Lawschool?

[Kasuras]

Hey,

I'm currently strongly considering doing lawschool. Because this will be a very important decision in my life, I'd like to have as much information about it as possible. So, to all the lawyers, to-be ones or other people having done lawschool:

-Why have you chosen this particular study?
-What am I expected to know, in general?
-What are the required skills?
-Lawschool is university level in Holland, how does this work in America?
-Do you like it? Why/why not?
-Is it very hard? In what way: lots of insights required or is it all learning?
-What is the main way of learning? Writing essays? Reading books?
-What did you expect from it and how has this changed?
-etc.

So: what are your experiences with this particular study?

I believe there are quite a few people in lawschool at these boards, so I hope to see a lot of experiences.

Thanks in advance,

Kasuras

[Moxlotus]

Law School is a professional school in America.  We go to high school until we are 18.  Undergraduate studies (at a college or university-the same thing as far as I know) is 4 years.  After this, if you have good grades, recommendations, and entrance test score you have the option of applying for a professional school (med/dental/law) or to graduate studies to get a masters and possibly a Ph.D later.

[Royal Ass.]

Thanks for the comprehensive responce to his thread DA.  I recently applied to 12 schools...  The only one I have heard back from so far is Roger Williams in Rd Island.  I got in, but am waiting to hear back from the other 11 before I make my decision.  Things I do to prepare for law school: I write grants now.  I can tell that my writing (technical) has improved a lot from when I was an undergrad.  Grant writing and writing a lot in general (I write a lot of press releases and news articles for my job) builds upon itself and if you keep doing it you will notice your ablity improving greatly.  I also feel that debate in HS was one of the best things for me, even if my debate coach was an ass hole, he was a good teacher. 

Another thing that I has made me at least feel a lot smater is studying italian, which in turn has helped my english vocab.  I'm looking forward to law school.

[PucktheCat]

I agree with everything DA had to say, but I have some additional points.

Reading is as important a skill as writing.  The LSAT is basically a reading and logic test, and 90% of your work in law school will be reading.  Developing reading skills isn't as straightforward as developing writing skills, but it can be done.  If you are looking at undergraduate majors, History, Philosophy, and English all emphasize this skill.

In general, I would suggest thinking about why you want to go to law school.  DA loves law school, and to be honest I really like it too, but many, many people don't.  Your mileage may definately vary.  It is easy to like law school when you do well, don't find it too hard, and get a job fairly early.  That is where I am, and I get the impression DA is coming from there too.  Consider how you will respond if one or more of those factors go against you.

Leo

[nataz]

I'm currently in the process of applying to different schools, huzzah! I'm doing things a little different then most people b/c I'm trying to do a Masters of Marine Science in combonation with my law degree. This means that while I am going through the normal law program, in some ways it is tailored to Marine Law.

-Why have you chosen this particular study?

Because law is the language of nations. It provides channels for interaction between all major actors on the world stage. Because I am interested in international fisheries policy, I would like to be familiar with how that policy is crafted and implemented. 

-What am I expected to know, in general?

In the US you need a B.S. or a B.A. level degree. Generally speaking often times this also means that you get a liberal arts degree, but that isn't always the case. Applicants to Law School have all kinds of undergraduate level degrees. I know from my experience that most of my friends who went to Law School chose either a Liberal Arts degree that would help prepare them mentally for Law School (philo, pre-law (derp), political science etc.) or they majored in the field that they saw themselves practicing law in when they got out (Business, Marine Science (me!), etc) 

-What are the required skills?

Analytical thought, and the ability to express your views in a clear and concise way. Beyond that, speed reading with high comprehension is mad tec though from what I hear.

-Lawschool is university level in Holland, how does this work in America?

ditto

-Do you like it? Why/why not?

ask me in September/December

-Is it very hard? In what way: lots of insights required or is it all learning?

see above

-What is the main way of learning? Writing essays? Reading books?

All of my good undergraduate law prof's have worked the class over pretty hard with the "Socratic" method style of teaching in order to prepare us for law school. One of my classmates called it "abusively interactive" teaching. Lite on the lecture, hard on the out of class reading (mostly old but pertinant case law), and then lots of questions directed at specific students. Scores of written case breifings have also been pretty common for me.

However, take what I say with a grain of salt as this has been all prep work so far.

Something important though

In general, I would suggest thinking about why you want to go to law school.  DA loves law school, and to be honest I really like it too, but many, many people don't.  Your mileage may definately vary.

I dont have them on hand, but I have heard redic numbers on people finnishing law school, and then not actauly practicing law long term. Its a lot of money and time to invest if you arent really happy doing it. 

***
edit,
wow, spell check mad destroyed my post, ill edit it later

[Kasuras]

As you probably guessed, I'm in Holland; so there probably are a few differences here and there. One difference apparently is that our universities don't require you to do any tests. So: if I want to go to lawschool, I'm in.

I was planning on doing an arts study before this; but soon noticed that drawing, or any other form of art, wasn't really something I liked because the medium (paper and pencils) limited my ability to translate my thoughts into something concrete. Sounds abstract, I know, but it comes down to the fact that I found out that I don't like and can't draw that good.

So I went looking into other media to translate my thoughts with, and came to the simplest of all: words, or characters actually. I found it important to do something where I could think a lot and easily share that knowledge with others: maths for example was, and is, another contender. The thinking process itself and letting other people in to that process is primary for me, the way I'm doing that is really secondary.

Then I went to my careers officer and got a test, and all the results were professions that required lawschool. And because I didn't really know what to expect from that, I asked here.


I think I will like lawschool because my capabilities really tend to lean towards such a study, which was proved by aforementioned test. I'm also fairly good in maths, and I want something where I could use that knowledge or the math's way of thinking; lawschool seems to be that.

Thanks for the answers to my questions, it has definitely helped.