Law School Questions

[gkb]

So I'm thinking about trying to get into law school. I'm still struggling with why I want to go...I enjoyed my business law classes while getting my undergrad degree and I believe the money would be pretty good. I'm pretty sure those aren't strong enough reasons to carry me through the rigors of law school as I understand them.

So anyway, I think there are a couple of lawyers here at FOFC. Any advice for someone who's considering becoming an attorney? Would you do it again? What do you do during a typical day at work?

[Honolulu_Blue]

We've got a good mix of attorneys on the board who practice all types of law for a good cross-section of employers (small firms, government, judicial clerks, big firms, etc.). I can speak from the "big firm" perspective, which, depending on where you go to law school can, can be the path of least resistance career-wise.

I liked law school. I liked it a lot actually. Sure many of the people were annoying, but those who weren't were great people and good friends. There are pelnty of opportunities to get involved in a variety of projects and groups and what not. I even liked the exam period. I have no regrets about law school. The first year is really a drain and can be tough, but once you get over that hurdle it's not bad at all. Again, depending on where you go, the financial burden (see loans) can be substantial. I went to Michigan and I had to borrow $30K a year to cover tuition and living expenses.

I am not sure if I would do it again, though if I went back in time I have no idea what I would do. A bachelors degree in English and psychology will only take you so far. That said, I think I enjoyed law school more than I enjoy being a lawyer. I am sure there is something out there law-related I would enjoy, but I have yet to find it. I am certainly not miserable at my job, I just don't love it. Still, I like the people I work with and get paid well, so there are worse fates. You can always take your law degree and try something else, but the loans start coming due pretty quickly and while many schools have loan forgiveness programs, if you don't meet the thresholds, you will need to make some money quickly.

If you liked business law classes, perhaps you could look into a good business school? It's certainly an option.

As for what I do during a typical day? It varies wildly. I do antitrust and litigation work, which typically boils down to either merger work or litigation work. Merger work involves meeting/talking with clients to understand products and markets, reviewing and processing data, reviewing documents, analyzing potential transactions and writing up an opinion, working with regulators to get a deal through, etc, etc. Litigation typically involves research/writing motions, briefs, etc. Very little, if any, court room time. And, with both, there is always the joy of discovery, which involves reviewing thousands upon thousdands of documents. Ah... good times.

Let me know if you want to know more or have any specific questions.

[digamma]

If you substituted Virginia for Michigan, HB's first three paragraphs work for me as well.

I moved in-house from a big firm a little more than a year ago. My days are much slower now, but I handle a variety of issues from vendor contracts to more substantial company contracts to shareholder issues to an occasional employment issue. I miss a bit of the deal rush from working on a big M&A transaction at the firm but I don't miss spending a night or two a month at work.

[BuffaloHuskey]

digamma - It sounds as though you are having the same thoughts I had when I was in undergrad. I graduated with a double major (Finance and Accounting), and my favorite classes were my business law classes. I had a few relatives who had recently completed law school, and really enjoyed it (with the exception of year one).

I ultimately decided not to go to law school for a two reasons; The cost of going to law school had the potential of outweighing the benefit (i.e., compensation) and if I was really unhappy in a Finance poistion, I could always go back to law school. Most attorneys who are making big money started in large firms. It is very competive to get into the top firms, and unless you rank well in law school, it is hard to even get an interview at said firms. This fact made me a little nervous. I did ok in undergrad (3.5/4.0) and I went to a highly respected liberal arts university, however I was never one to be super competitive with others in my class, so I was afraid I was going to be intimidated by the competitive nature of law school. Knowing this, I had doubts on how well I would perform in law school. I was unwillling to take the risk of incurring debt without knowing I was going to be able to land a big-time job to help me pay off that debt.

I am currently in my fourth year out of undergard, and on my second Finance/Accounting. I really enjoy what I am doing and the firm that I work for. It is unlikely that I will go to law school at this point because I found something I really like to do.

My advice to you is to make sure that you are positive that you think law school is the right thing for you because it is an expensive mistake if you don't. If later down the road you decide you want to go, that option is always open.

[Draft Dodger]

I highly recommend doing a google search for "easy lawyer job" when you are finished with school.

(only half joking)

[Mountain]

There is a vast difference between law school and the practice of law. Also you need to be a good writer. The vast majority of your work will be in written form. While it is true that big firms pay well, they demand a great deal in return. It is not uncommon for lawyers in big firms to routinely work 60 hour work weeks for many years. Lawyers at small firms or solo practictioners can also make a lot of money, often much more than lawyers at big firms and have more control over how they spend their time.

The general traits that I have seen in good lawyers are intellectual curiousity, possess great communication skills (both written and oral), and a passion for perfection. If you are just thinking about being a lawyer for the money, do something else. Just like anything else you do, if you are good at what you do and enjoy it, the money will come.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

I highly recommend doing a google search for "easy lawyer job" when you are finished with school.

(only half joking)

you realize there are a grand total of 3 people here who will get that joke...

[gkb]

Thanks for the responses guys, I appreciate them. I'm still undecided, but I'm leaning towards not going at this point. HB thanks for the offer to answer more of my questions. If I have any, would it be ok if I sent you a PM?

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

you realize there are a grand total of 3 people here who will get that joke...

that's at least 2 more than normally get my jokes

[mgadfly]

I'm not going to tell you to go, but I'm an in-house attorney for a labor union that splits my time advising the union on how to operate as a non-profit organization/employer, and half my time doing arbitrations for union members who have been discharged.

It is sometimes stressful, too busy, and a pain in the butt, but overall I love my job and am very happy that I decided to go to law school. I passed up the opportunity to make more money in order to take a job in an area of law that I enjoy. If you can do work that is meaningful to you without going to law school, I'm of the opinion that is what you should do. However, if law school will give you the qualifications to do the work you want to do, I'd go.

[Ksyrup]

I went to law school because I wasn't particularly good at anything else. I had pretty much decided at age 12 that it was either sports or law. Since I peaked in sports at age 12, I ended up at law school.

The only thing I can add about the law school experience is that you should prepare yourself big time for the first year. First semester, really. Learn the basics of law (how to read a case, how to research statutes, legal terms, etc.). Or, get an advanced degree before you go to law school. The most sought-after people from my class were a former doctor who decided he didn't want to practice anymore and a guy with an MBA. But the reason I say to prepare yourself before the first year, is that if you don't establish yourself as a top student almost immediately, you've got no shot at the top positions coming out of law school. If you don't make law review or have top 10% grades after the first semester, good luck getting interviews. It's very stressful.

I was Mister Consistency for the first 3 semesters - I had no grade below 80, but no grade over 85. So, I was just above average. It wasn't until I started clerking in a real-world situation that things clicked for me and I started getting A's. But by then, it was too late. Lucky for me, I went to law school in a state capitol and was able to get a job clerking with a state agency, then they brought me on as an attorney, and finally, I learned enough to be dangerous and got a job in the private sector representing clients before the agency I used to work for. It has worked out well.

Admittedly, my practice is probably more laid back than most - I rarely do any litigation or see a courtroom. But I think that suits me much better anyway, since I was never really interested in litigating. And there is definitely more to law than what you see on TV. It just doesn't make for a compelling show.