HELP! Any law students out there also planning a wedding?

Yay!!! Another law student I actually just graduated in May, but I've been planning since I got engaged last September. What year are you? As a 3L, it was very easy for me to procrastinate I've gone through all the job search stuff, so if you need any advice, please let me know. I'm going to a firm but FH works for the government, so between the 2 of us, we (hopefully) know a lot. Good luck!

Thank-you so much for replying. I'm a 1L and I feel like I'm in HELL. I really hope it's not going to be like this for the next three years. I started this Spring and am so paranoid about making money, getting a good job, getting good grades, dealing w/ the competition, etc.. How did you get through it all and survive? Also, how did you tackle planning a wedding, getting a job and dealing with the pressure? I feel like I'm at my end point. I got my assignments about a 1 1/2 ago and have been reading and reading and reading.

The worst part is that during the semester I am like a bitter, angry person walking around and cursing out everything. You wouldn't believe how impatient I have become w/ people also. I am so envious of anyone who is not going through what I am.

It gets a lot better after 1L year. As you know by now, the most important thing you're supposed to get out of 1L year is to figure out how to read cases--finding out exactly what the holding is (with the way some judges write, you know this is not always easy ) and looking at the 'big picture'--if the court held this way, what are the implications and limitations of their reasoning, etc, etc.

2L year you might be busier (journals and such) so you might have less time to do things, but the actual pressure of it will be much, much less. 3L year can be what you make of it. I was a managing editor for a journal at my law school, so I was busier than some of my friends. One of my friends took a lot of clinics her 3L year, so that took up a lot of time. Other people just went to class and that was about it. Since most of us already had jobs, the pressure was completely off The exception being those who were looking for clerkships--this happens 3L year between Sept and Nov usually.

As for the job search, I definitely had $$ concerns because my school was outrageously expensive. What kind of law do you think you're interested in? If your main concern is $$, it's time to start thinking about working at a firm The way it worked for me was I sent out a mass mailing in December of my 1L year (I started in the fall, so your calendar may be different from mine). I was able to work at a firm my first summer though a lot of my friends took the opportunity to do something different like working for a judge or a nonprofit.

The good thing about this was that I was able to find out what working for a big firm was like before the all-important job seach for 2L summer. It also gave me more credibility when speaking with firms when I interviewed for 2L summer jobs because I'd had actual law firm experience. Looking for a 2L summer job is definitely high pressure because most people end up working after graduation for their 2L summer firm. But the whole process is usually over in 3 months when you're done with callback interviews.

I was lucky that I didn't have to do wedding planning during my first 2 years of law school, but there are plenty of people who did--just so you know that you're not the only one You will definitely have down time and wedding planning is a good way to force yourself to take a break. After all, you can only study torts and civ pro for so long right?

Seriously, if you need any help with anything--wedding planning or law school/job--let me know

Thank-you so much for your help. I really do appreciate it so much. I actually have an appointment at the Career Development Office at my school this Thursday and hopefully they can get me started with something somewhere. I'm so worried that you need to have legal experience. What are some types of questions firms would ask you during an interview?

I know for a fact that I rarely want to be in a courtroom. I'm thinking I may want to practice real estate law or just be more of a general practitioner. Do you know of any fields that really don't consume or take over your life? All I want is a 9-5 job! I don't want to take my work home w/ me.

Also, did you ever hear of www.lawjobs.com? I was doing some research and basically the way it works is that you pay them and they help you w/ your resume and once completed, they give you names and addresses to potential employers looking to hire. Supposedly, they are suppose to give you addresses/ names of partners that you would otherwise not know.

Lastly, what was your experience w/ a firm like? Were they willing to train you and guide you along? You have made me feel so much better. Thank-you. Is it normal for 1L's to consider dropping out? I don't want to, but there are times when the thought runs through my mind.

You're so welcome! I've definitely been where you are and I know how frustrating it can be. It's completely normal to think about dropping out 1L year. I kept asking myself why I didn't just take a job in investment banking where I could be making money and not living in a sh!thole apartment in Greenwich Village eating ramen noodles for the 5th straight night because my loan check was late AGAIN--see I told you that you weren't alone

I'm sure it's possible to find a job that's 9-5. My FH works about 8:30-6 but he's in court all the time, so that's not the job for you. My only experience is with large NYC firms where it's more like 9-9 In my experience, the firms know that law students come in not knowing how to do anything but read cases. The training and guidance you get will vary from firm to firm. My first summer, there wasn't a lot of training or structure to the summer program. My second summer, every single event was planned, the work was monitored by 2 summer coordinators and all assignments went through them.

There are some other lawyers on this board who can speak to this more than I can, but I believe that if you go to a smaller firm or in house it's possible to get more reasonable hours than you'll find at a large firm. But less hours = less pay usually.

I haven't heard of lawjobs, but that's because I just had my career center review my resume and they gave us this huge binder of resumes and cover letters along with a list of firms/judges/corporations that had previously hired people from my school. Hopefully your career center will have something similar.

I am also a law school student planning a wedding. Im a 3L at Indiana University School of Law. Starting wedding planning last year. Jennie has given you good advice. I had a hard time finding a job here in indy - since NYers are not really welcome in the midwest. Pro Bono is always a great way to get legal experience.
Last summer i worked for an ALJ at the EEOC and now I am a clerk at a small labor and employment firm in indy. I know people who have gotten positions from lawjobs and law match. I havent gotten a firm offer -which is the part that is stressing me out. I know the firm wants me to stay on, but they havent talked $ with me yet. A couple of my friends have gotten firm offers. Most are required to bill 1800 hrs per year. Once I get my offer I dont think I will be as stressed anymore.
Planning a wedding long distance and going to law school is def not what I expected.

Jenniesunshine has a lot of good advice!

I have been practicing law now for two years. I am a litigator in a large Manhattan firm. The hours are long, the work is not all that interesting (for the most part), but the pay is excellent. It is a good career-starting point, but for most people a stepping-stone for future endeavors.

My advice is just take one day at a time!!! Your first year is definitely the hardest. I would speak to career services. I know that most firms hire for the summer program in the semester after your first year for the following summer (the summer after your second year). Most of their first year attorneys are from their summer program. So, you are hired based on your first year grades. I did not know this when I started law school and neither did most of my colleagues - who wished they had.

If you want to do something 9-5, your best bet is a government job, or a smaller firm. These are things your career services department should be able to help you with. They may try to pressure you to go to a big firm (it looks good for the school), but if you are definite about the hours you want to work - stand strong!!

Just remember that your first year is by far the hardest your second year - while busy - is not as overwhelming. The third year is a joke.

To keep sane, I would try to get as much planning done during the slow points of the semester, and during finals (hell on earth-yes), do not even think of doing anything for the wedding. Also delegate a lot of the time-consuming tasks...get your FH to help a lot too.

Please FM if you have any questions. I was there and remember how overwhelming it was!!!!

I forgot to mention one thing--definitely get yourself some copies of High Court Case Summaries . They really help to focus your reading of the cases.

Also, I completely agree that there is time to do wedding stuff during your downtime. I think I spent a lot of time sitting in the park or napping or watching General Hospital and then doing 8 hours of reading at night. Just take it slowly and do the most important things first--hall, photographer, music, florist. Good luck!

I am planning a wedding for next august and i am in my 3rd year of law school - got engaged in 2nd year- i try to do everything on my breaks and research on my downtime and my FI helps me lots with class and scheduling becasue that frustrates me more-

1st year is not fun but there is down time - just get youself in a schedule- i went to school 8-5 and weekends toward the end of semester - ilike having my evenings to myself - it is doable but ask for help for wedding stuff