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Hello, everyone! I hope the LSAT prep is going as intended.
So, here's a question just out of curiosity. Why law? Why do we want to study law, and become lawyers?
0
Hello, everyone! I hope the LSAT prep is going as intended.
So, here's a question just out of curiosity. Why law? Why do we want to study law, and become lawyers?
48 comments
@leahbeuk911 said:
@nabintoud9765 said:
@leahbeuk911 said:
@nabintoud9765 said:
@samanthaashley92715 said:
@nabintoud9765 thank you. I actually would love to be a prosecutor, though I'll probably be in debt until I retire lol. The LSAT/scholarship is really going to be a life-changer for me because I won't be able to pay off loans as quickly as people in big law. And I have been looking at Emory, as well as UCI, for different opportunities outside of the classroom.
Is it possible to work for big law for a few years first, and then transition to public prosecution?
I've heard this question asked more about being a PD and have heard mixed things. Possible yes, but sometimes the non-profit/PD world will question your motives and seriousness. They may question whether you'll really be ok with the low salary, high stress life there. I'm not sure if that applies for the prosecution route though. I'd recommend perusing the forums at lawschool.life. They have a lot of people who are attorneys out in the world that are part of the community there. Those folks will know a lot better the actual prospects. Those of us on the board here are typically all applicants so not quite as much "real world" law experience to draw from.
Thanks for sharing that resource. That's super helpful, since as you say, we're mostly pre-law, and don't know much about the actual world of law. Also, just to make sure, PD refers to public defender, right?
Yes! I think PDs are usually considered more in the non-profit/legal aid type realm than prosecutors. So they may have a tougher time going into that after biglaw than you would trying to go into prosecution. But I don't really know if that's true. Like I said, I think that question is better posed to actual attorneys who know! Haha.
Hahahaha, yeah. True. It's an interesting thought though. I never even considered PD's and how that path affects other opportunities. Thanks for sharing that perspective.
@nabintoud9765 said:
@leahbeuk911 said:
@nabintoud9765 said:
@samanthaashley92715 said:
@nabintoud9765 thank you. I actually would love to be a prosecutor, though I'll probably be in debt until I retire lol. The LSAT/scholarship is really going to be a life-changer for me because I won't be able to pay off loans as quickly as people in big law. And I have been looking at Emory, as well as UCI, for different opportunities outside of the classroom.
Is it possible to work for big law for a few years first, and then transition to public prosecution?
I've heard this question asked more about being a PD and have heard mixed things. Possible yes, but sometimes the non-profit/PD world will question your motives and seriousness. They may question whether you'll really be ok with the low salary, high stress life there. I'm not sure if that applies for the prosecution route though. I'd recommend perusing the forums at lawschool.life. They have a lot of people who are attorneys out in the world that are part of the community there. Those folks will know a lot better the actual prospects. Those of us on the board here are typically all applicants so not quite as much "real world" law experience to draw from.
Thanks for sharing that resource. That's super helpful, since as you say, we're mostly pre-law, and don't know much about the actual world of law. Also, just to make sure, PD refers to public defender, right?
Yes! I think PDs are usually considered more in the non-profit/legal aid type realm than prosecutors. So they may have a tougher time going into that after biglaw than you would trying to go into prosecution. But I don't really know if that's true. Like I said, I think that question is better posed to actual attorneys who know! Haha.
Type A.
Been told I look great in a suit.
My relationships have usually ended because I’m always right.
But seriously, I love the aspect of coming up with a strategy to help our fellow man. I’ve shadowed at various firms and find the whole process intellectually stimulating, and felt like I already understood a lot of what was going on without needing explanation.
Some things just click with you and there’s not a great way to put it in words.
I’m not sure exactly what kind of law I want to go in to. Would love to be a sports agent, though becoming successful in that field is becoming much more difficult.
I’ve always had a passion for sports and negotiating a contract sounds like something that would be right up my ally.
But I’m also compassionate for finding justice for those who were wronged. I remember one case a firm I shadowed did with an elderly couple who had been wronged. They didn’t expect a whole lot... just wanted to set their grand kids up a college fund, were so sweet and trusting of the firm through the whole process. Case ended up going to trial and they won really big. I remember the look on their faces and tears of joy in their eyes when the lawyer I was shadowing looked over at them and told them “congrats, y’all are now millionaires”.
