no, you probably shouldn't go to law school.
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- Опубліковано 19 чер 2024
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anytime you want to do something, as yourself, "why?" then ask yourself "why?" five more times.
& sorry for the sound quality--i didn't realize my mic would pick up my AC like that!! now i know :(
suits, legally blonde, and matlock, oh my! - 0:00
why people regret law school more - 1:14
deconstructing reason #1: i want to make a lot of money - 3:17
student loans are making young lawyers miserable - 4:48
what is work-life balance worth to you? - 5:52
deconstructing reason #2: i want to help people - 8:25
helping people without a JD - 9:47
deconstructing reason #3: being a lawyer looks fun & exciting - 10:42
deconstructing reason #4: i don't know what to do with my life - 13:00
sources:
www.nalp.org/starting_salarie...
www.abajournal.com/news/artic...
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❓ F A Q s ❓
how old are you? 31 ('91 baby)
which schools did you go to? yale (undergrad) and harvard (law school)
what did you major in? economics
what was your gpa and lsat score? 3.86/176
what sign/MBTI/enneagram are you? aries, ENFJ, 3w4
are you sure you're not a virgo? no part of my star chart is virgo or an earth sign, i swear
I went to law school because I did well on the LSAT and didn’t know what else to do with my life. Honestly, my life changed at law school. I found an internship at a public agency and fell in love with the job. Eleven years later, I am still there. I have found my career and purpose. I am so glad I went to law school even though at 21 I didn’t really know if it would be for me or not.
i’m glad it worked out for you!
What work do you do at the public agency ?
Thank you! And thank you for your excellent videos!
@@kevinkeller5596 congrats; glad it was a good choice for you and you found a job that fulfills you.
Dittos. And 40 years later I am still glad I did. Understanding how the system works, where to find out what you need, and learning cogent thinking helped me in all aspects of my personal life,right down to raising kids.
I think people should make decisions like going to law school once over the age of 25... or maybe even older.
Its a helluva decision. Ive decided to go back at 31 and honestly it's less stressful then trying to do it in my early 20s. I think its because I've developed more as a person.
I am considering at 33. I have 2 kids but I've been considering law for years now and that feeling of wanting to give it a try never left. I never really felt that "calling" for something for very long. I seem to always go back to considering law.
@@anh7807 Go for it!
@theeternalgus9119 my husband has discouraged me..he wants me to stay and help him with his construction business instead. He keeps telling me to wait. That said, I feel deep down that I want my own thing. I dont really enjoy relying fully on him...if something were to happen to him (or us), I want to make it on my own.
A big concern for me is not only financial, but the closest law schools near me are 2 hour drives. I think I'm just going to go for it, but my spouse has threatened divorce if I do (especially if I take out loans). It would also take me away from my kids, but I told them it should pay off if we sacrifice just a bit.
You should do it. If your husband is threatening divorce and wants you around as "free labour" for his business, it's probably not doing well. Gain the skill set to provide for yourself and your children while finding your purpose in life. I wish you luck and hope you get a chance to live your dream @@anh7807
Facts I just turned 28 and I'm definitely deciding to go to law school
Watching this on my break while studying for the LSAT 😅😅
Me too!! 😂
Same!
Me too. How y'll studying
Why do we do this to ourselves?
Girl 😂
I graduated from law school last year, and for me, it was not the right career choice. If you don’t love the law and law school, there are options for you within the field. But if you don’t love it, there is NO SHAME in leaving the field like I did. Best decision I ever made.
what do you do now?
@@jinnylee248 I'm a youth services librarian! Definitely not as prestigious, but so rewarding, fun, and I feel like I have the free time I never had while in law school/practicing.
I went to law school and absolutely loved it.. I got my paralegal degree from Old Dominion University in Virginia first and I loved it so that helped tremendously. I knew I liked studying the law and working in the field. That's why I decided to go ahead and go to law school even though I could have read for my bar without going to the law school because in Virginia and California people can do that. If someone have the bachelor's degree pretty much in anything and they work for an attorney three years and their sponsored and study and do their work under this attorney, they can sit for their bar exam without going to hospital for 3 years. I chose to go anyway because I wanted to make sure I passed it and did anything I could to pass.. yes I did but it was the most grueling two days in my life. My back hurt and my hands hurt.
You are 100% right!!! The best thing I can suggest is if people are interested in the law, did they already have a bachelor's degree they can always get a paralegal certificate. That's my suggestion because they can always get a job as a paralegal just having that certificate alone while taking about 8-10 classes. Only takes about two semesters. That way if they don't like it they'll know . My first law class was business law and it was so boring so boring and I liked my professor which was the only thing that got me through it.. I even made an a as a class and I don't know how. After business law it was awesome and then real estate law was boring.. bankruptcy law was hard!! It was hard but I hit Barnes & Noble and got extra books so it helped me learn it and then it made it easy.. you're absolutely right and it's not for everybody!! For me it was just my niche'.. best way I can describe it but I'm so happy that you found something wonderful for you.. nothing more miserable than working at something 8 hours a day for your whole life and hating it.
May I ask why you didn’t drop out? And did you take the bar?
I am a law student and I love it!! It's amazing it feels like your life has a higher purpose, I am loving every second of it! If you really love it the working part feels effortless!
Same! I absolutely love what I do.
Yasss, same. I didn’t think I would like it, I was never the kid with the dream to become a lawyer and debate people (lol) but turns out I’m pretty good at it and I find it interesting and important
That's great to hear! I thought law school was interesting, not too bad, but then working in the field was so different and a drag. Law schools need to do a better job preparing students for real-life practice.
@@aalegalfocus I guess it depends on the institution, few are good few could do good.
But you're not even working as an attorney yet. Talk to us in 10 years.
I'm currently applying for law school! *However,* I'm turning 30 next month. I spent time after undergrad working in the legal field as a court reporter. That experience was invaluable and made me realize that my personality and skills were best suited for law. There's no shame in taking the time to work in a field before committing to it, especially because law school involves a lot of time and a lot of money!
I knew several 1Ls that were 30 in my class when I had went to law school
I turned 30 during law school (top 20 school). There were other students significantly older than me.
@@MSneberger oh. Top 20 school. Should I give you a cookie?
@@newagain9964 Just a data point for Authiel who mentioned that she was 30 and applying for law school so that she would hear that a law school with restrictive admission policies (as opposed to "OK you have a pulse and $100k you're in") have no problem with 30-year-old 1Ls. Go give a cookie to the T14 folks.
@zzzz Horrible. But I do not think it had much to do with age.
