Law School

I told Ari that I would do a post on law school awhile back, and then a bunch of stuff came up and I kept not having the time or inclination to write about it, but I said I would and I always follow through when I tell someone I will do something. So here we go.

I was an Orientation Assistant and a prospective student tour guide. I was as honest as I possibly could be with the prospective students about to enter the noble profession that is law. Basically, I tried to talk them out of it as much as possible. It's not that law is a terrible profession or that it cannot be rewarding. It's that law can be a terrible profession and oftentimes is not rewarding. Law school, in my estimation, is something that you should not undertake on a whim because it's a ridiculous experience where you basically go to very difficult classes with a bunch of people that have reverted to high school level social interaction. Many marriages and relationships end during law school, and it will, generally, completely change your way of thinking and dealing with the world and information.

You should also not go to law school for money. Lots of people finish law school not making any more than someone with a much less advanced degree could achieve by working during those same three years. The ones that do make lots of money are usually working enough hours to equal two full time jobs, have lots of extra student loan debt to pay off, and never really get the chance to enjoy it. I have a friend who is a general contractor for a heating and air conditioning company, and she makes far more than most attorneys I know, and leads a much more enjoyable life. I have another friend that worked as an administrative assistant at an investment company, and she made more than I did at the time. Oftentimes, the difference is that if you don't burn out, and if you are successful, you will make a lot more money after you have been practicing for 5 to 10 years.

Really, the only reason I could ever think of for going to law school is a love of law. The law school experience is different for everyone, of course. However, everyone that I knew in the top of our class, generally, worked their asses off to get there. During my first year of law school, I studied at least 8 hours per day outside of class. We had about 4 hours of classes per day. So that means I studied at least 12 hours every day. Could I have passed law school by doing less? Yes. Did I know people that did? Yes. Would I want them handling my legal affairs? Maybe. Your performance in law school does not necessarily reflect how good of an attorney you will be. I worked hard in law school because I love law. I love the intellectual aspects of law, and I genuinely felt that it was important that I study and learn what the professors were trying to teach me while I was there. I was a nerd. I was always prepared, even when I knew that I wasn't on call. I usually knew the answer to whatever the professor was asking (even though I tried not to volunteer unless necessary), and I often felt I understood the concepts and legal arguments being made better than about three quarters of the class. However, it was a tiring process and not really one that I would undertake again.

The legal practice itself is interesting. The most true statement I have heard about the practice of law is "There are all kinds of lawyers." You will find some that are less ethical than others, some that are lazy, some that are smart, some that are very personable, some that are incompetent, some that make tons of money and some that make moderate amounts, etc. There are really all different types out there, just as there are different types of doctors. A lot of attorneys are quite good at what they do and try to do the absolute best they can given time constraints and simply the nature of the profession. However, it is a sad truth that oftentimes, the less personable attorneys get more complaints. Attorneys that are completely competent in the law sometimes neglect to keep their clients fully informed, and they are more likely to get sued for malpractice than the incompetent attorney who calls their client everyday to keep them informed.

Overall, I think the decision to attend law school is an important one, and one that should not be taken lightly. For anyone that does decide to go to law school, I wish them the absolute best. It can be a tremendously rewarding experience, and the profession can really be great. Just try not to go into it with false expectations.