Don't drop out

Don't let 1 semester kill all your hard work

6/30/2008 11:09:59 PM

OHi2U

6/30/2008 11:49:06 PM

Quote :

"Don't let 1 semester kill all your hard work"

Agreed.

7/1/2008 5:46:43 AM

You have to do what is best for you...if you don't want to become a lawyer or don't think that borrowing this much money to get your law degree (just to get a better job) is worth it, then yes, it is probably best to drop out. However if you want to become a lawyer or think that a law degree will pay off, then stay and work harder. It's gut check time!

7/6/2008 4:11:29 PM

On the other hand I have chosen places to apply to for next summer, some of which are in Charlotte and some of which are in Raleigh. We will see how things go, and if all else fails, I could always work for free another summer. Smoke 'em if you got 'em!

7/6/2008 4:15:51 PM

i guess i am staying in. i mean i realized my gpa isn't THAT horrible. it was just sort of a shock after first semester. oh well, can't win them all went from a 3.5 to a 3.2. meh. oh well.

7/7/2008 3:49:41 PM

The moment you graduate you will be so glad you stayed in.

7/7/2008 7:28:45 PM

^ and a 3.2 isn't that bad at all, but then again, I can't remember what yalls grading curve is.

7/7/2008 8:49:53 PM

Quote :

"Don't let 1 semester kill all your hard work"

you mean the 1 OTHER SEMESTER of hard work?

I am a rising 2L and hate every minute. It is very true that if you think back to the kids you hated most in highschool, suprise, they are going to be your new classmates for the next three years. Then you graduate and become a monkey paperboy who lives to clean up others messes.

7/22/2008 6:21:46 PM

where are you in school again?

i'm a rising 2L as well. and i hate every minute. i hate all the people. and theres no way in hell i want to practice law.

7/22/2008 11:53:51 PM

wake forest.

Other thing, if you do make the mistake and go to law school, always go where the scholarships are, fuck where you want to practice...

7/23/2008 6:52:32 AM

so you hate it? why are you staying?

yea i agree. go where you have $$$.

7/23/2008 3:15:52 PM

I'm a rising 2L at UF Law and I've really enjoyed law school up to this point. Sure there are some people that aren't the best, but there are a lot of really cool/intelligent people too...become friends with them. I want to practice law and so far I've enjoyed the experience.

7/23/2008 11:44:04 PM

^ Me too. Glad to see this thread isn't just full of haters. I'm working towards something I've always wanted to do.

7/23/2008 11:49:57 PM

Alot of people go for the wrong reasons, or just think its guaranteed success. I hate the work load, but actually enjoyed law school. Great people, great friends, great moments, great challenges, great failures, great depression, but great victories and moments as well.

The worse is studying for this damn Bar. But in a week I will be done, and hopefully will be just waiting for my celebration of passing the bar. Then I get to start enjoying life the way I wanted.

If you decide to go to law school, go b/c you want to go. Go b/c your interested. Don't go b/c of your family, for money, or b/c you like Law and Order.

I am more the exception that the rule though, b/c I originally went for money and I knew I could make more when a JD, and surprise-I will be alot more with my JD. I already got job lined up, and was not even in the top 30-40% of my class but I worked fucking hard and put in my time.


III

7/24/2008 10:33:16 AM

i went because i wanted to go and have been beaten down into an apathetic pessimist with no hope for humanity.

i'd say go for the money. at least then you have something to motivate you. if you go because you want to, you enjoy the subject matter, or you want to help people, you'll just get beaten down and hate it and hate all the people. everyone that i know is there because they want money or success. and they're still motivated. i went because i wanted to help people (i never wanted money, i always wanted to be a public defender) and i hate it and want to quit. but i also think i picked the wrong school. maybe if i had chosen a place with a program more relevant to my interests, i wouldn't feel that way. or maybe it is just the private school crowd. i realize there are slimy vultures in all law schools, but they seem to be more prevalent in my program. which is funny because 1/2 the kids in my program didn't get into another law school. PERIOD. yet the walk around with a giant chip on their shoulder like they're at harvard or something. give me a fucking break.