Not me wanting to go to law school based on legally blondeee 💀 That was literally me. I had recently changed my degree to Criminology as I felt that everything I was learning really didn't fit with what I wanted. Your videos made me realise that Law wasn't for me, and I thank you for that. Everything you have said about the law profession, and the legal industry, was literally everything that I thought, but I didn't realise this because I was too stuck in the fantasised life of wanting to be a lawyer, and earn lots of money. Thank you Cece! ❤️
you're welcome! law can be a fulfilling and financially rewarding path, but in all cases, we need to divorce the fantasy of being a lawyer from the reality of being one. i'm glad you're realizing what isn't for you--it's one step closer to homing in on what is!
Congratulations on giving up on your dreams.
Fellow attorney here!! Completely agree with this advice. Saw so many people dropping out because they went to law school for their family or because they didn't know what to do with their lives. What I would say is that it can be the best decision you ever make depending on whether you do your research first! I'm in litigation now and it genuinely is a fast paced, exciting career where you get to use your brain! In terms of mitigating debt, choose your law school wisely; balancing prestige with cost is a good idea. I went to one of the cheapest T1 schools and was lucky because I could do my JD in 2 yrs rather than 3 (this may be the case if you have an LLB from England). RA work and clerking also chopped the cost in half. It is doable and if this is your passion, go for it! Just make sure you know what you're getting into first!
Hey bud, I wanted to ask you couple questions about law school. would you be able to help , please?
@@minanicola8318 sure thing! Let me know what questions you have and I will do my best to answer them!
This was very informing, what T1 did you attend?
@@aphrojitex8972 I went to the University of Iowa! I think a lot of people dismiss it because it's more rural than some of the other schools, but we have a ton of people going into big law after all over the country! Would 10/10 recommend the teaching there!
I know being a lawyer is a lot of reading and writing....how much do you like that aspect?
"I want to help people" except the people you wish the help can't afford your hourly rate :(
Exactly the dilemma
There's always pro bono work. Some lawyers will do charity cases.
Public defense is an option
While I understand why the author emphasizes carefully considering a legal career before committing to law school, I disagree with the author's outlook on the career. I hated every moment of law school, but love the practice of law. Law school itself, I found, had little to do with the practice of law. Law requires that you solve problems, manage clients and opposing counsel, and secure and protect the rights, property, and freedoms of companies and people. I also think it is disingenuous to recite the starting salary for attorneys without caveats or context. The author fails to mention that many career paths in the public sector include excellent benefits and/or retirement; that compensation rises quickly with years of experience; or that different geographies command different starting salaries. And with respect to helping others, I understand that law students want to "make a difference." The reality is that attorneys do make a difference, but often on a small scale. Every conviction, divorce, will, patent, bankruptcy can massively impact the client - whether that client is a person or a company with thousands of employees. Again, while I understand the points made by the author, but I do think the advice given is overly myopic and negative.
Thank you!
I completely agree with this! I'm in the post-JD, pre-bar intership phase and there are still lots of ways to get creative and leverage your law degree and experience to make a decent living.
You make a difference? Sure, By guiding someone out of an (expensive) paper maze ppl of your ilk unnecessarily created. And don’t get my started about businesses. They have more rights and protections than ACTUAL ppl.
@@newagain9964 There’s a name for that paper maze. It’s called the law, and most people use it to their benefit. As to your comment about the rights and protections for companies, it turns out a lot of people rely on them for a paycheck.
Agreed. I don't know this youtuber so I could be wrong, but many people go straight from undergraduate to law. She could be one of the people that went straight through. A lot of people that don't understand the working world before getting into their main/only profession think their career/field is somehow unique in not living up to expectations, bad pay, bad hours, poor sense of fulfillment, etc. You will see miserable people in every single field out there. People who leapt before looking, who had people pressuring them, who wanted security and wealth, etc. Then they find out they made a mistake in career paths and have to make it everyone else's issue (not this youtuber, but other's online). At least in law you have high earning potential like you said. The debt is uniquely awful but can be paid off with discipline. I feel like there are many arrogant people that go into law because they think its "easy money" from 3 extra years of school and learn its actually difficult, either in school or when they start working.
I'm in law school and have no regrets. Worked in the legal field for years prior to law school. Know what you're getting into, don't go into it blindly - the debt is like "golden handcuffs" and you may feel overwhelmed.
Good luck with everything. Great that you worked in the profession first.
Same here no regrets I have been working now for three years two of which where in big law. Big law was rough but doable.. now I am at a smaller firm and am loving it. Also investing into real estate which is very fun
As a law school tour guide, I tried really hard to help people consider these things. A book that I always recommended was "Most Law School Advice Is BS" by Andy Brink. Its a great read and really helped me consider things that mattered like law school debt, location, networking, and the lie that is big law and on campus interviews. So anyone here who wants more guidance about deciding to go to law school and then deciding where to go to law school, consider this book!
Thank you SO much for your content! I'm a Scottish lawyer who got into the profession under reasons 1 and 4 and BOY was I unprepared. Our system is different (and a lot cheaper) than the US system but still took seven years and some debt to get through. It's fascinating to hear that the actual reality of the work itself is so similar on other sides of the world though. Currently trying to pursue other goals after 2 years working in corporate and I've never felt more free and mentally stable haha! All the best with your new life path!
im 17 right now and was generally opposed to going to law school because of the course load, finances, and the fact that the media glamorizes it (as you said). however this all changed once i read "Assata", seeing what it was like in the 60s with the lack of black lawyers defending innocent black people infuriated me. even though it was way back then, instances like that still happen today. within the prison industrial complex still standing strong today in the states, i feel as if i have to make change. as angela davis said, im no longer accepting the things i cannot change, i am changing the things i cannot accept. i got an a in my grade 11 law course and taking grade 12 law next year. the law is unjust, people of colour are being mass incarcerated by storm, none of that will change if i just sit here and sulk! and for that reason yeah, i wanna go to law school and i wanna be a criminal defence lawyer! its me vs the prison industrial complex
I love this for you, I wish u all the best. However, you gotta know and not let your passion and dream die that as a criminal defense you most likely will be a public defender for those truly innocent people and you’re going to be weighed down by case loads and the pressure to slap a plea deal will be enormous. I encourage you to study criminal justice/criminology in undergrad with a minor in philosophy or psychology, both those disciplines will get you far and prepare you well.
