By Harrison Long
Law school is afforded an almost mythical status for those observing it from the outside. Those within, often times, are too laser-focused on keeping the highwire act alive to explain it to friends and family curious about the process. This is a primer for those who simply don’t know which questions to ask about entering the bar. Here are five tips that should be considered before pursuing a degree in law.
- Law school is three distinct years.
Each year of law school is different, the focus of both your academics and your extra-curricular life taking shape around the demands on you, the student, in each respective year. The old adage goes: The first year they scare you to death; the second year they work you to death; and the third year they bore you to death.
The first year is all about learning how to learn the law. The style of teaching – Socratic method –demands much of the student by way of putting themselves out there, in front of God and everyone else, in a way unlikely encountered before. It is no small adjustment but can certainly be done.
The second year, following at least two rounds of classes, surrounds the diving into some of the more demanding extra-curriculars like journal, moot court, school-sponsored clinics, or part-time work locally. An internship experience with a court, agency, or law firm is common, but these are certainly not paramount to the continued education that exists in 2L. Classes are still in full swing, but one’s proverbial plate is loaded with other things demanding real time and attention.
The third year is about graduation, passing the bar exam, getting a job, and figuring out how to back pay one’s loans. It is a year to focus on the topics within the law one has an interest in, refine one’s experience and CV prior to licensure, and to prepare to slay the beast that is the bar exam. It is where the student becomes the attorney.
- Almost no one pays for law school out of pocket
American Bar Association -an entity you will get to know well- conducted a survey of law student debt in 2020. The very first section of this survey is titled: All Law School Graduates Are Impacted by Student Debt, with Few Exceptions.
The reality of the law school debt situation is that over 95 percent of all law students carry out a loan balance upon leaving their respective school. The average debt scores somewhere in the low six figure range and is something that any and all potential students should consider in choosing this career field.
One should also understand that while it is true the legal profession sees higher-than-average starting salaries for entry-level attorneys, this is not universal, and the exceptionally high paid positions are few and far between. Many lawyers are able to earn a decent living and to get a handle on their student loans early in their career, but the reality of owing so much money just to begin one’s career is something that should not be taken upon lightly.
- Consider a school’s culture in deciding to attend.
A few questions to consider for any prospective school:
- How does this school respond to the issues of our age?
- How does this school support the initiatives or values I care about?
- How does this school support veterans or part-time students with full-time careers?
- How did this school respond to student need when Covid-19 forced everyone to remote learning and testing?
Any student has a deep relationship with their law school, and those with whom the student graduates alongside form the foundation of their legal network. It is important to know about the culture you are going to be a part of, make an executive decision about whether that culture fits your lifestyle and then, if possible, never look back. This is also directly related to number four:
- Take care of yourself.
Stress manifests itself physically, and any law student is going to be under considerable stress. Understand that along with taking one’s studies seriously, any other lasting success is going to be a result of how well that student takes care of their body, mind, and spirit. Many common problems surrounding burnout are a result of prolonged periods of tiny sacrifices in one’s sleep, eating, exercise, and spirituality. Law school is a portal to one’s professional life, not where one loses their way in the world.
- It won’t come easy (but can be done)
Lawyers have existed for centuries and will be around for centuries more. Understanding the breadth of their work lends any student perspective in the often-exhausting pursuit of law school. Remember what you are going for, what difference you are going to make, and be led by the angels of your better nature. You’ll come out alright and it will have all been worth it.
