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Comments
Former out of status immigrant here. The process of gaining residency was so convoluted and there are so many people out there trying to scam people who are desperate for help. Going through the process myself, I promised myself that if I successfully managed to gain residency, I would help others going through it.
Like Alex, I don't want to be a lawyer. I think I'll be a very effective one though, and if I apply myself in the right direction, I think I can help people, maybe even large populations if I can affect policy. If I were doing what I wanted, things would be pretty different, lol. Legal work itself seems very tedious and boring to me and I don't think I'll enjoy it at all.
I am loving all these labor and employment lovers coming out of the woodwork! Hearing everyone's passions is so inspiring.
Unfortunately, a passion for paying student loans and being a PD don't really mix that well. There's a good reason why so many people are Biglaw or bust.
What a great question!
I decided on law last summer while working for a biotech startup in NYC. I have always been interested in biotech and entrepreneurship, but that internship made me realize that I really enjoy patent/intellectual property law (all of the company's new inventions are filed at the USPTO, and the process fascinated me). I want to use patent law to help get new biotech to the market and reach as many patients who may benefit from new technology as possible. I'm hoping to do a lot of good with a law degree!
Very interesting! I've heard very little about this route. Thanks for sharing!
What kind of science degree do you have?
Wow! I actually never even thought about that intersection! I think it'd would definitely be fascinating and fulfilling work! I've stayed involved with prison education and other related things since and have found that barriers to employment/re-entry is a huge issue that these guys face when they come out. Now I'm definitely going to keep that in mind when I go to law school
When I first when to law school (23 years ago!), I wanted to WIN. Win court cases, win arguments, etc. That's really all I though about back then. My schooling was interrupted when I had kids (finished two years, took a year off, but then couldn't afford to finish). Over the years, I kind of left the law career behind: I had two kids to raise, eventually as a single parent, and a full time job and business.
Now one kid is finishing college and the second finishing high school. Both are transgender. I thought we'd come a long way in my life time with LGBT rights (and we have), but the last couple years have shown me how fragile this progress really is, especially for transgender individuals. I felt hopeless, wishing I could do something to help not just my kids, but anyone who needs someone to fight for their civil rights.
On the day the "muslim ban" was enacted, and I saw all those lawyers at the airports trying to help, I was reminded suddenly that maybe there was something I could do after all. So here I am, soon to be 49, and heading back to law school for the second time when many of my coworkers are looking forward to retirement. I just know this is something I have to do, though. I hope I can do some good in the time I have left.
I just read all that and it sounds super cheesy haha! But it's the truth, so I'm sticking with it.
Criminal Court Clerk for a Misdemeanor Judge in the Criminal Division here and right now could not see myself doing anything else . I have become fascinated with criminal prosecution watching trials and connecting with the DAs in the courts I have worked with. I am interested in the same path as you wanting to start out as a DA and than working way into federal. Hopefully we get pursue justice with the best of them very soon
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Because I want to think like a lawyer. I have always admired how lawyers think through problems and always wondered, "Why can't I think like that?" Well, what's stopping me from learning?!
So that's why I'm here. Also, I want to find a way to find a specialty in privacy law, because I believe in the right to privacy and want to help people feel more secure about their data and identity security.
I studied Biological Engineering in undergrad!
You're very welcome!
Yeah, IP sounds like a great idea. Good luck!
Thank you!
@uhinberg what are u in for? Or do you just enjoy studying for the LSAT
Who says I'm studying.
My point exactly. You like it so much you dont consider it studying lol
Hopefully we get pursue justice with the best of them very soon
. <<<Awesome! We absolutely will very soon! 
Let me know if you have any questions about my organization or our work! It's been a fun couple years and I've definitely learned a lot!
I heart you. You're amazing. Rock on lady! :-)
So many sincere and positive responses. I love it.
What a seemingly boring, mind-numbing profession to get ourselves into. Sometimes I feel like I'm just going with the flow of what society dictates. Other times I feel like this is the only shot I got to make a financial and social difference for myself and my family. I'm damn tired of working shitty meaningless jobs that provide little incentive for growth. I hope that being a lawyer will help my self and my family get a leg up in this world. Or maybe it won't. who knows. I'm gonna fucking do it because I feel like there's a lot of people who need attorneys and I can envision myself being a competent one. Great question. Y'all are gonna be awesome lawyers.
"I get paid to read, write, think, talk and argue—all things I would do anyway." I saw a similar question in Quora and this answer
This.
Except, it took me 2.5 years of school to realize that becoming a physician was not the most ideal way to reduce health and educational disparities within minority communities. Also, for everyone who said I was too mousy and timid to be a lawyer, watch me.
Edit: Some of these answers are making me tear up. Y'all are some high-quality folks.
Love it! I want to do Immigration Law as well. Not sure if I want to be a practicing lawyer. i would rather help in creating policies and helping my community as whole instead of one at a time
I just want to say this thread has been so light and positive and I know I definitely needed this good read!
I really want to work in the Public Interest area, giving those who might not know they have access to legal help, or that their rights are being infringed upon in the first place seems like such a needed career. Veterans, abuse victims, those who don't have much, if any at all are always the most gracious and to me the most rewarding to help!
details are very important to me, and I love research. I grew up with this indelible sense of fairness
Oh my gosh you're my spirit animal. This is me to a tee.
@tringo335 let's make it happen!!
