Epic Fail: Law School Disaster

Prestige Whoring | Law School Maths

2012-03-08T05:18:00.002-08:00

If you are going to law school or are thinking about going to law school, you have probably heard the term "prestige whore". While I do not particularly care for the term, it is a reality of the legal world, and you had better get used to it.

Lawyers and law students are generally obsessive about prestige. One look at top-law-schools will tell you that from 0L, students are riled up over where they are going to be going, how much they plan on making, and how much better their school makes them than their competitors. Law school applicants go crazy over LSAT scores, undergraduate GPA's, and other 'soft' factors that they use to size each other up. If you get into the T14, T10, T6, or T3, as they are called (and this is just another example of how number-obsessed law students are), you consider yourself 'set for life'.

Then, there are the other T's. The Tier 1 (T), Tier 2 (TT), Tier 3 (TTT), and Teir 4 (TTTT) law schools. As you can imagine, to the new law school applicant, this is really confusing at first. However, in a couple days time, you'll learn it because everyone is talking about it.

First, the Tier 1 is the top 50 law schools. The top 14, 10, 6, 3, 2, 1, etc. are in this list, but are considered in a league of their own by many. The tier 1 schools are considered by many to be quasi-elite (the top 14, etc. are considered by many to be elite, even though that may be changing as job prospects are turning out to be not as AMAZING as the students that go to these schools are realizing). Schools like the mighty Cardozo, University of Washington, UC Berkeley, Boston University, Boston College, UC Hastings, Michigan, etc. are on this list. Everyone coming out of here makes $160,000! Right? Right?

Second comes the Tier 2 (TT) schools. These are the schools ranked 51 to 100. Such schools include St. John's, Brooklyn Law School, University of San Francisco, Seattle University, Lewis & Clark, University of Oregon, among others. Such schools are seen as quasi-quasi-elite (law students always like to put the word 'elite' into everything, as you will notice). These are schools that are considered to be 'up and coming' or 'gaining speed' by their deans. These are the schools that you can still get a fine legal education (whatever that means to you) and not have to feel (too) dirty inside.

Third is the third tier (TTT) schools. Schools like the infamous Drake University, Gonzaga (what's a Gonzaga anyway?) New York Law School, CUNY Law, and a host of others line this classification like the plaque lines your teeth. Basically it's schools that fall out of the top 100 to 150ish (even though they are not ranked in order by US News). As you will be realizing, there are a TON of law schools out there, each pumping out hundreds of graduates every year. Third tier schools are generally considered (or touted) to be quasi-quasi-quasi elite.

Next and last is the quasi-quasi-quasi-quasi elite fourth tier schools -- Cooley, Florida Coastal, Western New England, Golden Gate University, etc. Although they are in the bottom of the barrel of accredited law schools, they are still somewhat elite to their students because they seen as better than unaccredited law schools, they cost a lot (and if something costs a lot it MUST be good, right?), and they are law schools, and just being in law school makes you a wonderful human being! Oh, and these schools are the ones in your e-mail and in your mailbox trying to get you in with fancy pamphlets and smiling faces of intelligent and sexy looking students who are making big money. Who would not want to go?

"Give yourself a pat on the back, you're law students now!"
-Obligatory speech fodder at a convocation/welcome ceremony for lower ranked law schools.

The Law School Transfer Game

If you did not land in the top school (Yale), there's always the idea of transferring. You see, law students want to be the very best (like no one ever was), and the hundreds of thousands of students are all vying to be the top student of their graduation year at Yale. That's the game (with a couple of exceptions). The game of transferring up the ladder has been introduced, and law schools LOVE it! Why? All those scholarships that they give away do not go to transfer students. That means a student that climbs up from Phoenix School of Law to Touro or makes that arduous climb from Florida Coastal to New England Law: Boston will give up any scholarship money they had AND have to pay full price at the new school. The schools see this is a great way to make an extra bit of cash. And thousands of law students want to transfer. Many will give up scholarships at a school ranked 150-200 to go to a school ranked 97th. It's a climb up the elite ladder. Why would you not want to transfer from Cardozo to Fordham, or from Western New England to Seton Hall?

Rutgers to Brooklyn? Beam me up scotty!

After Law School

After you are done with law school, you will be vying for jobs. This is the reason you went in the first place (unless daddy has his own firm, momma's a judge, or you are dying to hang up a shingle). Many will want to get the highest ranked clerkships. Going into the working world, many now realize that the firms have their very own pecking order and are ranked just like law schools! In fact, everything is ranked. Associates, Partner, Of Counsel, Big Kahuna. These are terms you will see in the firm. The numbers game never ends. Bill so many hours. Get so many clients. Where did you work before here? Can you have that intern scrub the door nobs before he leaves?

My goal: to work at a quasi-quasi-quasi-quasi-quasi elite firm. That is, get a real life legal job!

Student Loan Debt | Law School Suicide?

2012-03-05T07:12:00.001-08:00

I have read that suicide in the law profession is one of the highest amongst all professions. I am no lawyer yet, nor do I know if I ever will be one. However, I must say that as of late, the thoughts of suicide have come into my mind. Late at night, lingering in my mind. Consuming my thoughts. Penetrating my psyche.

First, I don't think of myself as a suicide risk. I have played with the idea years ago of ending my life, but now I have things in my life that are too precious to kill myself for. My family, my pets, my friends, my World of Warcraft account with a level 85 Restoration Druid, Warlock, 2 Mages, and a Priest. The Warlock alone probably makes my life worth keeping around, as I have gotten immense pleasure off leveling him. For the Horde!

When I was very young, around 18ish, I once played around in a chat room, depressed out of my mind about a girl that I thought I loved who dumped me. I told the chat room that I would kill myself! Later that night the police came by to check up on me. I told them that I was not going to kill myself. It seems that some woman in that chat room called the cops on me. That's when I realized that it was not good to even talk about suicide. No one in my family ever found out about this dark event.

For the last few nights I have found myself awake late into the night, depressed out of my mind. I have read things on these scam blogs that people in society do not understand. I started college a few years ago hoping that I would one day make a decent living. I thought I would be happy with around $50,000 a year. In fact, coming from a very poor background, that seemed like a huge amount of money to me. As I graduated with a bachelor's degree, I realized I would be happy with $30,000, but the chances of me getting it seemed nil. So, I went on to law school, figuring I could make at least that amount and have a "respectable" career. Now, it turns out, that dream was not really viable. In fact, while I may find a job that pays decently, chances are I won't. It's not a good bet. And not one that should be taken lightly. It's a losers game.

Anyway, late in the night, while staring up at the ceiling, trying to focus my mind on something besides law school I found myself playing with the idea of offing myself. I realized that this was not something I should be thinking about, as I have much to live for, and it made me feel even worse. How could I have gotten to this point? How could I, during 1L, have had so much hope for the future, and now, being a 2L, feel that it's all a waste? It's all dismal. It's not worth it. I feel that I am going to, in the end, only have debt to show for my accomplishments. I feel in the end, all I will be remembered for is that guy in the family who got so much education but had so much debt and never could find a real job. It's a sobering and depressing thought, and perhaps my greatest challenge-greater than the torts final and corporations final, and taxation final will be learning to live with the fact. The fact that I am doomed to failure. The fact that I really had no chance at all.

I made a mistake. And a costly one. One that will surely haunt me for the remainder of my life. Keep this in mind, 0L's, as you begin your education. Think about taking a couple years off, trying to find a decent job, and forgetting about law school until some changes are made. You have all your lives to go to law school. It will be around in a decade. Until then, get some good experience in the real world, and try your hand at paying back that undergraduate debt. Chances are you will realize that you were better off not going to law school. Chances are you will find something more valuable than learning the coveted black letter law. Your time, dear reader, is better spent than learning how to brief a one hundred year old case.

Class of 2015: Hurry Up and Get Those Applications In!

2012-03-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

You will never own property.
You will never own your own home.
You will never pay off your loans.
You will never work at a big firm.
You will never learn how to file a motion.
You will never be able to secure a small business loan.
You will never be able to get a new car.
You will never be able to...

...Welcome to law school.
Apply today: http://www.lsac.org

Your future as an elite member of society begins now. TTTT's are awaiting your applications for the class of 2015. Do not delay: Apply today!

For special post-high school and post-undergraduate advice, please see the nearest baby boomer. They are standing by with great tips on how to MAXIMIZE your EXISTENCE.

Bankruptcy for Student Loan Debt?

2012-02-29T06:31:00.000-08:00

It has been said that bankruptcy should be allowed for student loan debt. When I first heard this, I was not sure what to think. However, as time passed by and I started to think of the situation regarding student loan money being granted to individuals and how this debt plagues some very hardworking people, I started to understand the case for allowing students to declare bankruptcy in order to remove their student loans.

People go to college, generally, to gain the skills to enter the workforce. Some individuals go to college for seven years or more. This is the case with law students. However, due to the current economy, many law students are finding that there are no jobs for them. Yet, what is there for them is six digit student loan debt. Furthermore, many students were sucked into the higher education system as a result of being told all their lives that college was not an option, but a necessity. That in order to be even remotely successful in life, you need a college education.

Sadly, many students are finishing college, expecting to land a good job that allows them to be a productive member of society and reap the rewards for their labor. However, many students will never have home ownership (or will have to defer it) or will not be able to secure credit for their own business. Many will be stuck with a very limited income after college, barely able to pay back these massive loans.

Many people go to college in order to do something better with their lives. The opportunity cost of college is high. One must defer the earning of income in order to attend college. This income could be used to pay for a down payment on a house, to start a new business, or to be invested towards retirement. The person who does not choose college will not have to worry about student loan debt. The person who goes to college feels that he or she is making a responsible choice. A choice that will benefit them and their family in the years to come. However, upon graduating, many students are inundated with student loan debt (some also have credit card and other debt, which I will ignore here). This debt is often crippling. The student can try to enter the workforce with their college degree, but often they will realize that the jobs are just not there. Therefore, the graduate schools make their siren calls, offering the life of glitz and glamor. Come continue your education, and reap even greater rewards than your peers. Young men and women fall for this. Our parents, teachers, and the rest of society tells us that this is the right choice. More school is always good. The more education you have the better off you will be. However, the reality is, if you can not find work, you will only be in more debt.

Six figure debt is said to be life crippling. Many people have years of depression ahead of them when they realize that the rest of their youth will be spent trying to pay off this debt instead of doing the things, such as starting a family, buying a home, starting a business, etc. etc. that their less educated friends are able to do. They were told to go to college, that it was the responsible thing to do, and in the end their reward is a life of desolation. And they are told, unlike their less educated counterparts, that they can not discharge that debt. They are told that, even though they worked for years on getting a degree, that the debt is there to haunt them for the rest of their life.

Some individuals are unable to pay such debt, and are saddled with extra payments. Payments that spiral out of control due to compound interest. Other individuals flee from the United States, feeling that the only way to escape the debt is to leave their homeland behind. They become known as the student loan debt pariahs.

One reason that this debt has got out of control is that student loan amounts have grown like crazy. A person should not be allowed to take out over $200,000 in loans for higher education. In fact, an individual should not be allowed to take out over $100,000 in loans. Why? Because when the loan rates are increased, the tuition increases in step with it. In fact, college tuition has risen faster than the cost of medical care, yet which of the two gets the most media attention? Most of the college students I have spoken to have no idea how fast college tuition increases!

The higher education system is one of the biggest businesses in the United States. It is truly a business in every sense of the world. Ride the New York subway system and see the trains plastered with ads from schools you have never even heard of. Watch television and see advertisements from multitudes of schools. Drive around the country and see billboards advertising colleges. Anyone can join now, thanks to the ease of student loan debt. If student loan debt was capped, the schools would be forced to reduce their tuition. Society now thinks that education is a right for all, and people would be angry at the idea that their kids could not go to college, so schools would be forced to reduce their tuition in order to allow everyone to go to college. To have to pay $40-50,000 for a year of education is ludicrous. As I said in a previous post, one could go from New York or Los Angeles to Cancun or another tropical locale for the same price as a week of class at some schools. It truly is out of control.

Well meaning parents tell their children that they have to go to college. They give up much time that they could be earning money in order to learn to be a better member of society. They are told what they are doing is great. Their families celebrate their choice. They endure 4-7 years of higher education, and then, as a result, are not able to partake in the joys of humanity. There is something wrong with this picture. I say let there be some kind of bankruptcy protection for student loans. Maybe after five years. If a person is unable to find work, why should they be a slave to debt for the remainder of their life? Why should a well meaning individual not be able to partake in the ability to own a home or start a business?