Sorry for the novel of a post.
Just feels like it’s the are where I can have the greatest impact with my personality and skill set!
@leahbeuk911 said:
@nabintoud9765 said:
@samanthaashley92715 said:
@nabintoud9765 thank you. I actually would love to be a prosecutor, though I'll probably be in debt until I retire lol. The LSAT/scholarship is really going to be a life-changer for me because I won't be able to pay off loans as quickly as people in big law. And I have been looking at Emory, as well as UCI, for different opportunities outside of the classroom.
Is it possible to work for big law for a few years first, and then transition to public prosecution?
I've heard this question asked more about being a PD and have heard mixed things. Possible yes, but sometimes the non-profit/PD world will question your motives and seriousness. They may question whether you'll really be ok with the low salary, high stress life there. I'm not sure if that applies for the prosecution route though. I'd recommend perusing the forums at lawschool.life. They have a lot of people who are attorneys out in the world that are part of the community there. Those folks will know a lot better the actual prospects. Those of us on the board here are typically all applicants so not quite as much "real world" law experience to draw from.
Thanks for sharing that resource. That's super helpful, since as you say, we're mostly pre-law, and don't know much about the actual world of law. Also, just to make sure, PD refers to public defender, right?
@nabintoud9765 said:
@samanthaashley92715 said:
@nabintoud9765 thank you. I actually would love to be a prosecutor, though I'll probably be in debt until I retire lol. The LSAT/scholarship is really going to be a life-changer for me because I won't be able to pay off loans as quickly as people in big law. And I have been looking at Emory, as well as UCI, for different opportunities outside of the classroom.
Is it possible to work for big law for a few years first, and then transition to public prosecution?
I've heard this question asked more about being a PD and have heard mixed things. Possible yes, but sometimes the non-profit/PD world will question your motives and seriousness. They may question whether you'll really be ok with the low salary, high stress life there. I'm not sure if that applies for the prosecution route though. I'd recommend perusing the forums at lawschool.life. They have a lot of people who are attorneys out in the world that are part of the community there. Those folks will know a lot better the actual prospects. Those of us on the board here are typically all applicants so not quite as much "real world" law experience to draw from.
After being offered an abysmal and predatory major label record contract when I was 19, I realized how integral good lawyers are for the artistic community.
I want to represent artists and make sure they are being adequately compensated!
@xlvovska162 said:
@nabintoud9765 It's definitely possible. Biglaw is a great stepping stone because it affords one money, prestige, and connections.
That's good to know. I always wonder if choosing a specific path can be a stigma towards other paths in law.
@nabintoud9765 It's definitely possible. Biglaw is a great stepping stone because it affords one money, prestige, and connections.
@samanthaashley92715 said:
@nabintoud9765 thank you. I actually would love to be a prosecutor, though I'll probably be in debt until I retire lol. The LSAT/scholarship is really going to be a life-changer for me because I won't be able to pay off loans as quickly as people in big law. And I have been looking at Emory, as well as UCI, for different opportunities outside of the classroom.
Is it possible to work for big law for a few years first, and then transition to public prosecution?
@lesktat308 I'm sure you could find a way to make a great PS out of it, as long as it focuses on you and not the general situation our country is in.
@annchristiansen1210285 said:
You have one hell of a story that will make a fantastic PS.
I thought about making that a PS, but supposedly it’s a bad idea. I read an article somewhere about the type of statements people think will make them stand out as unique but are actually a dime a dozen. Being an immigrant or a child of an immigrant and going into immigration law to help right injustices suffered by us/our families is one of those topics. So I’ll probably do a more soccer mom centric aspect of it. Maybe being old confers at least some uniqueness.
@lesktat308 said:
Well since this took a somber serious tone, Trump made me do it.
Up until this summer I was your average soccer mom with over a decade of a decent engineering career behind me. Law was just an old pipe dream. Back in high school I took a law class and loved it. But I was a dumb kid then. I feared the responsibility the lawyer has where a mistake could ruin a person’s life.
