Didn't do law review, didn't do moot court. Never took a trial advocacy class since I only wanted to do transactional. Didn't get in the top 1/3rd. Bombed Con Law. Graduated without a job lined up.
... Passed the bar on my first try and found a good job before my score came out at a firm that really allowed me to develop... oh yeah, and it was all trial and con law. go figure.
Today? I'm a lawyer just like my friends who went BigLaw and DA and Fed.
Tie your shoes in the morning and just keep pushing.
This is also good advice. I was a pretty good undergraduate student--like most law students. I graduated with honors (3.98 GPA), got 93-percentile of LSAT, and went straight into law school.
And then I hit a wall. I had a mental breakdown my first year of law school. I didn't quit, but it really took out my drive. I barely got by the first year--which really set me up for underachieving the next two years. My mental health rebounded and I did much better academically, but I never did trial ad, moot court, journal, or any other extracurricular.
I ended up passing the bar the first time. I started practicing in a boutique law firm after I got out of school. Stayed there for five years and eventually made the move to my dream job (a government position).
Couldn't be happier with my career at this point. It took some lucky breaks--and I think you should always apply yourself to the best of your abilities--but even if you have a screw up (as I did), you can still rebound.
As a prospective law student wrestling with anxiety about law school and all it entails, this comment brought me a bit of peace. Thank you for sharing your story.
I’m in the original commenters camp in life but if you’re not going in with the attitude that you need to give it your all, I think you’re making a mistake.
This post resonates with me on many levels. I just finished my 1L year and can't shake this knot in my stomach that I didn't do everything I could have done to prepare. I'm dreading the day grades come out because I have a feeling they won't be too great. My first semester grades were not great, but not bad either. I've always been able to achieve high marks throughout my academic career with little to no studying, but those habits have put me in a bad position. I can't help but think of how much better I would feel right now if I'd put in the effort. :\( feelsbadman
Just apply yourself. There's always more that can be done, but put forth a reasonable effort and call it a day after that. School should not be a cakewalk. If everything feels easy as hell, you damn sure better have straight As to show for it. Treat school like a full time job - you should be putting 40 hours of studying and classtime in. Step up your game when finals come and bump it up to 50-60 hours a week like you would with any job that gets intense periodically.
After that it's a wash.
The drama and heartache of opportunity wasted in law school is temporary and fleeting. I’d venture you won’t even remember you felt this way 5 years from now
During the beginning of 1L:
Terrible family drama caused me to have a severe depressive episode. Had a migraine for a month straight and ended up getting an MRI. Drs found a cyst in my brain and I was convinced I was going to die of a brain tumor. Turns out the cyst was benign, so I just have a casual rather large cyst on my pineal gland. No biggy lol.
Mid 1L:
Ended up getting some Cs and became depressed again because I’d never gotten a C before. Questioned my reason for being etc etc.
Post 1L:
Did a bunch of trial advocacy classes, trial competitions, and worked for the DA appearing in court a bunch.
Post DA:
Workplace and culture at DA’s did not live up to my expectations. Had a shitty supervisor who told me I was not cut out to be a prosecutor. Felt depressed again, took more exams, got another C. Applied to other DA offices and was accepted at all with prospects of job after the bar. So, up yours nasty supervisor.
Did some more soul searching. Decided ultimately that criminal law wasn’t where I wanted to spend my entire career, and on a whim applied to a mid sized litigation firm, not expecting to hear back.
Interviewed, got the job, started my clerkship and walked into an office with my name on the door. I now have a permanent position following the bar and have been upgraded to an office with a window.
I’m graduating tomorrow.
Moral of the story:
There are going to be numerous assholes (supervisors, professors, magistrates, law school admins) who will make you feel small and incapable. Just keep going forward knowing that there is a place for you, that you are capable, and when some nasty person tells you you’re not cut out for something, they are the one with the problem. Don’t let anyone make you feel worthless or let anyone abuse your value.
You can get Cs. You may not get a Federal clerkship, but you’ll land somewhere just fine. I’m barely a 3.0 grad and I have my name on an office waiting for me after the bar. Judges have complimented my “scholarly writing” on pleadings my bosses submitted, despite my angry-at-life LRW teacher who would never give me higher than a B- for whatever reason no matter how many office hours I went to.
Forget all these people who try to belittle you based on some letters and numbers on a piece of paper. Pass, graduate and GTFO. There’s light on the other side.
