Law School?!?

SigkapAlumWSU · #1 03-26-2002, 07:33 PM

Well, here I am, thinking about going to Law school. For all the law students out there, how is it? Hard, worth it, not at all what you thought?? I don't have much to go on besides little tidbits I've heard, obviously, and mainly, that it's very difficult. Anything you can tell me would help out a ton! Also, did you do pre law as undergrad, or something else entirely, and what would you recomend?
Thank you all in advance!

PKTSU01 · #2 03-27-2002, 03:28 AM

Hard yes. But then again, grad school shouldn't be a cake walk. Unmanagable? No. I heard horror stories before I went to law school, and i have to say, it's totally not how its said to be. Stress for sure, more than undergrad, you bet, but nothing in the world is impossible, including this. As for undergrad prep, I took plenty of poli sci and finance stuff, primarily cause I knew I wanted private sector beyond passing the bar but, overall, undergrad prep doesn't account for much. Hell, if i would have done it all over again, i would have been a music education/performance major, I would have had a lot more fun and still made it to law school. Take what you enjoy, your real "law" classes aren't prepped for in college.

DeltAlum · #3 03-27-2002, 11:36 AM

But just think of all the lawyer jokes you'll have to put up with when you graduate. Talk about stress.

Virtual Violet · #4 03-27-2002, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SigkapAlumWSU
Well, here I am, thinking about going to Law school. For all the law students out there, how is it? Hard, worth it, not at all what you thought?? I don't have much to go on besides little tidbits I've heard, obviously, and mainly, that it's very difficult. Anything you can tell me would help out a ton! Also, did you do pre law as undergrad, or something else entirely, and what would you recomend?
Thank you all in advance!

Make no mistake, law school is challenging (Class of 1996), but it is something you can survive. You basically need to be very organized in prepping for class as well as keeping up with your notes, etc in each class. In looking at the case law day in and day out in class, you need to focus on the major concepts being taught, and be prepared to apply them in an essay final exam. (Outlining is a must!) Most grades are based on one final exam.

I would discourage spending your undergrad years majoring in pre-law or criminal justice (unless your really interested in it!), I don't think it will make you more prepared than the next law student.

Most law school classes are comprised of people with varying degrees, (my classmates majored in everything from English to Engineeing, to Nursing, to Finance, etc) and many have been out in the work force before going to law school.

As far as the LSAT goes I would encourage taking a commercial exam prep class and/or pouring over the questions in those LSAT books, In my opinion, the LSAT has very little to do with law school, but you need to maximize your score to expand your list of choices for law school. Those law school loans are a b**ch, so shoot for as many scholarships as possible.

I may be going too far, but if you survive law school, remember the bar exam

This will invariably be the worst experience of your life, but your can survive it also. I don't know anyone who doesn't take the Barbri pre course and I would recommend PMBR for the multistate.....more about this in 3 years after you graduate.

Remember there is no guarantee that you will make the big bucks in a large law firm, so don't go to law school expecting it to be your path to riches! Even if you do land a big firm job, you will work like a slave to maintain your billable hours!

Good luck!

candygirl · #5 04-08-2002, 01:59 PM

Thanks Virtual Violet for everything you've stated. I too plan on going to law school upon receiving my bachaelor's degree. In the last couple of weeks I've been a little discouraged. While doing some researching and speaking to my mother, who's a legal secretary, I've found that lawyers don't make as much as I thought they did. I just don't want to spend 3 long years working hard to receive the same pay I would with my B.S. I don't graduate until May 2003 so I guess I have a lot of soul searching and praying to do until a decision is made. If not law school, I'll be in graduate school.

SigkapAlumWSU · #6 04-08-2002, 02:18 PM

Thank you so much for your advice. I think that I've finally decided what I'm going to do. I'm going to continue with my major in International Business and attend Law school when I graduate with my BA in 2004. This way, I still have a degree I can use (and I like) if for some reason law school doesn't work out/isn't what I thought it was. One of my sisters is going to be studying to take her LSAT's this next year, so we're going to do them at the same time so we can help each other. I'm hoping that most of the school's I'm applying to look at those scores more than GPA.. (Bad freshman yea.. it's suprising what it can do..) Again, thank you for the advice!

Virtual Violet · #7 04-08-2002, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by candygirl
Thanks Virtual Violet for everything you've stated. I too plan on going to law school upon receiving my bachaelor's degree. In the last couple of weeks I've been a little discouraged. While doing some researching and speaking to my mother, who's a legal secretary, I've found that lawyers don't make as much as I thought they did. I just don't want to spend 3 long years working hard to receive the same pay I would with my B.S. I don't graduate until May 2003 so I guess I have a lot of soul searching and praying to do until a decision is made. If not law school, I'll be in graduate school.

Good luck in whatever you choose!!

Ditto to SigKapAlumWSU

KillarneyRose · #8 04-08-2002, 02:24 PM

One of my friends who is an attorney has a framed cross stitching in her study that says

Law School
Year One: They Scare you to Death
Year Two: They Work you to Death
Year Three: They Bore you to Death

I obviously have not gone to law school, but I just always thought that was cute. Maybe in a small way that can give you some insight?

juniorgrrl · #9 04-08-2002, 03:46 PM

I'm the child of two lawyers, who'll be attending law school myself this fall. My best advice is to SPECIALIZE. My parents just did general practice and we were never crazy rich. However, those with specialties (admiralty, maritime, etc) do pretty well. '

My degree is in Information Systems and I plan on working in Intellectual Property law.

Don't know where I'm going yet - still waiting on LSU to make a scholarship offer. They say its coming soon though...