I think I would have secured a well-paying job with good benefits. Why would I then need to go to law school, especially considering the terrible legal market.

Because you want to be a lawyer. Same reason you should have for going to law school directly from UG, or after 2 years of WE, or 5, or 10.

[xRON MEXiCOx]

What is the recommended time before school? 2-3?

I think anything above 5 is too much for law school.

A lot of places want you to make at least a 2 year commitment.

lolwut. most jobs come with no time commitment at all.

[Rigo]

What is the recommended time before school? 2-3?
I think anything above 5 is too much for law school.

A lot of places want you to make at least a 2 year commitment.

lolwut. most jobs come with no time commitment at all.

Yeah, I'm sure MOST jobs don't, but the paralegal jobs I know ask you for a two year commitment. They don't want to expend resources training people who aren't going to stay for awhile. I thought that was pretty standard.

[xRON MEXiCOx]

oh ok. that makes sense i guess but no one mentioned anything about paralegal jobs.

[I<3ScholarlySweets!]

Dirigo; I applied to several paralegal jobs in Los Angeles and very few of them required any commitment. (They mostly required a college degree, some work experience, and cover letter). I think it really depends on where you live.

[Rigo]

oh ok. that makes sense i guess but no one mentioned anything about paralegal jobs.

I was going off of the link I posted above for another one of OP's threads where he specifically asks about working at a law firm. Sorry for the confusion.

[Rigo]

Dirigo; I applied to several paralegal jobs in Los Angeles and very few of them required any commitment. (They mostly required a college degree, some work experience, and cover letter). I think it really depends on where you live.

Ah okay. My experience is with top NYC firms.

[I<3ScholarlySweets!]

Los Angeles (and the West Coast in general) is more relaxed.

Did you get a job at top NYC law firm right after graduating?

[Rigo]

Los Angeles (and the West Coast in general) is more relaxed.

Did you get a job at top NYC law firm right after graduating?

I did not but I considered it. Work at a bank instead.
I do wish I had gone the paralegal route, however. I think it is a useful experience to have if considering law school.

[I<3ScholarlySweets!]

Are you applying to law school now?

Like I said in the previous thread, I might take the job at a law firm, study for the LSAT, aim for 170 or higher, and apply only to the top 10 schools (yes, I don't think Cornell, GULC, Berkeley, Northwestern are worth going to in this economy).

[Rigo]

Are you applying to law school now?

Like I said in the previous thread, I might take the job at a law firm, study for the LSAT, aim for 170 or higher, and apply only to the top 10 schools (yes, I don't think Cornell, GULC, Berkeley, Northwestern are worth going to in this economy).

I'm probably applying next cycle.
Just FYI, Berkeley is #9 so if you're going to make meaningless and arbitrary cutoffs, then at least get it right.

[I<3ScholarlySweets!]

I will for sure apply next cycle.

And I have my own rankings based on post-employment outcome (i.e. starting and median salary), average student loan debt, and LSAT score (Berkeley has a middling 167 median).