OT: UConn Law School

[CL82]

Congrats and good luck!

 

[HuskyHawk]

Congratulations. Law school is a fun, enjoyable three years. Make the most of it. If you think it's rough, then real work will be even more miserable for you.

 

[Excalibur]

It won’t be.

It’ll be worse.

I’m happy to provide any help/insights can though to make it more bearable.

This was not my experience at all. After the first year, you know what corners can be cut. I found class to be interesting, did very little work outside of it after the first year, and ended up partying more as a 2L and 3L than I did in college.

 

[8893]

Pfff just watch My Cousin Vinny

Actually one of my all-time favorite lawyer movies.

But I was talking about law school. Which means I should add Legally Blonde, too.

 

[bendm]

even 1L year is infinitely more enjoyable than working at a firm billing 2000 hours

 

[Excalibur]

even 1L year is infinitely more enjoyable than working at a firm billing 2000 hours

Put your head down, do the work for a couple of years, parlay that into a GC position, and make outhouse lawyers work on the weekends for you.

Partnership does not reduce working hours, but it does increase headaches.

 

[nomar]

This was not my experience at all. After the first year, you know what corners can be cut. I found class to be interesting, did very little work outside of it after the first year, and ended up partying more as a 2L and 3L than I did in college.

As a 3L, during my first semester I had no classes before 2 PM, and during the second semester, I only had classes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

 

[HuskyHawk]

This was not my experience at all. After the first year, you know what corners can be cut. I found class to be interesting, did very little work outside of it after the first year, and ended up partying more as a 2L and 3L than I did in college.

I won't say I did little work outside of class, reading cases alone was hours most days. Or that I partied more than at UConn, but I had a ton of fun and less work than I put in now.

Typical day about 3 hours of classes. Often work in some library time between classes. Some days I'd play tennis in the afternoon, get beers at Free State brewery or relax some other way. Dinner at 5:15 or so, in the library at 6:00, finish at 9:00, head to the bars until 11:30 or so. Next day, do it all over. Finals and big exams are different.

Saturdays I met two friends to create a joint outline at 9:00 AM every single day. No matter how hung over. We did that to lunch, grabbed lunch nearby and often played video games after.

 

[polycom]

Kind of wild how many lawyers are on the yard.

 

[Guapo]

Put your head down, do the work for a couple of years, parlay that into a GC position, and make outhouse lawyers work on the weekends for you.

Partnership does not reduce working hours, but it does increase headaches.

Decidedly not a lawyer, but I do work in a legal adjacent industry and this is the best advice.

Go be in-house council somewhere, get out of the firm rat rice as soon as you can.

 

[UConNation]

Sorry to open this back up with a question that goes in a distinctly different direction, but since it seems like several of you are lawyers, I'm curious what your thoughts are.

By way of a brief synopsis, I went to UConn for my undergrad with the intent of going to law school. I realized pretty early on that while I enjoyed studying law (took a few Constitutional and other law classes), I didn't want to make it a career.

I graduated in 2008 with a respectable 3.8 GPA, went off to flight school for the Army and came back and got into the corporate world. I've done well for myself over the past 9 years+ and am moving up in my field (insurance). I'm at the point now where I want to get an advanced degree, but can only do it part time (I'm a married father of 3, am still in the Reserves and am active in other areas as well). I know I can do a part time or online MBA, but I'd rather set myself apart, at least somewhat, and am considering law school. As I said earlier, I loved the law classes I took during undergrad, and beyond a JD setting me apart from my peers, I think the skills I'd learn would actually be put to practical use.

The question is 2 part - 1) Do any of you think the juice is worth the squeeze to get a JD over an MBA? 2) Is going to law school too difficult to do part time?

 

[Excalibur]

Sorry to open this back up with a question that goes in a distinctly different direction, but since it seems like several of you are lawyers, I'm curious what your thoughts are.

By way of a brief synopsis, I went to UConn for my undergrad with the intent of going to law school. I realized pretty early on that while I enjoyed studying law (took a few Constitutional and other law classes), I didn't want to make it a career.

I graduated in 2008 with a respectable 3.8 GPA, went off to flight school for the Army and came back and got into the corporate world. I've done well for myself over the past 9 years+ and am moving up in my field (insurance). I'm at the point now where I want to get an advanced degree, but can only do it part time (I'm a married father of 3, am still in the Reserves and am active in other areas as well). I know I can do a part time or online MBA, but I'd rather set myself apart, at least somewhat, and am considering law school. As I said earlier, I loved the law classes I took during undergrad, and beyond a JD setting me apart from my peers, I think the skills I'd learn would actually be put to practical use.

