So you want to go to law school? That’s great! Congratulations! Wow, amazing! Now let’s sit down and talk about what actually happens in the four years you’ll be studying the law and working your way to pass that Bar exam…
1. You’ll be studying for four years.
Let this sink in. That’s as long as college, longer if you went to a school that follows a trimestral system. That’s four years of paying for tuition, books, and a space in Starbucks. That’s four years of your life on hold. Within the same time, you’d be comfortably established in any career you choose. You’d have earned money. You’d have experienced life and independence. That also means that by the time you graduate law school, all your other peers would be comfortably established in their careers.
You’re probably thinking “But I can work while I’m attending school, right?” Well, sure you can. There are people who manage it. But these people are few and far-between. Take it from someone who tried to work a 9 to 5 during her first year in law school: it will literally be one of the hardest things you will have to do.
And it’s not just the number of years you’ll be studying that’s at issue here. You’re also looking at how much you’ll be studying. Law school is intense. A lot of people say that they read more in their first week of law school than they did in their whole college life. We’re talking missing family get-togethers to study for class. We’re talking excusing yourself yet again from seeing your friends because you have exams coming up. Needless to say, you will miss out on a lot when you enter law school.
2. You will have to memorize
Anyone who tells you that you don’t have to memorize in law school is straight out lying. The thing is, law school is there to prepare you for the bar exam — a series of eight handwritten essay exams that happens over the course of four Sundays. And when an exam covers 8 areas of law, memorization is just the easiest way to ensure that you’ll get at least partial credit for your answer.
3. Recitation will instill the fear of God in your soul
A big reason why law school is so intense is because of the cold call. It usually happens like this: the professor has a deck of index cards with each person’s name on one card. She shuffles it, picks a card, and calls a name. The lucky “volunteer” has to stand up and answer whatever question the professor asks them without referring to their notes. It’s like a really twisted magic trick.
When you’re called for recitation, a lot of emotions come into play. Chief of them is fear. Fear of shame for not knowing the answer, fear of the professor, fear of the situation, fear of your classmates — take your pick. It all blurs into sweaty pits and a quick pulse.
4. You will meet assholes
But there are assholes everywhere! True. But when you put a bunch of mostly twentysomethings in a high pressure, competitive environment, the claws really come out. People who would have otherwise retained a facade of calm and serenity will act out and create problems. Drama will ensue. Fists will fly. Rivalries will form.
I have a friend who says that the law school bubble brings out the worst in people. And she’s right. While in law school you will not only witness the worst of your peers, you will discover the worst of yourself.
5. Your mental health will be affected.
Honestly, this is a serious matter I wish law schools would actually address. The fact is that mental illness is prevalent among law students. And it’s easy to see why. A stressful environment where fear can easily fix itself as a primary driver is not a place that nourishes healthy mental processes. One becomes highly vulnerable when one hasn’t been getting enough sleep for months.
6. Law school is sexist as fuck
If you’re a girl, you will feel it. If you’re gay, you will feel it. Really the only people who 100% feel comfortable expressing who they are in law school are the straight guys. You will have professors who like having pretty girls in the front row. You will have professors that will make inappropriate jokes in class — and you will have to laugh along. You will have professors who use gay slurs and don’t even bother to hide their intolerance.
So after all that, is it worth it to go to law school? Well, no and yes. If you have no plans of becoming a lawyer and are only considering law school to, say, please a parent or a grandparent, it will not be worth it. You will probably hate every sleepless night and every bad recitation you will have. You will be miserable.
But if you really are interested in learning the law and becoming a lawyer, law school can be one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. Experiencing all the difficult stuff listed above will just make you a stronger person. You will learn, process, and move on. You will learn how our society works and learn how you can change the rules that govern us. You will have fun.
So make your choice and be on your way to your best life — no matter what that life is.