I say this, because I imagine I will never own a home or property. At one time I thought I would, but now I realize that the course I have chosen will be to my detriment. I don't know if I would file for bankruptcy if given the choice, I have come to terms with the reality of the situation and use this blog to warn others and to express myself. While there is a stigma with filing for bankruptcy, there are some cases in which bankruptcy for student loans is necessary. Why should the college graduate who worked hard for almost a decade be told that he can not file for bankruptcy, when the higher education system is to blame for the insane and out of control prices of college and graduate school?

Law School: Destroyer of Creativity?

2012-02-28T15:58:00.003-08:00

One reason I started this blog was to express my creative side. I have read that law school destroys a person's creativity, and I found that mine was being sucked out of me as well. Generally, there is no time to partake in the artistic aspects of life, and much time instead being devoted to reading and understanding and even memorizing cases. So I took it upon myself to create this blog with writings, stories and now my very own illustrations. This one I drew today while in my Corporate Finance class. I took my notes in the corner, which is the blackboard. That way I was still doing some 'learning'. Let me know what you think.

Law School: The Best Remaining 3 Years of Our Lives.

2012-02-27T15:22:00.001-08:00

Today I was thinking that law school may be the best three years we have left. The days are sometimes long and painfully boring. There is much worry regarding finding a job or not finding a job. And, some of us are so devoted to school that we have no lives outside of the walls of higher learning. However, what lurks in the future makes for a sobering reality. Law school may be some of the best days we have left.

What comes after graduation? Depression over not finding a job? Desperately faxing hundreds, perhaps thousands, of resumes to employers who snort upon opening them, discarding them in the trash in a frenzy? Explaining to family that law school doesn't equal success. Explaining to non-legal employers that our law degree was merely a setback? Explaining to the pastor that the reason I cussed during church was because that job I interviewed for three weeks ago was a no go? Explaining to the dog that I can not afford to feed him, so he is going to have to go get his own dinner outside tonight? Explaining to the roaches in the apartment that I can't afford to kill them? Explaining to a would be girlfriend that I can't afford to take her out on a dinner date, but the food stamps that my career services office helped me procure afforded me some very delicious T.V. Dinners. Explaining to the bus driver that I will swipe my bus pass twice after getting the job in which I am going to interview for to make up for not having a valid one this time. You get the point...

Another thing to keep in mind is that there's no summer vacation or spring break (which is coming up next week) in the real world. A law student is wise to cherish every moment of that spring break (some actually study during it), as it will be one of the last large breaks one will have for a while (other than the unemployment break, but unlike spring break, we don't really look forward to that one).

Today I heard laughter coming from the table behind me and I wondered what could make the person seem so jolly. Was it that she got a job offer from a big firm? Was her law review article published the closest to the front of the Journal of International Law? Did her boyfriend buy her a brand new puppy? Laughter, while common now, will grow to be less common as the years progress. Laughter, to a graduated lawer, is something that begins to die out, go extinct, and even outlawed. They say after taking the bar exam, all laughter is cut in half. After finding your first job, it is hard to even smile.

In one of my classes today we were asked about the time value of money. The professor asked how much we would value $100 in a year from now. One person said $106, another said $110, and another said $200. The professor asked the student who said $200 how much he would view $100 in three years from now. The student said $250. The professor said, "why not $300?" The student said, "I am a 2L and next year I will be a 3L, and I will have a job so the delay in getting the money will not matter to me as I will be making a lot of money." Enjoy it while it lasts.

A Trip to the Psychiatrist: Session I

2012-02-25T16:32:00.000-08:00

It's so expensive these days to afford a psychiatrist or counselor, especially when riding over $100,000 of student loan debt. So I thought I would be my own counselor, as it's not too hard to figure out what they would ask you, and the answers are all up to me anyway. So I am going to write about my feelings and thoughts here, as if I was talking to a real psychiatrist.

---

Psychiatrist: How are you today?

Me: I’m having a more ‘positive’ day. There was no law school classes today, spring break is around the corner, and afterward it’s all downhill on the way towards summer. Well, I still have to find a summer job, and I am going back home for the first time since starting law school, and frankly, I’m a bit nervous about that.

Psychiatrist: I see. What makes you nervous about going back home?

Me: Well, my parents think I am going to be a rich lawyer, but not all lawyers are wealthy. Many are actually deep in, as a fellow scamblogger would say, NON-DISCHARGEABLE student loan debt. They seem to have watched a butt ton of Perry Mason and similar shows and have based reality around television.

Psychiatrist: That sounds like psychiatrists. I am very lucky to have this job.

Me: Well, you only have a job inside of my mind. Furthermore, what really irks me about it is that my parents are divorced and live in opposite sides of the state, so when I go back I have to explain the law thing twice and they may think I don’t know what I’m talking about.

Psychiatrist: How does that make you feel?

Me: Not too good. I try to not think about it, as I won’t be going back until May, so I have time to get myself prepared for it. And finals. And find a summer job. And figure out what to do after graduating.

Psychiatrist: Do all law students feel this way?

Me: No, not at all. Some are excited to be there. In 1L law students are like children, playing with color highlighters and trying to appear smarter than their peers. They are all fighting for the top grades and play a game of seeing who can talk the most in class. In 2L the students realize that they are in deep now and the color highlighters are not as appealing. In fact, by that time they are sick of carrying the books and say ‘screw the highlighters’, highlighting instead in pen or not reading much at all. I don’t know much about 3L, but I would imagine it has something to do with those suicide cards I keep seeing around my law school.

Psychiatrist: Whoa, back up. Suicide cards?

Me: Yeah, there’s these little cards around in envelopes about the signs of suicide. I have not heard of anyone in my class doing it, but it’s obviously a concern. I think I put one of those cards in my wallet actually. You know, to have a jump on 3L.

Psychiatrist: Earlier you said you were having a more ‘positive’ day today. Tell me, what is a more ‘negative’ day like?

Me: Well, I skip class, figuring ‘what’s the point?’ Then a few hours later, when I realize class was going, I feel like an idiot. I wonder what I am missing, if something I missed will be on the test. I think of how much I am paying per class, it’s a few hundred dollars probably. I mean, if I paid for a plane ticket to Cancun, which is about what a day of law school costs, would I just skip it? I think not.

Psychiatrist: I can see why you would be upset. Anything else?

Me: Well, on those days I find myself looking at the job sites, wondering if I could find a job outside of the law. I sometimes send a few e-mails out and maybe a resume or two, but then I ask myself if I would skip class to go to an interview, and what would I say? Would I say I am in law school? Would I say I am dropping out or plan on dropping out? What would I say I did for the last couple years if I didn’t say I was in law school? I then feel like I really should have went to class.

Psychiatrist: When was the last time you missed a class?

Me: Over a week ago.

Psychiatrist: How does that make you feel?

Me: A bit better. In a way. I still wonder what the point is, sometimes. I just sit there in some of my classes and wonder what the point to all this stuff is. I mean, sometimes I read the books and there is this long case. I read it and try to understand it. I try to go through it slow, taking in the law like a man takes in a good looking woman. I mingle the thoughts around in my mind, feeling real good because I am learning stuff and I feel I can use this information on the next exam. Then I write all that stuff down in my notebook, all the rules and stuff. Then, I read on and at the end of the case, in the notes, it says the case was overturned. I wonder why the hell I had to read that long case if it was just overturned in the end. Furthermore, the book doesn’t say why exactly the case was overturned, so I am thinking ‘what the hell is the point of all this stupid theory?’ I want to learn how to file a lawsuit, and I don’t mean civil procedure cases. I want to learn how to physically do a case.

Psychiatrist: I can imagine so. Maybe one day the law schools will learn that they need to teach you all more hands on. Kind of like how a dentist learns dentistry or a brain surgeon learns surgery.

Me: That would be nice. But then I wonder, why not now? What am I paying for?

Psychiatrist: Well, maybe you could be a professor and teach that same kind of theory. Maybe you learn the good stuff when you go for an LLM?

Me: That’s just another big scam. It’s another two years of the same theory. If you want to learn the real law you have to get a job, but those are scarce.

Psychiatrist: You are in a world of hurt. Why did you go to law school again?

Me: I figured it would supplement my degree nicely and make me a powerhouse in the working world.

Crusaders of Justice

2012-02-24T07:44:00.000-08:00

Can redemption be found within the hallowed halls of law school? Is there solace in learning the great laws that have been passed down from generation to generation? Does the title, esquire, bestow upon thee some magical power? Some higher purpose? Are lawyers truly called to lift the world from chaos and create order?

If a lawyer is truly a crusader of society, and if the ABA wants to continue to further this vision, then one must ask: does law school go along with this ideal?

In order to be a member of the almighty bar association-earning the coveted (and ultra-expensive) title of esquire-one must pass not only a so-called grueling bar exam, but also pass a character and fitness evaluation. The bar association demands that its members be fit in morals and personal character in order to represent clients in the courtrooms of this country.

However, according to the magazine “The National Jurist”, two new law schools are planning on opening soon. The University of North Texas will be opening in 2014, adding another school to the lone star (not lone law school) state. Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne, Indiana will be opening a new “three-story law school building” around August 2013 if things go according to plan. Does the United States need two more law schools within the next two years?

If a baby faced graduate of law school must pass a character and fitness evaluation, shouldn’t the same exacting standards be expected of the law school system? Should there be so many law schools? And if so, should not the incoming class sizes be regulated? Should thousands of people be able to flood the market, making it so that few can find actual legal jobs? I believe that people should have the chance to do what they want with their lives. At the same time, student loan money is easy to get. In fact, it is effortless (almost-I knew someone who did not go to college because he/she did not know how to fill out a FAFSA and refused to learn). Otherwise, one can have access to hundreds of thousands of dollars for school and living expenses. While I think that school should be available to everyone, student loans should be capped and schools should follow suit if they want students. Schools raising tuition every year and loan caps being raised takes advantage of those who are seeking a better life for themselves-the student.

The student is often a young individual who is freshly out in the world. In fact, the first real scam that the student will face in their life may be the tuition scam. The result is a lifetime of huge debt and very few ways to get out of it. Visions of stability and wealth, something that universally almost human being craves, is held out in front of the student. The student pushes forth, towards that vision, in hopes of attaining it, being told, just a couple more years of school, and you'll be done. Just another year at $40,000 and you shall be a self-sufficient and productive member of society. A crusader of justice, who will make your families and communities immensely proud.

Coming up with a solution to the problem is not easy. The ABA could state that law schools should cap their class sizes each year, especially when the economy is in a huge downturn. The ABA could state that the current law school model of learning three years of theory is a broken model that does not do much good for teaching law. If a person is not ready to represent a client on their own after law school, then the system has failed them. Imagine a doctor graduating medical school and did not knowing how to operate on a patient. Imagine a dentist getting out of dental school and not knowing how to do a root canal or a filling after joining a dental office for half a decade? However, that is where law schools are placing their graduates.

Some schools have mentioned creating in house law firms in which their students can learn how to represent a client. Why has that not been implemented from the start? If dental school charged $30-50,000 a year to teach students ‘dental theory’ and said ‘you will learn the real medical stuff through a future job’, people would revolt. Yet us law students as a whole go through the motions, not questioning anything. We are taught to question everything; yet we do not. Why is this? Perhaps it is time for the students to start writing the ABA and telling them that the system needs to be changed. It may not do anything; but the people need to know that we, as a class, need to make our views known. Many are not going to speak out against the system, but some of us should start taking our thoughts directly to them. Perhaps it is time to be a real Crusader of Justice.

Visiting Family for the First Time Since Starting Law School...

2012-02-22T16:08:00.000-08:00

I am now in my second year of law school and this summer I will be going to visit my family. The last time I visited them was before I left for law school. It has been almost a year and a half, and while I have not had to constantly hear questions about being a future lawyer, I have been asked for some legal advice on occasion as well as heard the comments regarding how I am going to be the first in the family to be a lawyer and what not.

I am sure most of you hear something like: "it will be good to have an attorney in the family!" That is, unless there is already one in the family. There is not one in my family. I will be the first. It is truly a thrilling time for the family. A real treat for us all.

Back when I started this blog, I wrote a post called Don't Drop Out! in which I said that I mentioned to my family that I was considering quitting law school. After a while of not commenting on this topic, it sort of died off. I have not heard as much about law school since then, however, I am kind of dreading going back to where I grew up and being bombarded with questions about the law and my future legal career. I have in the past been asked countless times by people what my concentration is going to be.

What kind of lawyer are you going to be?Me: My goal is to be the employed kind.

What kind though? Don't you get a choice, like ambulance chaser or litigator?
Me: I... Maybe that one.

