The Girl's Guide to Law School
Get In, Get Through, Stay You
Law schools release a decent amount of information about their graduates’ prospects, so it’s easy to think you’re getting the full story.
You’re probably not.
Schools fudge data in a variety of ways, but the most common approach is simply not to report unflattering information on graduates’ salaries.
Career coaches are fond of telling everyone to “Do what you love!”
I’m not entirely convinced that’s the right approach — what if what you love is sleeping late and puttering around the house? — but you should, at a minimum, like what you do.
Fair enough, but what’s the best way to figure out what you actually like, when most people have been conditioned from childhood to do what they were told?
If you’re thinking about applying to law school, you’ve probably done some research into the profession, carefully considered the pros and cons of becoming a lawyer, and, hopefully, talked to a few attorneys about how they like the profession.
That’s all useful and good, and I encourage you to continue those modes of analysis.
Here’s a different approach:
Lots of people go to law school because they want to do public interest work. Sadly, fewer people end up actually doing it.
Here’s an interview with my fantastic law school roommate, Gráinne O’Neill, who’s living the dream! She’s a real, live public interest lawyer, and she’s got great tips on how you can be one, too.
Read on.
Despite your best efforts, your LSAT score just isn’t what you wanted it to be. Maybe it’s significantly below your practice tests, or perhaps you weren’t feeling well or just know that you had a bad day.
Should you retake?
You should only consider retaking the LSAT if two things are true.
Now that you’ve been in law school for a while, you’re probably wondering if it wouldn’t be easier to just learn law from a hornbook, or a commercial outline. Isn’t reading cases a total waste of time?
Here’s some sage advice from my law school friend:
One of my favorite law school professors was fond of saying:
There’s good confusion, and there’s bad confusion. Which one is it?
when a student admitted to being confused about something. 
This reply was met with more than a few blank stares, but ultimately it’s a helpful concept.
Let’s be clear about this. If you came to me and asked if I thought you should go to law school, I’d probably say “No.”
Frankly, I have no idea what you should do, but I’d still say “No.” Why? Because I don’t want to be too encouraging. If you really, really, deep-down really want to be a lawyer, me telling you not to go to law school isn’t going to stop you. And that’s a good thing.
But if you’re on the fence, and you haven’t talked to at least a handful of lawyers about what they do all day, and you haven’t figured out where you fit into the profession (and not in some wishful thinking kind of way), you shouldn’t even consider going to law school. Seriously, just don’t do it.
If you’re starting to get nervous about law school exams, it’s your lucky day!
Here’s some fantastic advice about getting ready for law school exams from Lee Faller Burgess, founder of Amicus Tutoring. Lee’s an honors law school grad with a background in psychology, consulting, and tutoring — so she’s the perfect person to address all the different aspects of preparing for high-stakes exams!
Without further ado:
Perhaps you’ve heard rumors that some BigLaw firms make “cold offers” at the end of the summer. Instead of getting a pat on the back and an offer to return, certain summer associates get a “Thanks, but no thanks.”
But, somehow, these firms still report a 100% offer rate. What’s going on?
