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Related Discussions
18 Likes
Why do you want to be a lawyer?
Sometimes I have to take a breath and remind myself of why all this studying, hours, tears and heartburn is worth it. For me, the drive comes from envisioning myself helping employers and their employees stay aligned with the proper Labor and employment laws (a passion of mine) and having a lucrative career that can take care of my family for generations. What is your motivation for studying? Why do you want to be a lawyer?
Comments
I've always dreamed of having a solid excuse for becoming an alcoholic, and this career path lines up with that dream nicely.
On topic, you are honestly the first person I've ever met with any sort of drive or passion for labor laws haha, I imagine you will be fairly successful since you have that going for you!
Contract law. I want everything to do with contract law if I can.
And because many people have told me I couldn't do it...sooooo here I am!
Haha! regarding your first statement I feel like there are many easier ways to justify becoming an alcoholic as opposed to studying for the LSAT but hey do you lol
Second, IKR ... I'm definitely a unicorn. But working in HR for 6 years and seeing shitty employers treat their employees like shit will definitely do that to you :-P
Oh my gosh don't you just envision getting that diploma and dropping the mic on all those haters! I had a 'friend' who actually laughed in my face when I told her I wanted to be a lawyer. This ones for you kid.... * raises glass *
Well, I'm very interested employment law as well, so you aren't alone
I think the future of work and how it is going to change in the coming decades with the rise of A.I and shifting ideas about work is a fascinating area. I also think employment law is one of those really under-recognized areas where you can do a lot of good and make a good income.
I have interest in environmental law as well and it is a growing field as well with a lot of interesting areas
Impact litigation for me. Working for the NAACP LDF would be an ideal outcome.
I don't know that I really "want" to be a lawyer. I would probably prefer a career in finance, but for many reasons that's not practical for me. I think becoming a lawyer is a practical occupation that matches my skills well. I think it will also put me in the position to make good money while opening up more opportunities for what I want to do in the future. For me, it's about practicality, opportunity, and a chance to make some money. If I don't end up securing a big law position, I'll probably leave the profession and do something else entirely. #biglawlorbust
My motivation for studying for the LSAT, like studying anything for me, is inherent. I just enjoy the challenge. Even if I don't end up going to law school, I'll still feel like this test has helped me think more critically. Plus, I've met some of the most awesome, kindhearted people here on 7Sage. This community motivates me so much
Hahahahaha. This made my night
Interesting, I've spoken with 4 attorneys/summer associates that are in labor and employment practice groups and they all mentioned that one of the biggest factors was that the some of the stories they hear of what bosses do to their employees are crazy/hilarious.
Thought I wanted to work in corporate law but fell in love with criminal prosecution working at the court house. I believe DAs really impact the future of the criminal justice system and criminal justice reform . Hopefully one day I will be the likeable version of Angela from Power working on the high profile cases for the US Attorney's Office lol.
yay! another employment law nerd!
I've never even heard of impact litigation! ... tell me more
EXACTLY! You'd be surprised at how some managers/employers treat their employees. It's so sad. And if employees knew the rights they had, they could fight it.
I want to be a immigration attorney. I want to be regarded as one of the best. Motivation comes from growing up undocumented and seeing the how much better the system could be for immigrants.
@tringo335
Yes and over the next few decades work contracts will be changing a lot, which will leave even more holes in workers knowledge of their rights. I think it's a fascinating field
VERY cool
I came into college wanting to be a doctor. However, within my first year at university I was exposed to so many problems in the world that I personally had never been exposed to before - namely inequality (whether that be economic, social, etc.).
I decided I wanted to go into law because I want to get involved in government and public-policy work to see if I couldn't help remedy some of those inequities. Law school felt like the reasonable next step after undergrad towards that goal
So true and so helpful to take a step back to remember why we are all spending hours, days, months, in some cases years studying for this exam. My motivation comes from working in a field where I read about/write about the experience of juveniles in the justice system daily and wanting to be a part of changing the way the system works. I study because I know I need a chance at getting a scholarship if I'm going to make this dream work and not be buried under debt that I can't repay.
@ez92soundef My goal as well, friend. It feels extra prescient right now.
I've always been interested in the law because details are very important to me, and I love research. I grew up with this indelible sense of fairness, and I'm especially interested in helping people secure their right to vote!
I can't wait to see how successful everyone becomes! 7sage has really helped me to understand that success is in the eye of the beholder. Good luck to everyone writing on Saturday!
I couldn't have put it better myself. My reasoning is much the same.
