Life advice

[M Stanfield]

Well I just received my LSAT score after hibernating and studying for a few months. It was a paltry 161, my lowest score ever. The very first LSAT I took for practice, I got a 163! I usually score in the mid to high seventies, so needless to say, I am feeling pretty awful.

Anyway, I've been giving this a lot of thought. I currently work at an accounting firm doing pretty well; nobody knows I even took a shot at the LSAT. I'm not sure if I want to stay at the accounting firm I work at now or keep pursuing this law school pipe dream. Is it even worth retaking the LSAT? Or should I just say ******* and concentrate on a career?

 

[Flambeur]

How old are you, and what specialty are you hoping to pursue in law?

I say definitely stay on it, especially since you know you could do better.

Looking back at your life 20 years from now, are you going to wish you stuck with it a little longer and pursued your dreams?

 

[HEWSINATOR]

Interesting. If you were practicing in the mid to high 70s I find it surprising that you scored so low. Did you forget a section? I have never heard of this happening unless you were really not practicing in test conditions with proper timing.

IDK what to say. Somebody who consistently was scoring 99th percentile to go down to this just seems very odd. But again, people scoring in mid to high 170s is odd too.

 

[M Stanfield]

Originally Posted by Flambeur

How old are you, and what specialty are you hoping to pursue in law?

I say definitely stay on it, especially since you know you could do better.

Looking back at your life 20 years from now, are you going to wish you stuck with it a little longer and pursued your dreams?

I just turned 25. As to what I really want to do with law, I'll be perfectly honest and say I have no clue. I really don't know what I want to do in life. It's just that this accounting career seems dry, boring, and unfulfilling to me. I don't want to end up like everyone else I see, slaving away at a desk doing something that feels meaningless. (I hear lawyers slave away at desks doing something of actual substance!) It's not really a "dream" per se, it just sounds like a very good idea.

Originally Posted by HEWSINATOR

Interesting. If you were practicing in the mid to high 70s I find it surprising that you scored so low. Did you forget a section? I have never heard of this happening unless you were really not practicing in test conditions with proper timing.

IDK what to say. Somebody who consistently was scoring 99th percentile to go down to this just seems very odd. But again, people scoring in mid to high 170s is odd too.

I'll tell you exactly what happened: the first section was a killer games section that had me racing against the clock and guessing at the last few because the lady called time. I normally do good on games, so my soul was completely shot. Section 2 and 3 (LR and RC respectively) I just went through in a daze, pissed off that I had done so poorly on the games (usually my strongest). It was only until after 3 did it dawn on me that maybe that had been experimental. Sure enough, Section 4 was another games, and I did fine.

My score breakdown was like this: Section 2 (-6) Section 3 (-7) Section 4 (-2) and Section 5 (-2). I clearly did so much better after I snapped out of it. Goddammit I can't believe I let an experimental section defeat me. Argh I could've killed this test and be over with it; everything was handed to me. And I failed. Story of my goddamn life, it feels like.

 

[crazyquik]

Originally Posted by Flambeur

Looking back at your life 20 years from now, are you going to wish you stuck with it a little longer and pursued your dreams?

That was a big part of why I quit my career (at about the same age) and went to law school.
A lot of lawyers (at least, young associates) slave away at meaningless work too. From the outside it looks like law-school and lawyers have all the flexibility in the world. Once you get here, sometimes it seems like the golden handcuffs.

Grass always looks greener on the other side. My advice, take a good, long, hard look at your boss and their boss, their peers, and all the people in your firm about 15+ years older than you. If you're comfortable being like them and having that life, then you might as well stay.

Why not go get an MBA?

 

[M Stanfield]

Originally Posted by crazyquik

Why not go get an MBA?

I've thought about getting an MBA and haven't completely ruled it out. I am quite sure that $$ prospects for an MBA are not nearly as high or certain as $$ for a JD. I just don't really respect MBA's much for a few reasons: 1. Getting into some business schools (UTD or SMU here in Texas, for example) is a joke. 2. It's expensive and it's a joke. 3. I've met tons of idiots that have MBA's, some of them can barely speak English. 4. Lawyers just seem more badass to me haha.

I guess I just posed a challenge to myself a few months ago that I could do this, that I could kill the LSAT and get into a good law school. I really thought I could handle it, and this score has really deflated me. I told myself that I'd prove to myself that I could do this, actually accomplish something I can be proud of. I know it sounds sappy and a little gay, but I really thought I could do this. It feels like a slap in the face. My life, while comfortable, has been void of anything I can proudly lay claim to. I just thought I'd make it, and I didn't.

 

[Davidko19]

Be proud of what you have and strive to be better bro.

Ive been wanting to get my MBA for a while now (Yes, idiot) but havent even taken the first steps to studying for the gmat (5 years out of college). I just got laid off last friday and realize that this is probably my time to do that. Divine intervention perhaps. Maybe you just need a kick **********. with all due respect.

 

[yerfdog]

I just graduated a good law school a few months ago, and I'm still looking for work. Sure, you'll probably face a different employment market if you graduate 3 years from now, but it's still not a certain thing (although I'm sure my long-term earning prospects have been improved).

Getting into some business schools might be easy, but getting into others is not. If you are really into the idea of getting a prestigious education, you might find the GMAT easier.

Keep in mind, though, that there are likely going to be a lot of people in Davidko19's situation, who are going to be applying to both law schools and business schools this year because they got laid off and it gave them the kick ********** they needed. It could be a lot more competitive this year than it was a few years ago.