THIS is a VALID an great reason to want to become an attorney and is very similar mine as well I really want to become an immigration attorney to help black/ POC immigrants seeking residency, citizenship, or aslyum in the US who often don't have immediate access to a lawyer or legal resources (which unfortunately is very common now). I'm in my mid 20's w/ my BA but the biggest obstacle in applying has mainly been the LSAT it's been very rough for me lol. However, I would make sure you do a good bit of research on being a criminal defense attorney, especially as an UG (i.e. finding any criminal defense attorneys via the state bar association in your state who are willing to have an informational interview with you on what their daily tasks/ duties are, I suggest following NatalieLawyerChick on UA-cam- she's a black criminal defense attorney who does great videos analyzing complex and interesting court cases/ legal matters, find great volunteer and internship opportunities that relate to criminal defense law, and I don't want to tell you which specific major to choose in college but ideally you should choose something that you would enjoy and do well academically ofc. Your major doesn't even have to be related to law either it just needs to be one where you can earn a high/ mid 3.0 GPA overall- which I'm sure you'd be very capable of! I'm rooting for you! 💕
@@laurenann5481 I agree!
Great passion and a valid reason for wanting to go to law school! I went because I wanted to be a prosecutor to protect my community. I’ve been the victim of multiple crimes and that’s what inspired my passion. However I recognize the unfair treatment of minorities (and even white people who are poor and unconnected). As a prosecutor I enjoyed working with most of the defense attorneys because I saw they were very necessary to prevent the court system from wielding their power uncontrollably. Many times we reached plea bargains that ensured the community was safe- yet their client didn’t have to spend an unnecessary amount of time in jail (if they even went to jail). Sometimes, (is especially with younger offenders) we’d ensure that their record remained clean and try our best to get them out of the system.
That being said, make sure you don’t spend too much on law school and take advantage of any scholarships you can. Prosecutors and public defense attorneys make peanuts compared to the rest of the profession. It can be extremely hard to live off that salary and pay back huge student debt. Further, most public defenders offices don’t really care what law school you went to as long as you become a licensed attorney. They care far more about experience (which you can get in an internship in law school) than they do about the prestige of the school you went to and even if you have bad grades. I did several internships in prosecutors offices in law school and I got job offers from many prosecutors offices right after graduation. I had classmates who had MUCH better grades than me (I was literally at the bottom of my class grade wise) but they couldn’t get hired by prosecutors offices or public defender offices because their internships were in completely different fields of law.
So overall my recommendation would be to not go into too much debt for undergrad and law school and to try to intern in defense offices as much as possible. It will allow you to get a feel for it and decide if it’s definitely what you want to do and it will make you 5x more marketable in the hiring process. Also try to work well with coworkers and other prosecutors in those internships. Being respectful and hardworking goes a looooong way in being attractive to future employers!
I wish you the best! The law community needs people like you!
Well said, and we need to fix the gender disparity in jail! Too many men in jail and not enough women!!!
For some reason UA-cam has pushed a video with basically the same premise like once a month since I applied to law schools. I start next month, but I always watch them just out of curiosity (and spite!) This was by far the best one. I came in annoyed at it's existence and now feel as though it is a valuable and interesting resource for those early in the process. Good job!
I start next month as well!! Wishing you all the best on your journey 💕
How is it going?
I'm glad you reiterate that the huge starting pay is not typical at all; only a small percentage of all graduates get big law and many people don't last more than a few years anyway. I was mired in low-paying small law firm jobs after Georgetown law school and thought constantly about quitting the profession. Thank you for bringing up all these considerations for anyone considering law school.
Thank you so so much for this!! Currently taking a gap year after graduating with my bachelor’s- this provided timely and detailed insight!!
i'm so glad! gap years can be so incredibly helpful to figuring out what you want out of your life and career--hope you're enjoying it and learning a lot!
I’m in the exact same boat! I’m working in law right now but I was waiting to go to law school
When my two sons had to chose their career path - it was just as challenging as it is- or should be, for most 18 year olds who have had little life and work experience to gauge their decision on .... BUT making the Wrong Choice can ending costing students a fortune in Student Debt for a career they may later decide they do not want or like.
My oldest son was fortunate to be an 18 year old in the burgeoning era of the Information Age - the Internet. He quickly figured out how to do in depth searches on clunky search engines ...into the pros and cons of different careers - then carefully studied them before making his final choice - A LAW DEGREE.
He had already figured out - that in order to get the best jobs and income - IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GO TO A TOP LAW SCHOOL. This is not necessarily true of other careers - but it turned out, he was correct when it came to Law Degrees.
IMPORTANT NOTE: There are too many law schools and too few good paying law careers. The old Supply and Demand issue. This is a FACT that ANYONE considering becoming an attorney - needs to take very, very seriously or you could easily graduate from a mediocre law school with $200,000+ in student debt only to be offered low paying jobs in law. This is all too common.
The reason my oldest son chose to pursue a Law Career after doing his research .... is that he already knew from his SAT scores, he had a very good chance of eventually getting into a top 10 Law School. I questioned his decision at the time - but as time passed and I did my own research, I realized he was right.
The problem for most young college students ...is that most of them will never get a high enough LSAT score to get into a top Law School.
NOTE: Most of the top law schools require LSATs in the top 2% .... a difficult score to achieve for even exceptional students. As he awaited his "career determining" LSAT score - he was consumed in overwhelming stress, worried he had not done well enough on the test.
When his score did come in - he was ecstatic when he received a 176 out of 180 score - which almost guaranteed admittance to a top 8 Law School. Eventually he ended up choosing a prestigious top 4 Ivy League Law School - and that singular 99.7 percentile LSAT score, literally determined his future.
HOWEVER -These top Law Schools require these exceptionally high scores for admittance - but the reality is, very few people get those kind of scores.
His undergrad college roommate also took the LSAT ... a guy whose father was so gifted, he has attained BOTH a Law Degree - AND a Medical Degree ... yet his LSAT score was 165 which allowed him to get into a good 14th ranked law school - but was out of reach for the kind of schools that could guarantee good jobs and a salary high enough - to pay back all those pricey student loans.
Hope this real life situation can help someone else decide which direction and degree they want to invest their time and money attaining. Unfortunately there are far too many smart young adults only find out after they have a mountain of student debt - they have a degree in a field that will be the wrong choice. The biggest improvement this country could make to help young people avoid massive student debt ... is to invest every high school with enough WELL TRAINED, KNOWLEDGABLE counselors to give them the critically accurate information these students need before they make choices they end up regretting.
@@ridgebriar17 Well said. I think it is criminal that law schools are turning out too many would-be lawyers relative to the demand for lawyers. They know they are doing this, and they don't care. The ABA, which accredits these law schools, doesn't care either.
