To Lawyers and Law Students...

[Playmaker]

1) Are you satisfied with your decision to go to law school?

2) Did you have any work experience in the legal field beforehand?

3) Did you take 1 year or more off between undergrad and law school?

Thanks.

 

[dbk]

Originally posted by: Playmaker
1) Are you satisfied with your decision to go to law school?

2) Did you have any work experience in the legal field beforehand?

3) Did you take 1 year or more off between undergrad and law school?

Thanks.

Yeah, and if 2) is true, what was your undergrad preparation to garner that legal experience?

 

[Corporate Thug]

1. yes (but mainly because i am young and dont have obligations like family)

2. No

3. No, went straight thru

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: Playmaker
1) Are you satisfied with your decision to go to law school?

2) Did you have any work experience in the legal field beforehand?

3) Did you take 1 year or more off between undergrad and law school?

Thanks.

4) Do they give you anesthesia when they do the surgery to remove your soul?

 

[Corporate Thug]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: Playmaker
1) Are you satisfied with your decision to go to law school?

2) Did you have any work experience in the legal field beforehand?

3) Did you take 1 year or more off between undergrad and law school?

Thanks.

4) Do they give you anesthesia when they do the surgery to remove your soul?

4. depends on the insurance coverage that the school has. Mine paid for 75%

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: Corporate Thug

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: Playmaker
1) Are you satisfied with your decision to go to law school?

2) Did you have any work experience in the legal field beforehand?

3) Did you take 1 year or more off between undergrad and law school?

Thanks.

4) Do they give you anesthesia when they do the surgery to remove your soul?

4. depends on the insurance coverage that the school has. Mine paid for 75%

:laugh:

 

[MotionMan]

Originally posted by: Playmaker
1) Are you satisfied with your decision to go to law school?

2) Did you have any work experience in the legal field beforehand?

3) Did you take 1 year or more off between undergrad and law school?

Thanks.

1. No. I am still a lawyer, but I regret that I did not choose a different field. My sister and brother are both former lawyers. They were practicing when I was in college and they both tried to talk me out of going to law school (the only thing they EVER agreed on). I wish I had listened to them.

2. Not really. My mom was a legal secretary and I use to work as a runner for her bosses.

3. No.

MotionMan

 

[iliopsoas]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: Playmaker
1) Are you satisfied with your decision to go to law school?

2) Did you have any work experience in the legal field beforehand?

3) Did you take 1 year or more off between undergrad and law school?

Thanks.

4) Do they give you anesthesia when they do the surgery to remove your soul?

I don't use anesthesia when working on lawyers.

 

[sjwaste]

1. Yes, sort of. I'm an evening student, to maximize ROI on the degree. On one hand, it sucks having a 16 hr day 4x a week (full time job M-F, school M-Th til about 9:30pm), but on the other, it's preparing me for the hours I'll put in once I graduate. The coursework is great, but the overall schedule is draining.

2. None. I have a business degree and a full time job within an unrelated career track (although a JD goes pretty far in my company, even in non-legal paths, which gives me more options at graduation).

3. Yes, I took a year off to make sure it's what I really wanted. During that year I had an awful job that I've since left for a better opportunity, and along the way I decided the ROI on the degree made a lot more sense if I had a full time income during school. While I'm still taking on debt for tuition, everything else is paid for, I have retirement savings going at a steady rate, and would be able to pay the loans off on my current salary. Once I'm out, I don't have to take the top dollar 80 hour a week position if I don't want to, and I probably won't.

I'm guessing you're considering law school. Go at night. Evening students get great jobs coming out, despite the stigma attached to it by the day division students. It helps to go to a school with a strong alumni base of evening students and a program that has services accessible to you at night, so make sure you do your research on that. The faculty at my school really likes the evening crowd, so they go out of their way to help, including having clinical courses available, summer/externship placement, etc, and I know many other evening programs around the country have the same things going. If you can handle the demands of work + school, especially if you're working during the day at a place you'd like to build a career longer term, an evening program gives you a lot of options.

Above all, take a year off. School isn't going anywhere. Enjoy making money and living like a 20-something for a little while first. It's worth it. Then, if you really still want to become a lawyer, go.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: iliopsoas

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: Playmaker
1) Are you satisfied with your decision to go to law school?

