i've thought about becoming a lawyer, but reading this thread and researching it a bit more makes me think that i'll want to shoot myself if i were one.

so what other options are there?

how about goat herding? it's in my blood. my grandfather was an illiterate subsistence farmer in a third world country. i envy his life, it was the life of his ancestors now i'm on this treadmill to nowhere.

i don't think humanity has progressed, we just have more "things". i crave the simple life, free of modern distractions and the hustle and bustle of city life. it's a complete waste of time and energy.

okay, i'm just rambling now…

I went to law school because I was too proud and naive to see how depressing a life I would have as a lawyer. I thought I was smart enough to be a lawyer, and it would be a waste of my intelligence to not challenge myself. I did not want to back out of law school and 25 years later think what if? Now even though I am upset that I blew so much money, I am happy I realize the error in my way before I blow 6 times as much money.

To all prospective law students, the best advice I can give is think about the work you will be doing in law school. Picture yourself reading and briefing boring cases for hours at a time, outlining all the material you have so that the entire course makes some sense to you, and then drilling all of that information into your head every day (not to mention legal writing which you don't even want to know about). All the while, you are tired, frustrated, and borderline depressed from having no life but the law. Moreover, no matter how hard you work, there isn't a threshold that you have to meet, rather there are students you have to beat in order for you to get ahead. It's a competition where everyone loses. If you aren't prepared to do this at least 40 hours a week, in addition to class and legal writing, and you aren't either in a top school, have a free ride scholarship, or have great connections, don't go. You may be placed even in the top 1/3 of your class if you are lucky, but all the hell you go through will not be worth it. You will likely live a life you do not want to live for many years, if not for the rest of your life.

As for those who think they can still handle law school, give yourself a test. Work 6 hours every day on LSAT prep in addition to doing your regular work. If you can manage that, law school might be for you, but if not, don't bother. Those study habits and the high pressure environment of the LSAT come comparably close (keep in mind only slightly though) to the stress you will be under in law school. If you don't enjoy that slave pressure, (i don't) find another profession. You will be much happier and have more money.

After a year in school, I realized that I didn't want to do traditional legal practice, so I embraced that decision and ran with it. Time I could've spent wandering through the OCI process (which many ambivalent students did by default) was instead spent volunteering, interning, and networking with non-lawyers. This made it easy for me to find a non-legal job after graduation. However, I did submit a few resumes to non-legal jobs where I didn't know the employer very well, and received basically no callbacks. This is why it's especially key to network — you want to make sure that people understand that you're not just "lost" and that this is actually part of your career plan.

I think this is extra-challenging for young JDs because the legal community is so insular. New JDs come out of law school with basically no new skills other than legal skills. Sure, we learn how to think more clearly and be analytical, which is great, but those skills are way too abstract to get you a specific job.

I think most people really respect a law degree. A person who has relevant skills *AND* a JD is going to be a compelling candidate for many non-legal jobs that technically require a different graduate degree. However, having a JD is never going to trump the fact that you have no experience or relevant skills in a particular field.

I have a feeling that the woman who wrote this "5 Myths" article is a rather unpleasant being. While I understand why many young (and "old") attorneys may agree with this article, I do not.

My legal career started six years ago, at the age of 21, when I took my seat in Property I to learn all about Ghen v. Rich. I will not give the name of the school I attended, but as far as I know it's considered a Tier 3 law school. So let me first give you a minute to comprehendthat. Okay, have you collected yourself? Good. Moving right along.

At the end of my first year my grades were very average, so average in fact that my rank number WAS the median! So right now, based on this article and several of the following comments, it appears that at this point it would have been a better decision for me to walk away and open up a Quiznos. Well article writer woman–I chose to forge ahead.

I interviewed for about eight to nine jobs my first summer, none paid very well, but I didn't mind because I just wanted some experience. Well, none picked me up. Yeah, that wasn't awesome. So I decided to email all of those people that I had interviewed with to see if they had any spots I could fill. Luckily, the day after sending out that email, I got responses from two of the employers offering me a position for the summer. I took the one I thought would give me the best experience–it didn't pay, so I applied for a grant and work study and low and behold, I survived my post 1L summer. Shocking, I know.

During my second and third years, my grades continually improved, I even managed to get the top grade in three of my classes. However, I never made law review, but guess what, I was still able to publish my law review article–and not in my school's journal, but in a "Top 50" law review. All it took was four months of research, three months of writing, fifty or so revisions, the red ink of three professors, and $200 bucks in postage to do it! But it was worth it–I was published.

Additionally, I was able to snag a slightly better job b/t my 2nd and 3rd year because of the connections (or what I call friendships)that I made during my first summer. So I spent my second summer working at the central courthouse of the city in which my school is based. I decided to take full advantage of my access around the court by studying case files, attending hearings, and asking many, many, many questions. I got to know the court clerks as well as the staff attorneys. I also made it a point to smile, say thank you, and to ask a question only once.

One day, the clerks invited me out to lunch, so I went along, thinking that it would just be me and the ladies. Well, five minutes later I found out that other court personnel were coming too: the judges. Now, most law students would probably be thrilled about this…yeah, well I'm not "most law students." I wanted to run in the other direction and cry.

Well for better or worse there I was. Little Tier 3 law student crawling in the back of the Honorable ________ ____________'s modest, yet impeccably clean Ford Explorer. I cannot remember exactly what happened in the car ride or what was said at lunch. All that is left in my memory of that afternoon is a Ruby Tuesday's and a discussion about the movie "Dodgeball."

I have to get going to work, so I'm going to cut to the chase: That email I sent getting me my first job led to my second job, which led to lunch, which led to my first job as a judicial clerk in state court, which led to my current position as an associate at a widely respected firm (not a brand name firm, but reputable firm nonetheless.)

So that's my point. The odds were against me–I don't deny that. However, I knew that ultimately, I had full control over my career. So I did what I needed to do: I worked 25 hour weeks during my final two semesters, I pocketed 600 pro bono hours while in law school, and I never once thought that I was entitled to anything.

So as you can see, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed and I'm not the most eloquent writer. I'm just an awkward dude that works hard, plays fair, says his Ps&Qs, and wears mismatched socks. So say what you want about Tier 1s, being in the top 10%, and law review. Some of it's true, but most of it's crap. My school didn't determine my future, I did. It's not just about brains, and drive, and work ethic–it's also about attitude. So yes, I went to a Tier 3, and no, I was not in the top 10% of my class–yet I sit here today financially stable, happy in my professional and personal life, and looking forward to what's ahead. Why? Because my momma didn't raise no fool.

All my love,
A Loud and Proud Tier 3er