I decided at a young age to become an immigration lawyer. Seeing my father until this day yearning for legal status has driven me to help undocumented people as much as possible. We have spent thousands, been ripped off by attorneys, and have been through so much heartache that if he does not obtain legal status by the time I graduate law school, I'm going to represent him myself.
I don't, I just love torturing myself with the LSAT
jk
not kidding
nah, I'm kidding
or am i
aside from the financial incentive of hopefully earning a stable paycheck and the prestiege. what i enjoy most about the law is that you can take the same facts/rules and argue for different sides. being able to understand and apply nuances is something i find to be very attracting intellectually. on a more personal note i think its also because of my own desires to make something of my life. my parents and i came from Bangladesh to Canada in 1996 in hopes of a better life and give me opportunities to become something. i want to take advantages of the opportunities afforded to me.
For me I have a passion for the Constitution and business (not sure entirely where I'll end up). Being able to make a true impact in the community, across the country or in a major company is something I've always wanted to be able to do and I feel like law gives me the ability and opportunity to do that.
@tringo335 and @"vanessa fisher" I'm interested in employment law too! I think my interest in psychology ties well into it. The employment lawyers I've seen seem to be happy with their jobs too. So that's always a plus!!
Lack of home ownership keeps minorities poorer than whites and is a significant contribution to the racial issues that persist in America. I will learn the dynamics of the housing industry and find ways to implement laws that will level the playing field across the nation in regard to racism and discrimination in the housing industry. I plan to continue my work as a public servant and one day serve my country as the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development as I am one hundred percent committed to seeing a positive change in the housing industry in America!
The funniest answer I have heard to this question is, "I want to be a lawyer, because it's the quickest way to power".
From someone who has been worked so hard they have sustained a bad injury, I could attest to this. We really need employment lawyers. Employers are so thirsty for power and forget who helps them keep it sigh.
Fascinating is exactly the word to describe it. I can't wait to dig into all those law books yum.
I'm in the same boat> @btownsquee said:
Yay another Labor Nerd! Happy to hear that they are happy with their jobs.
It's so true; you don't realize how much employment lawyers are needed until you, a friend, or family member are in the situation yourself. It's so scary for an employee when their job is in jeopardy and they don't know where to turn.
Wow! This thread is incredible-- perfect timing since so many of us are taking the test this weekend.
I've worked a little bit in employment law before and I was definitely surprised at how interesting it was! I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would haha
As for me, I knew in college that I was interested in law but it wasn't until I volunteered and taught in a maximum security prison (it's definitely not something you can unsee/undo) that I really got interested in prison and drug policy reform. Not sure where I'll end up after law school, but I know eventually one day I want to get back into that kind of work.
Oh believe me it is so true. They only way I protected my job was to go on FLMA, otherwise my job was giving me a hard time about taking off to go see my doctor. Kudos to 7sagers who want to go into this practice, you will help so many people.
After surveying my life options, I decided that Law, an industry plagued with alcoholism, hyper-competitive work environments, and crippling debt, was the best way to indulge my raging sense of masochism
I'm interested in taxation law. I've always wanted to open my own holding company and so learning how to maneuver through the litigious nature of these things would surely be beneficial.
In college I become pretty interested in international issues after spending a significant time in France. Then after graduating, I spent two years teaching English in France, soaking up the culture and traveling around Europe, with the thought of law school always in the back of my mind. Now I am doing a grad certificate abroad in a very specific aspect of European international relations, particularly in security issues. Over these past few years I have been trying to figure out what kind of career would allow me to combine my interests in IR and international policy/security with the ability to actually DO something...I love the idea of being a pure academic, just studying theory for the sake of it, but I do also become bogged down with the question of "OK, but what can I actually do with this information, what kind of change could I actually effect" and I think with a law degree, or even a dual American/French law degree I would be set up well to work for a number of international organizations...so the big picture has crystallized, law school seems like the obvious next step.
Also I love school. And law school seems really appealing to me, I think I am very well-suited for it. And even if all my plans of international grandeur don't work out, still many lucrative jobs to be had.
--
...if there was a thumb's down button. * sigh
Loving seeing everyone's answers.
Much like when I was in entering undergrad too, I haven't been able to narrow down precisely what I want to do with law. I have a couple of different passions, and neither of them are particularly lucrative haha. So I'm not sure if I want to go for one or the other, or something a little more practical (in-house counsel?). But law in general, because I think it is a good fit for how my brain works (logical, love to read, very into details, etc) and I need a jump start into the next phase in my career.