Seriously, though. I am dreading the trip back. What ever happened to the golden days of college where one went back home during a break in their studies and felt good about what they were doing. You know, the first in the family, telling everyone about the joys of college. About how we were learning so much. About how we were excited to start work. All I can think about is how scary it is going to be in a year and a half. About how everyone expects me to find a good job, and how I don't even know if I will be able to find one at all.

Perhaps those 'golden days of college' are a myth. Or maybe it's reserved for those Harvard and Stanford types. Not us second, third and fourth tier law students. But most parents don't know the difference. I tried to explain it once to someone, but they just shrugged and pretty much said 'a law degree is a law degree'. I remember at the orientation how someone who was talking about the joys of law school said:

"Don't worry too much about your class rank. Even if you are dead last you'll still be called Esquire."

While that is true, is the title worth the money spent? It's more of an honorary title if anything. And, you still have to pass the bar in order to get it. If you are dead last that might be a problem. Of course the law schools don't tell you that.

I have a feeling that the remark above encompass much of what my family thinks of law school. It doesn't matter how well you do as long as you graduate, and if you do, you're set for life. No matter what many of us tell our families, it is not believed. And when we can't find jobs, and we try to say, "I told you so," they see us as the failure. Or maybe they see it as bad luck. After all, those lawyers on TV have jobs, and there are law offices everywhere! How can there not be enough jobs?!

I can't help but wonder how many other people have gone through or are going through a similar situation. I am sure I am not in the minority.

Law School "Success" Stories!

2012-02-21T16:04:00.000-08:00

This may be "the firm" that the lucky graduate found work at.

Tomorrow my school will be hosting a law school success session in which students from previous years class will come in and tell about how they found government, private, and firm jobs. Well, it said "a firm job" which tells me that the graduating class of 2012 had one student who found a job in a law firm! This is unprecedented and will make for some interesting discussion. If hearing how a few students made it after law school is not enticing enough, they will be serving pizza. Everyone is encouraged to attend!!!

"Get the inside perspective on finding a post graduate job from a panel of recent graduates. Hear about their paths to success, including the steps they took throughout law school to position themselves for permanent and fulfilling post-graduate employment. Our panelists will include graduates who landed positions in-house, in government and at a firm. All classes are encouraged to attend.

Pizza will be served."

I don't know if I will attend this. I already know that some students are able to find jobs after law school. The fact that the school is encouraging us all to attend makes the situation seem all the more dire. It's as if the school is saying "it's bad out there. It's real bad. But there is some hope."

However, I honestly doubt that the law school will state that some of these individuals are connected. That they were very likely on law review and/or moot court. They could have graduated 20 years ago for all I know! Furthermore, I expect a big banner stating a disclaimer that their results in no way guarantee similar results (even though we all know that-right?). To be honest, I think that this is probably a method in which to make us feel better about paying very expensive tuition and shut us up for a couple of weeks. However, I am reminded how bleak the legal economy is every single day in almost every class. I hear the professors speak of how good they have it and I can only nod. Yes, they do have it good. Real good.

I have a feeling that most people are going to go to this thing and hear a handful of success stories and walk out feeling like a million bucks. They are going to go to the nearest bar, get drunk, miss class the next day with a nasty hangover, sit in bed and smile because they heard some good news. They may go to TLS (2012 award winner for worst web-forum) and tell the world that they are going to be big firm lawyers because ONE person showed up at the panel who worked in a firm. And if that doesn't happen, he/she will find solace, because another panelist got into government.

No, the panel will not mention that the government worker was the son of a judge, nor will it mention that the person in the firm was the daughter of a partner who figured that a top 100 school was good enough for her to work in the family firm. It will not mention that all the unconnected people were probably in the top 10% of their class. The connected individuals will likely say that they were in the bottom half or something to get the people really excited.

In the end, it should be a good way to advertise to those who are already paying tuition.

Should You Skip Law School Class?

2012-02-17T11:40:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I find myself becoming depressed about law school and figuring "what's the point?" The jobs are barely existent, the economy is in shambles, and law school testing falls short of actually gauging a person's skill in legal knowledge (more on this in a future post). Last semester I found myself missing a lot of classes, and I noticed my grades took a dive because of it. Thus I realized, even though law school can be hell at times, I should not skip class.

Back when I used to go to top-law-schools.com I read divided posts saying either, do not skip class, or don't worry about going to class. You can pass if you don't go to any class and study the book. While that is true, you can pass, I think going to class and at least listening to the professor's long winded rants count for something in terms of grades. I am not saying that listening to the professor's talk is worthwhile for anything else, but, hearing what they lecture on will give you an edge on finding out what you should be focusing on when it comes to reading.

Let's face it, by 2L year nobody really wants to go to class. Anything else sounds funner. Well, almost anything else (scrubbing walls for experience in a legal internship is not as fun as listening to a professor's antiquated jokes). Law school is in many ways like a prison, and as I have signed up for my sentence by choice, I should be willing to do my time, lest I drop out. Paying money to not go to class doesn't hurt the schools at all. Sure, if you don't get a job it might hurt them, that is, only if you would have gotten a job the other way around. There are chances you won't get a legal job of any kind whether or not you skip class, but skipping class only hurts your grade, and makes you feel like more of a douche during the end. And let me say, when it comes to law school and looking back on your experience, one of the most important things is minimizing that feeling like a douche.

By your second year, most of your highlighters have dried up and you have no motivation to buy more. The classes don't seem as important. The big theory courses have already been taught to you, and the competition has simmered down some. Many people are in a state of absolute depression because they are now fully aware of their job prospects. They have their first year grades, which has set the tone of where they expect to place when it comes time to graduation. Many say that these first year grades are the most important, and I will say that I agree. It is very hard to reestablish your GPA when 1/3rd of your grades are set, and it's very hard to do that first OCI unless you invent a time machine. And if you can do that, you may be like me and wish you could travel further back and do something else with your life.

This is not my first post about skipping class, and for some reason, that post is quite popular. In fact, many people search "law school skipping class" or "skipping class 2L" on Google and reach my blog. But, like I said, skipping class may hurt only you and not the law school. Also, once you miss a few classes, it's too easy to not go back, or to be scared to go back. I fell victim of being scared that the professor would say "you've missed way too many courses," or that when I reappeared my cohorts would think "where has this loser been?" Perhaps that would have happened, but it looks a lot better than a C or worse on your transcript (depending on where your school grades).

The Law School industry, in my view, is quite broken. However, there is no reason to make your life there a bigger hell than it already is. You might as well at least try to make it to class, lest you're sure of dropping out.

Unless, of course, enough students would be willing to 'walk out' and show the system that they need to change. In fact, a law school walkout is something worth talking about in a future post as well...

Law School Career "Services"

2012-02-15T14:49:00.000-08:00

I walked into the career services office at my law school on a Thursday evening. I had set the appointment a couple of days ago, and was excited to see what I would find out regarding job opportunities in my area. I knew I was late in the search, in fact, my spring semester was already half way over, and soon I would no longer be a 1L. I was late in the game, but I was still in it-barely. The office seemed decent enough, with shelves of books on how to be a successful interviewee, JAG brochures, pamphlets about the wonderful programs that my school was offering. But one thing that the room lacked was living breathing human beings. Where had they all went?

I stood in the empty room, looking around. Perhaps I am too early, I thought to myself. My appointment was not for another 5-7 minutes so I figured I would look around. Maybe read some of those interview strategies. I had seen them hundreds of times, but it was worth taking another look. I grabbed a few different pamphlets, such as a resume building guide, and decided to keep them for later, to read on the bus home. I sat down on the chair. Comfortable, I waited and waited, not hearing a peep. They must be so busy helping the other students find great summer jobs!

As I surveyed the room, I heard a voice coming towards me. It was a lady. "Do you have an appointment," she asked. She seemed friendly. "Yes," I said, standing up. "He will be with you shortly," she said, confirming my name. I sat back down. He's probably opening my resume right now and going over what I need to change.

After waiting another few minutes and thinking about what to say when I was summoned forth. A jolly young man, perhaps my age (late 20's to early 30's) called me in. He wore a big silly grin, as if he was excited for something. Perhaps to help a student in need of a job? I walked in the office. "Have a seat," he said. "Why are you here?" I am here out of desperation, I need some legal experience, because learning theory alone won't land me a job!

"I am looking for a summer internship and have not had much luck," I said.
"I see," he said, looking at his computer. Youtube was open, in the middle of a video. He moved the window aside, opening up the resume I had sent him a couple days ago.

"Are you going to the auction tonight?" he asked, trying to start conversation.
"No, probably not," I said, having no interest in spending more money on the school than I already was.
"It is going to be great," he said, trying to get me interested. I nodded, waiting for him to get to my resume. It's right there guy, go ahead, tell me what I need to know, oh career counselor!

He was silent for a moment, not knowing what to say. He then started to read it back to me. "You went to school at..." he said.
"Yeah," I replied.
He continued to go down the list, changing some of the fonts and indents, but nothing substantial. He then continued with the small talk. Darn it! I liked that helvetica font!

"So, what kind of music do you like?"
"Pretty much anything."
He noticed my last name, and commented that I had a name similar to a band he liked.
"No, I have not listened to him," I said, when asked about the band.
"You should," he said, ignoring the resume. Maybe he has a job opportunity for me working with that band? Perhaps they are suing those kids who steal music on the internet! I could do that!

"So, I am interested in a summer internship," I said. "I have checked Simplicity and have applied for a few, but thought I should have my resume and cover letter looked over beforehand."

"Yeah?" he said, looking at his watch. I had probably been in the room now for a total of six minutes. Maybe 7, being generous.

"Symplicity is good," he said. "A lot of good stuff on there." I began to wonder if this man was interested in the task of his job, being a career counselor, or if he was more concerned with making small talk. I need to learn your ways, oh counselor. Help me gain the knowledge that you are paid the big bucks to know!

"Do you watch youtube?" He asked. I could not believe it. "Sometimes. Do you know of any other good sites for finding jobs?"

"Symplicity is the best. Check out this video." He began playing the video he had paused from earlier, and then paused it again shortly after, as he noticed I was not really into it.

"Well, let me know if you need any more help," he finally said, standing up.
"I was wondering about job searching strategies, if my resume is fine..."
"Go ahead and go over your resume and resend it to me," he said, leading me towards the door. "So you're not going to go to the auction tonight?" F**k your auction!

I was stunned. What the hell had I set this appointment for? What was the point of this man's job? To sit and watch YouTube? I mean, seriously, I am paying this man's salary. I was pissed. I did not need to waste my time in having someone change the font on my resume and telling me to go over it. I did go over it, and I was not given any advice regarding what to change. Is this seriously how a career services office works?

I now left, realizing that the job search was 100% in my hands. I knew that the career services office would not hand me a job, nor did I expect them to. However, I figured a little guidance would be nice. My lesson that night was that the legal job search was my task now, and pretty much my task only. I stepped out of there, stunned. What was the point in that? I walked off.

I wonder if he won anything at the auction that night. He seemed to be excited about it. As one of that school's top students at the time, I would have thought the school would have had some interest in seeing that I was employed. But the interest instead was in the monetary gain that I was providing for the school. I say again, f**k your auction!

The Learned Hand Test

2012-02-14T08:24:00.000-08:00

The Judge Hand Test, also known as the Learned Hand Test takes into account of cost-benefit efficiency as a decision rule. The rule focuses on the question of whether something is worth doing from a legal standpoint.

The Judge Hand Test is used a lot in Torts cases, such as (insert case here, as I don't remember their names). The Hand Test looks like this.

B < P x L
B = Burden (the cost of taking care)
P = Probability of Loss
L = Cost of Loss

Could one use the test to see if law schools were negligent in their business practices? How about if students did not take due care in enrolling in law school? Were the schools negligent in their advertising methods, which are sometimes said to be 'shady' at best?

The burden of a law school in being truthful in advertising their numbers would be the lost revenue in less people enrolling. There is no doubt that some students enroll in a certain law school at least partly because of the brochures which tout high incomes. During periods of high unemployment and economic stagnation, law school enrollments (and graduate school enrollment in general) rises. The burden of a law school in being forthright on employment data, pointing out that results are not typical, that all students are not accounted for, that 'other' means possibly working at Starbucks, McDonalds, or Pizza Hut, or that those who went back to graduate school could not find legal jobs, would be minimal. Of course, the law schools would miss out on some money, and the demand would not as greatly outweigh the supply, therefore driving prices downward somewhat.

