So you think you want to a be a lawyer…well, it’s not as easy or glamorous as popular television shows—like Ally McBeal and Law & Order—portray.
First and foremost, students can plan on studying for about 7.25 years: four years of undergraduate work, three more years for law school, and then three long, hard months of studying for the bar exam.
I personally don’t think any one undergraduate degree is best in preparing you for law school. Consider what type of law you’re interested in and focus on a degree in that particular field. Traditionally, liberal arts majors are precursors to law school; however, business backgrounds can be just as advantageous.
More important than what undergrad degree to obtain is the need to take college seriously and obtain a high GPA; the higher the GPA, the more likely to be accepted to law school.
Another factor for acceptance into law school is the LSAT exam. The LSAT is similar to the SAT, only on a higher level. A combination of a good LSAT score and a good GPA will ensure admittance into the law school of your choice and perhaps an opportunity to reduce the 7.25 years. Some schools offer 3/3 programs in which the last year of undergraduate school is actually the first year of law school. To be admitted to such programs, both GPA and
LSAT scores must be even higher.
Once in law school, there is an old adage that says the first year they scare you to death, the second year they work you to death, and the third year they bore you to death. For the most part this is true…all except for the third year. I wouldn’t consider the third year boring at all. You take a portion of the bar exam dealing with ethics called the MPRE, and you have the bar exam looming in the near future.
Overall, most of a law student’s time is spent reading. For every hour spent in class, one spends about two to three hours outside of class studying. Obtaining high grades in law school is very important, especially if you want job offers. The better your rank within the class, the better job opportunities you will get.
There are many job opportunities that a law degree can provide, but there are two things that students should consider before pursuing law school. First are the loans that come with getting the degree. Law school can cost about $90,000, which doesn’t include any costs incurred for undergraduate school. Second is that being a lawyer is not always as glamorous or exciting as it appears in movies like A Few Good Men or The Firm. Many attorneys spend most of their time outside of the courtroom researching and writing, not in high-profile trials.
Although this may appear to be a slightly negative point of view, I hope you have a better idea of what law school requires and what your future may entail. Always consider every point of view before making your final decision. Best of luck to you in planning your future.
Law school requires an immense amount of work, but it is very intellectually stimulating if you care about being stimulated. However, thinking about going to law school and thinking about being a lawyer are two entirely different things. The practice of law is not an extension of law school. Worry more about whether you want to devote your life working at a law firm, than worrying about law school. Law firms in general are populated by a$$holes. People who literally believe that somehow you have agreed to give them your life in exchange for the scraps they give you in your paycheck. In general, the lawyers with the power and money who will decide your fate are cheap, manipulative greedy bast@rds with no loyalty but to themselves, who could care less about you and your family. Think seriously twice before joining this band of modern day pirates and scum. The legal profession has been grossly corrupted by law students turned lawyers, who only went to law school in order to make a bucket of money. The number one determining factor about whether a case is taken is “how much money can I make off it?” An associate is not a colleague – but a piece of machinery to be used to make money off of. Here’s how it works. Partner gets client – gives associates files – bills client for work of associates – pays associates as little as possible – keeps difference. More associates – more money. An associate is but a cog in the partner’s money making machine. And, of course, the partner believes it is entirely fair that he pays the associate as little as possible, because that is what the market will bear. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the partners will generally lie to you to make you believe otherwise. If you resist, well simple enough. We’ll just fire your a$$, and replace you with another desperate associate. There are far more sane places for a lawyer to work besides a law firm. Try government. Try solo practitioner. Many lawyers, unfortunately, believe that the only thing that counts in life is how much money you make. They are greatly mistaken and are wasting their lives. Don’t be one of them!
i want to be a lawyer in the future and i am looking foward to it but reading this article isnt making me want to be one so much now. i mean i still do want to be a lawyer but this lady is making it sound boring and long. i think being a lawyer would be hard and stressful but intresting and fun too. and then the cold hard faccts person is sayin not to go to law school. well dont i have to go to law school in able to be a lawyer?? and i know people will lie to me but thats part of life and part of the job.
Kayla I would suggest you don’t be a lawyer.
I think you should do what you want even if it seems like it will be difficult. Reading all these posts didnt leave me with such positive veiw about going to law school and being a lawyer but I know that I want to be a lawyer no matter what. So I will pursue my dream no matter the difficulty level. Besides, I like to dream big!