I remember being 16 and doing work experience in a firm where everyone tried their best to discourage me from studying law, jokingly telling me it was the Devil's work and to get away while I still can. Ditto with any law students I met before starting college, and since starting studying college I've realised that pretty much all of my coursemates have experienced the same. I think if you can hear about all the downsides that come with working in the legal sphere and that *still* doesn't put you off, it's probably I sign that you're the right fit
Also, on a side note --if finance is the main obstacle stopping you from going to law school, look into studying abroad. Outside of the US, you can study law at undergrad level and get qualified faster, not to mention generous enough financial aid packages. Obviously, undergrad international student fees will be relatively more expensive than home fees but they seem to pale in comparison to US law school fees
Yep I'm studying in ireland and finance isn't an issue because of student grants. I'm now in my 3rd year and loving the course
@@singingcoversweekly3108 I’m studying law in Ireland too!
@@catherinenikolajeva2152 But if you do that, does that mean you would end up practicing law in the country you studied abroad in?
@@andreasalazar5370 It really just depends. I can only speak as an Irish law student, and one still currently doing my undergrad at that. The conversion course afterwards varies from country to country (and state to state, if you want to practice in the US), but you wouldn't be a qualified lawyer right after finishing your degree anyway. As far as I know (I could be wrong), Irish graduates can sit the NY Bar exam. I know of people who've practiced in Australia before sitting conversion exams, and those exams were then done only to show prospective employers that they were in it for the long haul. I think it's important to consider that, Ireland, for example, is a common law jurisdiction rather than a civil law one if you're looking to practice elsewhere. Considering the exams and courses you'd have to do to qualify into actually practicing law, I really don't think that a foreign law degree from a respected university would be much more of an additional hindrance. Sorry for the long reply! :)
Thank you, literally said anything I needed to hear!! Im a 2L who just transferred to a part time program at a different school to work in public policy. I’m feeling anxious about the change but the advice really helped validate my decision ❤️
Cece's advice at 8:20 about public interest is spot on. Not everyone is cut out for non-stop litigation. I'd say the chances of sticking with it for more than 4 years is about 35% in most specialties. In criminal defense it's probably more like 20% of people are still doing it after 4 years.
you have such a comforting vibe
Hi I just applied to graduate school for media and communications but I’m a huge fan of your work. I love how you’re realistic with being a lawyer. So kudos to you and the young professionals coming out to state that what all glitters isn’t gold
the pace you speak at and how you explain things is very pleasing for my adhd ears
I really appreciate your in-depth video, especially because I feel nervous about not applying to graduate school the past year when my peers seem like they have everything figured out. Thanks for providing other jobs and paths that I could do--and now considering!
don't be nervous! everyone else might seem like they have everything figured out, but in reality, everyone has to keep on figuring things out. grad school is a big decision, and i think it's better to delay it until you have a clear idea of what you're trying to get out of it. i'm so glad that this video was helpful to you--excited for you to explore some of these other paths!
Thank you so much for putting the time and effort into sharing your insights with us. Such an effective way to get important and sometimes inaccessible info to a large group of people!
thank you for watching and supporting! i never thought i would have something to offer to others, and your comment means a lot to me ❤️
Not even remotely connected to the legal profession but still really enjoy watching your content, I think your thoughtfulness about career and life extends beyond the whole law school/legal profession situation. Keep up the good work👍 Wonder if I should pass this along to a friend applying to law school 😅
thank you! and definitely--i think this video would help anyone considering going to law school or currently applying
bruh thank you for calling me out! so helpful to have my thinking broken down like this, you a real one!!!
Thank you SO much for this video! I'm interested in systemic change through public policy/law, and it helped me expand the careers I'll explore. Edit: Having specific questions were also very helpful.
I appreciate this video a lot! The fears you mentioned about student debt, not being able to provide the same quality of life as one's parents, trapped in working long hours because of living expenses... I think these have more to do with the current state of our economy. We have more debt than our parents, and we're working more hours for less spending power than our parents. We feel trapped because we have been collectively backed into a corner. I hear these same fears from people no matter what their career is.
feels crazy watching this having just graduated law school last year but you're totally spot on with the advice. I went to law school without a clear idea of what typical practice (i.e. firm life) would entail which led to some pretty serious depression/burn out when I started working. Honestly I find needing to bill by the hour super stressful, especially as someone who prefers to take my time with things. I'm still trying to find a way to make it work but seeing people in the comments share the different ways they tackled similar issues makes me feel a lot better ❤ it also made me less afraid of the possibility that maybe the legal profession just isnt for me
I only graduated in 2020, so I’m not some old, wise person who knows tons about this, but if there is anyone watching this who’s in college I HIGHLY recommend listening to what she says from 10:20 -10:45. There are so many factors to jobs that interviews and internet research can’t tell you when you’ve been in school your whole life. Actually working in the field that you find interesting straight out of college will give you far more information than those things ever will. As a child of immigrants there’s this pressure to get graduate degrees as fast as possible and I’ve come to the decision that that’s actually a bad idea.
As someone with a daughter in her 3rd year of college( & immigrant parents) , this resonates so much … I wish it was more normalized to take time finding & trying different things. My daughter, a college athlete& biochem major(not by my pushing), just opened up about how her mental health is not as good as she pretended it was this entire time trying to “not be a failure” ?!? Feels like we are going to take some time to figure this out- although my first gen brain was thinking “push through- what are you thinking?!!!!”
Yea, it’s a very bad idea. Most people don’t build up workforce, workload tolerance until they’ve had a few jobs outside of AND inside of their future job. I remember a few years back I was 21, 25 now, a lot of people would say to choose a career when you’re in you mid 20’s. I didn’t wanna listen and now I realized that’s the position I’m in. Thank God for everything because now I’m not in debt and can actually do a career without any debt. Such as community college for nursing degree.
@@griselgriselda2901 That’s awesome. Happy for you. I spent so long, even till recently that I need to go down certain career paths, partly to please my immigrant parents. I turn 25 next week. But I’m realizing I just want to let go of that thinking that I have to go into very high paying career paths at all. people are different and not everyone’s going to like being a doctor, for example.
Sameeee, I graduated in 2019 and my parents are immigrants as well. I keep having to explain to my mom why I haven't applied to any grad schools at the moment mainly bc I wanted to take a gap year after being so burnt out from college (which coincidentally coincided w/ the pandemic lol) and then later realizing the whole time I was in college I had severe undiagnosed ADHD which made school and everything else very hard for me. I originally wanted to go to law school in 2020/21 after taking a gap year or two but i'm actually glad that I didn't because I would've been superrr stressed out, depressed, and probably in even more debt then I have now. Basically, it's not worth it and just makes the whole process of earning a higher degree extremely difficult, so it's best to just go when you're ready and not rush it. I wish immigrant parents would understand this and not think we're being lazy or something 🙄
How are you supposed to “actually work in the field you’re interested in” without having a degree and being qualified first? Even most paralegal jobs require you to have good grades in law school before being accepted for the job.