then i hear stories about people actually enjoying law school and i'm just baffled. i don't mind the workload and i don't mind the courses. what i mind are the people. i cannot make it through a class without wanting to stab myself in the neck. i can't stand the brown nosing little assholes that i'm supposed to be learning from via the socratic method. and i can't stand the professors that actually buy into the show the little brown nosing assholes are putting on. great, the professor knows your name. but everyone else knows the question you just asked came right out of the case notes book. WHY?? because we all have that book hidden in our laps underneath the desk, too.

all i've gotten out of law school is that it doesn't matter what you know, but who you know. i'm sure that is true in most careers to an extent. but in law, it just seems like a race to see who can kiss the most ass. honestly, my faith in the human race has been reduced about 95%. thanks, law school. you are breeding some fabulous members of society.

/rant.

oh and to clarify, i was in the top 20% of my class and i'm still in the top half after year one. so its not like i'm sitting at the bottom of the class and i'm just whining about it. i wanted to drop out after first semester when i was 18th in my class. but i got peer pressured to stay in. and now i'm stuck in a vulturous hellhole.

[Edited on July 24, 2008 at 2:36 PM. Reason : .]

7/24/2008 2:33:59 PM

Man it sounds like your skool sucks donkey ass. Sorry to say, but the majority of my peoples at NC Central thoroughly enjoy one another. Of course we have those brown nosing kiss asses like you said, but we just laugh them off and play them as the joke lol. You are definitely right in saying that about the professors that gobble that shit up.

Maybe I am lucky that my professors actually called people out on that type of behavior. I really feel bad for your school man. I must say, I was pessimistic about human virtue before coming to law school, but law skool did reaffirm it lol.

Sounds like you got a tough road and decision to make. Oh yeah, law school is def about who you know, and who you got contacts with. But I did work 3 years before coming, and the same was true outside the walls of academia (with much worse consequences).

Good luck, hope you find some joy somewhere. If not, don't t take it out your clients. That might be a violation of Rules of Professional Conduct.


III

7/24/2008 2:58:21 PM

^^ If you were interested in public service you should have come to Central. It's the most affordable law school and has a great program for those interested in public service. Also, I think you'd find most of the students are good people and not the brown-nosing slimeballs you describe. There may be a few people at Central like that, but the vast majority are there just to learn and make friends. And anytime someone has a problem or trouble understanding a concept, anyone you ask will gladly sit down with you and help you understand it. I actually began to think that the would be lawyers you are describing were a myth. Of course that's just my experience at Central, but I love it!

[Edited on July 24, 2008 at 3:08 PM. Reason : ^]

7/24/2008 3:07:44 PM

I know I know ugh. I wanted to transfer to Central but I (I'm at Elon) bought a stupid condo in Greensboro and as we are all well aware the housing market isn't good. Ugh...so it would have been expensive for me to move as well. Either I'd have to rent it w/ monthly rent below the mortgage payment or sell it for below what I bought it for. So a costly decision. I should have gone to Central. I really really should have gone there. I wish I did. Biggest mistake ever not going there. I've heard such good things from all my friends that go there and I have a few friends that will be entering this fall. Sucks so much...for me...not them obviously.

^^ Haha I won't take my frustrations out on clients. I a) don't know if i'm going to finish and b) if I do there's no way in hell i'm practicing. I cannot deal with people like this for the rest of my life. they are sucking out my soul!!

7/24/2008 3:19:35 PM

Omi my fellow Central Alum Dead on there. This is getting pathetic, I was putting in 14-16 solid hours a day studying for the Damn Bar, but I am down to like 6-8 if I am lucky. Just tired of studying, and damn practice problems and essays can kiss my ass.

Ok, Imma go study for a about 20-30 more minutes and be back on TWW to see whats new.