Next we look at P, the probability of loss. The student has a decent probability of not finding a job after law school. The student enrolled with the idea that they would be hired shortly after graduating (within 9 months at least) and make the average salary (somewhere around $70, but anywhere as high as $160,000). However, looking at current employment trends, which law schools do not point out, the probability of finding such a job is very low. Therefore, the probability of the student entering law school and losing tuition and loan interest is quite high. Oftentimes people move cross country (ever hear of the Cooley migration? -- It's a beautiful sight that is often seen in Michigan three times a year, in which vehicles with a myriad of license plates arrive at the Cooley Campus. It's been likened to the Monarch Butterfly migration, but is not as pretty). That is one of the costs of law school. Another one may be the higher cost of living in a new area, such as for students attending New York Law School because their hometown school would not take them (or did not promise them as high of a return). Looking at the probability of loss, the student is likely to lose a great deal of money on this risky venture. In fact, the student may find a job that didn't even require law school in the first place. Hell, the student might not even put the JD on their resume and find a job!

The L, cost of loss, is extremely high. At some schools, with tuition above $40,000, multiplied by three, the cost of loss for a student without scholarships (going at cost) will be around $120,000. While many say this is foolish, the student probably figured that as a result of the information they read, regarding incomes up to $160,000, $120,000 can be paid easily in 2 years. However, the student generally finds out within the first six or so months that their school isn't as prestigious as they imagined, and that the law school world is a brutal world with competition for unpaid internships where one scrubs a wall for experience is ultra-high. And summer jobs that pay above $15 an hour are coveted. Especially for a first year student. The reality is, the cost of loss for the student is ultra high.

The Burden (B) of the law school to change their marketing strategies is INSANELY lower than the the P (probability of loss) times L (cost of loss). In fact, in a court setting using the Learned Hand methodology, the schools would be destroyed by this negligence standard. If nothing else, this gives one something to think about as they make their way through those hallowed halls of law school, on the way to a Torts class, on a day when they could be doing something more profitable, such as a singing for tips on the subway.

How much is too much?

2012-02-12T12:20:00.000-08:00

Recently, thanks to Nando of http://thirdtierreality.blogspot.com/, I was pointed to an article in the New York Times, CUNY Leader's Salary Outpaces Faculty. I was stunned to see that the salary of this individual is now over $600,000 a year, which includes a $90,000 a year (think: $7,500 a month) housing allowance. That's right, $7,500 a month for housing ON top of a massiave wage. And some people still claim that the education system is not experiencing a bubble? Do people honestly expect that this system will never collapse?

"He has also received a series of raises that have nearly doubled his base salary. His total compensation package, which includes a $90,000 housing allowance, is now just over $600,000. Last fall he was granted a 9 percent salary increase, at a time when some other college presidents had chosen to turn down raises out of support for campuses pinched by the economic downturn." -The New York Times

Who Is Paying the Price?

It is the student that pays the price for college, both at the beginning, through tuition, and at the end, through the lack of jobs and oversaturation of graduates in the market. The supply of degrees grossly outpaces the demand for those who hold degrees, and thus, hundreds of thousands of people are suffering. Student loan debt is through the ceiling, yet this is barely addressed, as many people still falsely believe that college is a golden ticket. Even today's youth seem enamored that they are part of the 'college crowd'. Images of big money dances around in their heads.

For example, on social networking sites, such as Facebook, students share their grades and the pride for the education that they are receiving. Their parents and grandparents, some of which never went to college and who saw the friends of theirs who went to college make it big, tell them that their lives will be wonderful because of it. Fat cat deans and administrators smile at this, laughing amongst themselves at those who blindly take out loans for tens of thousands of dollars, or those who use their parents life savings to attend college.

Ripped Off at the Community College...

I was always told that taking two years at a community college before transferring to a university was a good idea. At one time this was, but now even a community college is not cheap. While a few exist that have low rates, many charge almost $1,000 a class, and once you add room and board, a semester comes out to quite a sum. Of course, this is less than the big private universities, charging outrageous sums that increase yearly for no rhyme or reason. However, gone are the days where a community college education followed by 2 years at a university were a good value.

In Awe...

There are thousands of children dreaming of going to college. Their parents will continually tell them to to go school. They will be laughed at by their college going friends if they consider any other option. The idea of taking over father's lawn mowing company or the family painting company is mocked and ridiculed. Why learn a trade when I can be a lawyer? Why learn plumbing if I can learn physchology? Such ways of thinking are condoned, and even celebrated. Parents smile at the idea of their kids going to school. "If you won't take over father's store, then you had better at least go to college."

And these children are taught that all that matters is that degree. Some are taught that internships and networking will help, and it does help, but it does not guarantee success.

I can not help but wonder what the deans of these schools tell their kids when it comes time for them to make the college decision. I would imagine some are whisked away to schools like Harvard, where a degree still has power. Others may be set for life, living off of father's investment income, or playing Marco Polo in the pool on the family yacht.

What Should I do Then?

You, dear reader, should not stand for this kind of thing. You can make an informed choice when it comes to your education. You need to make yourself aware that the traditional college method is NOT the only way through life. There are many people who do not go to college and who are successful. If you put 4-8 years of your life and money towards starting a business instead of going to college, you would have a much better investment. Consider learning a trade, or entering a program that does not ask for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Consider taking over a family business or working with someone in the family if there is such an indvidual. If you do decide to learn a trade don't get ripped off by paying excessive amounts. Many schools are taking advantage of this bubble by popping up and taking your money. One person I know goes to massage school and has to take psychology classes to learn massage. This may be a sign of a rip off.

As a consumer on the verge of paying excessive sums to work for those who you paid you should make an informed decision. If you are going to law school think long and hard about your choice. Look at your connections and resources, but do not go blindly. The real legal job market, not the one that is in the law school brochures, is a terrifying place. Don't listen to the lemmings on top-law-schools who have no clue about the world out there. Many of those individuals are 0Ls with no clue what the legal market is like. Paintings of dancing bronies exist in their minds, and dollar signs light up their eyes. And they claim to be superior and unlike any before them.

Law school teaches you only a few things of value. One of them is research. Law school does not want you to research this information before you enter school, however. The schools want you to research what you can do with $160,000 a year, plus bonuses. They only want you to research the information they send you via e-mail or in the postal mail. However, you will make a much better decision if you at least know what you are getting yourself into before acting.

Law School as Prison

2012-02-11T06:30:00.000-08:00

This is the room in which we learned about Torts.

When I first started this blog, I was unsure what I would write about. Surely, that is only so much that one can say about the whole law school experience, isn't there? At least, that's what I thought at the time. However, searching the internet and sitting in class, thinking not only of the legal reasoning that is taught to us, but as to the little intricacies of law school, I realized there is truly much to say. I was also stunned by just how many legal blogs exist out there. There are many from wide eye'd young kids who are just entering law school and are no doubt using the blog as a medium to brag to their contemporaries that they are going to law school, and then there are those who were hardened by the whole law school experience, much like a young man who emerges from prison and looks at the world. I was the former; I am turning into the latter.

Law school can be likened to a prison in many ways. The Dean is the Warden. You only sometimes see this individual. He is talked about often, but rarely seen or heard from. When something goes on in the law school, his name is generally on it. When the paychecks are cut, his is the biggest. He knows what happens in those hallowed halls.

The law professors are the guards. They torture you with long readings and calling upon you randomly in class, hoping that you will stumble, so they can waterboard you. I have been waterboarded three times during my first year. Trust me, it was not fun. The professors often claim that they love the law, and their jobs, but me thinks that they love their big paychecks, which, after the warden, is probably the next largest. If you get 'good behavior' you get an extra 1-3 points. Whatever the hell that means.

Next is the janitors. These men and women lurk in the halls generally during the morning and evening hours. Outside they may be seen having a cigarette. We prisoners refer to them as the 'lucky ones'. These are the guys who got a job at the school after graduating. Yes, rumor has it some were us law students at one time. These individuals are sworn to silence, never able to whisper in the ears of a student how it's all a big hoax. "You can escape at any time. The exits are right there!" they long to say, but they can't, lest they would lose their jobs, which they had to beg and plead for so many years ago.

Professor: "Let me see a show of hands for those who read the 130 pages on vicarious liability last night."

Last on the list is the prison crier. This nark is the kid that sits in the front and talks to the professors non-stop. When a question is asked, the nark, also called gunner, will shoot answers out faster than you can raise your hand. His answers are generally wrong or not even remotely on topic, but the prison guard/professor likes that anyway, because it saves him from having to talk for a while. He smiles, adding that extra 1-3 points on the gunner's grade, knowing from experience that it will save the gunner from failing out of prison and returning.

Of course, there are other players in the law school prison scheme. It would not be complete without the prison law librarian and the guy who hangs out in the bathroom watching porn on his iPhone. In the end, this three year sentence is on par with the life sentence that one may experience in the real "Big House", mainly because that probation (the law degree) follows you for life.

Tough Job Market Means Law School Grads are Seeking NonLegal Work!

2012-02-10T11:38:00.000-08:00

While searching the internet for information on the legal job market I came across a story from U.S. News and World Report, the entity that ranks law schools (and other universities). While I would like to go off on this ranking system, which I find largely arbitrary and somewhat asinine, I wanted to focus on this very simplistic article.

In Tough Job Market, Law Grads Use J.D.s for Nonlegal Work

"Typically, 10 percent of Yale Law School alumni work in a business setting five years after graduating, according to a 64-page Lawyers in Business guide the school publishes. And, jobs in management consulting, investment banking, and venture capital can earn young associates annuals salaries of $100,000 to $300,000, the guide states."

First, I realize that the article is talking about Yale Law School, which is in a different league than most of the schools most of us go to or went to. However, it is the second part of the paragraph that made me chuckle. The article acts like this kind of salary is the norm. No wonder people are so duped into going to law school. Studies have shown that people believe what they want to believe. Seeing that even if you don't get a job in law, you can still go out and make up to $300,000 a year as a consultant or banker makes people think "well, law school is a no lose game".

According to employment statistics on Drake University's School of Law website, 16 percent of the Des Moines, Iowa, school's alumni work in business fields nine months after graduation, and the website of the Boston University School of Law says 17 percent of its 2009 graduates working in law and business began their careers in academia and while 6 percent worked in business.

This paragraph fails to state the realty that 17 percent of Drake's class of 2009 graduates are not working in $100,000 to $300,000 consulting positions. Many may be working at their father's trucking company washing trucks, others may be employed at Starbucks or Barnes & Noble. Later on the article does state, about yet another school (Albany Law School), that:

"Other recent graduates are pursuing accounting firms, legislative positions, investor services, publishing houses, compliance and claims jobs, and court analyst roles," Mans says. "Salaries at these positions range from $43,000 to $105,000."

Again, this is not the norm. One can not expect to go from a lower ranked law school to a $105,000/year job. Of course, the article states "Salaries for these positions range..." which does not mean that those are the salaries that law graduates can expect to make. However, many of the law school lemmings at top-law-schools will eat this stuff up and proclaim: even if I don't land a job in biglaw, I can expect to make big money! Articles like these are the reason why the educational system is seen as a gateway to riches, and why our grandmothers are telling us "just stay in school, it will be worth it in the end."

My class rank has plummeted.

2012-02-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

So, to my surprise, this week it was announced that class ranks were announced. I knew I would not fare good. However, I had no idea I would fare so badly. This is a 180 from my first semester, where I was in the top 1/4th. Now I am near the absolute bottom of my class. Frankly, when I saw it I was stunned. Part of me wanted to break down, cry. For a moment I began thinking of applying for graduate school and leaving law school. Perhaps a masters in Economics/Finance or Mathematics. I am sure that either of those would be a wiser choice than law. However, as the night progressed, I came to terms with the fact that my rank has plummeted and I will never be able to get back to where I once was, and that I may never work as a lawyer.

First, going to law school was a stupid choice. No doubt about it. Based on the reading I have done in the past year and a half I can honestly say that I should have never went to law school. Do I wish I never went to law school? Part of me does, but another part of me knows that if I did not go to law school I would have always thought I failed for not going, and imagined that my life as a lawyer would have been glamorous. I would have never searched for the scamblogs or learned the harsh reality of the law profession. In my mind I would have saw an imaginary life that I missed out on. And I would have lamented that probably for the remainder of my years.

But now, having gone to law school, my eyes have been opened to the reality that it was not I who failed, but the schools that failed to paint a clear picture of reality. Now, don't get me wrong, I failed in the sense that I didn't get a high LSAT and got into a top school and made top 10% grades. But, was that something that I would really have wanted out of my life? Do I really want to be a big firm attorney? I can not deny that the pay and the lifestyle that it would buy are impressive. However, selling my soul for those kind of hours, for that kind of stress is in my eyes just not worth it. I have, however, failed in the sense that I did not research the law profession before going to school. In fact, if law school has taught me one thing, it is to research.

In fact, it's somewhat ironic that law school teaches one to research so well, yet if we had researched in the first place, we would have never went. That is, if we were smart. Some of us, no doubt, think we will be different. That we will get the good jobs, or that we will network hard enough. But the reality is, one should not depend on stupid luck to get somewhere in life. And for many who end up getting positions, that is what it will probably take. Others, of course have certain connections or are masochistic, and law school is probably alright for that type of person.