The question is 2 part - 1) Do any of you think the juice is worth the squeeze to get a JD over an MBA? 2) Is going to law school too difficult to do part time?

Part time may be possible, and I think that the evening division at UConn can be taken over a period of 4 years vs. 3.

My advice would be to do the MBA instead of the JD. I don't think that a law degree will do much to set you apart from MBA recipients from a qualification standpoint with most companies, even if I personally think that MBAs aren't particularly valuable.

 

[the Q]

Sorry to open this back up with a question that goes in a distinctly different direction, but since it seems like several of you are lawyers, I'm curious what your thoughts are.

By way of a brief synopsis, I went to UConn for my undergrad with the intent of going to law school. I realized pretty early on that while I enjoyed studying law (took a few Constitutional and other law classes), I didn't want to make it a career.

I graduated in 2008 with a respectable 3.8 GPA, went off to flight school for the Army and came back and got into the corporate world. I've done well for myself over the past 9 years+ and am moving up in my field (insurance). I'm at the point now where I want to get an advanced degree, but can only do it part time (I'm a married father of 3, am still in the Reserves and am active in other areas as well). I know I can do a part time or online MBA, but I'd rather set myself apart, at least somewhat, and am considering law school. As I said earlier, I loved the law classes I took during undergrad, and beyond a JD setting me apart from my peers, I think the skills I'd learn would actually be put to practical use.

The question is 2 part - 1) Do any of you think the juice is worth the squeeze to get a JD over an MBA? 2) Is going to law school too difficult to do part time?

I would not recommend law school to anyone who isn’t dead set on being an attorney.

How would the law degree help you in your field? Because it’s a very expensive gamble.

 

[8893]

The question is 2 part - 1) Do any of you think the juice is worth the squeeze to get a JD over an MBA? 2) Is going to law school too difficult to do part time?

1. If you don't plan to practice law, no.
2. No.

 

[District-Husky]

Register for a Bar Review Course (like BarBri or whatever its called) now. Get the BarBri books and read them. Those books will actually teach you everything you need to know about the law - whether its Torts or Contracts or Property. Then, when you're in class and forced to read century old inane and archaic cases, you'll already know what the law really is so you won't waste time trying to decipher nonsense.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Decidedly not a lawyer, but I do work in a legal adjacent industry and this is the best advice.

Go be in-house council somewhere, get out of the firm rat rice as soon as you can.

That's what I did. I lasted 3 years in-house and bailed. That was almost 23 years ago.

 

[Chuck]

Sorry to open this back up with a question that goes in a distinctly different direction, but since it seems like several of you are lawyers, I'm curious what your thoughts are.

By way of a brief synopsis, I went to UConn for my undergrad with the intent of going to law school. I realized pretty early on that while I enjoyed studying law (took a few Constitutional and other law classes), I didn't want to make it a career.

I graduated in 2008 with a respectable 3.8 GPA, went off to flight school for the Army and came back and got into the corporate world. I've done well for myself over the past 9 years+ and am moving up in my field (insurance). I'm at the point now where I want to get an advanced degree, but can only do it part time (I'm a married father of 3, am still in the Reserves and am active in other areas as well). I know I can do a part time or online MBA, but I'd rather set myself apart, at least somewhat, and am considering law school. As I said earlier, I loved the law classes I took during undergrad, and beyond a JD setting me apart from my peers, I think the skills I'd learn would actually be put to practical use.

The question is 2 part - 1) Do any of you think the juice is worth the squeeze to get a JD over an MBA? 2) Is going to law school too difficult to do part time?

I agree with the initial responses to your questions. Law school is more expensive (wallet and life) than an MBA due to the extra class requirements. You're looking at 4 years for law school at night. In addition, from what I saw with a couple friends that were getting their MBAs when I was getting my JD, the MBA night programs are often easier. Because many companies only pay for B's, I saw my roommate get a few easy B's. Night law school can be easier than day, but only because there is often a curve and you get people that don't study as hard (because they have lives). So it's hard to say it's a better move just based on that. I can see some advantages in the actual education, however. It is a different way of thinking and you may already have the business sense that an MBA would help with. My most successful law school friend was a manager at a Big 5 (at the time) accounting firm. He went to a law firm for a few years and then has been CFO/CEO of a few big companies since. He would not have gotten there with just an MBA.