III

7/24/2008 3:25:22 PM

Quote :

"maybe it is just the private school crowd. i realize there are slimy vultures in all law schools, but they seem to be more prevalent in my program."

yeah, i go to a private school, and experience some of the same... just stay in and not of it, y'know? I'm not here to make friends, but i've made a few and I cherish the hell out of them. The rest, eh, I'll let the real world knock them on their ass.

just keep you happy. keep YOU satisfied. the others are completely and totally self-absorbed, and there's no changing that. the key, though, is to be self-reliant (of which they are not) and muscle through it. you can do it.

7/24/2008 5:13:36 PM

good luck to everyone studying for the Bar!!

it's almost over

7/24/2008 10:27:03 PM

^^ its true its true. i'm just really really dreading going back. i opted to do something completely un law related this summer (much to everyone's dismay haha) and i guess the reality that school starts in 3 weeks is setting in. and i'm going to be in for another lonely year with those people. at least i'm not scared shitless this time. i don't know which is better though: being an ignorant yet frightened 1L OR knowing exactly what you're in for as a 2L.


does everyone here want to practice?

7/24/2008 10:38:18 PM

Quote :

"does everyone here want to practice?"

It's the reason I went to law school. My dad has been a practicing attorney in Raleigh for over 30 years. He's suggested having me take over his practice once I graduate because he's getting to that retired age. He does criminal defense though and I'm not sure it's what I'll want to do forever. But there are always people needing those attorneys so I'm hoping it will at least assure me some business upon graduation. Plus my mom and both by brothers are real estate agents and have told me they can probably send me some business with regards to closings, though they aren't happening as much lately...

Also, one of my friends at Central lives in Burlington and commutes every day. That's about the same distance as Greensboro isn't it? I mean if he can make it work with a wife and a new baby, surely you can if you really want to.

7/24/2008 11:37:03 PM

A friend of mine commutes from burlington to duke. Its doable but her gas bills are astronomical.

7/26/2008 12:39:26 PM

i'll only practice if I have no other options.

I got my JD to open doors for me, not get pigeonholed.

7/26/2008 1:44:47 PM

Quote :

"The moment you graduate you will be so glad you stayed in."

Not really, that is where the real fun starts. You immediately start PMBR the next day and go into Barbri. Other than the materials, I found PMBR and Barbri to be a waste of money. Then you spend the next two months studying your butt off. You can't eat, sleep, clean or function as a normal adult.

Also, go ahead and download the bar exams that are online now, they take them down. It is refreshing to know that you can get the right answer for a completely wrong reason and have your answer used as a model answer online.

7/26/2008 3:44:48 PM

i feel like i should just slit my wrists now.

i mean seriously. this shit sucks.

7/26/2008 5:39:25 PM

7/27/2008 12:54:14 AM

khcadwal, your 2nd year will be much better than your first. The people that were really shady your first year will mellow out a bit. the material gets a lot more interesting than first year. First year is all foundational and largely useless on a day to day basis, in my opinion.

I worked for a very large North Carolina DA's office this summer and loved every minute of it, except for my first week. Everyone, for the most part, is really cool. That includes the prosecutors, the public defenders, and the defense attorneys. After this summer, I can't imagine practicing law and not being able to try cases. We had an Elon student this summer, so they are looking at you guys. Other than him it was about 50/50 NCCU and UNC. No one from Campbell, Duke, Wake, or Charlotte. It's fairly competitive, everyone is top 25% from their respective schools.

Give it some time, try to get a position next summer where you are actually practicing law. You have to work for free, but you will literally get more trial experience than most attorneys who have been practicing for 10 years. It's really fun having to think on your feet (even if I am not very good at it), and trying and winning cases against experienced attorneys. It's hard to believe that you can make a great living doing something that's so fun. There are literally a dozen or so criminal defense attorneys that are making close to 800 a year in this particular county alone. There are countless others making in the low 100's. It takes years of hard work, but you can get there and have fun doing it. Some people that come through as defendant's don't deserve a second chance and a lot of the traffic stuff is kinda stupid, but for the most part you can feel good knowing that you are helping someone to "wake up" and get their shit together.


