Law School Brides..I need advice

I was thinking of going into the it field but started realizing now that it isn't for me. I am not interested in it. I have a passion for languages since I was young. I am bi-lingual and double majored in international business and french. So I have three languages on my back. My grades were really not great but I always had in the back of my mind law school. Would anyone mind giving me some advice on preparing for law school, if any of you are, a school that offers degrees in international law, immigration and nationalization law, international corporate law, anything in this direction. Being my grades weren't so great will I even make it in? Is there anything I can do about this now after getting my BS? Will me doing really well on the LSATs help?

I desperately need a change in my life from my current career. I am doing marketing now and was curious about IT but I am not as interested as I had thought. I just don't want to be stuck in a career for the rest of my yrs till retirement like I am now. I know eventually I will do grad school but the law degree is what my ultimate goal was. I am kicking myself now b/c I know my grades in undergrad may have a negative decision in my acceptance to law school.

I have to agree with Sheppy - be absolutely sure that law school is for you. Talk to people you know, consider your working style and financial situaiton.

Any sort of grad school is obscenely expensive. Going to law school is not a good idea if you are looking for a change. Only do it if your sure you want to practice law.

I know several people who have gotten half way through and decided it was not for them. It was a very expensive mistake.

FH's cousin does corporate law and I have been speaking to him about it. I have researched this past weekend and there is a law school forum coming up in NYC in September that I plan on attending. Maybe this can give me a sense of what I would be getting into before taking the big step and possibly regretting it later. I completely understand on everyone's opinion to make sure this is what I want. I wasted my time and money thinking I would like the IT industry and came out more puzzled then when I walked in. I don't plan on going through that again! If anything I will probably apply to grad school first and take it from there. If I do that, then I can get a better idea if law school is for me.
Congrats to all you grads!! I just saw my sis graduate about a month ago and I still get all teary eyed when I think about it. Its a great feeling walking down that aisle!! And seeing your loved ones do it too.
Thanks for the suggestions.

I graduated from Columbia Law School in '96 --> long story short, law as a field of study is VERY - VERY - VERY tough -- but a career in law is even tougher. I worked as a Summer associate after my second year and knew it wasn't for me. I have the degree, but I have no interest in ever practicing -- right now I'm in the Corporate Communications/PR field.

Most of my friends work 12 hour days, with no weekends off. The dramatic courtroom stuff you see on TV isn't what you'll be doing -- mostly you'll be in the library doing research on case law.

My advice would be to get yourself some kind of temp job at a law firm doing some menial work for a little while to get a feel for what lawyers do day in & out. You may end up loving the work - in that case, go for it!

I just graduated law school and am now studying for the bar exam. Personally if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't. I have a job lined up for after I take the bar exam but it isn't worth the debt or effort. You also need to consider where you want to work. Long Island lawyers don't make much money. also, you don't major in law school, there is basically a core curriculum and time for few electives. If you have any further questions about law school - feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]
Melissa

WHERE did u guys go to school, i just graduated in may too, and my advice to anyone who wants to go to law school is do not do it :) There are so many other jobs where you can earn more money
law school.... while I did not hate it all the time is a very stressful and time consuming task. Plan on having no life for a while, staying in on friday and sat nites to study or do HW while everyone is out
IT is not fun.... so if you are doing it to make money and not going to put all your heart into it to get a great job in NYC where yes, you will earn a lot but you again will have no life... it just is not worth it. If I could go back I would not have gone to law school that is for sure
anyone else w/ questions can email me too at [email protected]
PS: now I am studying for the bar exam
another joyous task let me tell you....

hi sheppy
where did u go to school
I am working PT now and stopping the last friday in june
its hard, glad all my planning is done, I mailed my invitations on friday..... the bar is five weeks before my wedding
bar bri materials are better then pieper, a friend of mine gave me his pieper notes and book they are not that good at all
good luck
I am sure I will talk to you again before the bar
have to go condense my evidence notes now from today, how exciting.....

dont know where my post went...
yes, sheppy I am taking NY in july

I took the bar last summer and yes, studying for it really did suck. But now after working for about 9 months, studying for the bar doesn't seem so bad. At least I had time to work out every day.

After seeing everybody posting about how bad law school and the practice of law is, I feel the need to present an opposing view. If I had to do it all over again, I would...in a heartbeat! Yes, law school is tough. First year is pretty much a nightmare. Your grade in each class all comes down to one exam and the stress of getting good grades so you get a good job offer is enough to drive anyone insane. But on the other hand, I loved my first year of law school. I loved learning about the law. I always felt like studying law was like putting together pieces of a puzzle...interesting, challenging and ulitmately rewarding if you could solve the puzzle.

And now I'm working at a pretty big firm in Manhattan, and yes the hours suck. I find myself comparing my job to other professions all the time. The grass is always greener (and the hours shorter, and the paychecks bigger, etc.) on the other side, but this really is a great career. I know it's a career that will always challenge me intellectually, and that's really what I want at this stage in my life. It's also a flexible career...law is an element of just about everything we know and do in society. It makes it possible for just about everyone to find an area of practice that interests them...and if it's not out there yet, maybe you'll be the one to discover it. I think maybe someday I might stop practicing law and move onto something else, but I'm sure that my law degree and my experience in this field will be an invaluable asset, no matter what I decide to do.

As much as I love this career, I'm also a realist. I know how much law school costs. My advice would be to really think about how you might want to use your degree and what you will do once you get out of school. Law school is a big expense and if you will have to go into debt to pay for it (like most of us), make sure that you will have good opportunities to pay off that debt once you get out. When researching schools, look at what their graduates are doing once they get out. That should give you a better idea of whether you can afford to shoulder this burden of expenses right now.

I am a lawyer and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I loved law school and I am very happy at my job. I will never be one of those super rich lawyers becuase I don't want to work at one of those huge work-your-life-away firms. But I am comfortable. If you want to email me my address is [email protected].

I think your three languages would be attractive to a law school as they do look for unique applicants. You can look into a school that is respected for its coursework in the fields you are interested in, but for the most part you just get a JD. Some schools have tie-ins where you can go to law school and an MBA program to get a joint degree, which would halp you in business law. Some schools give out certificates in addition to the JD for completing coursework in a certain area.

As for yor undergrad grades, they play a role, but depending on what they are, you may be able to overcome them with a good LSAT score.

Good luck.

Becky

thank you all for your input. I have been thinking a lot about our futures, since it is no longer about me For those of you that have provided your e-mail, I will be contacting you shortly. I am ready for the next step in my career. I just want to be sure of my decision before I make the big plunge.
Thanks again