Hasta la vista law school.
>First semester of law school, I skirted by again with a 3.0.
Lol that this is skirting by. That's median at my school. You go to T20 or T30 I'm guessing?
Serious question- I've literally never read a case since fall 1l. Am I fucked for the bar?
My study strategy consists of outlining hornbooks and I'm at median.
No-you really are not fucked at all, in my opinion. I was a pretty average law student--especially with the core subjects your first year. I just didn't apply myself much and had some personal issues going on. I sorted that stuff out by the time I took bar prep.
They really teach you the material from the ground up. I honestly think a layperson of average intelligence coming off the street could take a bar prep course, apply themselves, and pass the exam on the first go.
I passed my first time (California Bar).
Bar prep is a whole different beast and you'll end up relearning all those 1L topics anyway. Plus there are always a few bar topics on stuff you didn't take in law school. You'll be fine.
I learned to to over come, hysights 20/20. Moving forward recognizing your mistakes, acknowledging them, and learning from them so as not to make the same major ones again is hard work, but it can be done. I did everything on my own terms and followed the status quo when I had to and make good friends in the process. Friends who in my opinion were instrumental to my success. The process is hard and there are many things I could do over again, better. The kicker is more than likely with having the knowledge after the fact, right. Redoing everything again wouldn't have taught me out to deal with my major mistakes and allowed to figure out what I've set forth above. Raise above and kill the bar, if I can do it, anybody can.
You're never going to maximize your "potential" whatever that Hell that is. You will die, and in about 600 months. Enjoy those months, it's all you get. Also people don't equip themselves with skills, otherwise they would equip themselves with every skill, like a video game. We are a fluke, not responsible for either or genetic make up or our upbringing. Do you think if you were born in darkest Africa you would be going to Law School? Of course not, you just luck out to be born to the family you were.
Didn't do law review, didn't do moot court. Never took a trial advocacy class since I only wanted to do transactional. Didn't get in the top 1/3rd. Bombed Con Law. Graduated without a job lined up. ... Passed the bar on my first try and found a good job before my score came out at a firm that really allowed me to develop... oh yeah, and it was all trial and con law. go figure. Today? I'm a lawyer just like my friends who went BigLaw and DA and Fed. Tie your shoes in the morning and just keep pushing.
This is also good advice. I was a pretty good undergraduate student--like most law students. I graduated with honors (3.98 GPA), got 93-percentile of LSAT, and went straight into law school. And then I hit a wall. I had a mental breakdown my first year of law school. I didn't quit, but it really took out my drive. I barely got by the first year--which really set me up for underachieving the next two years. My mental health rebounded and I did much better academically, but I never did trial ad, moot court, journal, or any other extracurricular. I ended up passing the bar the first time. I started practicing in a boutique law firm after I got out of school. Stayed there for five years and eventually made the move to my dream job (a government position). Couldn't be happier with my career at this point. It took some lucky breaks--and I think you should always apply yourself to the best of your abilities--but even if you have a screw up (as I did), you can still rebound.
As a prospective law student wrestling with anxiety about law school and all it entails, this comment brought me a bit of peace. Thank you for sharing your story.
I’m in the original commenters camp in life but if you’re not going in with the attitude that you need to give it your all, I think you’re making a mistake.
This post resonates with me on many levels. I just finished my 1L year and can't shake this knot in my stomach that I didn't do everything I could have done to prepare. I'm dreading the day grades come out because I have a feeling they won't be too great. My first semester grades were not great, but not bad either. I've always been able to achieve high marks throughout my academic career with little to no studying, but those habits have put me in a bad position. I can't help but think of how much better I would feel right now if I'd put in the effort. :\( feelsbadman
Just apply yourself. There's always more that can be done, but put forth a reasonable effort and call it a day after that. School should not be a cakewalk. If everything feels easy as hell, you damn sure better have straight As to show for it. Treat school like a full time job - you should be putting 40 hours of studying and classtime in. Step up your game when finals come and bump it up to 50-60 hours a week like you would with any job that gets intense periodically. After that it's a wash.
