If I hate law school, will I hate lawyering?

[dexterhaven]

I know, I know. "Not another law thread!" But, really, this board is so full of lawyers who usually offer such good advice, I had to.

To the point: I'm a former liberal arts major who drifted into law school and have finished my first year. I am now clerking for a judge. And I hate it all. The boring reading material, the superfluous classes, the asinine research, the constricted writing, and even most of my classmates/co-workers. All of it!

I was wise enough to opt for my in-state school, which gave me scholarships to cover all tuition, books, and even partial living expenses. So I'm not "financially committed." But I hesitate leaving because I tell myself that lawyering will be much different than law school. But is it?

There are many areas of the law, of course. I have been researching them and will continue to do so. But as of this moment, I have found none that appeal to me. I have attempted to contact lawyers in various fields, but most of them are so busy that they forget that they agreed to speak with me, and so I get nowhere.

 

[r...]

Read John Grisham, its whats real lawyering is all about.

 

[AR_Six]

A lot of the attrition rates are the result of people not realizing that until you are about a 3 year call you don't begin to really know what you're doing. Until then a lot of people can't handle it, never feel comfortable, and that leads to really not liking what they're doing. Yes, practice is by all accounts incredibly different from law school. But if you really hate EVERYTHING about what you're doing, it might just be because it's not the career path for you. That doesn't mean that a JD won't be a useful thing to have in alternative career paths, though...

 

[teddieriley]

If you litigate at a firm, you will probably hate it even more.

 

[dexterhaven]

Originally Posted by JD_May

A lot of the attrition rates are the result of people not realizing that until you are about a 3 year call you don't begin to really know what you're doing. Until then a lot of people can't handle it, never feel comfortable, and that leads to really not liking what they're doing. Yes, practice is by all accounts incredibly different from law school. But if you really hate EVERYTHING about what you're doing, it might just be because it's not the career path for you. That doesn't mean that a JD won't be a useful thing to have in alternative career paths, though...
Good point, and that's another reason against dropping out. But, then again, two years is a long time. I figure I could use those years to do something else more related to my alternative career that would better serve me than a JD. But who knows?

Originally Posted by teddieriley

If you litigate at a firm, you will probably hate it even more.
Do you mean like big law? Or small or medium firms too?

 

[Sache]

If you like sex does that mean you'll like kids?

 

[the law]

If you can get out with little debt, it might be advisable to stick it out. There some options for JDs that don't involve practicing law. You might find that your second and third year classes are more enjoyable, as you usually get some freedom in choosing your electives.

 

[pg600rr]

Originally Posted by dexterhaven

I know, I know. "Not another law thread!" But, really, this board is so full of lawyers who usually offer such good advice, I had to.

To the point: I'm a former liberal arts major who drifted into law school and have finished my first year. I am now clerking for a judge. And I hate it all. The boring reading material, the superfluous classes, the asinine research, the constricted writing, and even most of my classmates/co-workers. All of it!

I was wise enough to opt for my in-state school, which gave me scholarships to cover all tuition, books, and even partial living expenses. So I'm not "financially committed." But I hesitate leaving because I tell myself that lawyering will be much different than law school. But is it?

There are many areas of the law, of course. I have been researching them and will continue to do so. But as of this moment, I have found none that appeal to me. I have attempted to contact lawyers in various fields, but most of them are so busy that they forget that they agreed to speak with me, and so I get nowhere.


I was in the same boat after my 1st year, seriously contemplated leaving, I am now startin my 3l and am very happy i didnt leave... will i enjoy my job after i get out of law school? who knows, but i dont think i would base my decision about whether or not you'd enjoy a legal career based on whether or not you like law school (especially 1st year)

Another thing, you said you have been researching many areas of the law and none appeal to you.... you need to experience an area to truly know if it is going to appeal to you, dont go by just doing research, go to bar meetings and try to do as many internships during the year as you can (if thats allowed at your school).

 

[EnglishGent]

Look at it this way. If you hate gay sex does it mean you'll hate anal?

 

[dexterhaven]

Originally Posted by the law

If you can get out with little debt, it might be advisable to stick it out. There some options for JDs that don't involve practicing law. You might find that your second and third year classes are more enjoyable, as you usually get some freedom in choosing your electives.

If all goes according to plan, I think I'll graduate debt free. I've managed to hold down a part time job throughout the first year that supplemented my income and made loans unnecessary.

All the same, I read some books on alternative legal careers, but I found them mostly unhelpful. Few of the suggested careers required a JD. Many of them related to it in no way whatsoever. That was why the books were so discouraging. They essentially told you to be anything...WITH a law degree. Be an entrepreneur...WITH a law degree. Be an actor...WITH a law degree. Be a fisherman...WITH a law degree. etc.

But, pg600rr, your point about the importance of actual experience is well taken.

 

[Milhouse]

Well, if you learn a specific area. . . you can always go into the business of that area. Especially if there is any public relations aspect, as you can serve as a frontman that doesn't say stupid stuff that gets your company into trouble later.

Example: environmental law. . . work for a state government or a company in the business of environmental cleanup, remediation, hazmat, etc.

 

[jptoor]

Originally Posted by EnglishGent

Look at it this way. If you hate gay sex does it mean you'll hate anal?

Well, if you had to have gay sex in order to have anal, you may have some negative thoughts associated with that, depending on the situation of course....

 

[superfans124]

I'm sure you don't hate the money, keep motivating yourself with that in mind.

 

[Swag22]

Originally Posted by jptoor

Well, if you had to have gay sex in order to have anal, you may have some negative thoughts associated with that, depending on the situation of course....

hahahaahh

 

[Sherman90]

Originally Posted by pg600rr

I was in the same boat after my 1st year, seriously contemplated leaving, I am now startin my 3l and am very happy i didnt leave... will i enjoy my job after i get out of law school? who knows, but i dont think i would base my decision about whether or not you'd enjoy a legal career based on whether or not you like law school (especially 1st year)

...in a very similar boat. I seriously considered dropping out at the tail end of first year. I, too, was reared in the liberal arts and found the materials, people, prospects related to law school all more depressing than not. Now I'm entering my third year and I'm exceptionally grateful to be doing what I'm doing. My recent personal and professional dealings with (largely uneducated, underpaid) small-town folk over the summer have taught me just how unique and significant the work that I am doing is. It may not be the ideal fit - and my peers and co-workers may, in fact, all be perfectly square - but it's one hell of a respectable, stimulating, and money-generating fallback in case my career as an operatist or a rock star doesn't fly.

I would say stick to law school UNLESS you have a very clear idea of what it is you'd like to do instead. I've known kids who have dropped out after 1L only to come crawling back after a year of serving iced frapuccinos and writing half-assed volumes of bad poetry. YMMV.