One of the most common questions we get as lawyers is this: “Should I go to law school?” It’s a big question with many different aspects to consider. Whether you’re an aspiring lawyer, a current law student, or even a law school graduate, you’ll find valuable insights in this post. We’ll cover the pros, cons, and career considerations surrounding law school, so you can make informed decisions about a potential future in the legal field.
We’ll discuss:
- Deciding to Attend Law School | 3 Key Considerations
- 1. Are You Curious About Law and Its Role in Our Society?
- 2. Do You Have a Desire to Serve Others Through the Law?
- 3. What About the Cost?
- The Law School Application Process
- A Day in the Life of a Law Student
- Post-Graduation Reflections
- Key Advice for Aspiring Lawyers
- Seek Out Positive Mentors | Negativity & Joy are Contagious
- Service First | How I Handle the Daily Ups & Downs of Legal Practice
Deciding to Attend Law School | 3 Key Considerations
Deciding whether to attend law school is a pivotal question for many aspiring lawyers. One major consideration is the significant expense, with the cost of obtaining a Juris Doctorate (“JD,” for short) often reaching or exceeding $200,000, the financial commitment is significant. The time investment is also a factor. Typically, the law school journey spans three years, but in the case of an evening or part time student, it can take four or more. This section explores three key considerations everyone should evaluate before embarking on a journey into the legal profession.
1. Are You Curious About Law and Its Role in Our Society?
Before you decide to attend law school, ask yourself if you have a genuine curiosity about the law and how it interacts with society. There are a plethora of rules and regulations that make up the law. Our daily job as lawyers is to decide how to comply with them. The law is complicated and often dry, but it governs our daily lives in civilized society, so having a genuine desire to understand its intricacies is crucial.
2. Do You Have a Desire to Serve Others Through the Law?
There are many reasons to pursue a legal career, but the desire to serve others is indispensable. Your curiosity about the law should translate into a desire to serve others. If you’re not passionate about helping people through legal means, you might want to reconsider your decision.
“Does your curiosity then manifest itself in a way that allows you to SERVE others? And if you can’t answer yes to that question, I would say hit the pause button and think about whether you really want to invest the time and the money into a law school education.”
Bill Pickett
3. What About the Cost?
While the cost of law school can be substantial, it shouldn’t be the primary factor in your decision-making process.
“First of all, you’re going to have to pull the expense out of the equation. While that calculus and bean counting is important, it shouldn’t be the very first thing you analyze when asking whether you should go to law school. Temporarily suspend all of that and ask yourself: What’s my level of curiosity, and am I looking to serve others?“
Bill Pickett
The Law School Application Process
Like any other academic pursuit, there are a series of requirements that one must undergo to get into law school. If you’ve decided to move forward on the legal journey, chances are it will have some, or all, of the following steps. Each component plays a critical role in demonstrating your commitment to the legal profession. A well–organized approach can significantly enhance your chances of securing a seat in law school.
Academic Prerequisites
To begin your journey to law school, you must first obtain a college undergraduate degree. Many people mistakenly believe that you must study “Pre-Law,” political science, or some other law or government-related major in college to get into law school. However, the range of majors making for a suitable law school candidate is surprisingly flexible. Some choices include:
- Political science
- Communications
- Economics
- Writing
- Even mathematics
Ultimately, your field of study is less important than your overall academic performance, LSAT score (more on that later), and demonstrated desire to serve others. Your chosen major is not determinative of your ability to get into law school.
Admission Tests
After completing your undergraduate studies, taking the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) is typically the next step. The LSAT is traditionally the main law school entrance exam, though some schools now accept alternative assessments for admission. Despite these changes, the LSAT score remains a major factor in determining which law schools will view you as a competitive candidate for admission. After receiving your LSAT score, you’ll compile it with other application materials and submit them to various law schools you’re interested in.
Application & Acceptance
After securing your LSAT score, you’ll need to compile your application documents, like transcripts and letters of recommendation, and submit them to various law schools. This process is conducted through the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC), which provides applicants with all necessary information about the process via their website.
