Is Law School right for me?

[Modern Gatsby]

I want to be in an environment where the person next to me wants it just as bad as I do. I want to say I had to stay study 15 hours a day, or read through countless books in the library. I want to compete and be challenged. I'm not really getting this in undergrad, and I am wondering if Law School could satisfy these needs. I basically want to work ****** off.

 

[TyCooN]

Troll?

 

[Modern Gatsby]

Originally Posted by TyCooN

Troll?

Why would someone be trolling about law school?

 

[DLester]

Do you want to be a lawyer?

 

[Pelikan2]

Assuming you're not a troll - law school might be right for you. B-school might also be right for you. Law school is decidedly more competitive than most undergrad programs, but it's not nearly as cut-throat as some people make it out to be. That said, one thing I enjoy is being around smart, hard-working people. I spent the summer working at one of NYC's top big firms, and I loved it. It's pretty exhilarating to work alongside such brilliant, tenacious, and sometime neurotic people. Of course, much will depend on what law school you go to. Notably, it seems that competition gets more intense as you move down the law school rankings.

Also, I think the "do you want to be a lawyer" question is a little unfair. I think it's pretty hard for an undergrad to figure out what lawyers do - in large part, because "lawyer" is a fairly broad term. A transactional practice and a litigation practice are phenomenally different. I think better questions are: (1) do you like to read things that are hard to understand; (2) are you meticulous; (3) do you you enjoy technical or argumentative writing; (4) are you patient?

 

[Pelikan2]

As an aside: why can you read books in the library and study 15 hours a day in undergrad? Granted, I think 15 hours of study a day is a little unreasonable, but nobody's stopping you from doing some extra-curricular studying. Part of being a good law student is being self-motivated. Pick up a copy of Chemerinsky's Constitutional Law and start reading. Con Law is a good lesson in history, as well as law.

 

[DLester]

Originally Posted by Pelikan2

Also, I think the "do you want to be a lawyer" question is a little unfair. I think it's pretty hard for an undergrad to figure out what lawyers do - in large part, because "lawyer" is a fairly broad term.
We disagree. "Do you want to be a lawyer?" is the threshold question. Anyone who cannot answer "yes" to that question should not go to law school. Law school is for people who want to be lawyers, not for people who only seek intellectual challenges. Too many people learn they did not want to be a lawyer until after they start practicing law.

 

[Modern Gatsby]

Originally Posted by DLester

Do you want to be a lawyer?

Not sure.

 

[Pelikan2]

Originally Posted by DLester

We disagree. "Do you want to be a lawyer?" is the threshold question. Anyone who cannot answer "yes" to that question should not go to law school. Law school is for people who want to be lawyers, not for people who only seek intellectual challenges. Too many people learn they did not want to be a lawyer until after they start practicing law.
I agree it's probably the threshold question. I disagree that most undergrads can answer, or even approach, the question with enough substance to make it worth asking. I think it's pretty unlikely that Joe-Undergrad can know the differences between a banking, M&A and complex litigation practice, let alone the differences between being a partner and an associate, at either a large or small firm. And I think it's pretty hard to learn much about those practices without connections to lawyers - which I certainly didn't have. I think some people who enjoy reading legal-like things, enjoy writing and are details-oriented are good candidates for law school. I think it's hard to say whether they'll actually enjoy practicing any profession, perhaps any job, before they try it.

 

[yerfdog]

Originally Posted by Modern Gatsby

Why would someone be trolling about law school?

hahaha
one of the most trolled subjects on the internet, imo

Guys in my high school used to troll about.....

 

[bluemagic]

Originally Posted by yerfdog

hahaha
one of the most trolled subjects on the internet, imo

Guys in my high school used to troll about.....

 

[Connemara]

As a Princeton Law alumnus, I can attest that law school is definitely not for everyone.

 

[Newo]

I think law is one of those careers where you get what you put into it, if you want to work your ass off and get rewarded for it, do it.

 

[Pelikan2]

Originally Posted by DLester

Do you want to be a lawyer?

Originally Posted by Modern Gatsby

Not sure.
res ipsa loquitur

 

[Modern Gatsby]

Originally Posted by Connemara

As a Princeton Law alumnus, I can attest that law school is definitely not for everyone.

Who hasnt heard that joke?