 

[Happydayz]

You're only a failure if you accept the label. There's the life advice for you.

Since you can clearly do better on the LSAT simply retake it as soon as possible and get going. You should be savy enough to know that there's a world of difference between a 161 and a 170+. I'm sure that law schools will realize this and you can attribute it to a bad day.

 

[jagmqt]

You're 5 years ahead of me...I'll graduate from law school next December.

Congrats on making the effort to better your life. Taking that test is the hardest part.

I think you underestimate where a 161 can take you. It is not a poor score by any means. Check this site:

http://www.ilrg.com/rankings/law/ind...1/desc/LSATLow

You can sort schools by scores and get an idea of what may be available. Then consider many other factors: where you want to live, what kind of law interests you, how much can you afford...then do some research on schools. You'd be surprised what some schools are willing to offer to applicants that have professional experience as opposed to those that enroll straight from undergrad.

Also, consider that some schools are offering alternative admissions programs. Don't gag when you read that...research U of Mich.'s new "Wolverine Class," which is admitting students with a 3.8 undergrad g.p.a. and not looking at LSAT scores but instead at resumes.

I quit my job and began full time because I wanted (needed?) a bigger professional challenge...and I figured law was the biggest challenge I could find. Sounds like you're looking for the same thing.

You're in a good place now to send out some applications--you might as well test the waters. At $50 per application (usually), send out two or three, see what happens. You've come too far (after studying for that cursed test) to back off now. If you don't get accepted, you can certainly re-take the LSAT in the spring with some hindsight into the process.

Take crazyquic's advice...look around your office at the 40+ crowd and ask yourself if you want to be there, or somewhere else. (for me, that was the biggest motivator, and I still do that to motivate myself).

Good Luck, don't quit.

jag

 

[M Stanfield]

Thanks everyone, I realize I'm just bitching. I actually have a comfortable job that pays me a comfortable salary, something a lot of people I know don't have.

Originally Posted by jagmqt

Take crazyquic's advice...look around your office at the 40+ crowd and ask yourself if you want to be there, or somewhere else. (for me, that was the biggest motivator, and I still do that to motivate myself).

Good Luck, don't quit.

jag

That's exactly when I concluded that I wanted to get out and do something different! It seems to me that the old people in the office are just miserable. I just can't accept that my life would be reduced down to that, doing something meaningless, grinding away just for a paycheck. A law degree seems like a great enabler to much more rewarding work (both financially and personally).

I'm considering retaking in December or even next June. I just shudder at the idea of graduating law school at the age of 30. I know plenty of people graduate at that age or even older, but I can't wrap my head around that just yet.

 

[jagmqt]

Originally Posted by M Stanfield

I'm considering retaking in December or even next June. I just shudder at the idea of graduating law school at the age of 30. I know plenty of people graduate at that age or even older, but I can't wrap my head around that just yet.

Ouch (I'll be 31 when I graduate, but think that's fine considering my previous professional experience is an asset...I don't feel I'm "behind" anyone.

If you're worried, many schools offer accelerated programs now...you can be done in 2 to 2 1/2 years...

I still would recommend shopping your 161 around...I think you'd be surprised where it will get you.

jag

 

[crazyquik]

Originally Posted by M Stanfield

Thanks everyone, I realize I'm just bitching. I actually have a comfortable job that pays me a comfortable salary, something a lot of people I know don't have.



That's exactly when I concluded that I wanted to get out and do something different! It seems to me that the old people in the office are just miserable. I just can't accept that my life would be reduced down to that, doing something meaningless, grinding away just for a paycheck. A law degree seems like a great enabler to much more rewarding work (both financially and personally).

I'm considering retaking in December or even next June. I just shudder at the idea of graduating law school at the age of 30. I know plenty of people graduate at that age or even older, but I can't wrap my head around that just yet.

I also had a comfortable job, comfortable salary, all that fun stuff. Then I took a long, hard look at the corporate landscape.

In American we (historically) reward those that shoulder risk. Quitting a decent job to go to lawschool is a risk. You have opportunity costs, tuition costs, and an uncertain market when you graduate. There is rewarding work in the law, but its not always financially rewarding. And vice versa. Coupling both together is much harder. There is another thread right now on this forum about a young associate who was recently laid off. Several major firms are melting down right now. Associates are being quietly, or sometimes loudly, laid off at other major firms.

"BIGLAW" as we know it may be over, with the fall of the independant investment bank. The future for 'retail' law also looks soft; software packages will write a good will for the vast majority of people and many states have put a cap on soft-tissue damage in 'sore back' cases. The asbestos (lawsuit) factories are still running in some states, but at a much lower rate than 10-20 years ago. Environmental law is fulfilling to some folks, but not financially rewarding.

I could go on. We can all paint the pretty picture, and some of us can paint the doom and gloom. The truth is probably somewhere in between. Becoming a lawyer will alter your life though. "The law is a jealous mistress" - Justice Story.

But, you could also join the JAGcorps. Or do criminal work. Because people are always going to be breaking the law.

 

[kalice]

I say go for a higher score if you think you're capable of doing it, even if it's just for ***** and giggles, you most likely won't look back later in life and regret trying. But if you just stick with what you have right now, you will, and are right now, thinking about what you could have missed.

 

[Mr T]

Originally Posted by M Stanfield

I just shudder at the idea of graduating law school at the age of 30. I know plenty of people graduate at that age or even older, but I can't wrap my head around that just yet.

In five years you will be thirty anyway. The only decision you really have to make is whether you will be thirty with or without a law degree.