Should You Pursue Law School Right After Undergrad?

When I graduated from my undergraduate program, law school was not even a thought on my brain. I was so sick of school at that point that I had convinced myself I would find a way to make it in this world with just my Honours Specialization in International Relations. Obviously, my life did not exactly play out that way, as I am now alive and well in my second year of law school.

However, I never truly considered, for those of you who know that you want to pursue law school during undergrad, how tough it is to decide whether to take a few years off in between or rip it off like a band-aid and apply right away. That was never a formal decision I made for myself, but I will speak to my experience and offer some unsolicited advice to those facing that crossroad right now.

Take some time off.

1. Burn Out

I will be honest, I was ready for law school when I applied, and I still feel burnt out sometimes in this program. If I did not take time off between my undergraduate program and law school, I cannot even imagine how my mental state would be right now. I have noticed this with some colleagues who have come straight out of undergrad. It is not that it is impossible; it is just not optimal. You want to be excited, engaged, and ready to learn. If you are just ripping this off like a band-aid, you will not get as much out of the degree as you should, and you will be all the more miserable for it.

Some people might think, if I don’t go now, I won’t ever go. I used to be an advocate for that mentality/strategy. However, I think once you are in the workforce and find yourself ceilinged because of your lack of qualifications, you will find the motivation to re-enter academia — I certainly did! That being said, you know yourself better than I do; it is just a point I wanted to raise.

2. Get Some Money In Your Pocket

In the three years I spent between undergrad and law school, I was able to make some money for myself! I would certainly recommend that you try to be a little more responsible with your money than I was! BUT it was still so wonderful not to be a starving student for a little bit. So make some money and set some aside for school, investments or down payment! Especially with this housing market, once you incur the debt from law school, you will thank yourself for already having a down payment saved upon graduation.

3. Get Some Work Experience

Further to my money point, getting some work experience under your belt is also extremely productive. Not only does it look great on your application, but it might help you narrow down what area of law you are looking to be in upon graduation. You do not even need to work in a related legal field. I managed a bar for most of those three years and spoke at length about that experience in my application. (I will discuss that further in my next article about what you should be doing to set yourself up for a robust application, so stay tuned for that). I also volunteered with a few organizations in that time that I genuinely wanted to work with, and not just to add it to my application.

Overall, having something to discuss on your application besides school separates you from other candidates and ultimately helps you develop the skills admissions are looking for in applicants.

4. Your Early 20s Are Some of the Best Years of Your Life

Your early 20’s. Your early 20’s are such a fun part of your life that you will honestly never get back. The way I see it, I have the rest of my life to be a lawyer, and I am so excited for that next chapter in my life. But I will never regret the time I spent in between undergrad and law school.

I went and taught English in Thailand (10/10 recommend) and then backpacked Southeast Asia. I saved up for a few months at the bar and then backpacked parts of the Middle East. I went to Vegas like three times with my girlfriends and booked several other mini-vacations around Canada and the United States. I joined recreational sports leagues in the summer, spent time with family, and overall just had a really, really good time.

You can obviously have those experiences later in life if you would like, but there is something to be said about doing those things in your early 20’s. Am I going to stay in a 20 person hostel bedroom at 40? I mean, I could, but will I want to at that point? Likely not.

After having all of those experiences, I was ready to commit to law school. I knew it was time to buckle down a bit, and I was happy to at that point because I had no regrets. Some people might assert that you can have those experiences during your summers in law school, but I would argue that that is unlikely. Why? Because your summers in law school are typically spent trying to set yourself up for after graduation. You are either interning or working in your desired field to make the appropriate connections for when you graduate. Obviously, again, this is not a must, as everyone creates their own path. It is just the most common approach because it front ends your job search struggles.

All that being said, you can definitely find the sweet spot between work and play that will make your early 20’s both productive and fun. Build your application for law school by volunteering and working, but also take some time to enjoy the fun that comes with being 22–25 years old and not in school.

So that is my two cents, do with it what you will! There are pros and cons to everything in life, so weigh yours accordingly and decide what is best for you. I am just here to present the other side of the argument. The societal pressure to continue schooling is huge, and I want you to know, it might not necessarily be the right move for you. It certainly wasn’t for me, and I could not be happier with how these last few years played out.