a new direction - law school

[whitak24]

well, guys, it looks like i am ready to redirect my life and head off to law school.

i made this decision yesterday. i'm still not 100% sure i'm going to do it, but i'm about 95% sure.

i just have been pretty unhappy with my current job (i'm in IT consulting). i studied political economy in college and was headed toward a career in politics (the reasons why i got off that path are enough for several other threads). a lot of people thought i should go to law school, but i didn't want to because a) i really don't like school that much and b) i didn't think i needed it for politics (there are already too many people with law degrees in politics...i wanted to have a different perspective).

anyway, after i rather abruptly ditched the political thing, i ended up going into consulting because i thougth it would give me exposure to a lot of different types of job roles and many different industries. plus i wanted to travel, etc. after i got into the job, i found out that i actually was basically a meaningless cog in a very large machine that did not care nearly as much about employee satisfaction as they say they do (especially when we went public last summer -- job quality went down the drain). more importantly, the company quite obviously puts you in roles where independent thought is neither valued or desired. you fulfill orders and that's it.

so i've been feeling like i do nothing important, my brain is in "park" and i haven't come up with an original idea in months. finally, i realized that i could get the kind of challenge that i wanted in law school. and having the law degree would open up a lot of career possibilities for me that would also allow me to challenge myself and not be completely bored.

right now, i'm more excited than i've been in months. i finally feel like i've figured out what i want to do and have more of a direction for my life. i still don't know what i want to do with the law degree, but at least i have a goal, and i know that goal will open up a lot of opportunities for me.

so basically, i'm just excited and wanted to tell y'all. thanks for listening :)

[chrissy]

Very cool. :)

[Kim]

Best of luck to you...I know you'll do great!

[dbax791]

Good luck!, but what was the reason you didn't like school? Was it because it wasn't a challenge or you didn't like studying/homework? Because if it's the latter Grad school is much more work and much more competetive than undergrad.

[ufcrusher]

Have fun in hell! Just a word from the wise, dont go to an unranked or non-aba sanctioned school. Its important to stay in the first tier if your grades and LSAT's can get you in. You also need to stay in the top 30% of the class and be law review/moot court if you want to get a job. I know a bunch of people who are still unemployed after passing the bar and having their JD. These are fully licensed attorneys who cant get a job, and its mostly as a result of their class rank and the school they went to. Hope that helps.

[brainsmile]

one of my oldest friends went to law school and got his degree. he now owns a pizza shop

[attgig]

congrats on really finding your direction, and taking the steps on going that way :). Don't care what people say, but that's a pretty courageous thing to do.

Anyways, have you already gone through the application process? I have a close friend who hasn't had much luck with the law school stuffs :(. He's still looking, and hoping, but this past year was just kinda a down year for him, mostly because of not really gettin accepted anywhere.

[sho.gun]

Finally another TLG is coming around, best of luck whitak! :thumbup:

[whitak24]

thanks for the good wishes everyone.

don't worry, crusher, i have no intention of going outside of the top tier of schools, and i would definitely not go to a non-accredited school :eek:

dbax, the reason i didn't like undergrad was because i was tired of doing all the work for classes that i really wasn't interested in and didn't know how they were ever going to help me in real life.

as for the competition, i'd rather have competition than a lack of it. the pressure spurs me to work harder and no be so damn lazy.

anyway, i'm aiming to take my LSATs in june and once i get my scores from those, i'll have more of an idea of where i can go and what opportunities i have.

and of course, i'll keep all of you posted :)

[dbax791]

Originally posted by whitak24
dbax, the reason i didn't like undergrad was because i was tired of doing all the work for classes that i really wasn't interested in and didn't know how they were ever going to help me in real life.

as for the competition, i'd rather have competition than a lack of it. the pressure spurs me to work harder and no be so damn lazy.



OK, that makes sense. I worked 10X as hard in grad school as I did in undergrad for much the same reasons you mention. But if law school is anything like B-School, the amount of reading is INSANE, and they expect you to participate in all kinds of extracurricular activities that sucks your homework/study time away. But like UF said, the competition is so fierce that you find yourself bringing yourself to another level - no sleep, insane multitasking, etc, but it pays off. Good luck.

[jujubees]

All in the same week, you make this decision, and a co-worker is leaving to fully devote herself to law school. I'm envious that I lack the mettle to follow in your footsteps! /me turns green.

Congratulations on the decision, and best of luck (though you probably won't need it)!

[aglio412]

congrats man, best of luck!

i thought about bailing on the IT world for a life of History/Philosophy of Science...still might, just so hard to leave a steady paycheck and decent money for years of schooling and the thought of not making much money following the schooling...

although...law school is a bit different, in that upon completion, your earning potential is insane...whereas a PhD in HPS (hist. philos. of science) means you'll be eating ramen noodles out of your hat.

good luck!

[welfareloser]

good for you! never be afraid to change directions. those who are wind up friggin miserable and stay that way.

(of course, then there are those who change directions constantly... and still aren't happy... avoid that, too... oh, and don't eat yellow snow... and always wear a condom... yep, i think that covers it for today...)

:wavey: i mean, congratulations and good luck!

[whitak24]

geez welfare and cpu, thanks for the advice :D i dunno what i'd do without you guys.

and of course, i'll keep everyone posted on my law school search process. i'm looking forward to it :)

[mojo]

good luck! :thumb: and congrats on leaving the unimportant cog job. hopefully you won't become a similarly cogged lawyer :eek:

[mojo]

Originally posted by welfareloser
and always wear a condom... yep, i think that covers it for today...)yes...make sure the condom covers it :hihi:

[johnnymk]

whitak... I think you would make an excellent lawyer. You think before you speak, you investigate everything thoroughly, and you elaborate your points eloquently (much like mojo).
I would hope, though, that maybe 20 years from now as the now-famous whitak, that you would be a little more dramatic and to the point, yelling at the top of your voice, like Al Pacino..." I'M OUT OF ORDER?......YOU'RE OUT OF ORDER!!!.. THIS WHOLE TRIAL IS OUT OF ORDER!!"