In other words, cheer up, things will get better. Stay out of the high school culture that is law school and just work hard and you will be fine. This too will pass.

Sorry for the blog.

7/27/2008 10:34:37 AM

I sincerely enjoy law school. I have met a lot of cool people that have resulted in good friendships. As many before me have said, there are those brown nosing SOBs, but everyone at my school (App. School of Law) just kinda laughs them off; in many classes, professors included. Law school is definitely a click-ish subculture, but if you become friends with the right people, then law school can be a fun experience. I hope that it works out for you!

I definitely want to practice upon graduating. The only way that I would not practice is if I came across some sweet governmental job. (since there are no such jobs...haha...practice it is)

For those thinking about law school -- don't go because of the money, law school is expensive and lawyers are starting to become a dime/dozen; don't go because of family, unless they are paying for it and have you a job lined up, otherwise you will be stuck with the loans and finding a job. ONLY go if you sincerely want to go, whether it be because you want to further your education and think that a JD will realistically open up more doors or because you want to practice.

Well, I made Dean's List and think that I am ranked in the top 25%! Things are looking up (knock on wood)!

7/28/2008 11:47:31 AM

The sad thing is all the people above who loved law school are, most likely, the assholes everyone else hates.

Those people who said they dreamed of being lawyers their whole lives. TRANSLATION: "I was an annoying, argumentative bastard as a kid, so people told me I should be a lawyer and here I am. I have no social skills to speak of, and on top of that, sometimes I even go for poor hygiene as well..."

granted, whoever up above said that with the dad as a lawyer probably didn't experience that, but most people in lawschool did.

If I was better at finding humor in the situation, I would be laughing my ass off every day. I can't count how many pompous losers exist in lawschool.

7/29/2008 10:41:07 AM

Quote :

"all i've gotten out of law school is that it doesn't matter what you know, but who you know. i'm sure that is true in most careers to an extent. but in law, it just seems like a race to see who can kiss the most ass."

Did you seriously go to law school without watching Legally Blonde first?

7/29/2008 12:11:53 PM

Quote :

"The sad thing is all the people above who loved law school are, most likely, the assholes everyone else hates. Those people who said they dreamed of being lawyers their whole lives. TRANSLATION: "I was an annoying, argumentative bastard as a kid, so people told me I should be a lawyer and here I am. I have no social skills to speak of, and on top of that, sometimes I even go for poor hygiene as well..." granted, whoever up above said that with the dad as a lawyer probably didn't experience that, but most people in lawschool did. If I was better at finding humor in the situation, I would be laughing my ass off every day. I can't count how many pompous losers exist in lawschool."

Right, just because I happen to enjoy law school and I happen to have a good attitude about it makes me one of "those" people. Just because you obviously couldn't hack it and find a way to enjoy yourself doesn't mean anyone else who could is one of those assholes everyone else hates at law school. Plenty of people that I know at UF law, ranging from ones who made law review to the lower end of the spectrum, still have found a way to enjoy the experience and keep a good attitude about it all. It's your fault and your fault only for not finding a way to do better on exams, enjoy the experience, or make meaningful friends, not law school as an institution or your fellow classmates. Of course there are pompous assholes/gunners at law school, people get sort of ridiculous around exam time, and there's some dumbass drama...but it's kind of par for the course.

I don't understand the argument that you shouldn't go to law school because other people are arrogant, why does that factor in? For one thing it can't be possible that everyone is a pompous prick. Second, why even bother hanging out with people like that, it's not like there aren't good people in law school...I'd say most are.

Classes/Professors are tough and the curve can be brutal at times, but you knew that coming into law school. It's up to you to work your ass off and learn how to write a law school exam.

Anyway, as I've said before I really do enjoy law school at the University of Florida and may even extend it into 4 years by pursuing an LLM. Not every things been perfect, but it's been a great experience so far...I will admit that it is kind of hard to complain with the sports teams we have!...Go Gators!