Thank you! It’s really helpful! I’m hesitant to drop out JD (top law school in my country) after completed one unit of study. Now I can confidently confirm that law is not worth it to me.
Personally, as a 26 y/o with an MBA, I believe law school is calling my name! I absolutely am enthralled at the fact I can sit at a desk a do research all day long. I would like to either work in house for an amusement park corporation (my hobby is theme parks!) or simply run my own family law practice.
Either way, I believe law is calling my name and I’m VERY excited to start the journey!
Same!
Go for it!
Everyone going in says “law is calling their name.” You need to find a way to ensure that’s true.
@@jacob9673 You can’t really know how it is, unless you go to law school.
Intern at a family law practice first. Experience the misery, I mean joys of divorce law, and then decide whether that's what you want to do.
Great video--love your channel! Do you think you might ever post a longer-form video that goes into detail about what your work actually looks like as a lawyer? Like what it looks like from start to finish when you are first assigned a case to when it's closed and what happens each step of the way?
yeah, i definitely plan on it! it will really differ based on practice area, so i want to do a practice area video first. it's definitely a lot more tedious than glamorous in all instances lol
Thank you for this video, I can't tell you how much I needed to see this ❤️
This was incredibly helpful, thank you so much!
just took the LSAT, needed this vid. ty 💕
I spent my first 11 years after law school as a prosecutor. I loved it, but my law school loans were more than my mortgage. I couldn’t afford to get married or have kids. I also carried a heavy case load, so I worked 12-14 hour days, 6 days a week. I never got my vacation time, so it just piled up. Eventually, a friend of mine from the public defenders office and I decided to go out on our own. He died two years later, and I was stuck carrying a tremendous amount of costs, even though I down sized the office and staff. I then spent the next 14 years hustling every day to bring in business. I never got rich, and in fact made the same money on my own, as I did as a prosecutor, but worked as hard, if not harder. I had three heart attacks by the time I was in my early 50’s. I had always planned to be a lawyer and was pre-law as an undergraduate. I even taught pre-law undergrads as an adjunct, to supplement my income. I don’t recommend anyone go into the law, unless they are absolutely prepared to sacrifice their youth, their chance at having a family, etc. for the first 10 years of their lives. I did enjoy your video. Thanks!
See, I majored in pre-law as well and graduated this December. I've worked in three different law firms over 3 years, and I enjoyed it for the most part but never got overly excited about it. I just began law school last week, and I can't help but feel I've made a big mistake.
I love traveling, even if its just long domestic drives. I love thinking strategically and analytically. I get a lot of fulfillment out of these things, and at this point it feels like law school was a mistake.
I'm considering dropping out and going for an MBA/the business route. I feel lost.
@@studynow3540 I did quit law school, but I gave myself the entire first semester to decide. I wanted to be certain of my decision, so as not to act out of emotion.
I passed all of my classes, but I still felt the same about it. I’ve met a lot of law school students, former students, and attorneys who felt the same way. Many attorneys who felt trapped by their decision. I did not want that to be me.
After the semester finished, I enrolled into an MBA program instead and switched career paths. I already feel a lot happier and more free.
I’d be happy to go into more depth if interested!
I’m a law school applicant for the upcoming cycle and came across your video when I was taking a break from LSAT drilling. I can’t tell you how important it was that I saw this video (and to discover your channel). This is my second time applying for law school. The first time I did it because I was fresh out of undergrad and, like you mentioned in the video, didn’t know what I wanted to do and wanted to make some money. Thank you for reminding me why I putting myself through this whole process again to go to law school!
Interesting info. I was a paralegal in the 80's at a big firm. Our attorneys were regularly at the office by 6:30 and some didn't leave until 11:00pm.
Wonderful content. Please keep making videos!
Thanks for making these videos, I'm in high school right now and these are so helpful.
Just like an undergraduate program, law school is really what you make of it. Of course, it's not for everyone. And of course, it's very hard, very stressful, very time consuming, very expensive. But I learned sooo much and grew a lot as a person and met a lot of great people. Even with all the student loans I had to take on, I don't regret it at all.
Harder than medical school?
@@venom_dave Never been to medical school, so idk
This video was a year ago BUT WOW… IT WAS ACTUALLY THE MOST HELPFUL VIDEO I SEEN IN YT OF WHETHER OR NOT LAW IS ACTUALLY FOR ME… THANK TOU!!!
This is a very informative video. I personally don't attend Law School and I don't live in the USA, so this doesn't apply 100% for me (different system - LL.B. not J.D., and different tuitions fees - like 2 000$ per semester only), but still. I already have a B.A and was doing an M.A to teach at College, but I realised it wasn't for me. I dropped out and panicked a little while trying to find another path. I was turning 30 and needed to have a job soon. I decided to settle for a Paralegal Tech. degree (3 years full-time at College, which is the equivalent to an Associate's Degree where I live). On top of that, since I already have university experience, I enrolled in a Law Certificate part-time (one year full-time; 30 credits (each class is 3 credits in our system). I actually had started it one semester before my Paralegal program started, because I wanted to see if I liked it. I plan to pair it with a Major in Polical Science later after I graduate, or do another Certificate (I'm doing general Law right now, but at another university in my city I can do one in Public Law, and one in Social and Labour's Law at another one also in my city.) All depending on what field I end up liking the most and if I want to do more like civil law, criminal law or public interest, etc. I still think about Law School from time to time though. The thing is, I can't do it full-time without any loans and/or scolarship (which I can't have because I already had them for my previous B.A and my unfinished M.A.) and working 25-30 hours a week during Law School seems too much. I would have to do it part-time, which is only allowed in one university, but then it would take forever (6-7 years). The Bar School is another year. If I end up not going or not passing, I'm afraid I'll just end up with the very same kind of jobs than I would have as a Paralegal or a Political Science graduate (the later only if I don't end up working in the law field specifically, but for the government, in public interest, etc.) As a former Literature and Humanities student, I mostly like research, and I can do that with just a Paralegal degree. So I don't know if it would be worth it to do my LL.B. It's not as expensive as in the USA, but it's time consuming and it will cost money still, considering I already have student debts and will have to work a lot during school. It also means another 6-7 years of struggling with money because I only have a student job part-time while having to pay for everything (I live alone; the tuitions fees aren't that expensive, but it's everything else that end up being a lot; rent, food, bills, taxes, etc. while having a pay-check that barely covers all of that.) I'd end up with the degree at like 37 and would probably not make that much money because work/life balance is important to me and I wouldn't go into Big Law or anything like that. Anyway the salaries where I live are absolutely not what they are in the USA. But again, Law School costs much less here, so I guess it evens things out. So yeah, for now I'm focussing on my Paralegal degree, but I don't know, I still wonder if I should have gone to Law School when I was accepted anyway, or if I should go after my degree, part-time, while working as a paralegal. But it would mean many years of sacrifices and struggling a bit with money still, just like I did during my entire twenties for my B.A and my unfinished M.A, you know...?
