Whose starting law school in the fall?

[Eaglebauer]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So you're a 2L and you think you know what you're talking about?

[/ QUOTE ]

Add another lawyer to DrewDevil's position. Practicing law sucks. I'm already disillusioned by it, and haven't been out long. I won't be practicing much longer.


[/ QUOTE ]

Add another. Graduated top 25 law school (20-25 range), practicing for three years in big firm.

Hated law school. Hate practicing law a little less, but am looking for outs.

Would never do it again if given a do-over.

Law schools are money-making diploma factories. Getting a job was extremely tough. I started out top 1/4 of my class first year, but completely fizzled out years 2 & 3, so only finished top 1/2. There's too much competition in the job market.

I went in thinking I would have my choice of jobs to choose from, and just wouldn't take one that demanded me to work too many hours. Well, most don't come out with those choices.

Also, depending on how much prestige you're shooting for, I would suggest finishing top of your class at the cheaper, smaller-name school than finishing middle of pack and expensive prestigious school. The most successfu lawyers at my firm all come from the smaller cheaper schools.

The truly elite big-city firms might require a bit bigger name, though. I don't know.

Any other disallusioned lawyers want to discuss a scheme to hatch ourselves out of the law field, pm me! :P

[MrMon]

[ QUOTE ]
I would suggest finishing top of your class at the cheaper, smaller-name school than finishing middle of pack and expensive prestigious school.

[/ QUOTE ]

For those just entering law school or contemplating it, let me emphasize this as much as possible. Write it in large letters, have it tatooed on your forearm, never forget it:

GRADES ARE EVERYTHING, COMPARED TO THEM, YOUR SCHOOL IS MEANINGLESS

Now, I'm sure someone will chime in here with how this doesn't apply to Harvard or Yale or Chicago, but guess what, most of you aren't there or aren't going to be there. Not only that, any firm that interviews at your school, regardless of where it ranks, will want to interview the top students at that school. Once they choose to interview students at that school, grades are it, they determine who gets the interview. In the 50th percentile at Harvard? Yeah, you might be at a better school than someone at Fordham, but if the firm interviews at both places, you have to fight the students ahead of you at Harvard, not Fordham to get face time. And it's face time you want, if you don't get interviewed, it's pretty tough to get the job. Only if you can somehow work around the system, getting an interview outside of campus interviews, will your Harvard degree mean anything. That might get you in a few more doors, being in the Top 10% at Fordham would make the world a whole lot easier than middle of the pack at Harvard.

That leads to my second rule, which emphasizes the first:

WORK LIKE A DOG THE FIRST YEAR. WORK LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER WORKED BEFORE AND ESTABLISH YOUR GPA

Why, you say, can't I make up for a bad first year? Because of the way hiring at law firms works. After your first and second semesters, all the critical interviews take place. This determines who gets to be 1st and 2nd year summer interns at top law firms. Those who are summer interns are the ones who get job offers before graduation. How do you get those interviews? Be one of the top of your class. It's that simple. If you get a 2.0 your first semester and 4.0 all the rest of the way, you'll be way worse off than if you got 4.0 your first seven semesters and 2.0 your last. A 2.0 won't get you any interviews after your first semester, a 4.0 will get you all kinds. A 3.0 after your 2nd semester will get you some interviews, a 4.0 after two semesters will get you top offers at top firms, leading to an offer after your second summer. No one will care what you do the rest of the way as long as you don't flunk out. Mr. Screwed Up First Semester may graduate withn the same grade point average, but will work a lot harder to get the same job the other guy got.

Which leads to my summary:

YOUR FIRST YEAR IN LAW SCHOOL IS THE MOST IMPORTANT YEAR OF YOUR LIFE, IGNORE THIS RULE AT YOUR OWN PERIL. EVEN THOSE AT TOP SCHOOLS HAVE TO COMPETE WITH THEIR FELLOW STUDENTS. GRADES, GRADES, GRADES, NOTHING BUT GRADES!

[JP OSU]

This has been an extremely helpful and informative thread for myself as someone considering law school (of course I won't be there for 2 1/2 years)... I've decided to go for it despite all the negativity.

[Butso]

[ QUOTE ]
Just finished reading the post and have a few comments. I really don't like sharing private details on a public forum but I think 1st hand knowledge could help: I graduated #2 in my class from UCLA law school. I went BIG LAW and worked at Latham & Watkins for one year. The pay was INSANE ($145,000 starting, plus a $27,000 bonus). I left the law after that one year. This in a nutshell was my life: up at 6:00 A.M., get to the office at 7:00. Worked until 1:00 where I usually had a business lunch and I usually left the office at 10:30-11:00 PM. This was Monday-Friday. On Saturday's I would come in at 10:00 and leave at 7:00. My only day off was Sunday. vIt got to the point where I didn't know who I was anymore. My life was work and to be honest it was mind numbing at that. As a JA, you have absolutely no real responsiblity. Your basically stuck in your office and check facts and conduct research. All my friends from school were going through the exact same thing. Some left, some loved the money too much. It's a life decision. I'm starting my MBA in the Spring, but lord knows what I will do.
As for actual law school itself, live it up there. I had a great time, met some amazing people, and accomplished more than I thought possible. Yes, I studied ALOT. But law school was great. I loved being surrounded by the law and studying every nuance. The law is truely amazing and I truely loved law school. It's the actual profession that ripped my heart apart. Think about it what type of law you want to practice and then go from there. Find a firm that practices the type of law your interested in and schedule an informational interview with a junior associate to get a taste of what life will be like.

Regardless of your choice, good luck. Your embarking on a tough road filled with anxiety and pressure. But the rewards for overcoming those obstacles are immeasurable. My Civ Pro professor said this to me one day and I couldn't agree more: "the law is not a 9-5 job. It consumes everything about you until either you become the law or you despise it. Those in between are the lawyers in AA and NA."

[/ QUOTE ]

May I ask why you want to get an MBA?-The reasons you give for leaving Law are just as relevant to Investment Banking...

[The Big Easy]

My first class (Contracts) starts tomorrow at 8:00am. Hopefully I will not be the first person called on. Wish me luck.

[miajag]

LOL. I was the first person called on in the first class on the first day of first year. Fortunately it was some lame softball question, but everyone still teases me about it. My heart pretty much stopped when it happened.

[SackUp]

[ QUOTE ]
My first class (Contracts) starts tomorrow at 8:00am. Hopefully I will not be the first person called on. Wish me luck.

[/ QUOTE ]

you will soon learn that no one gives a [censored] about what people say in lecture when they are called on and no one will remember what you said. It is the kids that go out of their way to answer questions and sound like an idiot who are remembered.

[Bulbarainey]

immigration: filling out forms, making forms for paralegals to fill out, signing G28 forms... there's not much burnout there. I take the bar in Feb... hopefully I pass, and thats what I plan to do.

oh also, you can be one of those friendly attornies on westlaw's support hotline

[Eaglebauer]

[ QUOTE ]

oh also, you can be one of those friendly attornies on westlaw's support hotline

[/ QUOTE ]

And have to still talk to other a$$hole lawyers who can't figure out how to find what they want? Pass :P

[elwoodblues]

I had some similar choices in law school --- regional lower ranked school for free (full tuition academic scholarship) or larger "tier 1" school. I still question my choice. It's a tough decision and one that I thought a lot about. Ultimately, I went for the free school thinking that the opportunities for moot court/law review/etc. would make up for the lower ranking.