7/29/2008 3:25:17 PM

Quote :

"Just because you obviously couldn't hack it "

I am doing just fine in my classes. My complaints have nothing to do with my academic performance or my future job possiblities.

This guy is a great example however, of the pompous douchebags in law school. If I don't like law school, it must be my fault and I must be failing out and can't hack it.

Thank you for making my job of proving that law school is full of kids who suck at life that much easier.

7/29/2008 7:19:47 PM

Hahahahahahaha...ok fine if having a realistic perspective, good attitude, and actually liking law school (gasp!) makes me a pompous asshole, I guess I am

7/30/2008 12:35:03 AM

Quote :

"Of course there are pompous assholes/gunners at law school, people get sort of ridiculous around exam time, and there's some dumbass drama...but it's kind of par for the course. "

I'm sorry, somehow I just expected that students who came to law school would be able to function as adults, and that the administration would treat them like adults. At my law school, neither is the case.

^ just go to the bar with your buddies, get drunk (off one or two beers) and start arguing points of law. What makes you a pompous asshole is that your response was basically that I must be a failure at lawschool and I couldn't handle it. Thus, that must be why I dislike the school and other students. Nice assumption there chief.

7/30/2008 5:01:22 AM

Finished with the Bar....oh its real!!!


III

7/31/2008 10:00:24 AM

congrats Biggz.


Where is the Summer NC bar?

7/31/2008 10:07:19 AM

NC State Fair grounds, so it was nice to have home field advantage.


III

7/31/2008 12:27:45 PM

Congrats on the bar!

And as for...

Quote :

"The sad thing is all the people above who loved law school are, most likely, the assholes everyone else hates. Those people who said they dreamed of being lawyers their whole lives. TRANSLATION: "I was an annoying, argumentative bastard as a kid, so people told me I should be a lawyer and here I am. I have no social skills to speak of, and on top of that, sometimes I even go for poor hygiene as well..." granted, whoever up above said that with the dad as a lawyer probably didn't experience that, but most people in lawschool did. If I was better at finding humor in the situation, I would be laughing my ass off every day. I can't count how many pompous losers exist in lawschool."

Enjoying law school does not mean that I am a pompous asshole. It means that I am at a school that fits my life. And if your next comment would be that I am at a school that is full of pompous assholes, you are far from the truth. App. School of Law is far from full of pompous assholes. I hate that you aren't having a good law school experience, but don't blame that on everyone else.

7/31/2008 3:01:10 PM

Quote :

"I'm sorry, somehow I just expected that students who came to law school would be able to function as adults, and that the administration would treat them like adults. At my law school, neither is the case. "

YES. i feel you

7/31/2008 5:33:10 PM

While the bar was not fun, it was not that bad. Preparing for it was far worse than actually taking the thing. They recycled an old essay question and added on an extra line. I can't believe people just quit after the morning sessions of the bar exam. You paid at least $600 to take the test, at least draw pictures.

I think Arab is talking about the type of students that the best part of their life will be law school and making themselves feel above others verses the types of students that enjoy law school, but do not take themselves too seriously. I think law school attracts certain people that can't be happy if they do not have something to complain about.

8/17/2008 10:57:53 PM

Arab13, you're the one complaining and moaning about law school and how much it sucks cause of all the assholes. Yet you state:

Quote :

"The sad thing is all the people above who loved law school are, most likely, the assholes everyone else hates."

You're the only asshole in this thread. Stop being a baby and a hypocrite.

Also stop being a downer. It's not ok to be an "asshole," but being a downer is?

8/18/2008 10:52:59 AM

The first day of my FINAL YEAR.


thank god.

8/25/2008 10:48:07 AM

gg Axl

8/25/2008 12:15:16 PM

I'm thinkin about law school b/c I want to know more about law; but I don't want to go to school full time.

8/28/2008 3:13:31 AM

http://web.nccu.edu/law/academics/evening.html

8/28/2008 7:52:25 AM

nccu the only one that has part time law school?

8/28/2008 4:11:02 PM

the only one between here and atlanta...methinks

8/28/2008 11:09:06 PM