But then Trump happened. He started separating kids from their parents. That was my breaking straw. I’m an immigrant. When I was a child I spent several years at a facility for refugees awaiting their court date. I still have PTSD from that time. We teach our kids kindness and compassion but refuse to give it to people who happened to be born outside the border. I saw violence and crime that police didn’t care about, I saw a baby die because it was denied medical care and the medical staff that denied it got no consequences. There was only one thing that got me through that hell - my parents. To see what happened this summer made me furious with the system. Normal decent human beings were just shrugging their shoulders and saying “that’s what you get for breaking the law”. When we cross the border our past becomes irrelevant. We become a label that is hated, and is more and more so today. We are forgotten about as soon as we are sent back to the danger we escaped from.
I’m tired of it. I want to give people like me a voice and their basic human dignity back. Human dignity is one of those inalienable rights that should be afforded every single human being. I’m going to use my white, educated, naturalized, English speaking privilege to hopefully change the system. Even changing it for one kid would make it worth it.
We need more people like you in this world!!! (3 (3(/p)
@lesktat308 said:
Well since this took a somber serious tone, Trump made me do it.
Up until this summer I was your average soccer mom with over a decade of a decent engineering career behind me. Law was just an old pipe dream. Back in high school I took a law class and loved it. But I was a dumb kid then. I feared the responsibility the lawyer has where a mistake could ruin a person’s life.
But then Trump happened. He started separating kids from their parents. That was my breaking straw. I’m an immigrant. When I was a child I spent several years at a facility for refugees awaiting their court date. I still have PTSD from that time. We teach our kids kindness and compassion but refuse to give it to people who happened to be born outside the border. I saw violence and crime that police didn’t care about, I saw a baby die because it was denied medical care and the medical staff that denied it got no consequences. There was only one thing that got me through that hell - my parents. To see what happened this summer made me furious with the system. Normal decent human beings were just shrugging their shoulders and saying “that’s what you get for breaking the law”. When we cross the border our past becomes irrelevant. We become a label that is hated, and is more and more so today. We are forgotten about as soon as we are sent back to the danger we escaped from.
I’m tired of it. I want to give people like me a voice and their basic human dignity back. Human dignity is one of those inalienable rights that should be afforded every single human being. I’m going to use my white, educated, naturalized, English speaking privilege to hopefully change the system. Even changing it for one kid would make it worth it.
You have one hell of a story that will make a fantastic PS. I am also your “average soccer mom” LOL
I’m working in child welfare now, and I feel like the children I’m advocating for need my help in court just as much as they do at home.
Well since this took a somber serious tone, Trump made me do it.
Up until this summer I was your average soccer mom with over a decade of a decent engineering career behind me. Law was just an old pipe dream. Back in high school I took a law class and loved it. But I was a dumb kid then. I feared the responsibility the lawyer has where a mistake could ruin a person’s life.
But then Trump happened. He started separating kids from their parents. That was my breaking straw. I’m an immigrant. When I was a child I spent several years at a facility for refugees awaiting their court date. I still have PTSD from that time. We teach our kids kindness and compassion but refuse to give it to people who happened to be born outside the border. I saw violence and crime that police didn’t care about, I saw a baby die because it was denied medical care and the medical staff that denied it got no consequences. There was only one thing that got me through that hell - my parents. To see what happened this summer made me furious with the system. Normal decent human beings were just shrugging their shoulders and saying “that’s what you get for breaking the law”. When we cross the border our past becomes irrelevant. We become a label that is hated, and is more and more so today. We are forgotten about as soon as we are sent back to the danger we escaped from.
I’m tired of it. I want to give people like me a voice and their basic human dignity back. Human dignity is one of those inalienable rights that should be afforded every single human being. I’m going to use my white, educated, naturalized, English speaking privilege to hopefully change the system. Even changing it for one kid would make it worth it.
I like to argue, and I like money, so it made sense.
LoL. But seriously, it keeps tapping me on the shoulder over and over in my life, since at least high school.
