Any lawyers here? (or law students)

[SeanT]

Hey,

I just was wondering if you could offer advice for a sophomore student who plans on going to law school.

My major is political science, but I think I am changing to the school of management because my school is known for it, and I'd like the background. (I go to the University at Buffalo)

As I was saying, I was wondering if you have any advice for someone who just knows that the education (law school) is supposed to be life-changing. I might do corporate law, or I might use it in business.

Any miscellaneous advice would be helpful, and if you know any sites that can help me (forums, or information) I'd be ever-so grateful.

Thanks,

Sean
[e-mail]

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Take atleast

a Legal Research class in undergraduate school. You'll thank yourself for it later.

[tabasco]

2. Go to a law school bookstore

Get the Emmanuel study guides for the major subjects: Property, Contracts, Evidence, Torts, Criminal Law, and read them. I wish I had done this before law school.

[UCLA02]

3. Watch all the TV and movies you can now!

'Cause you won't have time to do ANY of that once you start!!

(Self-pity of a third-WEEK law student!)

[teryang]

4. The law is a tedious career

...which after other jobs I'v had I found very stressful. The deadlines keep you on edge all the time. You can never prepare enough. And it is extremely expensive to practice in the private sector. You either find yourself deep into a line of credit that you don't know when it will get paid off or you are working for someone else, underpaid and overworked while they reap the profits. The law is a high risk expensive career. You can become very wealthy and pay others to do the dirty work. Most successful lawyers rely heavily on their assistants. In civil law, you have to be onguard for unethical clients who won't hesitate to sue you. Malpractice insurance will soon approach that for doctors in certain kinds of practice. You must spend a lot of money on advertising. They don't tell you any of this in law school. The overhead is a killer. The economics of lawyering is constantly thinning the ranks and fresh meat is always needed.

Much of the tedium in civil law is there by design so that the rich/corporations have the advantage over individual plaintiffs. Federal civil practice is the worst.

[SeanT]

6. I see

So would you say going to law school would be useful even if I'm not going to necessarily practice law? I thought it would give me an edge anywhere in business. I notice most executives, and such are attorneys as well.

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Sure it would be great in business...

I know a developer/lawyer who claimed he would represent himself in a lawsuit against our Home Owner's Association if we gave him any more trouble. He knew we didn't have funds so, it worked.

[teryang]

11. I went to law school for the education

It is a great business background. It is also good if you plan on going into government. I wouldn't give up my legal education for anything. I'd give up the practice of law in a heartbeat.

[harrison]

5. Oh, me, where to start. There are basically the upper tier law schools

and then the rest of the law schools. Getting into the upper tier law schools is the trick. That requires a high LSAT and good grades. However, a couple of my friends who went to the upper tier law schools tell me that once you are in, you are in.

Not so with law schools that have a more open admission policy. They will let you in with lower LSAT, but will bust you out if you don't make the grade.

I studied very, very hard in law school. Very hard. I didn't really see that law school was a life changing experience. However, the discipline of practicing law is life changing, I think. Particularly, if you do a good bit of trial work. You really do learn to think on your feet, and you do learn to seperate yourself from the case and argue a position. In some ways, it is an empowering experience.

I agree with the above poster. Get some law review books and case outlines and read them and see if it really doesn interest you. Some people, creative people, find law school and the practice of law pretty damn boring.

[SeanT]

8. Thanks

cool, thanks guys..hope someone read my last reply about business.

[patcox2]

7. The legal education is worth it, but practicing law sucks.

I did it for 13 years, miserable the whole time, and finally quit to work or democratic political campaigns (also a sucky existence; I am a masochist).

Law school is worth it, I loved it. For the first time in your life (unless you are going to a very elite school) everyone around you will be really really smart.

You will be truly challenged, you will actually have to prepare for classes, but then the classes are so much more rewarding because of that preparation, and the fear. Think of sports, think of the difference between a scrimmage game in practice, and a real game with the championship on the line; thats law school versus undergrad. The professors keep you so on your toes that going into class is like suiting up for a game.

That said, its not that hard, really. Most people pass. That crap about how you will never see another movie or read a book is self-gloriying exaggeration. My class in law school was a roving party. Perhaps because of the stress, we were wild, parties, bar nights, bed hopping, divorces, our Student Bar Association threw keg parties every thursday, and every week someone would wind up puking, someone would go home with someone they shouldn't, something memorable would happen. The worst of it is the two week exam periods, you will study your every waking moment during those, but thats only 4 weeks a year. There are no midterms and no papers for the most part, just the final, so thats not bad.

In return you will learn to think critically. Like a jesuit. You will learn how to see the flaws in every argument, you will learn to truly use your mind, you will learn to think as never before.

I would do it even if I were never to practice a day as a lawyer. However, if your are just doing it for some other purpose, try to find a program that combines the law degree with a program that has to do with what you really want to do, that way you get both for the price of one, if you know what I mean, research and look around for these programs, Law and public policy was one that my school offered, you got a JD and a masters in public policy together. There have to be some that do the same with business related topics.

Good luck, go for it, let no one intimidate you, it was the greatest time of my life.

[SeanT]

9. Cool...also

so did you guys all go into debt for school then? Cause I will have to..but I suspect if I combine this with my business training in undergrad I'll be able to get a nice job with some internships and such.