Thank You for your thorough honesty! This world is tough to navigate.
Man do I wish this video came out in the summer of 2016 when I joined law school and signed my life away to student loans. I love how you point out that some people are just comforted by the thought of continued academia, that was me 100%. Plus I wanted to make money, plus I thought it "looked cool." Its honestly embarrassing that those trivial and highly inaccurate predictions about law school caused me to take that life-altering decision. Sadly, I realized I was in the wrong place after year 1. But I was about $40,000 in debt based on that one year, and I thought it would be ridiculous to just drop out after spending so much (sunk-cost fallacy). So that fallacious thinking that gamblers have is what kept me in that cycle, getting more depressed year after year. Sorry for the depressing comment, I'm doing fine now but really, really wish that I had someone like you to say these things to me back then.
Do you practice law now?
this was super useful and informative! thanks for being so transparent and spilling the tea on why law school isn't as great as it seems
you're so welcome! glad it was helpful!
As someone who has been highly debating whether or not to go to law (and currently is in undergrad), this video was extremely helpful! It's really made me sit down and think about what do I REALLY want to do. Thank you so much :D
you're so welcome! i'm so glad it was helpful
love the sailor moon shirt + thanks for your honesty!
in the name of the moon
Thank you for your video, it helped a lot!
Thanks for the reminder on alternatives to help people instead of law school. This made me realize that I haven’t fully considered all of my options yet. I will definitely be using this advice as I enter college
I thought I wanted to go to law school my entire life, but to be honest I was so obsessed with the idealistic values of being a lawyer, that I never asked myself if that was really what I wanted. So i decided to take a step back and look over my entire life and look back at memories that really made me happy. And me worrying about if I was going to be good enough to get into law school, are not any of them. The first memory that came up is when I went to the aquarium and saw people swimming and checking the water to see if the water was okay and checking on the animals, I looked into it and saw some promise in it. But I then realized I would have to move so far away from the entirety of my family and I would not have any family support nearby. Which would make me more anxious then I already would be from living alone. I then realized that I gained so much joy from providing nourishment from food, seeing the smiles, hearing the laughter, and seeing people happy from what I cook so I am now looking into culinary school. The moral of this story is: It's okay to take a step back to reevaluate you life and what you want from it even if it is a complete 180 from what you initially wanted.
Thank you so much for making these! I’m not a lawyer and my college kids will probably not go into law-but we are learning so much from just your decision making methods and info that we find new perspectives to help with our approach to obstacles too!
i'm so glad to hear that! applying learnings from one sphere to another sphere is one of the best things that we can do :)
I have never felt a more clear and burning conviction for freedom and justice through law during my time in law school. if you just take a second to look around, arguably most major news has to do with some kind of legal issue. Some of the hardest challenges we will face in the future will involve legal cases of first impression (meaning no one ever encountered it before). Put differently, the law is everywhere, and we need good and smart lawyers to confront literally existential challenges. There would be no society without law. And there would be no law in any meaningful without its agents (such as lawyers).
That said, she's right. It's not for everyone because it's a hefty investment and some drop like flies. but if you've got your finances figured out and you got that DOG (i think military is harder than both for reference and i was ranked in the 10% in my class) in you--and with meticulous management of your mind, body, and spirit + just setting some realistic expectations--it's not that bad (i went to peer school and work at peer firm of this person). this was a blanket statement which is what bothers me the most bc it's not entirely accurate without knowing to whom this video is shown the most. though the content is not incorrect, and i get why she labeled the video this way.
hope that gives another perspective for prospective students to consider.
tho clearly you can tell that my proof-reading goes down the drain past midnight lol
The problem with some of the checkpoints for medical school is that they feel somewhat arbitrary in retrospect. You do not need to know any organic chemistry to be a doctor. It's just a proxy for if you can discipline yourself enough to study a lot, have logical reasoning, and some ability to memorize. Likewise with research experience, the vast majority of doctors who practice don't end up doing any research as a part of their career, and it's not needed to be good at providing care (think primary care). While clinician investigators/researchers who work in academia are important, they form a small minority of practicing physicians (also because of the availability and necessity of such positions), and I think having research as a too strong a checkpoint can potentially unnecessarily block out candidates who may otherwise be a very good fit.
I can't make any comparisons to law school since I've never had any experience with it, but there are certainly students who make it through all these checkpoints and end up finding that medicine is not a fit for them as well. Not sure what the solution is really.
From what I've been told from my dad, a heart surgeon, med school and residency are nightmarishly difficult themselves. While ochem was totally useless for what he was doing, the intensity of the work filtered out a lot of people who don't wanna get brutalized in a similar way (albeit with different topics) for 8 years. It saves time and pain on all sides.
🤷♂️yeah, for me ochem was a favorite of mine. I got my A from it while having such a struggle with biology lol. Which ended up being my deciding factor to drop premed and pursue law since that was also something I’ve been interested in since preteen. I’m applying this cycle and hoping once I get in and graduate, I’d like to work locally. Small firm, county attorney, county clerkship etc would be nice. Just more local the better since I’d see the results of my work where I live rather than some amorphous federal or corporate job.
I'm in law school in The Netherlands and I must say that I love it. But it's not for everyone. Most of the students want to get everything perfect and want to be as direct as they can. It's a lot of work and it demands a lot of motivation. however, it definitely is a good career path that you can take and you gain a lot of self-confidence over the years. Too bad that the US has these ridiculous student loans. We have to pay 2100 per year, and the first year is 50% off (some people, like me, get money from the government if their parents don't earn much).
I used to want to go to law school, but reality hit that I just couldn’t afford any more tuition and loss of wages due to the time commitment. I work in International Development now and am getting my MPP in Germany instead, and I’m happy. One important thing for me was realizing that getting a law degree here would mean that I can’t do anything with that when living abroad, I would have to attend law school a second time. In my career now, I still get to work on policy, write a lot, and help people, but I don’t have to worry as much about location as I would as a lawyer.
the one thing putting me off being a lawyer is being tied to one location. i've never heard of international development before, can you tell me what it is?
Fax.
Cece, I really like you! Thanks for your videos!
Thank you for making this video
Good advice!!