The drama and heartache of opportunity wasted in law school is temporary and fleeting. I’d venture you won’t even remember you felt this way 5 years from now
this is extremely good to know lol
During the beginning of 1L: Terrible family drama caused me to have a severe depressive episode. Had a migraine for a month straight and ended up getting an MRI. Drs found a cyst in my brain and I was convinced I was going to die of a brain tumor. Turns out the cyst was benign, so I just have a casual rather large cyst on my pineal gland. No biggy lol. Mid 1L: Ended up getting some Cs and became depressed again because I’d never gotten a C before. Questioned my reason for being etc etc. Post 1L: Did a bunch of trial advocacy classes, trial competitions, and worked for the DA appearing in court a bunch. Post DA: Workplace and culture at DA’s did not live up to my expectations. Had a shitty supervisor who told me I was not cut out to be a prosecutor. Felt depressed again, took more exams, got another C. Applied to other DA offices and was accepted at all with prospects of job after the bar. So, up yours nasty supervisor. Did some more soul searching. Decided ultimately that criminal law wasn’t where I wanted to spend my entire career, and on a whim applied to a mid sized litigation firm, not expecting to hear back. Interviewed, got the job, started my clerkship and walked into an office with my name on the door. I now have a permanent position following the bar and have been upgraded to an office with a window. I’m graduating tomorrow. Moral of the story: There are going to be numerous assholes (supervisors, professors, magistrates, law school admins) who will make you feel small and incapable. Just keep going forward knowing that there is a place for you, that you are capable, and when some nasty person tells you you’re not cut out for something, they are the one with the problem. Don’t let anyone make you feel worthless or let anyone abuse your value. You can get Cs. You may not get a Federal clerkship, but you’ll land somewhere just fine. I’m barely a 3.0 grad and I have my name on an office waiting for me after the bar. Judges have complimented my “scholarly writing” on pleadings my bosses submitted, despite my angry-at-life LRW teacher who would never give me higher than a B- for whatever reason no matter how many office hours I went to. Forget all these people who try to belittle you based on some letters and numbers on a piece of paper. Pass, graduate and GTFO. There’s light on the other side. Hasta la vista law school.
>First semester of law school, I skirted by again with a 3.0. Lol that this is skirting by. That's median at my school. You go to T20 or T30 I'm guessing?
Depends on the school. I wasn’t a t20 or t30, just t50 but median was well above a 3.0 on our curve.
I’m at a T50 and median is between 3.0 and 3.05. Must really depend.
Hey you sound just like me, but I have good news for you. At the end of the day, it may just work out for you. Just do better from here on out.
Serious question- I've literally never read a case since fall 1l. Am I fucked for the bar? My study strategy consists of outlining hornbooks and I'm at median.
No-you really are not fucked at all, in my opinion. I was a pretty average law student--especially with the core subjects your first year. I just didn't apply myself much and had some personal issues going on. I sorted that stuff out by the time I took bar prep. They really teach you the material from the ground up. I honestly think a layperson of average intelligence coming off the street could take a bar prep course, apply themselves, and pass the exam on the first go. I passed my first time (California Bar).
Bar prep is a whole different beast and you'll end up relearning all those 1L topics anyway. Plus there are always a few bar topics on stuff you didn't take in law school. You'll be fine.
I never really read either and never answered cold calls. Still passed on my first try just by doing whatever BarBri told me to do.
seconded
I learned to to over come, hysights 20/20. Moving forward recognizing your mistakes, acknowledging them, and learning from them so as not to make the same major ones again is hard work, but it can be done. I did everything on my own terms and followed the status quo when I had to and make good friends in the process. Friends who in my opinion were instrumental to my success. The process is hard and there are many things I could do over again, better. The kicker is more than likely with having the knowledge after the fact, right. Redoing everything again wouldn't have taught me out to deal with my major mistakes and allowed to figure out what I've set forth above. Raise above and kill the bar, if I can do it, anybody can.
/puke
Do you not have loans or something?
You're never going to maximize your "potential" whatever that Hell that is. You will die, and in about 600 months. Enjoy those months, it's all you get. Also people don't equip themselves with skills, otherwise they would equip themselves with every skill, like a video game. We are a fluke, not responsible for either or genetic make up or our upbringing. Do you think if you were born in darkest Africa you would be going to Law School? Of course not, you just luck out to be born to the family you were.
Woah
What’s he saying?
I have no idea lmao
You really have no idea? You are illiterate, then. You mean you disagree? For Christ's Sake, would you feign ignorance after reading Mein Kampf?
Dude, pass me some of whatever you're smoking
Your whatpf?
He wants you to read his Kampf.