Was law school worth it for you? [SERIOUS]
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Date: September 27th, 2014 5:13 PM Author: Henna Whorehouse
I'm not asking whether you like/liked being in biglaw (of course you don't/didn't) or regret taking on debt (of course you do -- significant debt can be soul-crushing and affects almost every aspect of your life).
I'm also not asking about the value of law school in the context of trying to get a job practicing law -- I know that even students at "good" schools can have real trouble finding well-paying legal work after graduation.
Here's what I'm asking:
Was your law school experience (the classes, the assignments, the friendships you made) enjoyable and valuable in and of itself? I mean the classes and assignments, the clinics/programs, the summer gigs you did, the social atmosphere, the relationships with professors and the professional network you built.
Background: I'm planning to send out LS apps soon (ONLY to HYSCCNP) but not planning to go to LS unless I get huge $$$ from one of them (or get into H/S with at least some $, or get into Y). I'm 150% sold on the notion that from a getting-a-job-and-being-financially-secure perspective, a JD is not the best option and I should instead figure out something else to do with my life and/or try for an MBA. But I took the LSAT, have a very good score, and have LS recs already -- so the personal statements are all I have left to do. I have fee waivers to CCNP, so I'd only have to pay for the HYS apps. It's early in the cycle, which increases my chances of getting into a good school. My plan is to get into that school, defer for 1 or 2 years, get experience in an industry more interesting than biglaw, and then do a JD/MBA at that school without having to revisit the law school application process in the future.
So I'm really asking whether I should:
(a) apply now and keep a T7+$$$ acceptance letter with deferred matriculation on the shelf (to tack onto an MBA in the future); or
(b) not bother to secure acceptance to a T7 school at all, and just focus on career and possible MBA down the road.
It comes down to whether LS is enjoyable/valuable in and of itself, since I would only be doing the JD on top of the MBA for the LS experience. I'd take the bar, but I wouldn't plan on practicing, certainly not in biglaw.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2685889&forum_id=2#26409920) |
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Date: November 1st, 2016 9:45 PM Author: Red Deep Associate
SHORT-ATTENTION-SPAN-MO HERE. I WENT TO LAW SCHOOL FOR THE PRESTIGE. I DID OCI FOR THE PRESTIGE. I GOT THE PRESTIGE. IT IS DISAPPOINTING.
LAW SCHOOL WAS WONDERFUL. LONG-WINDED, MEANDERING CONVERSATIONS WITH MY FELLOW LAW STUDENTS ABOUT INTELLECTUAL TOPICS THAT NO PRACTICAL HUMAN BEING GIVES TWO SHITS ABOUT WERE FASCINATING TO ME. AFTER GRADUATION, HOWEVER, I REALIZED THAT THESE CONVERSATIONS DID NOT IMPRESS AND, IN FACT, ANNOYED THE PEOPLE WHO PAID ME THE SALARY THAT I USE TO PAY DOWN MY LOANS.
YADA YADA YADA.
FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AND THEN DO THAT THING. DO NOT BORROW MONEY TO LEARN HOW TO DO THAT THING. TEACH YOURSELF HOW TO DO THAT THING. THEN DO THAT THING.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2685889&forum_id=2#31779868) |
Date: September 27th, 2014 5:20 PM Author: Pink wild theater
There are two types of people who do well socially in law school: chill, fratty bros do well, because the "chill bro" scene in law school is so much easier to break into than in UG, and dudes who are super nerdy about the law and find other law nerds to hang out with
I fall into neither of these two groups so my law school social life was hell. I made no friends in law school that I still keep in touch with. I was alone and depressed most of the time.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2685889&forum_id=2#26409970) |
Date: September 27th, 2014 5:22 PM Author: Racy Sable Boiling Water
School is nice but no
I ended up making the same as I could have without the degree and now I'm a lawyer working with other lawyers
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2685889&forum_id=2#26409979) |
Date: September 27th, 2014 5:47 PM Author: Aggressive Dull Station Skinny Woman
an enormous fucking NO for me. i don't practice law and i owe over $250K in student loans.
edit: oh school itself? also no. but a lowercase no. it was alright. not interesting but not stressful either.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2685889&forum_id=2#26410169) |
Date: September 27th, 2014 5:55 PM Author: Henna Whorehouse
Another huge mark in the CON column (found by searching JD/MBA in the XO search):
A joint degree is going to be a pain in the ass because you won't be with either class for the full program in succession. You'll be a social pariah like an EMBA azn prop trader or a know-it-all foreign LLM. Just do best 2 years of your life MBA.
http://www.xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=2654549&mc=45&forum_id=2#26193007
At this point I can barely remember my serious justifications (if there were any) for wanting to send out the LS apps. Fuck...you guys are good. Glad I didn't make an account on TLS to ask them this question -- they would have said nonsensical shit.
I really think that despite the numerous, serious downsides of this chatweetblog, it has been good for one thing -- it's kept me (and others like me) from fooling ourselves into getting a JD.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2685889&forum_id=2#26410245) |
Date: September 27th, 2014 5:55 PM Author: beady-eyed carmine church building
"Was your law school experience (the classes, the assignments, the friendships you made) enjoyable and valuable in and of itself?"
LOL, of course not. This is a trade school. It exists for one and ONLY one reason: to prepare you to be a lawyer. That is it. The assignments, subject matter, grading and even friendships all exist solely to advance that purpose. You don't go to law school to "learn to think differently" or "to explore another career." You go to be a lawyer. If you're not sure you're interested in that, then figure that out BEFORE applying.
