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Board Lawyers/law students

  • tell me about the LSAT. How scared should I be?*

    *Keep in mind I'll be applying to Arizona State's law school

    patterp09

  • You're fine.

    classlessthug: I have too much on my plate to worry about the fact that my junk intimidates some needle D undergrad.

    eamhokie94

  • As long as you have taken enough practice tests under timed conditions to get a sense for the time limitations you'll be fine. It's a standardized test so the best thing you can do is be calm on test day. Get there early and don't let any nerds that are freaking out freak you out.

    neal990 ●

  • I think 165 or 170 will get you in.

    PaulUMD ●

  • Jesus Christ

    mattw75 ●

  • The only thing to be scared about is if you do well.

    MisterSmiley ●

  • Looks like you will need a 155-162 according to online searches. Which really isn't bad, but take as many practice test as you can. Timing is the hardest part of it.

    coastalTerp

  • Here's what you do if you're nervous about the LSATs or if, foolishly continuing with your plans to go to law school, you graduate and find yourself nervous about the bar exam: go to the nearest courthouse and hang around for an hour or so and watch the lawyers. All of them have had to do what you're nervous about doing. Do they look like they're capable of doing things you're not? Case closed.

    sgii

  • patterp09 said...

    tell me about the LSAT. How scared should I be?*

    *Keep in mind I'll be applying to Arizona State's law school

    I assume this is about a girl? If not, why would you only limit yourself to that school?

    terps99 ●

  • coastalTerp said...

    Looks like you will need a 155-162 according to online searches. Which really isn't bad, but take as many practice test as you can. Timing is the hardest part of it.

    yeah, I have a good GPA so I'm not going to be counting on a great LSAT score to boost my profile, it's more like this is ideally a one off for me and I could move on after I take it.

    As far as the nerds, they're definitely going a little dramatic as far as the intensity of this test I feel. I figured I could come to you guys for a real answer :erinhales

    patterp09

  • terps99 said...

    I assume this is about a girl? If not, why would you only limit yourself to that school?

    nah, it's more about the area and potential job openings in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Sandra Day O'Connor school is also pretty solid and improving, it's no Georgetown or Harvard but it's a solid school.

    I'm open to other schools, but cost is definitely a factor.

    patterp09

  • Don't do this to yourself.

    multiple awards ●

  • "patterp, he's a lawyer"

    nope, doesn't work for me

    ajefx ●

  • Obligatory "don't do it"

    CDeacMan

  • CDeacMan said...

    Obligatory "don't do it"

    This.

    ShamsCross ●

  • Serious question-- what would you become if you didn't go to law school? Why do you want to go to law school?

    MisterSmiley ●

  • Save yourself while you can

    ledterrapin ●

  • Don't do it, unless, you have an awesome answer to Smiley's questions.

    umdterps02

  • MisterSmiley said...

    Serious question-- what would you become if you didn't go to law school? Why do you want to go to law school?

    my major is Political Science, so it's not like this is a spur of the moment decision, law school has been the plan for a while. The goal throughout for me has always been to attend law school but more than anything I've weighed out the very question of why I want to attend law school vs. not doing it the last year or so.

    That said, I can always take the LSAT, apply and then not go if something strikes me. More than anything I want the option of being able to attend law school. I'm curious to hear WHY law school may be a poor decision from those who are informed.

    patterp09

  • patterp09 said...

    my major is Political Science, so it's not like this is a spur of the moment decision, law school has been the plan for a while. The goal throughout for me has always been to attend law school but more than anything I've weighed out the very question of why I want to attend law school vs. not doing it the last year or so.

    That said, I can always take the LSAT, apply and then not go if something strikes me. More than anything I want the option of being able to attend law school. I'm curious to hear WHY law school may be a poor decision from those who are informed.

    Expensive, leads to boring career path that's not as universally bountiful as it might once have been and as many may assume it still is.

    sgii

  • patterp09 said...

    I'm curious to hear WHY law school may be a poor decision from those who are informed.

    Do you know many lawyers in real life? I ask only because the actual day to day life of a lawyer, more than is the case for most other professions, is vastly different from the perceived day to day life of a lawyer.

    So I guess the question becomes why has "law school been the plan for a while?" What do you want to do as a career / what do you think you'll be doing as a lawyer? Because the answer to that question for most people is wildly different from what you'll most likely be doing as a lawyer.

    terps99 ●

  • Let's see...

    You'll be spending $60K in tuition (assuming you're in-state), at least another $30K in living expenses, and giving up three years of income production. Assuming that you'd be working at a job paying $40K if you weren't going to law school, this endeavor will cost you roughly $210,000.

    You have a 76.8% chance of being employed at graduation, and that's if you actually believe ASU's reported employment statistics. Most schools lie about these numbers.

    Most lawyers don't exactly make tons of money.

    Most lawyers hate what they do on a daily basis.

    I'm lucky to really enjoy practicing law. At least half of my classmates (I graduated law school in 2005) have quit practicing and moved on to something else. I recommend that you work at a law firm and see what your life will be like before going down this path.

    tent84 ●

  • terps99 said...

    Do you know many lawyers in real life? I ask only because the actual day to day life of a lawyer, more than is the case for most other professions, is vastly different from the perceived day to day life of a lawyer.

    So I guess the question becomes why has "law school been the plan for a while?" What do you want to do as a career / what do you think you'll be doing as a lawyer? Because the answer to that question for most people is wildly different from what you'll most likely be doing as a lawyer.

    a few, I've actually talked to quite a few family friends and lawyers/law students out here specifically to see if law school was worth it and gotten wildly varied answers. I know the perception of a lawyer and the reality of a lawyer are two vastly different things, it's no glamorous/exciting job (though what is?) but it's something that interests me. That said, I'm not dead set on going to law school straight out of undergrad. This is mostly so I'll have the option, I've been weighing these pros and cons for the last two years.

    I've read plenty of articles that have listed pros and cons, so I am interested in hearing anecdotal evidence of why law school is a good/bad idea. The answer is a personalized one, as in what fits your career interests and all that, but the last thing anyone wants is a three year financial mistake hanging over their head. Basically, why does every time this question is posed on this board people act like law school is toxic?

    patterp09

  • Law school is expensive and miserable at times, and most lawyers don't make much money (at least not enough to justify taking on the debt). I was like you in that I was a poli sci major so just assumed id be going to law school. Maryland had some good prelaw classes that I think gave me enough of a taste of the kinds of things you study in law school, id recommend trying the same thing at asu. Lots of people go into it with so many misconceptions about law school and being a lawyer and so they hate it and themselves

    neal990 ●

  • tent84 said...

    Let's see...

    You'll be spending $60K in tuition (assuming you're in-state), at least another $30K in living expenses, and giving up three years of income production. Assuming that you'd be working at a job paying $40K if you weren't going to law school, this endeavor will cost you roughly $210,000.

    You have a 76.8% chance of being employed at graduation, and that's if you actually believe ASU's reported employment statistics. Most schools lie about these numbers.

    Most lawyers don't exactly make tons of money.

    Most lawyers hate what they do on a daily basis.

    I'm lucky to really enjoy practicing law. At least half of my classmates (I graduated law school in 2005) have quit practicing and moved on to something else. I recommend that you work at a law firm and see what your life will be like before going down this path.

    I would have posted the exact same thing... except without the math and I'd be too lazy to look up ASU's actual post-grad employment stats.

    MisterSmiley ●

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