Thinking About Law School? Read This Before You Decide
I am in my final year of law school and I do not regret applying and eventually coming here. That said, if you are thinking about law school there are some major things to think about that I wish someone had guided me on before applying.
Law school can often be chosen during a time of uncertainty; the classic “I don’t know what I want to do after college but I’m good at [insert stereotypical legal-esque skill] so I guess I’ll go to law school. The danger in this mindset is that law school becomes a placeholder plan rather than a grounded next step.
To avoid this, ask yourself the why behind your decision to go to law school. Is it prestige and validation? Are you motivated by assumptions about stability or income? Is it for a desire to help, argue, or feel important? Or is it for avoiding the discomfort of not knowing what is next?
It is okay to not know, and it is okay to hesitate when making such a big decision. But remember not to confuse ambition with anxiety.
Before applying, it is worth sitting down with a few hard questions. Do you actually enjoy slow, analytical work that often has no clear answer? Are you okay with struggling with something for a while, especially in a room full of high-achieving people? Do you want a legal career, or do you want the idea of being a lawyer? And finally, what would you do if law school did not exist as an option? The answers do not need to be perfect, but they should be honest.
So, let’s say you are heading to law school. What is it actually like? First and foremost, you will constantly be reading and rarely feel like you are ever “done” with your work. Alongside this, you will likely experience significant imposter syndrome and competition from your classmates, whether that competition is overt or shows up as quiet comparison. Perhaps most surprisingly, law school will test your emotional endurance more than your intellectual brilliance. These realities are not meant to discourage anyone, but rather to paint an honest picture of what the experience demands.
One of the most important things to understand is that law school is a tool, not a personality. A J.D. does not solve directionlessness, insecurity, or burnout. If anything, law school tends to amplify who you already are. If you are grounded and curious, those qualities will deepen. If you are unhappy or searching for external validation, law school will not fix that.
Choosing law school should feel intentional, not panicked. You do not need absolute certainty to move forward, but you do owe yourself honesty. Law will still be there when you are ready. Make sure you are too.
Image: https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/802837071115293142/
