Why Do I Want to be a Lawyer?

Many people ask me this question. I'm guessing they usually assume it's because I like to argue or because I want to make the "big bucks" someday, but neither are true (well, I do enjoy a good debate at times). I want to be a lawyer to help people. I know that may sound cliche or too simple, but it's the truth.

I see the law as something meant to protect and enrich society. Nothing gets me more upset than a person who preys on the innocent. People who exploit women and children through sex trafficking or abuse get my anger and sense of injustice boiling. I want to use the legal system we have to protect those people's rights to the fullest.

Sometimes though, the law can be harmful to people too. The law is used as a weapon to disadvantage certain groups of people. That sort of injustice upsets me because that is not how the law should be used. I look at the literary example of a great lawyer, Atticus Finch, and how he defended Tom Robinson when no one else would. He's the kind of lawyer I would like to emulate someday, someone with integrity who will stand up for the rights of people, even when it's unpopular.

Atticus Finch with his client, Tom Robinson

So go ahead, ask me "What do you call an honest lawyer?" and I'll good-naturedly answer, "An oxymoron." But I will still hold fast to my belief that there can be real Atticus Finches out there, serving for the public good instead of for the good of self. 

The "D" Word

Debt. A nebulous, but sobering reality that has been consuming my thoughts lately. Plus, the recent stats about law school don't help.

"The average law school indebtedness of 2012 law school graduates with debt was $108,293 [each]," according to a US News and World Report article. 

But I'll easily make it all back right? Well, actually the average starting salary for about half of new lawyers is between 45,000 to 65,000, but loan payments usually range from the $500-$1000 which hurts the take-home salary quite a bit. Throw in the fact that roughly only half of law school graduates from any given school (unless it's Harvard or Yale) graduate and get a job that requires a law degree anyway. 

The numbers are depressing. Most blogs you read on the internet are fairly negative about law school and about the job prospects for lawyers. 

So I have to ask myself, is going to law school worth it?  


I can't really know until afterward. It is a risk, but one I'm willing to take in order to achieve what I want to do. Law school isn't a "I have no idea what I want to do with my life, so i'll just go to law school" option for me. Law IS what I want to do. So, I'm just going to work hard and use every opportunity available in order to not be another sad statistic. 

But if you're unsure about whether you want to go to law school, all the experts say, "Don't!" It's a big decision and comes with financial risk. 

Lawyers in the Limelight

Taking a break from the serious (and sometimes stressful) application process, I thought I'd confess something. . . I love legal TV shows. Don't worry, I'm not basing a career decision on the glamour of TV, but I do thoroughly enjoy watching shows involving lawyers. So, without further ado, here are my favorite law shows:

1. Law & Order: If you have never seen an episode of Law & Order, you must not own a television because one thing you can always count on in this fickle world is that somewhere, on some channel, Law & Order re-runs will be playing.

2. Ally McBeal: This is a Netflix guilty pleasure. It's a very odd show, featuring a very odd girl who always gets into some sort of trouble, but at the end of the day it usually ends up okay. Featuring great 90s outfits and life lessons at the end of each episode, this is an entertaining show.

3. Franklin and Bash: This is what my brother always suggests as a role model for my future legal career...not so much. But, the show is hilarious and clever, although slightly far-fetched with how much they get away with being idiots, funny idiots, but idiots in the courtroom.

4. Jag: A military law show that had me at one point seriously considering military law. . . until my 10-year-old self realized you had to actually join the military too. Great show with great characters and plot twists. If only THIS show were on Netflix. Caroline McKenzie was my hero (gotta love a strong female lead), and Harm might have been my first crush.

5. Matlock: Throwback to my TV land and Hallmark days with my grandma. This is classic TV at its finest.

6. Fairly Legal: This show features a strong female lead and shows an alternate way of looking at law. She works as a mediator to try and resolve conflict for both sides. She is a realistic character, with many flaws, but overall the show was fun to watch. Sadly, not many other people thought so as it was cancelled after only 2 seasons.

7. Suits: I've only just started watching this (also courtesy of Netflix), but it's very interesting. The guy on the left is incredibly smart, and ends up lying his way up the legal ladder. It's very interesting and the quick-wit of the show always keeps you on your toes.

Let me know if you have seen any of these, and if so what is your favorite?

Visiting is Vital

One thing the experts emphasize is visiting the school before you make a final decision. I couldn't agree more. A school could look really nice on paper, but it's the intangibles that can really make or break a decision.

Tips for Visiting:

• Call ahead and set-up an official time
• Leave early 
• Dress professionally
• Come with questions
• Talk to the students
• Take time to explore the surrounding area if possible
• Write thank you notes after the visit 

My Visiting Experience:

I went on one law school visit and was considering it as a viable option. But from the very beginning the tour was unorganized and the building looked like a prison (not somewhere I want to spend 3 years of my life in!). The library was small and did not have much study space available, and the overall impression did not make me want to add it to the top of my pro/con list. But if I hadn't gone and visited I would not have been able to see all those factors because they weren't available online.

