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Anyone thinking about going to law school? I got some good advice for you if so.
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Apr 3, 2024 17:44
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Hot Dog Day #91 posted:Anyone thinking about going to law school? I got some good advice for you if so. "Don't"?
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Apr 3, 2024 22:01
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Muir posted:"Don't"? Actually, "do". We need more blood for the law God
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Apr 3, 2024 22:14
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Law school was absolutely the best choice I made in life and I am so happy I went. I’m not even joking. But I it took me 15 years of practice at least before I felt that way.
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Apr 4, 2024 03:04
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Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Law.
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Apr 4, 2024 03:36
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Whitlam posted:Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Law. Lmao
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Apr 4, 2024 06:58
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Whitlam posted:Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Law. Shame it’s too long for a thread title.
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Apr 4, 2024 08:08
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Phil is small law sorry to disappoint
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Apr 4, 2024 14:13
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Whitlam posted:Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Law. Lmao
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Apr 4, 2024 14:27
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Phil Moscowitz posted:Law school was absolutely the best choice I made in life and I am so happy I went. I’m not even joking. But I it took me 15 years of practice at least before I felt that way. Feels like there's jobs that you like when you first start them
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Apr 4, 2024 14:35
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Whitlam posted:Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Law.
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Apr 4, 2024 14:38
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Shageletic posted:Feels like there's jobs that you like when you first start them The general dramatic arc is: 1 to 2 months: this job is the best I've ever had 3 to 4 months: this job can be stressful 5 to 6 months: i will literally kill myself if i have draft another dependency order, i quit
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Apr 4, 2024 14:39
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Hot Dog Day #91 posted:The general dramatic arc is: In Pittsburgh, that's known as the Altoona special.
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Apr 4, 2024 14:40
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Mr. Nice! posted:In Pittsburgh, that's known as the Altoona special. And around here, the Al-Toona special.
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Apr 4, 2024 18:20
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Whitlam posted:Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Law. Lmao
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Apr 4, 2024 20:06
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I had a nothing hearing this morning where the judge went real hard at the new associate the other side shoved out there. I felt so bad for her, it was an unimportant motion that I didn't even oppose. The judge denied it without prejudice because the new attorney just froze up and had no idea how to answer the court's (admittedly simple) questions. I also stopped in to watch a high profile corruption trial and the defense and AUSA were slap fighting about improper foundation like they were in traffic court. It made me happy.
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Apr 4, 2024 23:05
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Whitlam posted:Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Law. Poetry.
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Apr 5, 2024 16:15
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Hot Dog Day #91 posted:Anyone thinking about going to law school? I got some good advice for you if so. I'm going in the fall at the ripe age of 37 after dropping out of corporate law as a paralegal. All advice welcome.
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Apr 14, 2024 21:58
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Jewmanji posted:I'm going in the fall at the ripe age of 37 after dropping out of corporate law as a paralegal. All advice welcome. Don't. How are you paying for it and are you married to one of the partners at the firm? If you must go to school, get an accounting degree. Or a sports medicine degree and be a personal trainer for all the wives of the corporate law partners.
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Apr 15, 2024 02:14
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Jewmanji posted:I'm going in the fall at the ripe age of 37 after dropping out of corporate law as a paralegal. All advice welcome. Why?
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Apr 15, 2024 06:30
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CmdrSmirnoff posted:Sup law thread, checking in after a long absence. 12 years in crim defence and I've finally been poached by the government, to be the Canadian equivalent of the Wire's Rhonda Pearlman. Time to trade the stacks of cash from questionable sources and midnight phone calls and constant dread of loving up and driving all over the province for an office, 9-5*, suit and tie, and pension. Oh no not you too!
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Apr 15, 2024 08:23
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Nichol posted:Oh no not you too! keep reading, you'll love the shocking plot twist
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Apr 15, 2024 14:01
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I've been providing (alongside an attorney) full representation to indigent asylum seekers for the last 6-7 years (my Legal department cares very much about pro bono stuff). I decided I'd rather become a licensed attorney and do that in the second half of my career, since I derive satisfaction from helping people in a material way (which is not what my regular job amounts to). I've saved up a significant amount of cash and have tuition support from my FIL, so I'm just taking a swing and trying it out. I can go back to corporate if I lose a defensive case and fall to pieces.
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Apr 15, 2024 16:21
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Jewmanji posted:I've been providing (alongside an attorney) full representation to indigent asylum seekers for the last 6-7 years (my Legal department cares very much about pro bono stuff). I decided I'd rather become a licensed attorney and do that in the second half of my career, since I derive satisfaction from helping people in a material way (which is not what my regular job amounts to). I've saved up a significant amount of cash and have tuition support from my FIL, so I'm just taking a swing and trying it out. I can go back to corporate if I lose a defensive case and fall to pieces. Idea: for your midlife crisis, buy a cool car with that saved up cash instead of wasting it on law school
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Apr 15, 2024 16:44
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Too late, I already have a sweet 2013 Prius
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Apr 15, 2024 17:39
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Going state school at least right? You're not looking for a fancy law school just a degree?
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Apr 15, 2024 19:14
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I got into a state school that offered me a basically free tuition but it was 90 mins away by car in the middle of nowhere. I chose a better school in the middle of my city that is not one of the top law schools in the country (not even close), partly on the assumption that going to school in the city I want to work in will likely mean getting a job out of school a bit faster. I spent about 18 months prior to applying to schools trying to get a job at a local public interest firm and couldn't get my foot in the door, so I didn't really have any reasonable backup plan. I hate my day job and it sucks the life out of me.
