So I decided that I will highly consider going to Law School if I somehow were to get accepted into Miami, UF or FSU.

 

I really have no idea what the prerequisites are for such an undertaking, but I do know that the LSAT is a vital aspect in any potential path to law school. I know some of you are attorney's in the making, so I just wanted to pose a general question

 

How far in advance of the test should I start preparing? I don't even know how to prepare (I'll inquire once I get back to FSU in January). I still have 1.5 years left of undergrad so I assume I'll be taking the LSAT sometime next year if I were to attempt it.

 

Any pointers or advice you guys might have would be highly welcome. Thanks.

well, here's my personal lsat tale.

 

i took it last february. started studying in mid december, using the princeton review and kaplan books. that was more than enough preparation for me, and to be honest i think the classes would have been a waste of money though i guess they do help some people.

 

if you're a junior you should probably look into taking it this june if you want to start law school directly after undergrad. that way if you do well you can send in your apps promptly in the fall and if you don't do as well as you had hoped you could re-take the test next october. now if you were planning on taking time off between law school and undergrad (that's what i'm doing - working for a year before starting law school) then you can be more flexible with when you want to take the test.

 

also, there are really no pre-requisite classes for law school like there are for med school, though it strongly helps to be a good writer. for example the miami application will ask you for examples of papers, thesis, etc. that you have written and why they show your ability to write well, formulate/support an argument, etc.

Thanks, I'll definitely look into taking it this summer...However, I'll be leaving for Spain in May (until August) so I wonder if I can take it either before I leave or just after I return?

 

I actually write fairly well. My forte is generally fictional literature, but I do well with essays and articles. I think I'll probably go straight into Law School from undergrad, I don't really want to take any time off b/w schooling.

I should apply for law school some day.

 

 

UT-Austin take me on!!!!

there is also no interview process of any kind for law school

http://www.lawstudentparadise.com/forums/pre-law-discussion/

 

This is a great resource for those of us interested in Law School. It goes through the calculi for where to apply and puts you in contact with people who've already gone through the rigmarole of applying. Check it out.

so what you're saying is Im gonna be busting my back doing Physical Therapy school at USF... but I'd probably have an easier time with law? Dang, just when I thought I had things figured out...

i wonder who on average makes more after they are done with their education.

 

 

doctors or lawyers?

 

 

hmm.

i wonder who on average makes more after they are done with their education.

 

 

doctors or lawyers?

 

 

hmm.

 

Not teachers. :thumbdown

i wonder who on average makes more after they are done with their education.

 

 

doctors or lawyers?

 

 

hmm.

Clearly lawyers. It takes a very special breed of humans to commit all of the effort to go to medical school. That's why the screening process, undergrad requirements, etc. are so difficult.

 

i dont know what that has to do with average income but ok!

 

i wonder who on average makes more after they are done with their education.

 

 

doctors or lawyers?

 

 

hmm.

 

Not teachers. :thumbdown

 

 

 

i dont recall asking about them.

 

and it depends on where you teach also.

i wonder who on average makes more after they are done with their education.

 

 

doctors or lawyers?

 

 

hmm.

 

Not teachers. :thumbdown

 

 

 

i dont recall asking about them.

 

and it depends on where you teach also.

 

You didn't mention them, I just wanted to put my piece in.

i wonder who on average makes more after they are done with their education.

 

 

doctors or lawyers?

 

 

hmm.

Clearly lawyers. It takes a very special breed of humans to commit all of the effort to go to medical school. That's why the screening process, undergrad requirements, etc. are so difficult.

There are high profile ridiculously wealthy lawyers just like there are ridiculously wealthy plastic surgeons. And there are also public defenders who make chump change, and doctors in walk-in clinics who make chump change.

 

So it's probably fairly similar. Many doctors and lawyers don't even make $100k a year.

What I said has a lot to do with average income. Residents make practically no money at all, have to work nights, weekends, not too mention at least 60-80 hours per week.

 

On top of that, malpractrice insurance for MDs is so ridiculously high in some states that the net money earned hardly equals the time and effort put into the profession.

 

It takes a very special kind of person to become a doctor. And that's unfortunate because we have far too many lawyers and far too few doctors.

 

law clerks make squat as well.

 

its what you sign up for, fact of life in the medical field and well for the teaching field for that matter.

 

Lawyers are the spawn of the devil anway :cool

 

Bottom line is that there are a ton of rich doctors and lawyers.

 

 

Still would love to know which has the highest average income when putting them all together.

What I said has a lot to do with average income. Residents make practically no money at all, have to work nights, weekends, not too mention at least 60-80 hours per week.

 

On top of that, malpractrice insurance for MDs is so ridiculously high in some states that the net money earned hardly equals the time and effort put into the profession.

 

It takes a very special kind of person to become a doctor. And that's unfortunate because we have far too many lawyers and far too few doctors.