As a second year law student in India, I love my choice of going to a law school. My aim and ambition matches exactly with what i am being taught and getting to learn along the way. In India we can get into a Law schoom right after high school, but we have to give an entrance exam for getting into the Government Law School, those are called NLUs in India. The exam is called CLAT(common law admission Test) which is what i gave and fortunately i got into a NLU. There are other options too apart from NLUs such as the private law schools but those are generally very expensive and tbh i couldnt have been able toa afford it but a lot of people do take it because there are only very few seats available through Clat. Either ways people get into a law school for an integrated course of 5 year after which they graduate becoming an Advocate and getting their Bar association license.
Hey!!! I'm someone who wants to do law in india too. How's it going on so far, and how's law school??? I would love to know more details about the law and law schools if you're comfortable sharing them.
Starting law school after Graduation in India as well! It’s quite fun tbh.
I just decided to drop out a couple weeks ago and frankly it has been one of the best decisions of my life. I finally feel so free and happy again. Thanks for being honest with folks because that education was definitely not for the weak.
Good luck with whatever you do next. It's better to realize early on that you don't really want to follow through with a certain career path.
I’m still working through my undergrad in mechanical engineering and planning to go to law school for patent law. Luckily I’ve had those weed out classes in engineering and still wanting to go to law school.
great advice, and at a good time.
Good job with this video!
I’m glad you mentioned policy as an alternative to law school. About 4 years ago, I decided to get a dual masters in Public Policy and Economics instead of going to law school because I realized it was very difficult to achieve any significant systemic change by practicing law. I really don’t regret that decision, as it allowed me to gain skills that are in high demand in the labor market, like data analysis, and that I can apply in a wide range of disciplines. It was also a lot cheaper than going to law school and starting salaries for policy analysts and economists are pretty decent.
Hi Andrea! Im getting my masters in public policy also. May I ask what you do for a living? Im about to graduate with my MPP- and im watching this video (clearly the title) because I still feel lost, but I want to make a change. So far the pay scale of policy for think tanks has turned me away because it’s menial. If you have any recommendations of where I ought to apply that would be so helpful. I believe I have a much legalistic and analytical mind than numbers oriented- which is why im looking at law school.
@@laurenann5481
Become a policy analysis/consultant, craft your own research, and if you Have other collateral skills that could earn you certifications via examination that you can use as your *main **_money maker_*
Say, you're great with languages... so apply to be a court or medical interpreter.
Yes! Public Policy and Public Administration are fantastic alternatives!
Watching this as a 3L who still isn't 100% sure it's what I want to do...but apparently I'm good at it and it'll be the best bet I have of helping my parents retire if I make good money, lol. But still, mentally preparing myself for a big grind. Awesome vid.
Great video! I knew before I even started law school that I would went to go the public service route (being a prosecutor). I also knew it pays peanuts compared to working in a big firm. So I purposefully chose a school that gave me a large scholarship rather than trying to go to a school where I’d leave with over 200K in debt. I saw sooooo many of my classmates who only were miserable because they went to law school because they ‘wanted to be rich’ or didn’t know what they wanted to do in life. Unless you have connections or graduate at the top of the class grade wise and work for a big firm- you’re not going to come out of school making over 100K. As a prosecutor I only made 56K starting out. That’s literally what people in trade schools make (plumbers, electricians, mechanics, etc). I didn’t care because I didn’t have to pay extremely high amounts on my debt and because I was passionate about serving my community. But if my whole goal was to be rich I’d have been miserable lol. Now I’ve transferred to civil/criminal law as a divorce attorney/guardian ad litem. I get paid way more but I’m still helping my community and doing criminal law. It also allows me to have a healthy work/life balance.
I see many attorneys take the job at the big law firm because it does pay well (150K or more annually) but many of them are miserable because they aren’t passionate about the law they practice and they’re working 70+ hours a week with little social life. It’s worth it if your passionate about the law, but not so much if you’re just in it for the money.
Overall when people ask me if they should go to law school I give them the same advice you do. Go if you’re passionate about the law and want to help people. Don’t go if your only motive is to be rich or youre not sure what to do next in life. Learning a trade is far cheaper and often pays more than going to law school! Lol I wish they’d normalize it more because I have friends who never went to college who work in coal mines, plants, or other professions and make more than me!
Great video!!
So true-- glad you did it the smart way & didn't take out tons of loans.
How did you become a prosecutor? I’m a new college student and I want to become a prosecutor for the same reasons as you but I’m still confused on how to get there. I want to be involved in the area of divorce law but I have more passion for criminal law. I’m not sure what to do after law school.
Im neither a lawyer or aspire to be one but still enjoy your videos. Got my graf degree from ASU Law, good enough for me! Keep the content coming
thank you so much!!
The way I’m having an existential crisis about if I even want to go to law school after thinking I would want since middle school and then this popped up.
Excellent show and examples. Have you thought about being a career counselor? I worked in a law office and have been around certain types of lawyers most of my life. I think that the education at different levels often has a huge first year student body and then people that give up due to life happening. Law school takes an inordinate amount of study time. I am following this (you) now. TY
Such a great video! :) I could say a lot of the same things for med school , even if you make it past the organic chemistry hurdle haha definitely have similarities!
thank you for sharing! alas, the media exposure trap rings true for medicine, as well
When I got to college, I dreamed of going to law school but then I ended up in finance. I’ve had a lot of regrets about not applying to law school and been comparing myself to my peers who did apply, but thanks for making this video because it makes me feel so much better about my decision and realizing law school was not the best choice for me!
Love the video as a incoming student at 37. I did love the sailor moon shirt tho
Great, clear, informative YT video-Thank You.
this was helpful! I'm not going to law school for financial reasons but this was still an interesting video
There is one extra reason why some go to law school (myself). I personally am going to law school just for personal development- I have no interest in actually working as an attorney when I graduate. I enjoy learning interesting subjects like Admin law, Federal Criminal law, my reason for going to law school is purely because I enjoy it. The knowledge I am attaining in law school can be applied to almost every avenue of life.
How are you handling student loans?!
@@13violalover Full scholarship!
I was in love with the prestige. I went to work for a law firm after undergrad while I studied for the LSAT. Day 1 at that job was enough for me to realize I didn’t belong. Coke head lawyers, constant berating from the staff, and high turnover. I was fired after 3 months because I couldn’t bring myself to go to work anymore.
What did you wind up doing instead of law school?
@@aalegalfocus I am an accountant and studying for the CPA
You were absent most of the time?
Omg.. that sounds awful. Glad u had the courage to get out of that decision
I'm getting a 7 year full ride with the national guard, when I get out I get all the discount benfits (health dental and mortarge) on top of the decent salary. Army has decent scholarships if you need.