Likewise, I've had great experiences as well. One in particular I thoroughly enjoyed because not only was the visit day organized superbly, I ended up making a friend. I happened to be getting there last minute (because surprise, I got lost) and sat towards the back next to this girl. We got to talking during a break, and ended up having a lot in common! If I decide to go to that law school, I could even have her as a potential roommate now. I was also able to talk with students that day and get their impressions of the school, things they liked and internships they had as well as getting to talk with some of the faculty.

One thing I've realized throughout this is that I'm not alone. Friends and family are eager to help me with the process. For example, I had one friend mention she had a friend who went to a law school I was considering. She talked with him, and I was able to meet up with him when I visited the school and get a good feel for the school from a student's perspective (who was not a paid tour guide). Use those connections whenever possible because they can offer valuable insight! Likewise, I hope to be able to return the kindness everyone has shown me someday to prospective law students.

Factors to Consider in Applying

Well, now that I've got the application parts done, the only thing left to consider is where to apply. I researched this aspect quite a bit. There was conflicting advice about how, when and where to apply. One list I found most helpful was in the book The Ultimate Guide to Law School Admission by Carol Wright. Here are her 15 equally essential factors to consider when applying:

1. ABA Accreditation: You want to go to an accredited school in order to guarantee your ability to be licensed in the state of your choosing.
2. Retention: You want to make sure the school has a low attrition rate. High attrition rates could be warning signs of other problems. 
3. Admission: Weigh the likelihood of getting into the school. Look at the percentiles of GPA and LSAT scores and see how you compare. Then apply to a range of schools. The experts recommend applying to:
• 1 or 2 reach schools: schools where you fall into the lower end of the percentiles
• 2-4 Mid-Range schools: schools where your scores are pretty much on par with the percentages
• 1-2 safe schools: schools where you're most likely to receive admission based upon your scores
4. Bar Passage Record: You want to make sure you go to a school that prepares people well and equips them to pass the necessary tests to become a practicing lawyer.
5. Career Development and Placement: Make sure they have a good career development program so that you can graduate AND get a job.
6. Cost of Attendance: Debt is something that is most likely inevitable when going to law school, but wisely consider how much debt you're accruing. You don't want to be paying off your student loans for 30 years.
7. Diversity: The more diverse the more opportunities to learn from a variety of perspectives.
8. Facility: Is the building's technology up-to-date? How is the library? Parking? Good places to study? 
9. Faculty:
• Faculty to student ratio
• expertise of the faculty
• accessibility of the facility
• do adjunct teachers or full-time facility teach?
10. Housing and Community:You have to consider the affordability of housing, whether or not you want a roommate, how close you can live to the law school, whether there's a bus that you could ride if you lived farther away, as well as the safety of the neighborhood you're living in.
11. Region: Although I've heard differing opinions about this, if possible, the experts recommend choosing a law school in a region you may want to end up living in someday. Why? Because your school's name has more clout, you make more connections locally, and more local lawyers travel to the school's career fairs.
12. Setting: Completely preferential, but as you may have read in my other blog, if I have to drive in crazy city traffic every day I might go crazy. So the urban vs. rural environment is something I will need to consider.
13. Size: You have to consider what kind of learning environment you want. Larger class sizes mean you may not get called on as much, but it could also mean less recognition and personal connection with the professors.  
14. Special Programs: If you're interested in any sort of law journals, clinics, study abroad opportunities or certificate programs, check out the accessibility of those programs as well as the amount offered. 
15. Student Body: When visiting you'll want to observe the students and see how cooperative vs. how competitive they are and what kind of environment would best suit you. Also consider the average age of the other students. 

Another great source is The Girl's Guide to Law School website. It has tons of helpful information about applying and about law school in general. 

Foray to the Forum

Today I'm going to be focusing on #7 from my previous blog: attend a LSAC Forum. 

After I took the LSAT in June, I decided it would be good to attend a law school forum in July, hosted by LSAC (LSAC is the centralized website that you send all your application information to. They compile it, and send it to all the law schools for you). A law school forum is basically a law school fair where representatives from most law schools come and you walk around and talk to the different admissions counselors, get tons of brochures, and if you're lucky even a few fee waivers. There are also seminars you can attend that explain the application process or financial aid. 

Anyway, I signed up for the closest one which was in Chicago. Cool I thought. I love big cities I thought.

WRONG. Or at least driving in them.

See here's the problem, while I may have mental capacities to do well in school, directions and I do not coexist very well together. Meaning, I get lost ALL the time. It's a real struggle. Even with the beautiful invention of GPS I still manage to get lost. Also, I prefer simple country roads to crazy multiple lanes. 3 or more = stressed Maddie. 

