Thinking about going to law school, what should I know?

TheRealist137 · 07-22-2010, 11:05 PM

Hey guys, I am about to be a junior business major at UT this fall, but lately I've been seriously contemplating getting into law school once I graduate.

Do any of you have some knowledge and things that to know that you can give me?

I'm wondering, when should I be taking the LSAT(I'd like to give time for at least one retest if needed)?

Is it worth going to a lower-tier law school if that's the only one I can get into? (I'd like to be able to make at least 100K per year if I invest in a law school)

Anything that you can tell me will be helpful, thanks.

pouhe · 07-22-2010, 11:09 PM

www.bitterlawyer.com

www.philalawyer.net

RKREBORN · 07-22-2010, 11:14 PM

a) find law school
b) find dean
c) talk to dean
d) get answers
e) apply and get into law school
f) sue me

D-Lite · 07-23-2010, 06:41 AM

Lawyerings, mainly bird law.

signed,

SirCharlesFan · 07-23-2010, 06:43 AM

My biggest advice to any person that is thinking about law school:

Only go to law school if you really know you want to be a lawyer. It's not a place to go just because you don't have any other idea what you want to do with your life.

Signed,

A law student that is taking his last law school final exam ever in less than five hours (seriously).

AroundTheWorld · 07-23-2010, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirCharlesFan

Signed,

A law student that is taking his last law school final exam ever in less than five hours (seriously).

Good luck. By the way, were you the one who reported rezdawg? Just curious.

bejezuz · 07-23-2010, 07:00 AM

The good news: I love my job as a lawyer in the public sector.

The bad news: I still make less money than before I went to law school, and that's before I take out my 900 dollars a month in student loans.

I'm two years out. I can't imagine having gone to law school if I didn't want to practice law, but many people did. There are ways I could be making more money, but they all involve various degrees of suck. So heed the advice of only going if you want to practice law.

As far as the LSAT goes, you should only plan on taking it once. Schools will have access to both of your scores anyway if you retake.

SirCharlesFan · 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AroundTheWorld

Good luck. By the way, were you the one who reported rezdawg? Just curious.

No, I looked at the thread when it first started, made a post saying I was surprised how many people were cool with cheating, and then didn't check out the thread again until moes sent me a message on AIM telling me the thread had turned epic.

TexasFight · 07-23-2010, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirCharlesFan

My biggest advice to any person that is thinking about law school:

Only go to law school if you really know you want to be a lawyer. It's not a place to go just because you don't have any other idea what you want to do with your life.

This. I'm not an attorney, but a few years ago I contemplated going to law school. EVERY single one of my attorney buddies told me this exact same thing. Unless you actually want to practice law, don't go to law school. It's not a degree that is all that helpful to put on your resume and help you get jobs outside of the legal field.

Franchise3 · 07-23-2010, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirCharlesFan

Only go to law school if you really know you want to be a lawyer. It's not a place to go just because you don't have any other idea what you want to do with your life.

I wholeheartedly co-sign with this. You will waste 3 years of your life and a lot of money (if you are not on scholarship and paying for yourself) if you are unsure about being a lawyer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheRealist137

Is it worth going to a lower-tier law school if that's the only one I can get into? (I'd like to be able to make at least 100K per year if I invest in a law school)

Absolutely not.

Let me squash these thoughts right now. Don't listen to the advice of anyone who hasn't been through law school - they'll have no idea what they are talking about and they'll likely give you a lot of cliches about law school and lawyers that are blatantly false. I know a lot of people that just assume that all law students step right into 100k jobs out of law school (and unfortunately, a lot of literature from law schools try to perpetuate this idea).

Especially in this economy, you likely won't be hitting six figures unless you are working at a big firm billing your hours. You won't get that type of job unless you have a strong resume at a top school, or an absolutely star-studded resume at a middle-tier school. Find people who have worked in big firms and ask them about their experience. You may find that it is not something that you want. Personally, I have NEVER met a lawyer who worked for a big firm that gave me positive feedback on the experience.

If you only get into low-tier, reevaluate why you really want to be a lawyer and determine if you would even be good at it, then retake the LSAT and try to blow your score out of the water (I hope you already have a high GPA).

SirCharlesFan · 07-23-2010, 07:37 AM

Yeah, I agree with Franchise big time. One of the biggest myths out there is that lawyers are all loaded. The debt load can be really crippling.

krnxsnoopy · 07-23-2010, 08:09 AM

One thing you should know is my buddy just graduated from NYU Law (Top 10 law school) and can't find a job.

Neither can 50% of people graduating with him. This is NYU Law we're talking about.. I think 6th in the nation. Something like that. Well I guess that's just more of an indication of the state of the economy. Let's just say that making BIG DOLLARS isn't guaranteed.

Baqui99 · 07-23-2010, 08:17 AM

Be prepared to sacrifice the next 3 years of your life to intense studying, cut off from your social life and sleep. Law school is no joke, as it's VERY competitive and requires full commitment.