It's something I've dreamt about doing for a while, but never really thought it was possible for me financially or circumstantially. But in the last year or two, I've realized that a lot of those road blocks were psychological more than anything else. I'm the first in my family to graduate college, the only one who moved away into a big city, and it's obviously a massive undertaking. It's taken me a while to realize that law school isn't just for "those other people", but that I could do it too if I threw everything into it. Which is what brings me to 7sage and doing what I can to get a high LSAT. Need those doors opened for some scholarships! Fingers crossed, y'all.
I'm going to give a really cheesy & overused answer: to impact society in a beneficial way. I grew up marginalized for who I am and I've seen many people within my group and other marginalized groups discriminated against and impacted by racism, homophobia, islamophobia, anti-semitism, etc, and I've generally found my purpose in life through resisting white supremacy. Watching over and over again the amount of police officers getting away with killing innocent black people is not something I can just see and go on about my daily life normally as many people can. I've felt helpless for a long time, watching undocumented families being separated, innocent black people being killed, the infringement on Indigenous people's rights, the travel ban on Muslims, the acceptance of white supremacist and Neo-Nazi ideologies as normal. I don't want to feel helpless anymore, and that's what brought me to law
I don't care about making a lot of money, not even one bit. Money would be great, but it's not my priority. I know going into civil rights law is unstable and doesn't necessarily mean I can make a super significant impact, but if I can just help on an individual level those dealing with these issues get what they deserve in court, that would be enough for me 
I gotta say, thank you for asking this question! I think it's good for me to remind myself of all this often because lately I've been getting sucked so much into LSAT world that I forget why I'm doing it all. I'm not perfectly law-minded nor do I have an affinity for logic as many people that decide to go into law have (though I enjoy it!), but what I am is very passionate.
It's taken me a while to realize that law school isn't just for "those other people", but that I could do it too if I threw everything into it.
I can totally relate to this. I spent an entire year convincing myself that I was smart enough to do this... and finally here we are!
"... but if I can just help on an individual level those dealing with these issues get what they deserve in court, that would be enough for me
I gotta say, thank you for asking this question! I think it's good for me to remind myself of all this often because lately I've been getting sucked so much into LSAT world that I forget why I'm doing it all. I'm not perfectly law-minded nor do I have an affinity for logic as many people that decide to go into law have (though I enjoy it!), but what I am is very passionate."
Absolutely love this! I can't wait to see what great things are in store for you!
I've worked in employment law as a paralegal for about 4.5 years total (first with farmworkers, now general employment, with a focus on immigrant workers who are victims of wage theft and expungements. Criminal records are a barrier to employment, so we try to eliminate those barriers and advocate with employers who won't hire people due to the criminal records. Sounds like this maybe right up your alley!) I'm sick of being a paralegal and want to be able to handle cases on my own. I like what I'm doing, but it can be frustrating not be able to do things because I am not an attorney.
What a cool job!!
Probably, the most realistic answer.
Its gotta be intellectual property for me.
Technology is such an interesting animal.
Maturing and mutating on the daily.
So much hasnt been written or covered, its guarenteed to keep me on my toes.
So flippin excited.
<
I have a passion for paying student loans.
For the reals, I'd really love to be PD and be a force of change against the drug laws. They ruin lives, period. You get popped with a significant drug charge and it's very hard to get your life back. We have to stop criminalizing drug use, IMHO. Sure, we shouldn't sell heroin out of vending machines, but we have to look at this problem differently.
Or, I might go into healthcare law. I have many years in that industry. I'm keeping my options open. I just always knew I wanted to go to law school even despite the baby attorney's I work with complaints.
@johanna586 I like your line of thinking.
Ditto @ElleWoods77. I worked for the USAO in Tennessee for a few years as a paralegal in the Civil Division and loved it. However, I am more interested in working in the Criminal Division as a Federal Prosecutor.
Labor law as well! I'm so excited to see that. I think I'm an activist at heart. If money were the sole motivation I would never get through this. My passion is to help leverage more bargaining power for employees in multinational corporations. I want to help not only on an individual/company level (health care, insurance, compensation, pensions, wage gap, social security) but also change practices by inadvertently changing the structure/practices of American businesses while I'm at it. Think income distribution.
Corporations promising big pensions to workers in exchange for 20 long years of low-wage pay and then slashing pensions by 60% when retirement comes around just breaks my heart. America is still young so we never know how things will turn out and what the trend will be!
Not solid on wanting to be a lawyer forever but I know the experience/precision of law will be invaluable for years to come.