I'm not denying your experience at all (that's awful and I feel a lot of solidarity with you, seriously) but I think this is a pretty classist framing. The real issue you're identifying is patriarchy, which is not specific to all low wage workers or only low wage workers. Women and femme people aren't taken seriously by men who work at top law firms either. Or in any other context. The scary thing about men at top law firms is that they have way more societal power (over any of us) than working class folks do.
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@sillllyxo I grew up blue collar, on a farm and my Dad was a mechanic after a farmer. My mom worked a union job at a grocery store. My parents were great, but you're totally right about blue collar culture - there's a reason blue collar families are less stable statistically and there is more domestic violence among blue collar people than in the middle classes. There's just more sexism and cultural backwardness. Not for every single person, and most people are really respectable, but the rates aren't the same for everybody.
Grew up around violent crime and between that and a lot of soul searching while studying theology, I realized that law was the bedrock of civilization, and that social stability and cultural flourishing depends on a constantly developing, adapting, and functioning legal system. I personally want to prosecute because it's personally meaningful, but I also love civil law. Where I work, I deal with family law, and also have a lot of exposure to torts, contracts, property, complex litigation, and it all just builds such a better tomorrow by building a better culture and society. Love all of it.
I feel an ethical obligation to push back on that. Just because a labor lawyer said it doesn't make it true. Yes, some labor unions are dominated by men (and these are the same unions that have historically excluded POC and women/femmes) and are total racist, sexist boys clubs. But like I said, so are top law firms. Or any other situation where you have a lot of men (especially predominantly white men, and especially when they have access to other forms of social and political capital) in a room who feel free to exercise their societal power with impunity. It's fundamentally classist, harmful, and untrue to say that working class people and their families are the source or the most egregious or harmful site of patriarchy. And also betrays a lack of a really basic power analysis.
What is this referring to?
I agree. I've worked in union plants and was respected and treated fairly in every aspect.
Contract Law/ IP Law/ Entertainment (particularly in music and sports). We got this y'all! Happy studying!
Lol ok.
Debates are fine and they happen, but keep this kind of "egging on" language out of it. I don't see anywhere in Kayyyyyyy's post where they personally attacked you.
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sure - I deleted the comment.
Is is funny that I actually don't want to be a lawyer for the rest of my life? Of course I want to delve into immigration law but the field I want to eventually thrive in looks highly upon JD degrees. And it helps in the long run.
But if all else fails I don't mind being a lawyer either.
Interesting! What field is that?
Back when I was a teenager, I used to just say "I want to work in international human rights" -- I soon found out that a career in that field doesn't really exist in blatant terms; it's too broad. I just knew I wanted to help people (I've worked in NPOs since high school).
I then came across environmental justice & sustainable development and found a real passion in it. The area of environmental justice that I want to be involved in focuses on how some people are unequally burdened by environmental degradation & global warming, namely First Nations populations (I'm from Canada) and other marginalized groups. An example locally is that some cities will intentionally choose their garbage dump locations in locations where they know people can't (afford to) fight back. More broadly, it also pertains to developing nations - for example, there is a small island called Kiribati in the south pacific that has lost many of its villages & islets due to rising sea levels, and the natives there (called I-Kiribati) are not sure if they will have a place to call home by 2100 ... despite the fact that their contribution to global warming levels on like 0%. Something interesting legally that was brought up was that if Kiribati is largely submerged by 2100 & geographically/physically no longer exists, but the government, culture & the people still do... does being "I-Kiribati" still exist?
It essentially highlights how those who contribute to climate change and other environmental issues the least, are usually the ones who end up being the most affected by it.
A lot of people call me naive for saying I want to go into law to give a voice to people who don't have the luxury, ability, money or education to stand up for themselves legally -- but honestly I don't really care! I think a drive to succeed is all that it takes. Whether that be directly aiding a client, giving people the resources they need to sustainably develop their nations, or influencing public policy (i.e. government), I hope I can make some sort of change!!!
Good luck to everyone - this has been such an inspiring thread to read!!
Very cool! thanks for sharing
Lawyer is one of the few professions I've heard that makes big money but doesn't necessarily require heavy math or hard science skills. Also, lawyers don't seem like they can be easily replaced by robots, so there will be one less thing to worry about in the foreseeable midlife crisis.
I work in HR now as well and that's so true haha!
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It's so infuriating right!?
Nice to meet another fellow Canadian on here
. I took a restorative justice class and I must say I really respect what you intend to do. First Nations people and other marginalized groups are horribly treated and it is amazing that you want to advocate for them.
Nice to meet another Canadian too - and thank you for the kind words!!
It's interesting because a lot of my American friends think that they are the one with the problem and that Canada is a land of peace, love & rainbows - lo and behold, our treatment of First Nations is abhorrent as well!
Surprisingly, I was strongly against going to law school. I didn't think I could do it. That changed when I joined my university's pre law society. At first, I joined just to have something on my resume, but then I became more involved and served on exec for 2 years. We brought in tons of speakers who were upfront and honest about practicing law. I really enjoyed hearing from DAs and federal prosecutors in particular. I find criminal law interesting and I would like to be an advocate for CJ reform.
My senior year, I was lucky enough to do a Pathways internship with a federal agency. This basically solidified my decision to go to law school. With a law degree, I can end up anywhere in government (but hopefully as a prosecutor
).