2) Did you have any work experience in the legal field beforehand?

3) Did you take 1 year or more off between undergrad and law school?

Thanks.

4) Do they give you anesthesia when they do the surgery to remove your soul?

I don't use anesthesia when working on lawyers.

But, I bet you still charge for the anesthetist!

 

[dbk]

Didn't the costs overwhelm you guys? Or is that just a stereotype?

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: dbk
Didn't the costs overwhelm you guys? Or is that just a stereotype?

See my post about going in the evening. It's a ton of money, but it's manageable if you're pulling in more than tuition costs every year, even if you can't pay it as it comes in. It's basically a small mortgage, but if you really want to pursue that career, it'll open doors.

 

[dug777]

Very satisfied with my law degree.

No

Combined Degree: Law & Economics

 

[Baltazar325]

Originally posted by: Playmaker
1) Are you satisfied with your decision to go to law school?

2) Did you have any work experience in the legal field beforehand?

3) Did you take 1 year or more off between undergrad and law school?

Thanks.

1.) Sometimes yes and sometimes no. It depends on what kind of week I've had. Many time I wish I had chosen a different career path but hindsight is 20/20. When I seettle a case and make some cash I enjoy it but when I have to deal withsome DA on a crusade for justice I hate it.

2.) I worked at blockbuster and best buy before law school so I had a lot of experience dealing with a$$holes which is good to have when you are a lawyer or a law student.

3.) Yes. I took a full year off and I was glad that I did. I was burnt out on school and it would have made being a 1L even worse than it was.

 

[RKS]

1. yes
2. yes
3. yes

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: jadinolf

Originally posted by: Corporate Thug

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: Playmaker
1) Are you satisfied with your decision to go to law school?

2) Did you have any work experience in the legal field beforehand?

3) Did you take 1 year or more off between undergrad and law school?

Thanks.

4) Do they give you anesthesia when they do the surgery to remove your soul?

4. depends on the insurance coverage that the school has. Mine paid for 75%

:laugh:

Hahaha. Nice.

 

[Dirigible]

Originally posted by: Playmaker
1) Are you satisfied with your decision to go to law school?

2) Did you have any work experience in the legal field beforehand?

3) Did you take 1 year or more off between undergrad and law school?

Thanks.

1) Yes 'n' no. I enjoyed law school itself. For the first few years after graduating I hated my job - worked in a big firm. I enjoy my job a lot more now, and the money is nice - takes some worries off. However, I often feel like a paper pusher playing a legal game and not making any positive contribution to society. I felt more productive as an engineer.

2) Nope.

3) Yes. Spent a couple years as an engineer. (Patent attorney now.)

 

[Jeeebus]

Originally posted by: dbk
Didn't the costs overwhelm you guys? Or is that just a stereotype?

Depends on where you go. Having graduated from one of the most expensive schools in the country, my response is simply "mehhh"

 

[alm4rr]

Originally posted by: Playmaker
1) Are you satisfied with your decision to go to law school?

2) Did you have any work experience in the legal field beforehand?

3) Did you take 1 year or more off between undergrad and law school?

Thanks.

Yes
Yes
Yes

 

[Playmaker]

Thanks for the responses. I've asked this question elsewhere, and although there is definite lack of job satisfaction in the legal field as whole, those that have taken at least a year off before law school seem to enjoy their legal careers more than most.

It's a big decision, and I keep wavering.

Keep the responses coming.

 

[Deleted member 4644]

So far I don't like law school, but I know some who do. The first year truely sucks for most.... but I hear it gets a lot better after that.

 

[CptObvious]

1. Not really
2. No
3. No

Hmm..

 

[Playmaker]

Originally posted by: LordSegan
So far I don't like law school, but I know some who do. The first year truely sucks for most.... but I hear it gets a lot better after that.

I have a roommate who would agree. Early December was hell for him, but that challenge is part of what attracts me to law school.

 

[dafatha00]

1) No.
2) No.
3) Yes.

My advice to you is that if you're not completely sure that you want to be an attorney, don't go to law school. It sucks. It really really sucks.

 

[aphex]

I started BarBri tonight.... SERIOUSLY regretting my decision right now....

1. Dunno yet.
2. No.
3. Yes.