There are way too many lawyer/lawyer types here!!! I'm in a strange situation. I just graduated in May, but w/ a major in communications (I know, I know, gym teacher material right?) and while I've always thought about becoming a lawyer its always been option 2-3 and never 1. My goal was/is to be a sports reporter with a reputable TV station. I'm kinda treading water right now with the job that I have and I'm looking for a bit more. I've always known that I was going to do some more schooling after Undergrad but I figured it'd be grad school. I'm taking the GRE's soon and also considering taking the LSATs. I don't have high aspirations of going to a big name law school because I don't have deep pockets and will not be going into debt to go to law school. Fortunately, my alma mater has a good relationship w/ Widener and there's a good chance I can get into their program on a scholarship as I managed to graduate w/ top grades but I'm really not sure if I do want to be a lawyer... I guess my question is not whether law school is challenging (I know it has to be) or if its gonna be hard to find a job afterward, I'd like to hear from those who've been through it if it was a meaningful experience, ie. not just another hoop to jump through. I'm not a very motivated person and if it wasn't for sports and friends I'd have dropped out of college because it was simply too boring academically (not that it wasn't hard at times, but it was just all the same). Is Law School just another hoop to jump through and for those of you who've already landed jobs, is just another 9-5? (or in the lawyer case 5-9?). I'm asking because while I'm comfortable in the job I'm at, unless I'm given a position of authority I'm going to get bored soon and this is the job that I'll most likely be at (public relations and marketing) if my dream doesn't come true. So basically, I've got a decision to make.
no, not bored like in oh... i'm bored in class i'm gonna sleep bored... more like... what the hell is the point of this class its just like the other 5 i've already taken so I'll probably show up for class once a week (unless the teacher's anal about attendance and I'll lower my grade cuz of it). Essentially I'll do the work required of me, but I won't be happy about it.
Be aware that LSATs are considerably harder than GREs. Neither do most students who go to the top law schools. Yes you will, no matter where you go. However, it is an incredibly bad decision not to take on debt to go to a good law school. Um........Widener is a tier 4 school. (I looked it up; I'd never heard of it.) Your chances of getting a job out of a T4 school are not very good. If you go to a top 10 school, it'll be pretty easy. If you go to a tier 1 school, you'll have to be in the top 25% to get a high paying job. If not.............most lawyers are not all that well off. All school is what you make of it. In that case, I'd advise against going to law school. Its a 3 year committment and requires a lot of motivation. You will not get a lot of authority right into your job, unless you work for yourself.
Unless you are fairly certain you want to be a lawyer or at least certain that you want a profession in a field where having a legal degree is a requisite or very helpful (investment banking comes to mind)....I would NOT advise going to law school. Most law schools are hard...if not intellectually then by the sheer volume of work you're required to do. I am convinced (although I don't have stats to back it up) that the majority of attorneys out there that are miserable in their jobs are people who thought...."Mmehh...what the heck, I'm not sure what I want to do....I'll go to law school." It's just way too much of an investment in time and money to be done on a whim...or as a "backup" plan.
thanx for the advice both of you lol, I meant in my current field I'd get bored unless I had a position of authority... I'm in my schools marketing and pr dpt.
Incidentally, I'm wondering if doing a one-year Master's program might help my law school prospects, especially if I show significant improvement over my undergraduate performance GPA wise. Does anyone know?
Most post-undergraduate experience helps. More and more law schools prefer to take students who've spent time out of school and are more "mature". Not that I'm a good example; I went straight through.
In no way would it hurt you and it would more than likely help....especially if you do well GPA-wise. I wasn't much more mature than Nic (now notwithstanding... ) in that I only took one year off between undergrad and law school. Nevertheless, I'm sure it helped that during that year I was working on Capitol Hill.....as opposed to tending bar at night in Breckinridge and hitting the moguls by day.
Are you suggesting there's an inverse relationship between boredom and authority? How do you define authority? I'm just curious how having one will necessarily influence the other.
Well, my maturity remains an open point on these boards (let alone with my parents and friends), but I also graduated undergrad early, so I was applying on the back of only two years in college. I contemplated graduating in two years, and one of the biggest reasons I didn't was that I'd only have one year of grades on my application.
Well, I'm in my year off now, and I'm spending it working at a big firm (Jenner & Block, if anyone cares). So that should help, I'd think.
nah... let me explain... My current job title is Communications Associate. I'm supposed to be writing copy for print, web, and radio ads. Also I'm responsible for helping our Graphic Design department with posters, emails etc. There are also countless other M&PR crap tasks that are fine for busy work but not really engrossing that I've got to do. Our Director of Communications was fired prior to my hiring and I'm basically handling his job too, currently. As a Director I get to have control over whom we advertise with, what our message should be, what media to use and also (something that sadly wasn't done in recent times) set goals for the department. If I had to work in Marketing and PR as a career I'd be bored unless I had responsibility and authority like I've got for the time being (we're currently interviewing for the Director's post). Basically all the tasks are mindless and can be repetitive unless you've got a great director - or unless I work for a great M&PR firm that handles lots and lots of clients (and even then, I'll probably still be a worker bee and assigned to one area). So basically what I was saying was in this particular field, it can get boring unless you've got some added responsibility/authority. Hell as a sports reporter I was just thrilled to go on any assignment initially and covering sports is something that I could never get bored with so being an anchor or having a nice beat wouldn't be necessary, as its something I love. Hopefully that clears things up.
Hey with all this law discussion would anyone on the boards care to give me hteir opinion of Greenberg Traurig in New York? By PM if you prefer your opinion to be more private. I have an offer from them and debating if I want to take it.
I believe there is someone on these boards who can give you a very good overview of that firm. And its not me.
Well getting too friendly with one is what convinced me to go to Law School in the first place! Should've just concentrated on one thing at a time I guess.
Since its too late for me, should I find a philosopher to marry instead, one who can offer me such sage advice?
Well I took a diagnostic LSAT test for the hell of it a couple weeks ago (hence my curiousity), minus any sort of preparation (which is the standard I guess) and got a 157.. is that a good score?
not sure if I even want to go... I guess I'll take the real LSAT on Dec. 3rd for the hell of it, see what pans out. I'm guessing 157 wouldn't get me into Columbia but it might get me into UF?