Law school was not right for me, but I ask myself what type of schooling was. Perhaps I am thinking too narrow. Maybe no type of school was right for me. I have always thought of myself as a type of creative person. I enjoy writing, drawing, music and that sort of thing. I could have went to college for those things, but I did not think my skills in them were up to par. So instead I chose law. I am sure many people were like me in this regard. Now I wonder if I should have went for something I was passionate in. I mean, if I won't get a job with this degree, what would have been the harm with going for a degree in film or animation?

So, am I upset I went to law school? In the end, no. It opened my eyes to the reality of life. I have learned a lot in this process. Now, has it been worth the price? No way. It is an overpriced lesson. Even my Corporate Finance professor calls it a 'bubble', and there is no doubt it is. Should have we not learned from the housing crash only a few short years ago? I think so, and I think that this bubble is going to pop very soon. And when it does, things are going to be very interesting.

My class rank now puts me in the bottom 3/4th of my class. It's time to reassess that which I plan on doing with my life.

The Real Legal Job Market

2012-02-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

There are some naysayers around the law school campus who are saying that the law school job market is not as bad as it seems, and are 100% sure, for various reasons (hypotheses) that they will be landing a decent job. This wishful thinking is rampant amongst those who are 1Ls, 2Ls and even some early 3Ls. However, after searching the internet for about a year and a half, I can say I don't think I have ever come across a website that praises the legal job market. In fact, the closest I have got is one that says something along the lines of:

Job outlook for lawyers might be improving. The legal job market in x city has added 100 new positions!

If this is the best I have found, where are people getting their ideas that these jobs are going to magically come to them? In fact, it seems that even the internship market is not doing as well. This is based on personal experience. People are clamoring to work for free to get experience. People want to scrub walls and walk an established attorney's dog for no pay. The idea of drafting a client letter to some of these strapping young students is almost orgasmic. It's really quite amazing. It's really quite pathetic.

Almost every website, other than Top-Law-Schools, which is the biggest pile of trash website on the internet as far as I am concerned, states that the reality of the legal job market is dismal. No matter where you search, there are loads of comments from former law students who could not land a job. In fact, some of these students even claim to not have been able to cross over into other professions because the JD was "poison". Established lawyers are doing JDs no favors by not allowing them to work as paralegals (if I ever start my own practice, I would allow a JD to work as a paralegal, and hopefully in the future, more lawyers start to see this). In fact, many paralegals go on to law school, so what is the problem with hiring a JD as a paralegal? Sure, they may move on, but doesn't everyone? And would not a JD have much more experience and require less training?

If someone finds an article that praises the legal job market, post a link here. I dare you! Find one. I am curious to see what's out there that I may have missed.

1L's are so cute...

2012-02-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

It is always interesting to me how at the beginning of the semester there are so few people in the library. I tend to study there, myself, as I like how quiet it is in the morning and I, for some reason, can not study at home. Maybe it's the distractions. Either way, I was in the library briefing some cases and could not help but notice there was someone next to me studying. Being curious by nature, I decided to see what class she was studying. It was contracts. I noticed she had all her markers out, sticky notes of various colors, and a bevy of pens. I smiled, thinking to myself about those 1L days, when everyone used to think of law school as a type of kindergarten.

Then, on the way to tinkle, I noticed another person with loads and loads of notecards, and she was writing like a fiend. Again, a 1L class, Torts. I smiled, thinking "these 1L's are adorable". I rarely, in the upper classes, see anyone doing this type of thing. Everyone is a bit more lethargic and scared in the higher up classes, except for the few that probably make themselves feel better by going to top-law-schools and posting about how they are going to find a job, but nobody else will.

I kind of miss the days when I highlighted in my Property book in 4 colors. Blue for rules, pink for profound sayings, yellow for important parts, pen underlines for important facts, and green for policy. Now I just scribble and read through furiously, wondering if this stuff will even be asked about on the test, or hoping that I don't get called on for the next class.

I will say, law school was a lot more fun before my highlighters all went dry and my books looked like the rainbow. In fact, I wonder what the people who bought them off half.com thought when they received my old books. If it was me, I would have been depressed, thinking to myself, awww I wanted to color in it. In fact, it probably feels like you purchased a used coloring book. Maybe not as many people are like this, but I was, and a ton of 1Ls seem to be. Maybe it's a type of syndrome. A side effect of the law school education.

Class Rank

2012-02-03T07:22:00.000-08:00

I recently received the following e-mail:

PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL

Dear Upper Class Students,

Class ranks are recalculated at the end of each fall and spring semester. This cannot be done until all grades have been submitted by the faculty. At present, three class rosters of grades have not yet been submitted by faculty to the Registrar. This has been reported to the Associated Dean for Academic Affairs and the faculty, according to faculty rules, are being fined $100 days per day per roster. When the grades are submitted, I will re-calculate class ranks and send an email notifying you that you can find your new rank under Grade Point Average by Term in Web Advisor. A class rank letter will also be mailed to you.

I could not help but grin at the thought of a law professor, who probably makes well over $120,000 a year being fined the massive sum of $100 per day! Can you imagine? Now, keep in mind that this letter was sent on January 14th. As of today, February 3rd, there is still no class rank posted.

What kind of motivation is needed then? I do not think that the sum of $100 a day is going to do much, especially if he/she values being able to take the grading process very slowly and instead do whatever it is that law professors do. It may be worth $100 a day to sit back and focus on other tasks, such as playing Virtual Boy, or whatever it may be.

In fact, this is not the first time something similar has happened to me. During my 2nd semester, one of my professors was late in turning in exams. Professors are often given a month's time to grade exams, and to be late on this, when people use their grades for jobs, transferring, and other professional tasks, seems irresponsible. Professors get angry when their students do not know every little tidbit of the case, yet it's alright for them to be chronically late with exam grading? We are not the ones being paid thousands upon thousands of dollars to teach a couple of classes using the same recycled notes from years past.

Perhaps there are better ways to motivate a professor. A wage reduction for chronic lateness in grading papers? Being disbarred perhaps? Maybe a caning like in Singapore? Something along those lines would be more in line with the real motivation that is needed. I say we take 'em all out back and flog 'em even if one is a second late! That would make for a more interesting law school experience, and a better one for the students, I imagine. A floggin' instead of playin' the ol' Virtual Boy. It sounds like a plan!

New Semester... New Woes

2012-01-25T17:06:00.000-08:00

So the new semester is in full force. I feel like a dog in the humane society waiting to be put to sleep. I keep telling myself: "soon I will be a rich lawyer like the person sitting next to me." Then I start to laugh and the professor asks me what I am laughing about, and then I mumble something to myself.

Seriously though, this semester is a lot like the last one. Two weeks in and I know who the gunners are and am already annoyed by their antics. Raising their hands to every question. I guess I should probably like them, they do take the heat off me. I have yet to be called on, which is great. Also, these classes are pretty relaxed. We are told in one class one class in advance if we will be called on or not. I have one class left this week and know I won't be called on. That's soothing at least.

Then there is the summer internship hunt. I am told that if we find something, we can maybe qualify for a stipend. That would be great huh? Just hoping it's not like the last one. I want to actually do some law related work. It's why I'm going in the first place, isn't it?

I was talking to someone the other day about school in general. She was telling me that she believes that college one day was more challenging. She could not say for sure, but based on what she has read, there was once a time where one spent great deals of time researching. She says she feels like college is dumbed down. I have to say I agree. I see the stuff undergraduate students are doing now and I shake my head. How did I not get straight A's on this stuff? Stuff like a 2 page report on a movie, or memorizing a few terms for a big exam. It only makes law school seem more brutal, but I think that's just the curve. It's not that law school is that hard, it's more of a psychological endurance than anything. Having to read 100 pages by itself is not challenging, but having to read it wondering if you will ever get a job in it or if you are wasting your time by reading it makes it seem a bit more of a chore. Add that to the sounds of women moaning in the library and it starts to get weird.

The Most Elitist Place on the Internet: Top-Law-Schools.com

2012-01-20T10:51:00.000-08:00

When I was a tad bit younger, buckling up and getting ready to go to law school, I, like many 0L's happened upon top-law-schools.com. For the few not in the know, it is a forum for people to talk about everything that pertains to the wonderful and amazing world of law school. Here kids discuss and rank their schools, talk about their hopes and fears, and discuss job hunting strategies.

However, something more sinister is taking place. These kids are starting to believe that they are better than others. They are seeing that their school is ranked a bit higher, that their grades and rank are better, and that they have better job prospects. Some of these people are going to schools like Harvard and Columbia Law School. Others are "blessed" with schools such as Golden Gate University School of Law and Cooley. They start to size each other up, and as they do so, they become more and more elitist.

Now, I honestly believe that many who are thinking of going into law are elitist to an extent. The profession is a breeding ground for elitism. In law school each student is ranked according to how 'intelligent' they are, i.e. their grades. However, even though it could easily be argued that law school grades are arbitrary and even sometimes random with a lot of human error able to be present, law school students who are in the top 30% of their class feel smug. If you are in the top 10% with a summer internship lined up, you are the big cheese. And if you are that person but going to a top 14 school, you are THE CHEEZE. Three reasons that TLS sticks out to me:

1. Many TLS forumers are actually very sheltered kids who have little clue about reality.

One thing that strikes me about TLS as I will call it, is that if you post something on that site that does not jive with the cushy life experiences of the 'lawyer's son/daughter' they will cry 'flame'. I have seen this multiple times on the site, where someone asks advice about transferring to a lower ranked school for family reasons, or that they were in the top 20% but were having trouble finding legal employment. Some mention having life hardships that made it so that they could not find a job and are considering dropping out even though they have a high GPA. It is hard to realize that there are certain life experiences that interfere with school if you have never left your parents grasp.

2. TLS forumers think that they need a new Macbook every year for surfing the internet in class.
I made the mistake last semester of sitting in the back row. I thought law school was about studying, however I was made aware that it is really about google chat and facebook during class. It was so cute seeing all the students with their little MacBook Airs and iPads, surfing the internet, buying curtains and clothing, playing car racing games, and selling tickets. And then, when I went to TLS, I was made aware that every year one should purchase a new computer, because a three year old system is not good enough to take a law school exam on with exam4 or write a law school paper with.

3. TLS forumers think that everyone else is not going to get a job, but they will do something different and BAM! $160k/yearola.
I hate to burst their bubble, but even if they get a job that is good enough for them to sell the rest of their life into bondage for, they are not going to be happy. Someone else (their boss) will act just as elitist towards them as they act towards others.

In the end, I find TLS to be the most elitist place on the internet that I have come across. If you are serious about law school, you may want to check out this place. You should know who some of your classmates will be and who you will be working with and for if you are lucky enough.

Wikitravel boasts Puerto Rico has 3 ABA law schools!

2012-01-13T16:35:00.000-08:00

While looking at Wikitravel.org, a travel based site, I found myself stunned-completely stunned-when I read the following:

"Most universities in Puerto Rico are accredited by US authorities and they offer quality educational programs. Its very easy to find Spanish courses as well as learn to dance salsa. Puerto Rico has 3 ABA-accredited law schools which are very competitive. The University of Puerto Rico Law School is very friendly towards international students and is a great option for foreigners looking for a quality, cheap education (subsidized by the government) that is less than 10 minutes from a beach!"

(http://wikitravel.org/en/Puerto_Rico)

This was/is under the "Learn" section. What I find humorous is that there is little mention of other types of schools. It assumes that everyone is going to law school. And it assumes that people are on Wikitravel looking to go to law school. I almost busted up laughing when I saw it. Honestly, three ABA schools? The ABA accredited 3 schools in Puerto Rico? Are you serious?

I can't help but wonder, first, what a student does upon graduating from a school in Puerto Rico. I am sure there are some legal opportunities in the territory, but not enough for 3 schools worth of students. The population of the entire island is around 3,957,988. Also, I wonder what kind of luck alumni have getting jobs on the mainland. I have heard plenty of stories about people not getting jobs a few states away from where they graduated from law school.

I am not aware that other US territories, such as Guam/Micronesia, have a law school. Maybe some of the students here make it over there. But I wonder still how many lawyers are needed in places like this. Perhaps I should spend some time doing some research on these schools to see how many are being pumped out of these institutions. Maybe I will come back with some more numbers. I am sure it would be something interesting to discuss. Either way, the ABA is going on an accreditation frenzy it seems, and whether it's a state or a territory, they are hungry to accredit. This is a hunger that can not be satiated.

My Internship From Hell!