Thank you so much for this video! I’m entering my 3L in Canada. I think it’s also important to note is that it’s extremely competitive to get into Biglaw- only a small percentage of top students are able to get these jobs!! So those who are banking on the financial stability biglaw provides should note that it’s not guaranteed, and have an alternate plan if they are not able to get an offer right away.
I liked how you mentioned about built-in checkpoints through the various academic years of a undergrad college student. I know that it is crucially necessary. I think all majors of any postsecondary institution should take those measures as well.
Got my Masters in marketing management. Not sure if I really like marketing but the program was broad and covered all the business fields, like finance and data management/analytics.
I am from Hong Kong. Similar to the UK, students may study law as an undergraduate in Hong Kong. The tuition fees in Universities in Hong Kong are very low by US standard.
Oh boy. Currently an undergrad and reason number 4 is calling me out big time. I did some estate planning work and interned at a courthouse and enjoyed both a lot (which is funny because legal work as depicted in movies has always looked so unappealing to me), but law school is a major commitment...
Appreciate your videos immensely, Cece! If one were interested in starting a law firm, 1. what's the minimum # of years of experience generally recommended as a prereq (or the norm)? 2. is a dual JD/MBA a good idea?
1) it varies on what type of law you're planning on doing and your own confidence level! theoretically, one could open up a solo firm right away if they felt comfortable that they could represent clients ethically and competently and had enough of a book of business. i know folks who opened up their own shop after two years in biglaw; i only felt comfortable after five years, though.
2) how much is the additional cost of the MBA? if not a huge differential, it's not a bad idea for the networking and if you ever might want to move into a non-legal, business role, particularly at a company where a lot of the biz people have MBAs. but i wouldn't just tack on an MBA at large cost just for the heck of it
Thank you Cece, for your honesty!
of course--anytime!
Such great points I wish I could've watched this video a few years back when I was deciding whether or not to go to law school. Very happy now with my choice not to but definitely agree if you're not sure what to do with your life post grad it can be such a tempting option!
This is an unusually high quality career video for UA-cam. Clear ( except for the sound quality ;-) ) and concise, well-structured and persuasive. Should I have expected less from an ex-lawyer? I've known plenty of lawyers and no, they aren't all this well-spoken. It's all good advice, too, and is useful to some degree beyond those who might be thinking of lawyering up, as it were.
"Know thyself" appears here under various guises, and I recommend Life After Layoff in a related vein, since it covers topics similarly but in a more general way for all careers. No, I'm not a paid shill.
Also appreciated is the avoidance of the clickbait style that turns up in teach-yourself-programming videos.
More power to you, Ms. Xie.
thank you! and yes, i’m working on the sound issues!!
@@CeceXie I look forward to seeing some more of your videos soon!
I wanted you to really go in-depth with more information about the different annual salary pay for attorneys in different states such as Florida, New Jersey, California and New York
Sailormoon t-shirt brought back so many good childhood memories, which I hade before I went to law school.
I’m currently working at a firm right now. I decided to go to paralegal school and since I graduated top of my class, I graduated with a job!
I honestly love law, and working as a paralegal for a few years before I get to law school. I’ll have a well rounded skill set and practical experience right out of the gate which I can leverage for higher pay as well.
It’s never to late to get your life in order, self accountability and discipline helped me achieve my goals 🙌🏽
I applied to 76 law schools this cycle (majority w/fee waivers) after 5yrs work experience after undergrad. I worked in investment banking and at a law firm. I got great recs from the partners in my law firm w/a guaranteed job in summers & post grad. I got many free rides, but I would up choosing the law school that gave the least amount of money bc of proximity to my mom (my dad passed away & she is the only family I have left). It also made sense for me to choose the school where I know I'll be working in the summers & after. I thought about other law schools, but that would've required a lot of jiggling of apts for summer (i.e. paying two rents to keep whatever apt I would have in another city plus getting an apt for the summer - just wasn't worth it). Law school will be stressful enough & I didn't need to add more. Having worked in both finance and law, I have enough knowledge of both fields to discern what I like and don't like about both.
Going through CA Bar review and I can say I don't even want to be a traditional lawyer anymore. I'm just trying to get firm experience so I can work in-house lol.
Good luck!
i'm currently studying for the bar exam, post-grad. i met my partner, my best friend, so many other important friends at law school. i knew exactly what type of lawyer i wanted to be and the only thing that has changed is now i'm so sure that it's what i'm meant to do. it didn't make any of this nightmare easier. the money, the stress, the gatekeeping, the time, the crippling imposter syndrome, the people who didn't understand why i couldn't be so present for them, the classism of students and faculty who didn't understand the challenges of coming up poor and the limitations it brings in a law school setting. all of it was hard. it's still hard. i wouldn't trade it for anything because i'm so close to my dream profession i can taste it, but i wouldn't recommend it to people who "are just curious" or don't know what to do with their lives.
Good luck on the bar exam!
i'm going to law school and this is my first year, so far not gonna lie i hate it, i don't recommend to go unless you don't want to focus only on ur studies also the pressure and the competition is going to kill you both mentally and physically, i'm planning on quitting but i'm too afraid to tell my mom so yeah...
in this spot now - have been working in the legal field for 4 years and am considering going into law school. I know it would greatly improve and sharpen my skillset - but I know deep down I do not want to become an attorney, so I feel stuck with what I should do.
Hi Rebecca! I empathize with you. Sometimes we learn what isn’t for us before we learn what is. You are as close as he gets to gaining insight for what it’s like to be an attorney. If you are feeling that it’s not for you after four years, then I would trust your instincts. If you haven’t already, it may be worth exploring being an attorney in a different setting although I’d imagine you already have. Try to enjoy where you are in life. If you don’t like your job, hire a career counselor/coach. You may even contact your alma mater’s career service department for support. Either way, I’m wishing you all the best!
Thanks, Cece, for this video. I will mention that I like your content, and I value the insights you share from your school and work experience; keep it up!
I will add that working in healthcare/medical innovation/data privacy/pharma, medical devices, and biotech as an in-house counsel is quite lucrative! I have seen many opportunities especially in emerging technologies, like AI applications in health, that call for legal training combined with specialized knowledge in life sciences, engineering and software, that are open for 3-5 YOE to start, with great comp packages, and wlb.
I know you probably won't see this, but I really appreciate this video! it really made me feel better about my decision to take a gap year. Thanks!
Currently trying to decide between Law School and an MBA. Leaning towards the MBA for it being much cheaper and quicker to obtain, but it also seems like the least practical of the two 😅