This semester, I took a law related class. On a 7.5 week semester session, and it was known to be a difficult class where gpas go to die for many people. I did it anyway. Guess I like living dangerously. And as insane as it has been (my notes are over 50 pages long now), and frustrating... I really, really like it.
My exposure to interviews, watching court cases, and now a class has done nothing but made me more interested and curious.
At work, I love fighting for people, and digging into paperwork to find ways to help them. My boss, on more than one occasion, has pointed people my way when they want to fight some policy or file departmental grievances, etc.
It just seems like the right path, all things considered.
Because my community of Black immigrants have existed at the margins of the nation’s courts for decades (+). Pursuing a legal education, for me, is about survival and preservation. Conversations around mass incarceration, for instance, happen while rarely taking into account detention. There’s a missing component, and I’ve never been more confident in anything more than law’s ability to facilitate those conversations, tackle these issues, and change policies — *other than God :)
Better position myself to found and run a non-profit to kill all the ticks.
@nabintoud9765 thank you. I actually would love to be a prosecutor, though I'll probably be in debt until I retire lol. The LSAT/scholarship is really going to be a life-changer for me because I won't be able to pay off loans as quickly as people in big law. And I have been looking at Emory, as well as UCI, for different opportunities outside of the classroom.
Because I like the order of it. I like that it stands for the correct way to do something. I want to pursue environmental law as I have a strong passion for conservation. The environmental law program at the U of Oregon is a really good one, and so I am hoping to be accepted into it. I grew up speaking many languages and as a result have always had an affinity for the spoken word. I would love to be able to use my words and my logic to be able to make a positive difference for our planet.
@samanthaashley92715 said:
Well this might change the mood haha, but I'm a mass shooting survivor. I have to figure out how to write about this in a way that doesn't sound like I'm out for vengeance... but basically, I can't get with the fact that some people think that the rules of life don't apply to them. I also think that people are not getting fair sentences. People are going to jail instead of rehab or mental institutions, Brock Turner is running around as a free man, violent criminals are getting out early because low-level offenders are taking up beds... my list goes on and on.
Wow, that is a very different perspective. You have my respect for turning that experience into motivation. It definitely doesn't sound like you're out for revenge... unless you're planning to become a DA and prosecute all the mass shootings... I'm not even sure if those people get normal court proceedings. Well, on the other side, you should look out for schools with good mass incarceration projects or innocence projects. Some schools, like UPenn and Emory, even have multiple organizations for helping people recover or prove innocence.
@lesktat308 said:
@nabintoud9765 said:
No lie, I really enjoy the LSAT, and some law classes I took online and during undergrad. I love the feeling of recognizing, and overcoming my weaknesses, and being comfortable with the unknown.
I actually feel the same way. I love the LSAT, especially logic games. It’s hard, but there is a way to beat it. You work hard enough and it pays off. My fear is that the LSAT is the funniest part of law school. But I look forward to matriculating with people who love logic.
I think your fears are true. All my friends who are in Law school now tell me LSAT was like a dream, and law school is closer to a nightmare. Hahahaha
Well this might change the mood haha, but I'm a mass shooting survivor. I have to figure out how to write about this in a way that doesn't sound like I'm out for vengeance... but basically, I can't get with the fact that some people think that the rules of life don't apply to them. I also think that people are not getting fair sentences. People are going to jail instead of rehab or mental institutions, Brock Turner is running around as a free man, violent criminals are getting out early because low-level offenders are taking up beds... my list goes on and on.
Thank you guys so much for taking out time and replying to this thread. I really appreciate it. Loved reading the responses. I hope everybody gets admission in their dream college. Good luck!
@leahbeuk911 said:
@lesktat308 said:
Because life is just not worth living unless you have a couple of hundred thousand in student debt
lol - best answer
For some practical reasons. I think law is a discipline that just works really well with the way I think and what I enjoy. I love reading and language and dissecting it for precise meaning.
I also am fascinated with the way that the law really affects so many aspects of our daily lives. From how your employer treats you, to the way you drive, the cleanliness of your drinking water, the availability of healthcare and the efficacy of education. Law undergirds all of it. There are so many different aspects to choose from in law and they call can have a profound impact on society.
Awesome! Good luck!