Throwing out a couple other things to consider: i) does your company pay for an MBA and/or JD? ii) do you want to stay at your current company? Remember that if they pay, you will probably have to stick around for a while (or pay them back). iii) Is the degree to get you your next job, or for your general resume and skills (I'd assume that an on-line MBA means you are looking more for the latter)? My law school's night students got access to on campus recruiting while my roommate getting his MBA at night was not allowed to participate in his school's recruiting.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Part time may be possible, and I think that the evening division at UConn can be taken over a period of 4 years vs. 3.

My advice would be to do the MBA instead of the JD. I don't think that a law degree will do much to set you apart from MBA recipients from a qualification standpoint with most companies, even if I personally think that MBAs aren't particularly valuable.

I'd agree with this. Lots of part time Suffolk U attorneys too. I've worked with a few. But it is expensive.

The only caveat is if you are in a niche business field that intersects with legal. Mergers and acquisitions for example. Some highly regulated business areas could be others.

That said, I actually think a JD is a better business degree for an undergrad business major (I was finance) than an MBA is. Legal issues permeate every aspect of business. An MBA is most valuable to non business majors, and if @UConNation was a non business major the decision is clearly the MBA route.

 

[8893]

Register for a Bar Review Course (like BarBri or whatever its called) now. Get the BarBri books and read them. Those books will actually teach you everything you need to know about the law - whether its Torts or Contracts or Property. Then, when you're in class and forced to read century old inane and archaic cases, you'll already know what the law really is so you won't waste time trying to decipher nonsense.

I disagree with this. I recommend avoiding all secondary sources in your first year. The point is to learn how to think like a lawyer, not to memorize the law.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I disagree with this. I recommend avoiding all secondary sources in your first year. The point is to learn how to think like a lawyer, not to memorize the law.

That was what we heard the first day of law school at the orientation session. "Some of you got great grades in high school and college by memorizing things and regurgitating it effectively in exams, that skill won't be useful to you here". Several people had horrified expressions. I loved it because I could never remember useless crap.

 

[BlueDogs]

Unfortunately, a once great profession has turned into a dime a dozen circus. It’s dramatically changed.

 

[CTBballfan243]

The worst thing about going to law school is that you have to be lawyer when you graduate.

 

[jjhoops54]

Congrats on the acceptance.

I found law school to not be very difficult once you got used to work load. My favorite part was first year was getting out of class by 11am Friday and having a drinking lunch with guys I went to school with.

I mostly found it to be boring and was ready to go to work after my second year.

That being said I am now a Special Victim's Prosecutor in upstate NY and love going to work everyday even on the weekends when I end up at the office. Law school let me get the career which is why I appreciate it. I have a lot of buddies who make way more than I do but don't like the work. 75 hour weeks are rough if you don't like it, so whatever law niche you go into if it's just for cash you will burn out on the hours.

Bar exam is also easy but the most annoying 8 weeks of studying in your life.

 

[the Q]

This was not my experience at all. After the first year, you know what corners can be cut. I found class to be interesting, did very little work outside of it after the first year, and ended up partying more as a 2L and 3L than I did in college.

Law review took up a lot of time 2Lyear. A lot of time.

I didn’t get a lot of easy classes so I wrote my papers for credit over the summers.

But yeah, I found enough hacks to have fun as well. Law school is a fun intellectual exercise, especially with teachers who are willing to take some challenge and push back. But year 1 will be as brutal as everyone says it is. There’s no way to prepare for it, you just need to experience it.

 

[Excalibur]

Law review took up a lot of time 2Lyear. A lot of time.

I didn’t get a lot of easy classes so I wrote my papers for credit over the summers.

But yeah, I found enough hacks to have fun as well. Law school is a fun intellectual exercise, especially with teachers who are willing to take some challenge and push back. But year 1 will be as brutal as everyone says it is. There’s no way to prepare for it, you just need to experience it.

Journals are a time suck, but there was a social aspect to that as well. I didn't find it as taxing as you did.

The busiest time for me was probably 1L winter intersession (Moot Court). That was a ton of work crammed into a very short period of time.

It's possible that for me, the transformation in thinking from undergrad to law school just came easily, so I didn't find exams to be difficult. (I know, a not-so-humble brag).