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Apr 15, 2024 19:33
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Jewmanji posted:partly on the assumption that going to school in the city I want to work in will likely mean getting a job out of school a bit faster. As long as you’re not in NY, DC, or SF (and maybe Boston/LA/Chi, I don’t have as good a feel there), this is more or less accurate.
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Apr 15, 2024 19:34
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Yeah I'm in Boston. I'm not competing with students at the more reputable schools who are competing for spots at the big firms- just want to get a degree and get back to work.
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Apr 15, 2024 19:39
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You have so much energy. I’m ready to retire
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Apr 15, 2024 20:04
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Jewmanji posted:I got into a state school that offered me a basically free tuition but it was 90 mins away by car in the middle of nowhere. I chose a better school in the middle of my city that is not one of the top law schools in the country (not even close), partly on the assumption that going to school in the city I want to work in will likely mean getting a job out of school a bit faster. The main thing you need to keep in mind is the debt load because there's a good chance you might end up at another job you dislike but this time with an absurdly high interest loan added in. The only thing I regret about law school is not being more economically aware of how stifling and awful the loans you can get are, crafted to steal as much money as possible from you with the blessing of the US govt.
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Apr 16, 2024 01:23
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Jewmanji posted:I got into a state school that offered me a basically free tuition but it was 90 mins away by car in the middle of nowhere. I chose a better school in the middle of my city that is not one of the top law schools in the country (not even close), partly on the assumption that going to school in the city I want to work in will likely mean getting a job out of school a bit faster. I went to an extremely low-ranked school* with a full ride (I applied when law schools were so starved for students they were shutting down, even mid-semester). Knowing that I was spending time rather than $$$$$$ made the whole experience even more enjoyable and less stressful. If it didn't work out, I would graduate debt-free and satisfied. But my law clerk work for a solo attorney during school improbably turned into a job. Even more improbably, I am regularly helping the little against the big, which is what I told people I was hoping to do, way back when I was applying. I think you may be undervaluing the scholarship and the alumni network of the state school. Checking whether the city school actually has a better alumni network/prospect of a job in the city, even when your reason and intuition tell you that it must have that, is exactly the sort of annoying attention to detail/fact-checkery that attorneys are paid for. But really, talk to alumni. Check the web pages of companies/orgs you'd want to work for and keep track of who graduated where. *when looking at school rankings, outside the top schools, a key number is the bar passage rate. Bottom-ranked schools with much lower passage rates are admitting anyone who will pay; ones with an acceptable rate are still doing some combination of telling some applicants "no" and teaching you what you need to know.
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Apr 16, 2024 03:02
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God I hate my job.
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Apr 16, 2024 03:28
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I can only speak anecdotally, but I was offered a full scholarship and it made me go to a school I wouldn't have otherwise. While I still had loans from COL and books, the savings allowed me freedom of choice in my career and is directly responsible for a substantial increase in the quality of my life, the fulfillment I get from my job (mostly), and the type of lifestyle it has allowed me to provide my family. That scholarship will forever be an inflection point for the rest of my life.
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Apr 16, 2024 03:36
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Jewmanji posted:I've been providing (alongside an attorney) full representation to indigent asylum seekers for the last 6-7 years (my Legal department cares very much about pro bono stuff). I decided I'd rather become a licensed attorney and do that in the second half of my career, since I derive satisfaction from helping people in a material way (which is not what my regular job amounts to). I've saved up a significant amount of cash and have tuition support from my FIL, so I'm just taking a swing and trying it out. I can go back to corporate if I lose a defensive case and fall to pieces. I mean, as someone who left a corporate gig for public interest work, good for you. If you have a job in immigrant defence waiting for you once you get that JD you’re in a good place. If not, as suggested by you talking about networking/alumni network below, you need to realize that your job search is starting approximately now. Legal aid and other full time public defence jobs in big markets like Boston are actually quite difficult to get, despite the poo poo pay. So seek out internships, volunteer opportunities, clinics, etc. so that if it’s your resume versus someone from Harvard’s, even though you’ll probably be better prepared to practice than someone just out of Harvard, you can win that comparison.
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Apr 16, 2024 07:00
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Dallan Invictus posted:keep reading, you'll love the shocking plot twist Popero posted:Going to law school because you like to argue is a better reason than weed law I did weed law then they made weed legal and now I do tons of fent law. The stakes are high it sucks.
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Apr 16, 2024 08:20
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Jewmanji, it sounds like the job you have right now is pretty good. Just keep doing that unless you'd make 3x as much if you have a law license. The added stress of being the attorney on the case with your professional license on the line with every action you take isnt worth a small pay bump and three years of school. We're the same age and I couldn't imagine going to law school now. The job I have now is objectively really good, I get to go home every night at a reasonable hour and play with my kids, and get paid a decent amount. I still consider quitting all the time being a lawyer really sucks.
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Apr 16, 2024 09:13
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Go to the school with the full ride dude, it’s not even a question.
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Apr 16, 2024 12:34
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As someone who went to her third law school at 38, I would highly recommend doing that if it would literally save you and your loved ones from death or worse, and if someone else was paying for it too.
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Apr 16, 2024 13:35
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Phil Moscowitz posted:Go to the school with the full ride dude, it’s not even a question. I'm going to be the fly in the ointment here and ask if that's actually true considering the SAVE plan + PSLF? Even with a full ride there's still living expenses to cover. I suppose there would be the anxiety of those plans being taken away, but even the older PAYE/IBR ones had plenty of attorneys I knew living pretty comfortably with their huge loan burdens, and they didn't even qualify for PSLF.
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Apr 16, 2024 14:27
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