2012-01-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

I have recently read an interesting article on one of the blogs that I follow (see link: http://scholasticsnakeoil.blogspot.com/2012/01/indentured-internships.html ). On this blog, the author, who herself has been involved in the educational arena for quite some time, talks about internships:

"Too often, the work they did in those internships bore little or no relationship to any work they would actually do in the careers or occupations for which they were preparing themselves--let alone to the theory they were learning in their classrooms."

Now, this got me thinking about my last internship here at law school. It was for a solo practitioner with a firm dealing mostly with torts and landlord-tenant issues. He had me come to his firm, interviewed me, and out of many applicants, I am told, I was chosen to be his worker, I mean, slave. Now, I am used to working hard, as I have had my share of manual labor type jobs in the past. However, what I expected to get out of the internship, and what I got, well, those are two different things.

I was told by my law school career counselor to pursue an internship EVERY semester. I thought this would sound advice. The more experience one has, the more likely you are to be hired. So, I immediately applied for everything but this guy, this fiend, he was the one to call me in first. He did not give me the address to the firm he worked at, so I googled him and found two addresses, both of which were near each other. So, I donned my suit and headed to meet him after class. Finally, I reached the office he worked in. A big-ass skyscraper building reaching towards the heavens. It looked legit. I walked in, where a big burly man grinned ear to tooth to me and had me sign in. No problem. I continued onward, marching towards the elevators where my interview would take place.

"I will not get the position. I will not get the position," I told myself, over and over. "I am wasting my time." A more attractive young man sat next to me, all dressed up in a suit that was nicer than mine. He would be interviewed after me. I knew he would get the job. He was prettier. Well, I must have been better 'slave material' because I was the one who was hired.

So, three days later, when I got the e-mail that I was chosen I was ecstatic. I went to my first day and was told that I had a number of tasks. NONE OF THESE TASKS WERE RELATED TO LAW.

"And, if the student isn't getting practical experience from the internship, what is the employer gaining? Free labor, of course."

These tasks were:

1. "Water the plant once a week. Choose the day, but make sure that plant does not die. I will not water it, so it's up to you."
2. "Create a filing system and rearrange my files. There are some outside, as well."
3. "Take this trash (old computer and printer) down to the trash room and/or find out how to dispose of it."
4. "Make sure these walls are wiped down. You see these coffee stains? I want them gone."
5. Rearrange the last intern's office area to suit your needs. There is an ancient laptop there with Windows 2000 on it. That will be your workstation."
6. Go fax this form, make some copies.
7. Run to the post office, and send these letters!
8. Go to the UPS store. Now boy, run!

Basically this is the list I got. This was my first week. Later on I was told to brief a case of his and to call a client to make sure they were going to come in. Oh, and I interacted with a client by taking her $20 to her car due to some overpayment. That was interesting. As far as practical experience, I got none.

As far as theory was concerned, I can honestly say I was getting NEGATIVE theory. I was expected to skip class when he needed me. Even though I gave him my schedule, he had the gull to keep me from my class! I sent him an e-mail the next day, telling him I was done. He was flabbergasted, he could not figure out why I would leave such a great opportunity behind. I was really nice about it, saying "thank you" and "I value all the experience I got." However, the truth was, I got basically nil. When I was hired he told me how awful his last intern was and that he expected more of me. When his P-touch was out of ribbon he actually whined about it. He whined! I could not believe it, a grown man actually whining!!!!!

So that was my last internship. I am a bit scared to get another one, out of fear it ends up the same way. But, I realize I must if I am to succeed in this profession.

Law School Starts Up Again Tomorrow!

2012-01-08T09:27:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is my first day of law school for 2012! I know it's hard to read sarcasm on the internet, but the truth is, I am not really excited. Actually, I am kind of nervous. Another semester of hoping I am not called on and wondering "will I find a job?"

I was out and about today and I thought to myself, back to last semester, at many in my class who thought they were pretty dang intelligent. Some would talk to the professor and say "the average person may not understand it, but we're law students, so we understand the real world better." I wanted to laugh, but instead I was watching the clock thinking, "let me the hell out of here."

You know, people in law school really think they are smart. Smarter than most. But I have to say, you are not that smart if you chose to go to law school. Every day I am reminded of this and think to myself, "what the hell am I doing?" I have some non-law related plans for after I graduate, just in case (as expected) I do not find a job in law. And even if I do find a law-related job, who says I will be able to stand it? Why did I not realize this sooner?

I also have not checked my grades from last semester. Well, I did a few days ago and they were up, so I told myself I will not check them until I graduate. I don't know why a law professor needs until after classes start to post grades. Classes start tomorrow (the 9th) and professors have until the 13th to get grades in. That is insane. This was not an issue in undergrad, nor I imagine it is an issue in many other graduate school courses. Law professors have it so easy compared to the pay they make, one would think they could turn in grades sooner. So my way of dealing with it is to not play their stupid little game. I will not check my grades until I graduate. Of course, I wonder if I even passed all my classes. My finals were a disaster. But who cares, right?

That's my rant. Again, tomorrow I start school, and I am going to enjoy every second of freedom I have left.

Depressed out of my mind

2011-12-12T11:55:00.000-08:00

It sucks to know that I am studying for finals and will probably never find a job on this field. It makes it so friggin hard to actually concentrate on the task that is at hand. I have never been good at getting regular jobs, such as fast food, retail and sales, so how the hell do I expect to get a job in law?!

I am so depressed over this and have gotten to the point where I am looking at employment agencies and craigslist for jobs instead of studying. I found one that pays around $30k and I could not help but thinking "I'd love that". Anything, anything is better than this. Why did I go again?

What is reality?

2011-12-07T12:24:00.001-08:00

There was once a young lad who had so many ideas about life, yet in reality he knew so little. Life to the young lad was mysterious and exciting. Full of possibilities. There was infinite things that could be accomplished and great time in which to do them. In his mind he could be anything he chose and he was awestruck by this.

One day he was told that there comes a time when one stops dreaming and faces reality. What is this reality? he asked himself. He set in his mind that he would never give up dreaming, that he would never let go of striving to make his dreams come true. He assured himself that others may have given up with life so easily, but he would never do as others did. I am different! he told himself naively. I will always pursue my goals and dreams no matter what others may say. I am my own person! I am to be great!

Life has a funny way of chewing up and spitting out dreams. The young lad refused to let life’s trials pierce his resolve. Instead, the young lad pushed forward, all the while getting a little older, and a little weaker. You see, life sometimes delivers huge blows, such as a permanent disability or a prison sentence. Sometimes life rips a person apart in one move. However, it is often more subtle. Generally, life has a way of slowly tearing a person apart. It is almost invisible. Little things happen over the years as a person moves away from youth and closer to their end that dampens a person’s resolve.

As the trials of life pass, we find ourselves getting through them. However, at the same time we lament that that we did not do it differently. In hindsight we realize we would have done things differently if faced with the same obstacle. This is why people generally get out of ordeals more easily as they repeat. However, it’s that first sting that hurts the most. The pain from that first sting lasts the longest, and as such we tend to let its effects linger in our mind. We lament and feel angst each time the memory is rekindled.

So many obstacles present themselves in a person’s life. Each one breaks the spirit just a little more. We don’t realize it at first. Sometimes we fantasize that everything will be ideal. But more things happen. We grow tired of these trials. If we were to live forever every person’s spirit would be destroyed eventually. One day we would all give up with life. If people lived over a thousand years, I would venture to guess that every person would take their own life. Isn’t that insane? Perhaps that is why we are bestowed with lives ranging from 60-110 years. Maybe anything more would be too difficult to bear.

We are weak creatures. I am not weak like everyone else! The young man cried. His life was going to somehow be different than anyone before him. He felt a little superiority when he said these things. He had an air of pomposity as he spoke. Of course, he was no better than any other person, he just had not realized it yet. In fact, he would one day realize he was actually worse than many.

Life circumstances may not always dictate who a person becomes, but they go a long way. Few people are amazing enough to not let the circumstances of life dictate who they will be. The young lad may have at one time been such an individual. But he gave up one day. He threw in the towel and screamed, I have had enough! Life is a beast. Every year that is added to us we realize exactly how disgusting life can be. The worship of youth, and the fall from that ideal deliver crushing blows. Age coupled with lack of time further coupled with the slow and painful destruction of the spirit combine to create a person who no longer craves that invisible goal that the were one day searching for. The young lad was misguided. He had no clue what it was he wanted, and when he got close to something, he realized it was something he never cared to have. In fact, it was something he feared greatly.

I am like them all! he admitted one day. It was not too hard for him to say. It was something that had been coming for months. He had prepared for it a while. He knew he would have to say it one day though. Each day before he spoke it the reality of it became apparent to him. He knew he would speak those words, and that others would make a bigger deal about it than it actually was.

I am like everybody else! He admitted. Nobody wanted to hear that. Maybe they were misguided themselves to think he was different. Maybe they never knew he would give in. He always said he would not. But his eyes were opened wide by the reality that his quest was always in vain. He could never hope to achieve that which no man in his position could achieve. He had his chance, wasted it, and now, aged and on the verge of natural death had no means to actually obtain it. And so what if he did? He was far too old to enjoy such things, best reserved to youth.

He let the dream die, and smiled. He smiled because he would soon be free (from law school), and he could do whatever he pleased with the rest of his fleeing life.

Food Stamp School of Law

2011-12-06T13:05:00.000-08:00

I saw an interesting post on http://butidideverythingrightorsoithought.blogspot.com/:

The University of Georgia students have opened a food pantry. Don't believe me? Look!
http://www.npr.org/2011/10/20/141563700/university-of-georgia-students-open-food-pantry

Well, not to steal the other blog's thunder, but that reminded me of the predicament that I am in (you know, because I may have forgot). I am a law student, but not a rich one. I'm actually collecting food stamps as I go to law school. Why? Because I am poor. Many of my fellow students are wealthy, but I suppose not all are. I feel very out of place in those halls. In those classrooms. When I went a year ago I had this hope that I would be very wealthy one day, not have to rely on the government to feed me. Those dreams are dying though. Those days are almost gone.

I posted a letter from my grandparents a while back about how I should not lose sight of the dream, how I should never give up. They are still trying to get me to continue law school, and I have not replied back to them. I feel bad, but really don't know what to say. I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to think about it. I have all this pressure riding on me to do well. My family honestly believes that I am going to be a rich lawyer. The reality is far from that. One day they will see that I am not (my grandparents might be dead by that time - so that may not matter).

On my facebook, which was deactivated shortly after this was posted: "oh (name) it is good to see you here again. Please don't let ever let your dreams die, you have come so far..... Don't know if you got my last letter but I hope you did. Please write me back, as always, I love hearing from you."

However, the rest of my family will be bewildered. They will say that I did something wrong. And you know what? I don't care. What do I care about, however, is that I was stupid enough to start. I didn't sit down and research it. I went into it balls out telling myself that it would save me and make me wealthy. When you are rock bottom you have delusions of grandeur. I can't stand hearing some of the people at my school, the 2Ls, talking about their bright futures. Are they lying to themselves? How can they be so smug? How can they smile? They have to know what hell it will be coming from a 2nd tier school. They are up against lawyers from tip top schools with a crapton of experience and connections. How can they expect to find a job? How can they have that silly grin on their face?

I don't know what I am going to tell my grandparents. I don't think I will say anything. I think that, honestly, once I find a way out, once I can survive on my own without these loans paying my rent, I am going to flee. I have not studied for my finals, which are in a few days. I don't care to. I know that I can't get anywhere near the top half of my class this semester. Why try? I just hope to pass. I tell myself that I can do better next semester. But does it matter? All the good ships have sailed and I am left with the crappy ones that are posted on http://www.shitlawjobs.com/. And I am going to have to fight, bone, tooth and nail for those jobs.

But as I mentioned to someone the other day: I do not plan on taking the bar. I will probably tell employers I started law school but did not finish, or I will go teach English outside the US, or I will do something else completely. There's a ton of non-law options. However, I blew a couple years of my life so far on this, and that angers me. However, I guess the best thing I can do now is to see it as a learning experience. A very expensive learning experience, but one none the less.

------
This blog is the blog of a law student going to a second tier rated university in the Northeast. He is a tired student, who has been in college way too long. He has almost no real world work experience. He has come from a poor family. He once had big dreams for his life, but as he gets older he sees those dreams die. Such is life. It's a hard lesson, but one that must be learned.

One last dream for our writer: to escape law school.