My advice would be to seek a job through the Ford Career Center for the next 3 years or so, and see if you can return to McCombs for an MBA. Then you'll be guaranteed at least $100k, and you'll have a life and a lot more fun. B-school is a breeze - getting wasted and partying every night.

redwhiteone · 07-23-2010, 08:24 AM

From a law graduate and second time bar taker (this will be the last), here are my pieces of advice to you:

Basics:

(1) Why do you want to be a lawyer? Is it for financial gain? Is it to help others? Is it because you have nowhere else to go? Reflect upon this question deeply...and I mean deeply. You will be going through hell if you chose the wrong reason.

(2) In connection with the first, who or what is your inspiration or motivation in joining the legal system? Answer truthfully.

Ideal:

(1) Before going into law school, you should now the basics of law (i.e. its origins) and also how to digest (summary) cases properly. I know it will be confusing at first so if you know a lawyer, ask for his/her help or if you don't, there are a lot of introduction to law books available;

(2) On the first day of school, you should study your a** off. Even if you Law schools have a high mortality rate and the professors will not give a damn who you are and what you do. Most of them are bad a** so you should be a badder a** by proving your worth, in a good way, during recitation and written exams.

(3) It's good to memorize the law but you should understand them first. Appreciate the spirit of the law more than the letter because that is what gave the letter life so to speak.

Real:

(1) The statement "it's not what you know, it's who you know" is sometimes true in the law profession and even in other respectable professions. Establish your connections during law school and even after you become a lawyer. You will need them when the time comes.

(2) Strive to be the best in what you do. If you belong to the cream of the crop, even if the economy is a disaster, you will get hired

(3) If you cannot understand the law, try to read it once again to try to understand it. If still you cannot understand it, just memorize the damn thing! You will encounter some parts that would relate to a portion that you could not understand. When that time comes, at least you have memorized that part of the law and you would be able to connect the dots

(4) Always remember, the law is 90% common sense and only 10% law

(5) Don't expect to be rich in this profession. There's not much money here. Try to have a business or invest so that you have extra income while helping those who are in need.

These are what I have realized during my stint in law school. I have committed a lot of mistakes during my law school years and you will too when your time will come. Just keep in mind that you are in law school to make mistakes and you will correct those mistakes to become the best lawyer you could ever be

That would be all folks. It's time for me to study again. Go Rockets!

MadMax · 07-23-2010, 08:27 AM

if you want to do it...if you feel challenged by it...do it. if you don't, then don't.

DieHard Rocket · 07-23-2010, 08:53 AM

A lot of good advice in this thread, it seems.

I will just echo to make sure that practicing law is what you really want to do. The field is very competitive so you're not going to get instantly rich upon graduating. And it's not much of a resume builder if you don't want to practice law.

I'm getting an MBA now, and I've had lawyers/law school grads in every class I've taken (18 hours so far), and these are in class sizes of 10-15 people. All but one of them that I've talked to is trying to get out of the field, while the other one runs his own firm and needs the business tools to do it.

DonkeyMagic · 07-23-2010, 08:54 AM

filibuster!

can't say i know that much about it from first hand experience but from what i've heard...first couple/three years are brutal. Last year is golfing. After that, you can go F yourself you ambulance chaser

just kidding but i thought you'd better get used to it

Xerobull · 07-23-2010, 09:34 AM

Do you enjoy wearing suits with ties?

This is a deal breaker for me. I can't stand ties.

Mulder · 07-23-2010, 10:36 AM

Lot of good advice in here.

As for the LSAT, grab a copy of PowerScore's Logic Games Bible. That is your new entertainment until you are a freaking genius at those games.

Want a good indication of where you can get in?

http://www.lawschoolpredictor.com/?page_id=11

or

the Boston College Law School Matrix http://www.bc.edu/offices/careers/gr...awlocator.html

Before you enter law school, let all your friends and family know that you will probably not see them or talk to them much for the next three years. You are going to lose some friends and you are going to have even very close family that will not understand why you can't come to family events.

Kiss your TV goodbye. Better yet, sell it. I am not even kidding.

Start reading books that are entertaining to you (novels, etc) and try to read about 100 pages a day to get used to the time reading a book. You may not read that many pages per day in law school but the time will probably be the same because the level of reading is way more difficult.

Do not read 'One L' before you go to law school, law school is not that bad and the stories will just make you crap your pants the first time even the nicest professor looks at you in class.

The job market right now is absolute **** for lawyers. You don't have to believe me, but you should pay attention to these guys: National Association for Law Placement (NALP)

As for the $100,000 coming out?

Oh and if you have a significant other, get ready because your personality WILL change.

As a Family Law judge told me "When you cross the stage at graduation as a full fledged certified a$$hole, those people cheering for you are the ones you need to cherish."

Good luck.

texasflip34 · 07-23-2010, 10:39 AM

http://www.jdunderground.com