“Once you’ve submitted your applications, you’ll receive acceptance letters or – in my case – you’ll receive a lot of denials. But you hope and pray that you get into a law school somewhere, and then you have to decide whether you accept.”
Bill Pickett
Choosing a Law School
Choosing a law school can be a stressful situation, especially for those with strong academic records and high LSAT scores who receive many acceptances. While a select few may receive multiple acceptance letters and have their pick of schools, this is not reality for many. Most applicants are simply aiming to gain admission to any law school, not a specific one. That said, here are a couple of factors every law school applicant should consider before choosing where to apply:
- ABA (American Bar Association) Accreditation: This allows you to sit for the Bar examination in any state in the U.S. lt’s an important consideration, especially if you don’t know where you want to be practicing law yet.
- Location & Environment: If you’re able to select from a number of acceptance letters, you want to find a law school in a place that you enjoy being, but not one that’s too enjoyable – you don’t want the beach to distract you from your Contracts reading!
“If you’re in a place that’s too fun, you may have a difficult time focusing on the academics and end up spending a little more time enjoying the community that you’re in. While that’s important, I would say, probably of even more importance during those law school years is hitting the books. Find a place that you enjoy, a place that accepts you…but not too enjoyable.”
Bill Pickett
Handling Admission Denials | What if I Don’t Get into Law School?
Denials are part of the process, and it’s important to remain resilient. Facing rejection can be challenging after investing significant time and effort into the application process. With only a limited number of seats available each year, it’s important not to be discouraged if you don’t get in.
You can always try again, but if you find after multiple tries that you want to consider alternative career paths, don’t be discouraged. Many have found rewarding careers outside the legal field after being denied admission. If you don’t get into law school, embrace it as an opportunity to explore other paths. While law school is a noble opportunity, it’s not the only one. Keep an open mind and focus on the next doors that open, ensuring you don’t linger on the past but rather look forward to new possibilities.
“I received four or five denials to law school initially…If the door closes, look for another one to open. That’s not a legal principle, that’s a fact of life. Don’t give up prematurely, but don’t spend a lifetime on the ‘what if’s’ or what ‘could-have, would-have, should-have been.’ Focus on the next opportunity that comes your way because I believe law school is one single opportunity in a person’s life. It’s not the only opportunity – it’s one of many. It’s more than just a legal principle, this is a philosophy for life.”
Bill Pickett
A Day in the Life of a Law Student
Generally, law school is a demanding journey that requires significant effort. Each student’s approach to managing their workload differs. I started law school at 30 – at the time, I thought that was old – but l approached it with a very business-like mindset. My focus was on studying, attending classes, and preparing for the bar exam, with little time for extracurriculars.
First-Year Curriculum
The first year of law school is typically the most difficult and will cover topics like:
- Criminal law
- Contracts
- Property law
- Civil procedure
- Torts
Though challenging, 3 years passes very quickly. For me, the law school years were among some of the most fruitful times of my life. The amount of information that you’re actually consuming and learning about is abundant, and it’s probably on a whole host of subjects you knew nothing about before. Even though the days can be long, it can also be a very rich and cherished time.
Learning to Think Like a Lawyer
Probably the biggest thing I learned at law school was how to think like a lawyer.
“When you first hear the phrase, ‘Thinking like a lawyer’ it won’t mean anything. But after law school and years of practice, suddenly you get it. You’re analyzing a complex – or sometimes not so complex – set of facts, and applying those facts to reach an outcome that allows people to move forward with their life. That’s thinking like a lawyer.”
Bill Pickett
Does Law School Really Prepare You to Be a Lawyer?
As you’ll learn in law school, the answer an ironic “Yes…and no.”
Law school is very good at preparing you to think like a lawyer, but the nuts and bolts of practice, those tasks that happen day-to-day – depending on the area of law a person finds themselves practicing – those are skills that are learned, experienced, and gained over time.