Too Many Lawyers in the Phone Book

2011-12-06T12:28:00.000-08:00

When I was an undergraduate I knew this one girl-a family friend-who was planning on starting college. Of all things imaginable she wanted to be a lawyer. Imagine that huh? Well, I was considering going to law school to supplement my impending Bachelor of Arts degree and thought it would be interesting to see who would end up where. Now, I did not have much respect for this girl at the time. In fact, I doubted she would even go to college. However, she liked to talk big and oooh and awe everyone with her plans of being an attorney.

Well, one day when I was about to take the LSAT she informed me that she was no longer interested in being a lawyer.

"Why not?" I asked, confused at this change in events.
"Well, there are too many in the phone book," she said.
Of course, at the time I was floored by this comment. Like most things this woman said, I could not take it seriously. I wanted to roll around laughing at her. Furthermore, she was obsessed with CSI and like shows and informed me that she was going into "forensics" instead.

Fast forward a few years later. She dropped out of college after half a semester and just married a truck driver. The man owns his own business. She sets up his routes and he goes back and forth delivering vehicles cross country. They just bought a house together. He claims to make over $100,000 a year.

Where am I? 2L. And yes, she was right. There are way too many lawyers in the phone book.

Back in the day my family wanted to set me up to be a plumber's apprentice. I did not want to do such 'dirty work' and scowled at this. I wanted to be looked up to by society, not clean their toilets. However, one is not looked up to when they are unemployed. Plumbers make good money, and such a job is one I would have been smart to take. I could have still went to college had I the desire. I must say I am proud of the things I know due to college. My critical thinking skills are far beyond what they were out of high school. I even enjoy the thinking that I am forced to do with law school. However, there is thinking and there is doing. And I feel that I am in a scary place when it comes to the doing part.

Jobs like being a plumber or a truck driver have serious job security. The rich looks at them as 'jobs of the poor'. There is no elite plumber or truck driving schools. No billionaire brags that his son got into the Harvard of truck driving schools or the Princeton of plumbing. However, when it comes to law, the playing field is the field of the rich. If you are a poor student with no connections you are going to have a hell of a time getting into the legal profession. It's not an easy thing to break into. You may be intelligent with stellar grades, but you are still competing with little Henry, son of a Supreme Court Justice. You are competing with little Marsha, whose daddy paid for her LSAT tutoring course to get her into Columbia. You are competing with Ronald, whose lower Manhattan apartment is paid for by daddy. Father will also make sure Ronald has a job lined up afterwards, because he's either a partner at a huge firm, or his company has connections.

There will always be a need for plumbers as long as people poop. There will always be a need for deliveries. These jobs have security that the law does not have for the average person. Sure, there are slumps. However, if you are smart enough to get into law school, you can probably find your way into a good plumbing or truck driving gig. If you are devoted enough to jump through the law school hoops, I am sure you can get a good apprenticeship and eventually start your own business.

Truck driving and plumbing, like other similar fields, are not to be scowled at. There are many individuals making great money in these fields. Hell, you have a better chance of making good money if you go into either. Good luck with that sports law career or those space law jobs.

I wish I would have thought hard when she said "there's too many lawyers in the phone book." I should have picked one up and flipped through it. Hell, there's one on the cover, one on the spine, 2 on the inside flap, one on the rear cover. There's even an insert that pops out that has an attorney ad. She was right. There's way too many lawyers in the phone book.

The difference between a T4 and a T1/T2

2011-12-01T13:04:00.000-08:00

What is the difference between a 4th tier and a 1st tier law school? Better employment prospects? I kind of doubt it. It seems to me that people at all the schools are out of luck when it comes to getting jobs.

What are the real differences between a first tier and fourth tier law school?

Prettier Buildings

First tier schools generally have some really good looking buildings. In fact, many of the first tier schools are older schools and it shows in the architecture. Now, this is not always the case, but as you get up in the rankings you'll notice that the buildings get pretty nice. Of course this has nothing to do with what you'll earn or if you'll find a job.

~~Smarter~~ more distinguished professors

They may not be better paid (fourth tier school professors bring in a lot of money as well), but they have probably wrote more articles and they may have even served as a bona-fide judge! First tier schools seem to have professors who know everything, well, except for how to get a job coming from their school.

Better Lunch Options

Many of the first tier schools are a part of a university, which means that there are many businesses nearby that cater to the students. Also, large universities tend to have many dining options right on site. A stand alone fourth tier school or lesser known school may not have the meals that stack up to the first tier. However, none of this will have anything to do with finding a job. Well, I guess you could invite the law firm recruiter to have lunch with you at your school...

"More" Ladies.

Saying "I go to (well known state school)" vs. "I go to bob's tier four law school" gets you way more women. And there are many more women of all shapes and sizes on a big university campus. Of course, this has little to do with finding a job as well, because, in the end, having a woman costs money, and law school doesn't guarantee that - not even a tier 1.

More Trees

There's generally a lot of trees on those big sprawling tier 1 campuses. And horny law students who are too busy getting any will see all sorts of crazy stuff when they walk by them. Fourth tier schools have some trees, but generally not nearly as many.

Conclusion

So what is the same about a T4 and a T1? The job prospects are almost the same. So are the huge costs. Some 4th tier schools try to charge more money than 1st tier schools, but when people are walking down the aisle at graduation from either school they are shaking in fear. That first tier school diploma may look better on your wall than the fourth tier diploma, but really, it doesn't make as much difference as one would think. Sallie Mae doesn't care, she just wants her money. And there are barely enough jobs for people in the top 14 schools and people with strong connections. What's left over may go to the top 3% on law review with strokes of wild luck. And many of those poor fools will end up offing themselves because of job dissatisfaction.

So, if you value nicer buildings, more diverse women of all shapes and sizes, professors who wrote more books, and more lunch options, then please, choose the first tier school. IF HOWEVER YOU WANT AN ACTUAL JOB THINK THRICE ABOUT GOING IN THE FIRST PLACE!

My daddy is a lawyer... and my mommy a prostitute!

2011-12-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how many people have lawyers for daddies. I didn't think it would be so common, as after working a couple of internships I ask myself if I really want to do law. However, there's a ton of people at my school with lawyers for fathers (and mothers). Now, I imagine not every one of those sons and daughters of lawyers will get a job, but it is kind of scary when I realize I have no lawyers in the family. I'd be the first, if I become one.

I wonder if schools give a boost to a child who states that his or her parent is a lawyer. After all, that individual will have a better chance of getting a job most likely, which will boost the school's rating. I don't know if this has been something that has been researched, but it would be interesting to find out. Of course, the schools try so hard to not let the students and prospective applicants privy to this information. However, there's ways of finding things out. A rogue admissions officer, an evil ex dean, an ex professor who was on the admissions committee gone evil. These people are hard to find. Many have offed themselves no doubt. Others lay low, hoping nobody will ever find out about their sordid past.

I realize that even though a father may be a lawyer, it does not guarantee that student a job. Daddy may have not the needed power at the firm to allow his son or daughter to suck the firm's teat. In fact, he may be just a intern himself, having never found a paid gig. In fact, Daddy may be working pro bono because he never ever was able to find a paid job. Of course, this will not put food on the family table, so mother picks up a few hours as a prostitute on the side, or pole dances, or maybe just does a truck stop lap dance for some extra money. It pays the bills at least, and there are low barriers to entry. In fact, one does not need to take out loans, apply for grants, scholarships, or worry that they will be able to pay back Sallie Mae. In fact, after hours of research I can pretty much say with a 0% margin of error that there are no student loans available for prostitution! Isn't that great?

Of course, there are things that a working woman may want to buy, such as those platform shoes that guys seem to love, some silky leggings (crotchless: my favorite), or nipple tassels. I have always, myself, liked to see the nipples, so the tassels would not do it for me, but that's another story.

However, mother could still buy those items, after a bit of work. One thing that I have learned from undergrad business courses is that some business necessities may come after starting the business and bringing in some money. Of course, it's hard to start a law firm with $200k of debt, so maybe mother could use her earnings to become a venture capitalist.

Of course, I don't know of anyone who would bring up such an idea to their mother. I can imagine the looks of horror on her face, and her voice growing low, with father breathing into the other line, hoping nobody can hear him listening in, as mother says: "don't all lawyers make $100,000 a year minimum? Your law school packet they sent states that 98% of students get jobs, and the average is $160,000."

Of course, father is still breathing like crazy in the opposite line, wanting to...

You know what, I think I've said enough.

"Don't drop out..."

2011-11-29T07:36:00.000-08:00

Information leaked to my family that I was seriously considering dropping out of law school. Now, keep in mind I do not get any financial help from my family. Many of them are unemployed right now. My grandparents are on the brink of retiring and collecting SSI for the rest of their life. My mother is being forced out of her home and her fiance lives in a camper because the commute to his job is around 3-4 hours. My father has been unemployed for going on two years. So when I mentioned that I was considering dropping out of law school they were frenzied.

Immediately I got an e-mail from my grandparents:

"You mentioned you were thinking about quitting school. I hope you decide not to because you have so much time invested in it and you are almost at the finish line. You may look back and really regret it later on if you quit now. Sure there are people out there that just see gloom and doom but if you have the will to succeed, and Lord knows you do, the right position will be there for you . It sounds like you have been doing real good and getting internships so you must be doing something right. You have a really good, smart head on your shoulders so I know you will really give it some very serious thought. Even though it seems the family isn't very close anymore, which is too bad, we have always been sooo proud of what you have accomplished in your young lives. You guys have done more and seen more then most people will ever in their life time. All the years you have put in to your education we think in just fantastic for what you have had to live on without any help. I have always regretted that your Grandpa and I have reached the point in life that we have without being well off and able to do more for all of our children and grandchildren. The years go by so fast and old age just seems to creep up on one faster then we think. A lot of things I wish we had done differently but that's water under the bridge and there are no do overs so I just think the Lord that we are both healthy and have no major problems like so many others do."

Now, I felt bad that they heard of my idea of quitting school, and e-mails like this make it really hard to do that. Not only do I have to worry about where I would get funding to afford my apartment and bills while looking for work. But, I would have to worry about my family thinking of me insane. They are under the belief that all lawyers are rich people who drive fancy cars and have fancy women (or men if they are a lady). However, I did not know what to say to this, so have not replied yet. I don't want to say: "well, I'll give it another shot," even though I will probably at least stick with it through Spring and see if I can line up real work while doing school. But, at the same time, I am not going to say, "I am going to quit after Spring if I find a good job."

Part of me would like to find a good job and quit and use the job as an excuse. However, the reality is that I am probably not going to find one, hence me going to law school in the first place. Either way, it's something else to think about as finals approach.

Thanksgiving Break

2011-11-29T05:40:00.000-08:00

Man, I really enjoyed my Thanksgiving break. I didn't even think much about law school except having to actually go back on Monday. And here I am, waiting for class to start. I thought about skipping this one, as I actually read the stuff (except the last case) but I think I will go, mainly because I have right about the max amount of absences.

I got some comments on my last post which really gave me something to think about. I am considering going and teaching English outside the US. Sure, it's not great money, but it's better than this. I have a lot of research to do, but it would probably be better than sitting around in class all day worrying that:

1) I will get called on.
2) and if I get called on I will have not read the case.
3) or, I will have read the case, but be tricked,
4) or, will be asked something about a past case that I did not read which relates to this case.
5) or that I am wasting my time, and will not be able to find a job after this.
6) or that I could be doing something more worthwhile such as playing Farkle on my ipod.

---
Update: I was called on! And guess what, it was the case from LAST CLASS that I did not brief. I guess I did not realize we were still behind. I scrambled like a lunatic trying to remember the case, and looked around through my underlined notes like a bat out of hell. I was able to parse things together as the professor fired question upon question at me in military fashion. My palms were entrenched with sweat, my eyes were glazed in hysteria. From the back corner of the room I plunked out answers in fury, clenching my pen and book, flipping through my notebook to past cases that she may try to compare. Her gaze had me frozen as her lips barked forth words that had become mush in my brain over the Thanksgiving break. I knew she was thinking: "did you not review and study over the break?"

Finally, when she asked me the holding, and the glorious light at the end of the tunnel beckoned, I screwed it up. I went blank. I forgot what the holding was. And then, it came to me! And I was wrong. She corrected me and talked for a moment. Her words turned into white noise as I stared at the pages, ready to answer yet another question, but none came. It was over...

Skipping Class...

2011-11-17T13:29:00.000-08:00

So, I've been skipping class. Why? I don't know. I just can't get myself to be in the mood to go. Last year I was on top of it all now, and now this year I feel like "what's the point"? I realize, though, I need to put my teeth to the grindstone and get my rear in gear, and back to class I shall go.

But I imagine I am not the only one. You know, back in my first year of law school, very few people seemed to miss. Now, as finals approach in 2L, everyone is missing classes, doesn't care, and is lethargic it seems. The competitive cut-throat environment of 1L is lost. Now there is just fear of not finding a job. Fear of not doing good. And half of us are too scared to even try.