I don't know how you can say there are too few doctors... if you open up the phone book and you'll find 50 pages of doctors in every specialty under the sun.

ya and just like there are people out there who cant afford good doctors, there are plenty of people who need a lawyer but cant afford a good lawyer.

 

 

it goes both ways really.

i wonder who on average makes more after they are done with their education.

 

 

doctors or lawyers?

 

 

hmm.

On average, doctors make A LOT more than lawyers.

 

In terms of an income "floor," the least-paid doctors still make significantly more than the least-paid lawyers.

 

Of course a lot of that is because the job description for someone with a law degree can be pretty varied.

Yeah, there's infinite types of law just like there's infinite type of medicine. It happens. Assistant DAs and public defendants get pretty limited salaries.

i wonder who on average makes more after they are done with their education.

 

 

doctors or lawyers?

 

 

hmm.

On average, doctors make A LOT more than lawyers.

 

In terms of an income "floor," the least-paid doctors still make significantly more than the least-paid lawyers.

 

Of course a lot of that is because the job description for someone with a law degree can be pretty varied.

 

 

 

thank you.

 

and that pretty much ends this stupid arguement. its tougher to get into medical school, you have to do a lot. you get paid a lot more on average.

 

risk/reward.

 

or maybe el penguino is just bitter about something and likes to complain!

 

Yeah, there's infinite types of law just like there's infinite type of medicine. It happens. Assistant DAs and public defendants get pretty limited salaries.

 

pretty limited aka less than peanuts.

I work at the circulation desk at the UF law school library and man, those people are all so miserable. I'm sure it's worth it though in the end. Good luck to you.

Oh, and Das, I love the way you are so quick to accept other people's generalizations and not mine.

 

To me it sounds like you are the one who is bitter about something.

 

not really.

 

 

i'm not the one who started whining about the hardships doctors have to go through especially in their schooling.

EL, law school can be good choice but it isn't something you should just jump into. Unless you go to the top schools in the country(top 20 or so), you have to be the top of your class to get the firm jobs. This gets adjusted for locality. For example, if you go to school in Florida and want to stay in Florida, then you have more leeway with Florida firms. If you go to a better school in Florida, you also have a better shot. People think working as DA or public defender for a big city is easy but those jobs are really competitive too depending on where you want to go.

 

Going to law school in itself is no promise of a good life and in fact there are way too many law schools with too many law students all over the country. It's a huge problem that really needs to be addressed.

 

If you are thinking about it, don't just jump into it. It's a big decision and you should know what you are getting into. I would look into working in a firm for a few years or networking with people who are lawyers and can give you good advice.

 

As far as the process goes, it's relatively simple. Take the LSAT, have a good GPA, and apply.

 

Like I said, the biggest problem is not getting into law school. Some law school out there will have no problem taking your money. It's getting a job out of law school which is a product of the school you go to, how succesful you are in school, and the place you want to work.

 

I went to Tulane which is respected top tier but no Stanford or Georgetown, graduated around top 1/3rd of my class, and probably could have gotten a job in New Orleans but chose to go for DC which is one of the toughest legal markets along the lines of New York, Chicago and Boston. I'm clerking for a judge and am in good shape from here on out but it was an extremely painful process.

 

Like I said, do a lot of research before you go to school.

Well I plan on staying in Florida after college if I do pursue this avenue. I currently go to FSU, and I would only go to FSU, UF or UM Law School. My current cumulative GPA is around 3.3 but I have another 1.5 years to raise it (and it's been going up steadily). I already have tons of connections in South Florida as far as law goes, and while I wouldn't rely on that to get me a choice job, I will definitely utilitize that if it permits.

I think if I ever went to law school, it would have to be Texas or maybe, maybe SMU (and it pains me to say this, as it would mean more time I would have to spend in that lovely town I hate)

f_m (or anyone else who has gone through the law school process and gotten a job afterwards)

 

i've already turned in my applications, heard back from many schools, and i've got a pretty good idea of my options. my question to you is whether or not it is better to take a ton of money, in some cases a full scholarship, at a t3 or t4 as opposed to borrowing all the money at a t1 or t2. the t3/t4 that have given me scholarships are in cities i want to work/live in (minneapolis and milwaukee) whereas the t1 and t2 are much better schools (miami, ohio st, indiana) but in areas that i'd rather not live if necessary. this all becomes moot, i guess, if i get into iowa or wisconsin but i don't think that's gonna happen, or at least before i get waitlisted. basically i'd like to know if from your experience it's nearly impossible to get a good job as a lawyer in a reputable firm straight out of law school coming from a t3/t4, as i've heard from some people, or if it's still quite possible if you're located in a big city and finish towards the top of your class (which i believe i can do at these t3/t4's). if you've got any insight on this i'd appreciate it. thanks.

I heard they just opened up the first ever fully accredited ONLINE law school, I think it's called Concord Law School. I can't imagine you would ever be hired at any half decent law firm with that on your resume.