Well, no surprise, on a day where I definitely didn't want to be late, I got lost. AND had to drive over one of the biggest bridges. Fun fact, I HATE driving over bridges. Irrational fear? Maybe. Still terrifying? Definitely. Throw in road construction, and it made for one crazy morning.

Pictures of Scary Chicago Skyway Bridge

To make it worse once I finally found the Marriott I pulled into a parking garage that was NOT the Marriott's, realized that all the cars were facing me (apparently it's some place where people park the cars for you...seemed really sketchy to me) and took a creepy "short-cut" down an alley that I was sure I was never going to make it out of. 

Needless to say it started out rough. 

But, once I got there I was so glad I made the trip. I met so many of the admissions counselors for the schools I wanted to attend. I was able to talk with them all, ask questions about their schools, pick up a few fee waivers and even make some friends. I also found some of the seminars I attended very helpful. Especially the one about financial aid. 

I would recommend if you're considering applying to law schools to go to a forum or law school fair if you get the chance. It really helps being able to have a face-to-face conversation with the admissions counselors. 

A few tips for the day:

• Dress professionally. I saw a wide range from suits to jeans. But my motto is "dress to impress." Nothing flashy, but also nothing that looks sloppy or like you don't care. I think first impressions, whether we like it or not, are in part based upon appearance.  
• Leave early. Even though I was "late" by my own standards, I knew myself and my propensity to get hopelessly lost so I left about 2 hours early. And sadly I almost needed all of my extra time. Plan accordingly for the unexpected.
• Practice first. Don't go to your number one pick first. I went to a table where I had no intention of going and chatted with the admission's counselor for a while. It calmed my nerves, and it actually turned out to be really helpful. She was kind and informative and breaking the ice without pressure helped give me confidence for the rest of the day.
• You don't have to go to all the seminars. Only go to the ones that really interest you. Otherwise, you may waste valuable time sitting through something you don't really want/need to hear.
• Talk to other people. It may sound simplistic, but while I was waiting in lines, I used that time to talk to other people. It made the lines seem less long, I got to meet some fun people, and I wasn't worrying about talking to the representative. 

8 Tips for an Outstanding Application

Most law schools don't offer interviews. So it's important to make sure that your application is outstanding, since they can't meet the lovely you in person. 

Here's my Top 8 List for Outstanding Applications, compiled from all my research.

1. Start Early. This process can take awhile, and you don't want to rush and risk the chance of messing up. Remember the personal statement saga? DON'T be that person. Also the earlier you finish the earlier you could hear back. Many schools do rolling admissions, so you could potentially be in the first batch of applicants and hear back sooner.
2. LOR Do's and Don'ts. Letters of Recommendation, ask early for them. They are busy people, make sure you give them plenty of time to write the essays. Pick people who actually know you. Every book and admissions counselor I talked to said they would prefer to have have 1) Professors because they would know best whether you could handle the academic rigors of law school and 2) Bosses who know your character and work ethic. They said skip the lawyer friends of Daddy who don't really know you that well.  
3. Take the LSAT in JUNE. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. June is the best time to take the LSAT. And it's not just me, the experts think so too.
4. NO spelling and grammar errors. You want to convey the idea that you are a professional. Spelling and grammar errors show that you aren't ready for a professional career because you can't even take the time to adequately proof your application. My advice? Work on it. Leave it alone for a day, and then come back. Particularly aspects like your resume and personal statement, I would have those proofed by professors, editing savvy friends and Career Services.
5. Closing Personalized Paragraph. At the end of my personal statement for each school, I would include a school-specific paragraph. It may sound like more work, but from the admissions counselors I've talked to, it makes you stand out. So research each school, find a program or qualities it emphasizes and write about it. And this is the part where you convince them that by having you there, you would benefit from it, but you would also be able to contribute towards the school. 
6. Law Specific Resume. One of the ways I tried to have my resume stand out was by making a law-specific category. Why? Well it shows that 1) Law school isn't a last resort, or whim, that it's something I've pursued and thought out. 2) It helps them see that I have had internships and shadowing, so I know a little bit about the legal profession 3) It helps them as admissions boards, when reading through countless resumes, read it a little easier because they don't have to try and pick out the law-specific parts on their own.
7. Attend a Law School Forum. I attended one in Chicago (a little late, because I got hopelessly lost for an hour). It's a great experience! I got to talk to every admissions counselor from the schools I wanted to go to. I was able to ask them specific questions, and get their contact information. Later I sent follow-up emails thanking them for their time. 
8. Highlight leadership and education in Resume. Avoid ANYTHING from high school though. Use active verbs to show how you excelled in various areas. Highlight any academic honors.