So, what are my plans for Thanksgiving you ask? Study for finals, I say. But in reality I know I won't be doing that. I know that in reality I'll be lamenting that I am not studying for finals while doing something else entirely, be it eating, drinking egg nog, hanging out with friends, or hell, even playing:

All of it sounds a lot funner than studying for finals.

Oh, and I skipped class today to post this blog (I should be in class right now).

When people ask you about law school...

2011-11-14T11:38:00.000-08:00

So I was telling an old friend of mine that I was in law school. He asked me what I was doing with my life and I was trying to figure out a way to say "I'm in school still..." without looking like a bum. To be honest, part of me wishes I was out of school and doing something with my life. You know, using this great legal education to further my own ends. But that is not the reality. Of course, he was impressed by this and was like "wow, isn't law school tough?" I was not really in the mood to talk about it, but stated, "it can be."

I think the hardest part I have with law school is the fear that once I get done that all that effort will be meaningless. Who knows if I will get a job, and if I do, will it be one I like? Will the people I work for be respectable human beings, or will they be people I hate working with. Part of me wonders if I even want to work in law. Maybe I could start my own business instead. But what? There's so much going through my head when I start talking about law school.

Two years ago I was thrilled at the idea of talking about law school. People seemed so impressed by it and I was thrilled to have it asked. Wow, how things change in such a short time.

I have been going to a lot more blogs on here, which are very interesting. I can't say I agree with everything they say, but they do paint a harsh picture of the reality we are not made aware of when filling out that law school application and sending application fee after application fee away to different schools. I wonder, would have I even applied after reading the stuff I read now? Maybe they should have a 1L or pre 1L course where one studies the inner workings of the law school system. In fact, I think a high school course where one studies adult professions and how competitive it is to get into them, and how many actual spots are open in them would do wonders. Maybe that kind of thing is taught in economics. I would not know though, as I did not take economics in high school. Either way, there's way too many schools now and way too little positions for graduates. What's a person to do?

That's where I have got the idea of starting my own business. Yet I came from a family that told me that when I grow up, I get a job and work for someone else. That's the big reason I went to law school. I figured if I am going to work for someone else I am going to earn a lot. Now I see that I might end up someone's slave for a small pittance. And all the while the person I am working for would be reaping the fruits of my labor. I don't think that's what I want. So, I have decided I would like to start my own business. What? I don't know. I thought about law, but realistically I would need a few years at least of solid law experience before going in for myself. What else then? A bakery, a plumbing supply company? A car dealership? Any of these things would probably make me more money than I can expect to learn from law school, and all those things require no college. Kind of crazy to think about...

I thought I'd share...

2011-11-08T10:42:00.000-08:00

I found a really interesting and scary site known as http://www.shitlawjobs.com/. Man, what an eye opener. I'd actually rather close my eyes and pretend I didn't see that. The premise is simple. The blogger posts about legal jobs that he finds around the internet. Most that I saw were from Craigslist.

They look like this:

Downtown general practice firm seeking NEW YORK ADMITTED attorney to make court appearances. Bankruptcy, immigration, and landlord/tenant experience a plus.

Strong work ethic, positive attitude and superior organization skills required.

Please note that this is an unpaid internship with the potential for a paid position in the future for the right person.

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/lgl/2695588397.html

Anyway, this is scary. I would like to share this with some of the people in my classes, but I know what they would say. "Those jobs are for the bottom feeders, or for people who don't go to this school." But imagine, being admitted to the bar and working for FREE?! And he asks for a positive attitude on top of it? I honestly think that this man is looking for his own personal slave. I guess there's a lot to be said about going into practice for yourself. Slave labor these days is easy to take, and I'm sure a position like this is getting some applicants. I can just imagine people at the interview stating that they would love this position and that they would treasure and cherish the experience.

So Much Anger

2011-11-07T23:44:00.000-08:00

My last internship was an experience in itself. I can't help but find myself thinking back to it with no good thoughts. Just thoughts of if that is what practicing law is like, then help me please. I guess, that's what they call sh*t-law. It was a solo practitioner who worked in an office with an actual firm. Part of me was happy to not work for the actual firm, because the people who worked there were full of hate. Lots of yelling in that office. And the guy I worked for had no clue how to deal with people. He thought he was pretty much the smartest man imaginable. I wish I found out where he went to law school, because he didn't hang his diploma in his office (the people in the other firm went to Harvard, U.C. Berkeley, and the like) but this guy, mystery law school (maybe it was New York Law School, as he hired a lot of people before me from there).

Anyway, he'd say one thing and then blow up at me for doing it the way he said to do it. Every day, no matter what I did, it was wrong. "Fax a letter to this other attorney," he'd bark, then he'd hiss "We should have called instead. You should have called!"

He was constantly on the phone with his new wife, yelling at her over something, or pouting because she would not have dinner ready for him. Oh yes, and he whined. This actually confused me, because why would a grown man whine at his intern? He had no people skills what-so-ever. Excuse me for ranting, but man, the whole thing was hell. He was a shady player in the law game and one that I would not want to be in business with. I can tell now why he practices on his own and why he can't keep an intern (I think I worked for him the longest, half a semester).

One thing I have noticed about this profession is that there is so much yelling, so much anger. I see no need for it. Could one not be cool and composed? Instead they seem to take on so much and let their own greed overtake them. I have never met a calm attorney. Well, one, but he was the slave of another angry one and I think he was about to have a nervous breakdown. Poor man. I hope that's not me one day. I have nightmares though, sometimes, that it will be me. I'd rather work in fast food though than deal with that. I'll go learn a trade or something if it comes down to it. Anything, just please, not that.

Why I went in the first place.

2011-11-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

If anyone reads this, they might want to know why I went to law school in the first place. Maybe when I get out I might want to know that, as I may forget. Being crammed Property and Torts makes you forget a lot of stuff that once was important.

I wanted to be a lawyer. That's all I can think of. Okay, I also wanted to make the most money possible. I saw these lawyer types, looking all professional and smart, with their briefcases and their fancy cars, and their big condominiums and homes and got a bit of a lust in me heart over that. Oh, and I imagined them having hot women, even though I rarely see male lawyers with women. In fact, the whole profession may not be very good for being in a relationship, even though there's a whole lot of dating at my school. Best to get that out of your system before you get in practice.

Now, I started law school a bit later than most. I'm in my late 20's whereas many in my class are younger. I'm not the oldest, but I wish I did this earlier. Actually, I take that back. I wish I got a degree in food science or animal husbandry. Anything else. Why did I have to major in Celtic Studies?!?!? What the hell did I expect to get out of that? My adviser, of course, told me that would be a 'different' major that graduate students would see as a boon. And I went to a fine undergraduate school. So, now that I got that out let me think, why else did I go to law school?

Oh, yes, I did think I'd end up with a lot of ladies, however at the time I was in a nice relationship (had to break up when I moved, and she was upset about that, and yes, another mistake I think about every day when I am listening to a lecture about the felony murder rule or the substantial factor test.

I can't think of any other reason why I went to law school other than those above. I think the biggest reason was to get a better degree. Something with substance. I wonder if a degree in which about a 100,000 or so other people are going for each year will have much substance, or if in the end my Celtic Studies degree will be more valuable. I guess we'll have to see, as I have not even tried to put the latter to work yet.

Overheard

2011-10-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been keeping notes of what I overhear at law school. I wish I started this sooner, because I heard some really crazy crap being said during my first year of law school, but there has been some interesting stuff said.

For example, I was at an internship and I saw a letter of resignation from a co-worker who had quit saying, "I hope to come back to work for you in a few years, maybe after I make partner at a firm."

I almost bust up laughing. It's pathetic that some people think that they are going to make partner at a firm within a couple of years from my school. And no, it's not a top 25 school. It's closer to top 50. To be honest, when I got in, I felt really smug. I thought Here I am, going to a school that's in the top fourth of all law schools. I felt like a regular bad ass. I flaunted it to everyone. Of course nobody heard of my school, but when I told them about the U.S. News and World Report ranking I felt smug. Of course, most lay people don't care one bit about that, nor do they know much about it, nor do they understand how much stock employers give to those cursed numbers.

I didn't really use www.top-law-schools.com during my first year. But I feel I did OK. Above the median at least. Not great though. Not good enough for law review. I wonder if I used all those law school tips and tricks they use, you know, like type really fast and remember your outline verbatim, or make flash cards and use them in your study group and do leews. I wonder if I did all that crap if I would have made law review. I did law school by just trying to study my butt off and rereading cases over and over. I didn't buy the outlines or the hornbooks. I didn't join a study group. I didn't read outside books such as "Winning Law School" or whatever it is called. I just put my head to the books and thought I would to better based on how much time I spent studying.

Of course I constantly get to hear about someone's internship. How they secured summer employment. One guy was pretty smug about it, but didn't want to share how much he was earning. In his words "it's not the pay that's important, it's the prestige." Let me tell you this now kid, if they are not paying you much, there's probably not a lot of prestige. Sometimes it's hard to not laugh at this stuff.

Oh, and the girl who was going to Hawaii, well, she must have went, because she missed every class this last week. It must be nice to have your future secured for you. I overheard (due to her sitting in front of me during my Evidence class) that she has a daddy that is a partner at some law firm I've never heard of. No wonder she can look at Crate and Barrel websites during class on her brand new Macbook Air and jet set at her leisure, missing class and not giving a damn.

And yet, here I am, no connections. No job. Daily going to Simplicity and looking for work. Maybe I'll get something that pays $10 an hour. That way I can scrape by this summer and get ready for 3L. Hell, maybe when I get out of law school I can bump that up to $12 or $15 an hour. I best not get too greedy though.

What's a good law school pick up line?

2011-10-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

I sit, scared to death, hoping that my professor does not call on me. I admit it. I did not do the reading. I don't know why I didn't. I had plenty of time. I was in front of the computer all morning with the book wide open in front of me. I just could not keep my eyes on the page. I started to read and before I knew it I found myself day dreaming or thinking about something else. It's getting colder out now and I thought, I can't believe I wasted all my whole fall in class. But then again, I missed a ton of class. And the truth of the matter is, I can't be called on. I was called on last week and didn't do the reading. I looked like a fool. All eyes were on me for a few moments. And every day since then I half-assed the reading, hoping that if I got called on, by a stroke of luck I'd wiz through it and that would be it. The semester is almost over, and I am but one of a handful of people left to be called. I am scared to death.

Why can I not focus on my work? Why is it so hard to just read the forty eight pages for Federal Income Taxation? It's not like the material is that hard. Last year it would have even interested me. But now I feel what they call 2L burnout. The mounting stress of having no summer job prospects ahead of me. The mounting stress of soul crumbling debt. It's all sometimes too much for me to bear.

I could keep chugging along, hoping and praying that I get some good job. Sadly, I have been reading what people are saying: the market is bleak, the job prospects are awful. During 1L I didn't believe them. Now I'm in my second year, with a little experience under my belt, and I am starting to see that there is indeed trouble brewing. But what alternatives do I have? A worthless undergraduate degree? Like that will secure me a job! Ha! And I'm already sunk deep in graduate school debt. It's either finish this up and have a graduate degree, or find a job in this depressed economy with loan payments coming due.

I try to not blame the system for the wrongs that are my fault. I should have took people more seriously when they said "don't go to law school unless you are going to the top 25 schools," or "get a degree in engineering or in science." Yes, it is indeed my own fault for not doing those things. I look around my class room now, as I type, while my professor talks about deductions. People are on Facebook or buying crap for their dorms, and I can't help but wonder "are they scared too, or is this just a joke to them?" I see the people on the law review in the library, with their big smiles talking about their future plans. "I'm going to Hawaii for Christmas," one girl spouts. I feel jealousy. I know I won't be going there anytime soon. I hope and pray I find a job that will allow me to pay for a trip to Hawaii within the next five years. I wonder if I got a degree in engineering if I would be on my way to some tropical locale right now?

I have friends who went to college for computer science. I used to think that was a fad that would end when the bubble burst. How wrong I was. One friend is making well over $100,000 and the other, well, he's not too far behind. Both younger than me. Both just getting married. Wow, must be nice. What's a good law school pick up line? "Hey baby, I almost made law review?" I doubt that will go over too well. Most non-law school students have no clue what law review is. It's actually quite amazing how little non-law school students know about the law. And then again, it's pretty amazing how happy many of them seem to be to not know it. I won't be able to say I will know too much about deductions. Maybe it won't be on the test. Maybe I won't be called on. Who knows. Maybe this blog will be therapeutic to me. Maybe it will at least give me something to focus on instead of going to Facebook or spending my loan money to spruce up my dorm.