• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Work experience prior to law school

Connemara

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
Messages
38,384
Reaction score
1,827
Generally speaking, do law school adcoms put any weight on one's work experience (as in a real job, not bartending) post-undergrad? I'm pretty interested in attending law school, but I don't know if I'd want to do it right after I graduate.
 

Go Surface

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2007
Messages
8,395
Reaction score
1,726
A friend of mine just got into GW Law for fall of 08. He's only ever worked in a tanning salon and at Jcrew.
 

kwilkinson

Having a Ball
Joined
Nov 21, 2007
Messages
32,245
Reaction score
884
I currently work in an office and go to school full-time... my job requires i work a lot with lawyers, so I sure am hoping they put some weight on work experience.
 

samblau

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2006
Messages
523
Reaction score
4
I worked as a paralegal in the World Trade Center Unit of the New York City Law Department...probobly the best experience one could get before law school and a position I was fortunate to get even though I didn't know it at the time.

Law Schools are concerned with the following: $$$ and LSAT......those are the overwhelming factors and yes, to a degree ones background plays a substantial part. Working certainly won't hurt you but focus more on LSAT and crazy other nonsense to put on your resume. They love accepting people who excel in areas that have nothing to do with law.
 

DNW

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
9,976
Reaction score
6
Law schools, unlike business schools, don't put much--if any--weight on working experience. I know plenty of kids who went straight from undergrad to law school. However, people with work experience generally get more out of law school than those who never worked.
 

Huntsman

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2004
Messages
7,888
Reaction score
1,002
I.e., working for a few years prior to applying is not considered a detriment? I am seriously considering it for this time next year -- to roll my engineering experience into lawyerdom, specializing in IP. Can list a few patents on my CV now
icon_gu_b_slayer[1].gif
. I've always thought I would rule at law, and I need more money. ~ Huntsman
 

Mr Checks

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Messages
221
Reaction score
0
If you had a job that gave you some connection it might help a bit, but I concur with those who say that your grades and LSATs far exclipse any but the most extraordinary work experience.

Having said that, significant, specialized work experience could help you get hired after law school (think engineering, nursing, executive).
 

DNW

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
9,976
Reaction score
6
Originally Posted by Mr Checks
Having said that, significant, specialized work experience could help you get hired after law school (think engineering, nursing, executive).

Gaylord Focker goes to law school?
 

habeas_dorkus

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
Messages
52
Reaction score
0
I agree with many of these comments: Work experience before law school won't be a detriment, but won't be a big help in getting into schools, either. LSAT, and to a lesser extent, GPA, are the biggest factors.

But you will probably get more out of law school if you have some work experience after undergrad.

In my law school class, I was more impressed with those who were a bit older than those who had gone straight through, though there were a few exceptions.
 

needshoehelp

Distinguished Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2007
Messages
1,150
Reaction score
3
Originally Posted by Mr Checks
If you had a job that gave you some connection it might help a bit, but I concur with those who say that your grades and LSATs far exclipse any but the most extraordinary work experience. Having said that, significant, specialized work experience could help you get hired after law school (think engineering, nursing, executive).
This is generally accurate. Even great work experience is usually at best a tiebreaker. Study hard for the LSAT.
 

crazyquik

Distinguished Member
Joined
May 8, 2007
Messages
8,984
Reaction score
44
I applied to law school and applied to jobs. Got both.

I worked a year and a half in a Fortune 50 corporate office, and got into basically the same law schools. Work expirience made no difference for me. Therefore unless you have awesome work expirience (brought a company public, spent 5+ years in ibanking, lead combat Marines in Fallujah, etc) then I don't think work expirience matters much to getting in. I think it will help you when you're in school however (people who've worked before seem to take it more seriously, and seem to be able to internalize and relate concepts from class with things they've actually seen in the workplace).

Study for the LSAT. Then prepare to hate your life.
 

montecristo#4

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Jan 7, 2004
Messages
12,214
Reaction score
21
Originally Posted by Connemara
Generally speaking, do law school adcoms put any weight on one's work experience (as in a real job, not bartending) post-undergrad? I'm pretty interested in attending law school, but I don't know if I'd want to do it right after I graduate.

Quite frankly, I'm not sure if you're well suited to a legal career. Practicing law generally requires an understanding of nuance and an ability to apply logic to solve problems.

On the other hand, law school could be just the thing to knock some practical sense into your misguided head.

I definitely recommend working in a professional environment before going to get any graduate degree. Any professional environment will probably do. The important thing is getting a taste of the real world and breaking the bonds of familial dependency.

Good luck.

Incidentally, work experience is unlikely to help you get into law school, if that's what you're asking about. Getting in is a math game. GPA and LSATs, and where you went to college.
 

lawyerdad

Lying Dog-faced Pony Soldier
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
27,006
Reaction score
17,139
Originally Posted by habeas_dorkus
I agree with many of these comments: Work experience before law school won't be a detriment, but won't be a big help in getting into schools, either. LSAT, and to a lesser extent, GPA, are the biggest factors.

But you will probably get more out of law school if you have some work experience after undergrad.

In my law school class, I was more impressed with those who were a bit older than those who had gone straight through, though there were a few exceptions.


+1
 

Connemara

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
Messages
38,384
Reaction score
1,827
Originally Posted by montecristo#4
Quite frankly, I'm not sure if you're well suited to a legal career. Practicing law generally requires an understanding of nuance and an ability to apply logic to solve problems. On the other hand, law school could be just the thing to knock some practical sense into your misguided head. I definitely recommend working in a professional environment before going to get any graduate degree. Any professional environment will probably do. The important thing is getting a taste of the real world and breaking the bonds of familial dependency. Good luck. Incidentally, work experience is unlikely to help you get into law school, if that's what you're asking about. Getting in is a math game. GPA and LSATs, and where you went to college.
I'm far from dead-set on going to law school. And thanks for gauging my intelligence based on an Internet forum.
musicboohoo[1].gif
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 36.7%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 59 39.3%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 15 10.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 26 17.3%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 26 17.3%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,127
Messages
10,578,701
Members
223,883
Latest member
FitsPresto
Top