What to expect when I start Law School....

[dr mantis toboggan]

Originally Posted by JuJu

Originally Posted by jehims

if u dont get into a top tier school...im gonna let you finish my sentence

not true at all, my school isn't top tier and its produces magistrate judges, federal law clerks and plenty of lawyer who go to big firms. people who think one school is better than the other overall are dumb. an assault is an assault whether you learn it at Harvard or FAMU law. the difference in schools comes into play with clinics and what not, if you want to practice environmental law then look at schools with programs geared towards that. if you want to do patent law go to a school thats known for that. if you don't plan on specializing in an area then the school doesn't matter as much as how much YOU put into your education while at that school... cause unlike undergrad just cause you have a nice name on your diploma if the dude from the 3rd tier school passes the bar first time out and you don't, your potential employers aren't gonna say, well he failed the bar first time out but i mean he went to _________ so lets give him the job anyway. 

Elite schools bring more employers on campus to conduct OCI's (on campus interviews), and bring elite firms from across the nation.  You and I might receive the same education as a student at Harvard, but the name on her diploma will help her in the search for her first position after graduating law school.

 

[dayman]

Originally Posted by Dr Mantis Toboggan

Originally Posted by Savraj1

How important is it to have a business administration or economics degree to be a corporate lawyer? Can I still be a corporate lawyer if I don't have that background? 
How do people get into corporate law firms? Did they have to do a business concentration or something in law school? 

It does not matter at all.  I've met many corporate lawyers that never took a business class during undergrad, and had their first exposure to business concepts in law school.  If you want to be a corporate lawyer for a big firm, the important thing is to do as well as you can in law school.  Many corporate practices are housed in large firms, and interviews with these firms are acquired primarily by finishing at or near the top of your class.  There are exceptions to every rule (people with family connections, etc.), but don't count on being an exception.  Keep your GPA high while earning your undergraduate degree, and be ready to put in work to earn a high GPA in law school.

What you are saying applies to most other fields besides law and business (economics, finance, etc.).
In the healthcare field, if you come out of any nursing program, you have the same chance of getting a job than the next nursing grad (unless its associates vs bachelors).

 

[dayman]

Originally Posted by Dr Mantis Toboggan

Originally Posted by Savraj1

How important is it to have a business administration or economics degree to be a corporate lawyer? Can I still be a corporate lawyer if I don't have that background? 
How do people get into corporate law firms? Did they have to do a business concentration or something in law school? 

It does not matter at all.  I've met many corporate lawyers that never took a business class during undergrad, and had their first exposure to business concepts in law school.  If you want to be a corporate lawyer for a big firm, the important thing is to do as well as you can in law school.  Many corporate practices are housed in large firms, and interviews with these firms are acquired primarily by finishing at or near the top of your class.  There are exceptions to every rule (people with family connections, etc.), but don't count on being an exception.  Keep your GPA high while earning your undergraduate degree, and be ready to put in work to earn a high GPA in law school.

What you are saying applies to most other fields besides law and business (economics, finance, etc.).
In the healthcare field, if you come out of any nursing program, you have the same chance of getting a job than the next nursing grad (unless its associates vs bachelors).

 

[mht214]

Originally Posted by cristobal

I'm a senior at Indiana University and I've been accepted into a few law schools (Loyola Chicago, Depaul, Indiana University Indianapolis, John Marshall (received a Scholarship, and I'm waiting to hear back from a few more. I have some questions if anyone can help me out:
1.Does a school's ranking really matter that much, and should I decide which school to go to based on rankings?
2.What can I do this summer to prepare me for school in the fall?
3.I've always done fairly well in school with minimal effort ; will this hurt me in law school?
4.Do you really not make friends while in law school?
I'm already really intimidated and scared because I'm pretty sure a lot of my classmates will have a lot different backgrounds and affluence than I do.
Thanks for the help guys!

1. Yes. Choose the school that will--when its all said and done--give you the best education and best "publicity". I know this is the recipe for going broke--but if successful you literally build your career while in school.
2. Nothing that realistically you want to do [e.g. read cases, read law procedures...]. I suggest you take a month long vacation and enjoy your "free" time. Maybe work a little, but just have fun...you will need these memories to reflect back on...

3. Yes. Because you never worked your butt off; this will not help in Law school. I suggest you take your "studying" habits to another level. You will read more in 1 semester than you have all 4 years of Undergrad.  This is not discouragement--this is advice. 

4. Not early on you dont. You will see soon that the average person in Law School is NOT 23-24yrs old. Most are older, married even, some are going into a career change---meaning they are not interested in making friends only A's...

Do not trust anyone. All that friendly talk will go away as soon as people see you as a threat or not on their level. I suggest not sharing your work with anyone. So choose your friends wisely...there are some nice people out there though.




*other stuff.

Do not work your first year. 

If you do work, work for one of the Bar Exam preparation org. 
Go to school functions. Use that time to socialize with people and staff. [ good way to find the real friends]

 

[mht214]

Originally Posted by cristobal

I'm a senior at Indiana University and I've been accepted into a few law schools (Loyola Chicago, Depaul, Indiana University Indianapolis, John Marshall (received a Scholarship, and I'm waiting to hear back from a few more. I have some questions if anyone can help me out:
1.Does a school's ranking really matter that much, and should I decide which school to go to based on rankings?
2.What can I do this summer to prepare me for school in the fall?
3.I've always done fairly well in school with minimal effort ; will this hurt me in law school?
4.Do you really not make friends while in law school?
I'm already really intimidated and scared because I'm pretty sure a lot of my classmates will have a lot different backgrounds and affluence than I do.
Thanks for the help guys!

1. Yes. Choose the school that will--when its all said and done--give you the best education and best "publicity". I know this is the recipe for going broke--but if successful you literally build your career while in school.
2. Nothing that realistically you want to do [e.g. read cases, read law procedures...]. I suggest you take a month long vacation and enjoy your "free" time. Maybe work a little, but just have fun...you will need these memories to reflect back on...

3. Yes. Because you never worked your butt off; this will not help in Law school. I suggest you take your "studying" habits to another level. You will read more in 1 semester than you have all 4 years of Undergrad.  This is not discouragement--this is advice. 

4. Not early on you dont. You will see soon that the average person in Law School is NOT 23-24yrs old. Most are older, married even, some are going into a career change---meaning they are not interested in making friends only A's...

Do not trust anyone. All that friendly talk will go away as soon as people see you as a threat or not on their level. I suggest not sharing your work with anyone. So choose your friends wisely...there are some nice people out there though.




*other stuff.

Do not work your first year. 

If you do work, work for one of the Bar Exam preparation org. 
Go to school functions. Use that time to socialize with people and staff. [ good way to find the real friends]