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pre-law school work/volunteer experience
imharris
Alum Member
hey all! i'm prepping for the june 2017 lsat currently and planning on applying to law school this fall. i'm curious about what experiences you all have had within the legal field before law school.
tomorrow i start volunteering at the local municipal court resource center and am very excited to be on the front lines of our justice system. any other volunteers out there? what has your experience been? what about professionals? anyone working as a paralegal or law enforcement officer? or unpaid interns? did anyone fetch starbucks for a big law firm? or brew folgers for your local legal aid clinic?
were you inspired by working within the legal system to pursue law school? or did you already know that you wanted to attend law school and subsequently sought out a job/volunteer opportunity within the specific area of law that interested you?
any type-a personalities out there who mapped out a perfect post-undergraduate plan of two years of professional work before getting into HYS?
lastly, and perhaps most interesting i think, how did your pre-law school work/volunteer experience surprise you? did it change your goals when applying to law school?
curious to hear what you've experienced!
Comments
I exactly planned out 2-years working before law school. Over the summers between high school and through out college I worked at a small real estate law firm, mostly answering phones, taking notes, and answering simple emails, and, of course, filling. Something to put on the resume and just from being there I learned a bunch of little things.
I guess I'm pretty pragmatic and always thought, at least since I was in early high school, that an attorney would be a good job for me. I was always interested in business/legal side of things. I didn't fetch big law from a Starbucks, but I got a job on Wall street gig because I was selling cars a few summers ago; sold one to a VP who worked at a top ibank. We exchanged info. We tried for 2 months to meet and finally it all worked out. He told me what I needed to do and within 3 months I was working there and no longer selling cars. All because of a good test drive, being a good salesman, and a few other serendipitous things. Felt like the ending scene of Pursuit of Happyness -- for real!
Did my post-grad w/e change anything for me? Yes and no I guess. I sort of knew what I was getting into, however, I think I am way less naive and way more of an asshole than I ever was. Sounds like a bad thing, but I think it hardened me and taught me if you want it, you can do it. Read The 48 Law of Power that book is really relevant within law and finance....
I don't think my ultimate goals changed, but I sort of had an existential crisis of whether to leave to pursue law or keep down a road of pure finance and banking. 2 years working in finance was enough for me to know it isn't for me without an MBA-level position. Otherwise, I think I just learned a lot about corporate culture. Office politics. Finding a good mentor. At first I was scared and felt like I couldn't do it, but if anything, my work experience makes me more confident I can.
Congrats on your new position. It might be in a totally different field, doing totally different things, but it's definitely something to be excited for. You'll learn a lot about what you do and don't like. And hopefully, and most importantly, NETWORK. I wouldn't trade my network for almost anything at this point. And I don't even know anyone that important....lmao
@runningthroughthemountains That's really great!! You seem to have a solid plan, and congrats on your new position! I personally do not have much experience in the legal field at this point, but I am planning to gain experience before I apply (most likely next year). So I am not much help in answering your various questions, but I think they're great questions and I would love to hear others' answers as well!
@"Alex Divine" Wow you have so much legal experience! That's impressive! Also, I love how you emphasize networking & your networking definitely seems helpful for many reasons, but I am curious: are you hoping/planning to attend a law school nearby where you currently live? If so I understand how your network would be beneficial long-term because it could very much help with getting desirable positions, etc. But if you are planning to attend a law school that is farther away, then what would be the specific benefits of a strong network? (Just to clarify, I think strong networking is ALWAYS a great thing and there are never any downsides to it, but I am just not completely clear how it would positively affect a law student who lives far away from their network. Hopefully my question makes sense!)
Thanks @Ellie0257 !
I actually have a decent amount, however, it was never anything substantial. Though, my high school GFs dad senior year was a lawyer and he always let me do things with him. He did mostly real estate law as well. And even doing nothing but sometimes just hanging out I learned so much. I felt like I learned a lot that summer (2010)
Networking is something I learned early on. We all know WHO you know is 9/01 more important than what you know.
So to answer your question about my law school choice: Most of professional network are people I worked/lived back in NYC. I hope to end up back there regardless of where I go to school. My ultimate goal is T6, big law (M&A deals) and then hopefully right back to the corp I was at. However in-house lawyers are usually required 3-5 years of experience. I'm hoping my background in ibanking and the people I know will be major proponents when that times comes.
If you live far away from your potential network it depends what school it is. The network at Stanford is national, while Cardozo is primarily NY/NJ. Contingency vis-avis your network will likely be reflective of your school choice. T14/13s are going to generally have national networks.
Then there is always just meeting people -- straight up networking; like a maven of sorts. I still sometimes can't believe I met my future/ex boss on a test drive!
@"Alex Divine" That makes complete sense! Yes I agree on all the things you said about networking & then it makes sense how your connections would be so critical to your future career since you are planning to end up in the area that your connections are located. That's great! I am still not sure where I want to end up so any local connections I make may not be as relevant long-term, but networking is still always beneficial! And wow that's crazy you met your boss that way! That is such a testament to the fact that networking can happen anywhere and in any form- always good to keep in mind.
@Ellie0257 Yup! You truly never know what you'll meet or doing what.
Even if you don't fully have enthusiasm or hope in local connections: Older guys/women tends to have connections all over the place.
If you don't know where you ultimately want to end up no networking opportunity can seem wrong. And, just it iterate, a lot of people who like you will help you within their network. It's how it all works out. Just be as kind as you are on here and you'll be in great condition!