Doing law school readings makes me really sleepy and sadly sleeping doesn't get the reading done. I really do often feel like the book is leaching life energy from me, thought that thought probably doesn't help me much in getting the work done (unless the books suck all the life out of me and I become some sort of cool zombie lawyer immune to the books effects, which would be cool, but I digress). So far, I think the most dangerous aspect of law school is just the guilt. The guilt that whatever it is you are doing you should be doing work for law school instead. There is always something you could be doing. It is like being constantly nagged. What is really tricky is even though you think the person doing the nagging is crazy, they could be right so you still have to listen and try and spend as much time with the books and deciphering their arcane meaning.
What is irritating is that grades are really the measure of all things in law school. Basically firm only look at the top 10% of students from non-top ten schools (and if you want to transfer they are looking for people in the top 10%). The problem is no one tells you how to get these "grades." The professors can't because becoming a professor is also based on how you do in law school so pretty much by their very nature law professors never had trouble getting good grades. So at this point I am working on not failing.
Also, my mom, the source of encouragement that she is, sent me an article from the Wall Street Journal that prominently featured a graduate of Columbia who had gone on to Brooklyn Law only to graduate with pretty bad job prospects and paying 60% of his income for his student loans alone. Don't think that will be me, but still not encouraging.
Anyway, I have to go tomorrow and have my first memo ripped to shreds. The year so far is just a bit like being told again and again that you know nothing about the law, I tend to agree with them which they don't like toj much, but so far I have nothing to put in the blank space of the response they really want: No, I do...[some brilliant insight about the law].
What is irritating is that grades are really the measure of all things in law school. Basically firm only look at the top 10% of students from non-top ten schools (and if you want to transfer they are looking for people in the top 10%). The problem is no one tells you how to get these "grades." The professors can't because becoming a professor is also based on how you do in law school so pretty much by their very nature law professors never had trouble getting good grades. So at this point I am working on not failing.
Also, my mom, the source of encouragement that she is, sent me an article from the Wall Street Journal that prominently featured a graduate of Columbia who had gone on to Brooklyn Law only to graduate with pretty bad job prospects and paying 60% of his income for his student loans alone. Don't think that will be me, but still not encouraging.
Anyway, I have to go tomorrow and have my first memo ripped to shreds. The year so far is just a bit like being told again and again that you know nothing about the law, I tend to agree with them which they don't like toj much, but so far I have nothing to put in the blank space of the response they really want: No, I do...[some brilliant insight about the law].
4 comments:
It's funny. Every time I start to doubt my insistence about NOT going to law school, I read your blog and feel better about foreswearing the life of the lawyer forever! Of course, ask me again in a few years when you're making money and I'd most definitely not, but for the meanwhile, THANK GOD.
Nah, it doesn't sound BAD...just...silly. Hopefully once they think you chaps know something, they'll actually start teaching you.
Aw Nella, you assume that I will be employed later inlife. Cute.
Keep checking back and I am sure I can probably give you knew reasons not to go to law school on a weekly basis.
The way I look at it going to law school is a lot like being shat upon sooner than later, it isn't much fun, but buy the end you apparently have acquired one of those much sought after 'skills.' As employers aren't sure if on eof those skills is the magical power to make law suits appear, they are less likely to shit on you.
The weird thing is that I feel like I have left my undergraduate studies behind, but that is what I want to get back to in the end. It just feels very round about.
Your Civ. Pro. entry is quite on point. Sometimes the class is such a waste of time, and perhaps it would be better is she just lectured... since we are going to learn everything next semester. Well, at least the class is getting better.
I'm sure you will be fine in school. I wouldn't say that if you were one of those annoying know-it-alls (good thing). Hopefully you don't have so many loans that you will need 60% of your income to repay them.
I totally feel like a sellout being in law school, but it is something to do, I guess.
By the way, how does this site now my name?
I do not know. Gypsy vodoo? Let's go with that one.
No my debt situation shouldn't be that bad, but is a little annoying feeling like a sell out sometimes without any of the perks.
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