And yes, I went to a T6 school. For crappier schools it gets even worse. For real TTTs it is 3 years of bar prep.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2685889&forum_id=2#26410246) |
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Date: September 27th, 2014 6:11 PM Author: Henna Whorehouse
I'm starting to figure that out. I was a UG poli-sci shithead (thankfully, with a marginally more useful second major), and there is just no reason that I would want to be with those types again...all hot air, no skills or talent or creativity, and usually, not that much intelligence. Lots of navel-gazing, slightly-to-the-right-of-the-bell-curve types with a penchant for "analyzing" and "criticizing" things that they don't know that much about, writing with too many words, rarely adding value in the classroom or elsewhere, and never really creating anything novel and interesting in the world (especially not anything profitable).
I should just focus on building my career and practical skills in the short and medium term, with an eye on B school in the future. Maybe I'll start exploring the GMAT.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2685889&forum_id=2#26410384) |
Date: September 27th, 2014 6:20 PM Author: Learning disabled chapel
yes because being a biglaw associate sucks (it really does) but i hope it will pan out in the end with a in house gig that will either be desirable itself or allow me to transition to a biz role.
if that doesn't happen before i get pushed out, i believe i could find some smaller biglaw gig in a secondary market as a backup because i'm a pretty standard-issue M&A associate that could plug and play.
in the meantime, i have lived in MFH mostly without roommates and saved a lot of dough.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2685889&forum_id=2#26410469) |
Date: September 28th, 2014 2:14 PM Author: Talented national
Law school itself was a vacation.
Practice of law itself is hellish.
If I could do life over again, I would have gone into finance straight out of college.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2685889&forum_id=2#26414760) |
Date: September 29th, 2014 6:58 PM Author: chestnut floppy hissy fit senate
Yes.
I had a 3.1 from a mediocre state school and a major in political science. T10 --> V10. Have the full debt burden of law grads but i'm still probably better overall financially and, in some strange way, i feel satisfied in what i achieved.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2685889&forum_id=2#26423132) |
Date: September 29th, 2014 11:47 PM Author: diverse self-centered karate degenerate
Viewing it solely as an academic expierience, I would rank it significantly lower than UG. Perhaps 25% of the classes I took were interesting or challenging in a satisfying way. I did fairly well on exams but felt like I got very little out of most of the classes. Often the class experience felt like a tedious high school exercise, usually because the underlying material just wasn't sufficiently thought provoking or challenging to warrant in class discussion. Skimming a few volumes of a flagship joirnal will give you a sense of what to expect from law school from an intellectual standpoint: mostly obvious observations and bullshit, but there are a few bright spots here and there.
That said, definitely worth it for me. At this point, a good 40% of my work is really satisfying and quite intellectual. Great to get paid a living wage to think.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2685889&forum_id=2#26425478) |
Date: November 1st, 2016 10:51 AM Author: Naked lavender bawdyhouse fanboi
With zero loans, I can say that it was well worth it. I like my practice and being a lawyer has allowed me to live a good life (I can't attribute any problems in my life to being a lawyer). I've got a good practice and I am generally pleased with my professional life.
1L year was a hot mess but was really fun. 2L year was tough because I went through bad break up with a girl that I loved and spent most of my time working at a firm and studying in school. 3L year was one of the worst years of my life, it felt like being in prison - bored, wanting to go back home to South Carolina, just marking time. By 3L year, I was sick of being broke, sick of going to make-work classes, the novelty of law school had worn off, and I felt pathetic being in my mid-20's and having to really worry about having enough money in my bank account to cover a bar tab. I had no intention of staying where my law school was (Philly), so I was not putting down any roots, and I was aware that I was probably not going to keep up with a lot of my friends in LS, so it was just kind of lonely & miserable. For me, my 3L year, I was drinking a lot, but not partying, which made a depressing situation even worse. I hated 3L year.
Also, first few years after law school were stressful but fun- much better than law school. After about 4/5 years of practice, life became very fun.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2685889&forum_id=2#31774353) |
Date: November 1st, 2016 11:43 AM Author: Vivacious drunken ceo temple
Have 600,000 reasons it was worth it but it still sucks and if I had known what I was getting myself into then maybe I wldnt go
But gawd damn I got lucky, I may become a millionaire from this BS and not work hard for rest of life just goin to beach and ddrinking fresh juice so I cant complain
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2685889&forum_id=2#31774745) |
Date: November 1st, 2016 3:14 PM Author: Fuchsia library
I hated it and would not do it again.
Most law students have horrible personalities. Many law professors are the same.
I was one of those flame joint degree students. Spending time with the people in my other program and taking classes with those profs is probably the only reason I made it through.
Enjoy my work now, though. So there's that.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2685889&forum_id=2#31776632) |
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Date: November 1st, 2016 11:36 PM Author: Talented national
CR
School is 180
I bet med school is 180 compared to working GC BIGLAW FLAME
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2685889&forum_id=2#31780681) |
Date: November 2nd, 2016 8:16 AM Author: odious mauve stage
OP was tl;dr
But from a purely financial perspective it was the best decision I've ever made. I had a full tuition scholarship and have done biglaw for
8 years. My pre law school career paid just south of 100k and likely would've capped out at 150 or so.
I still don't encourage people to go to law school though
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2685889&forum_id=2#31782152) |
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