Post-Graduation Reflections
It’s natural to have doubts post-graduation, especially when facing a large amount of student debt. I went into law school intending to practice law, and I’ve done so for more than 20 years. But what happens if you get out of law school, start practicing, and suddenly start having regrets?
I Hate Practicing Law…Now What?
It’s crucial to recognize the unique value of a Juris Doctor degree. It may seem like everyone has this qualification within your circle – after all, you just spent 3–4 years around aspiring lawyers.
The reality though is that having a JD remains a distinguished credential globally. Beyond practicing law, a JD can open the doors to countless opportunities, making it a significant asset and a foundation for diverse career paths. You should never regret getting this degree, and you can embrace it as a stepping stone to a wide array of possibilities.
“There’s a whole world of corporate or business interests, there are special interest projects, and community service endeavors. There’s a whole world that opens, and it is not a negative in any way, shape or form, that you hold a Juris Doctor degree. In fact, it’s a HUGE plus!”
Bill PIckett
Managing Regret | “My First Job in Law Lasted 3 Days”
My first job at a small law firm lasted only three days before I realized it wasn’t a good fit and I quit. After investing so much into law school and passing the bar, this setback was alarming, disheartening, and almost devastating.
I was asking, ‘What on earth have I done? I’ve spent all this time and energy and money just to say this is a bad fit after three days?!”
I had to take a step back, reassess my goals, and redirect my path. This led me to a more suitable position and eventually into my own solo practice a few years later. The journey wasn’t what I initially envisioned, but it has turned out to be even more rewarding and fulfilling.
“Rather than being discouraged and hopeless, if somebody finds themselves doubting whether they should have done this or not, find encouragement and hope for an even brighter future. That’s what’s in store for you, not despair and not unhappiness. Hope is definitely the direction you want to push yourself, and sometimes you have to push; it doesn’t just happen by accident. We have to choose to push toward hope and goodness and joy every single day.”
Bill Pickett
Key Advice for Aspiring Lawyers
If you want to go to law school, but you’re not 100% sold on the idea, who should you talk to? What information can you get to make a more informed decision? Those are great questions to be asking, but you need to approach them cautiously.
Seek Out Positive Mentors | Negativity & Joy are Contagious
Lawyers can be miserable people. Don’t spend your time talking to the ones who are disgruntled, unhappy and negative about life. There’s not really a lot of value in doing that, and finding the right mentors can make a significant difference in your career.
“Don’t contaminate yourself with misery. The world has enough; there are enough disgruntled, unhappy, miserable lawyers in the world. Seek out people who will give you very factual and honest opinions, but also people who are positive, forward-thinking, and joyful about life.”
Bill Pickett
Service First | How I Handle the Daily Ups & Downs of Legal Practice
Working in personal injury law as I do regularly involves engaging with individuals who have experienced severe tragedies, grief, pain, and trauma. This can be emotionally taxing for any practitioner. To manage these challenges, I actively choose to focus on the desired outcome: healing and restoration for my client.
“When you put your focus on service, you can walk through the midst of unspeakable tragedy, not unscathed, but aware of what you’re dealing with. If your eyes are focused on the the end of it, which is healing and restoration through service to others. If you can do that as a lawyer, you hit a home run.
Bill Pickett
For anyone considering a career in law, keeping this mindset at the front will help lead you to a truly rewarding professional journey.
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Pursuing a career in law is a significant commitment, but with the right mindsets and guidance, it can be a fulfilling and impactful path. Whether you choose traditional legal practice or explore alternative careers, the skills and knowledge you gain will serve you well.
“The best lawyers ever. They didn’t just become lawyers. They became human beings who hungered and thirst to serve others. Those are the best lawyers that I’ve ever met. Ever.”
Bill Pickett
If you’re thinking about going on the law school journey, or into the legal profession, please feel free to reach out. We’d be happy to help answer your questions, and encourage or support you in your decision-making process.