The Law School Series- Chapter Uno- Why did I go to law school?

I asked myself some variation of this question probably a thousand times in the last 2 years.  I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on my experience but have yet to organize my thoughts and put them on paper.  Hopefully I’ll be able to generate something relatively coherent.

First topic-Why did I go to law school?

I went to law school for a few reasons: I wanted to see if I could do it, I was scared of graduating with no job/plan for the future, I couldn’t find a job/I didn’t have the right strategy for post-grad/job-hunt, I want to be wealthy at a young age, I like learning and being challenged.

I wanted to see if I could do it- I like being challenged.  Law school was a challenge; both getting accepted and the actual school part.  I “studied” for the LSAT, did well and got into a school in Seattle with a scholarship.  Mission accomplished.  Next came the actual school part- again mission accomplished.  Adjusting to and figuring out law school was challenging and I was successful.  But here is where the trouble began…In my heart I knew at the end of first semester that I didn’t want to be there.  My brain didn’t understand that and it cost me time, stress and money.

I was scared of graduating with no plan/job-  I approached undergrad all wrong, specifically one of the most critical times: the prep time leading up to the transition from school to the real world.  I couldn’t find a job that I wanted.  I had no internship experience.  Had I known then what I know now, my entire approach would have been different.  Some kids figure it out on there own before they find themselves staring at the transition; I did not.  Lesson learned.

I want to be wealthy at a young age- pretty self-explanatory here.  Law school is one of the ways that you can become a lawyer.  All lawyers make bank and have great lives. Ha.

I like learning and being challenged- it took me going through this whole experience to realize two things.  First, law school is not about learning.  Law schools are businesses.  Second, I can learn whatever I want to on my own time, by my own rules and for less than $48,000 a year.

My reasons for going to law school were jumbled mess of fear, ambition and opportunity.  The result was extremely expensive and caused a tremendous amount of stress, anxiety and unhappiness.

So what’s the take away???  You have to understand exactly why you’re doing something when that something involves a huge commitment and a lot of money- especially when those monies result in debt.  The more you are able to understand your motivations and behaviors, the more successful you will be.  You’ll also be better equipped to make tough decisions; decisions that could save you a lot of unpleasant consequences.

If you’re thinking about law school, you have to challenge and understand your motivations.  If you go into it for the wrong reasons, or if you try to bullshit yourself, or don’t fully understand the cost and realities of student loan repayment, you could be faced with a very difficult situation with life-changing consequences. 

My hope is that I can help people like me before they make the mistakes I did.