Is Law School Right for You?

I never thought law school was “right” for me. Although I had an attorney in the family, I never grew up watching Suits; I was not on the debate team in college; and, I never pictured myself being in a court room (and still don’t). However, it turns out law school was the perfect decision for me.  

In my first year out of undergrad, I was intrigued by the idea of law school, but again, thought it was not for me. I didn’t even like to read! But something pulled me in, so I figured I would study for the LSAT. 

Tip #1: Take the LSAT

I had heard that the LSAT was a great predictor of future success in law school, and that the skills used for the test were highly transferrable; so I figured, why not? And, although I must admit my disdain for reading did not entirely diminish, I loved studying for the LSAT. Every logical reasoning and logic games question felt like a new puzzle to be solved, and even reading comprehension did not seem so bad once I felt like I was reading for a purpose.  

In taking the LSAT (only three times!), I got a preview of what law school, specifically 1L, would really be like. The LSAT and the first year of law school required a number of similar skills: familiarizing yourself quickly with a topic you have never heard of, improvising an understanding of words based on their location in a sentence, using logical reasoning to eliminate impossible situations and derive truth, and identifying conclusions. All of this excited me when I studied for the LSAT, and for the first time, I began to understand why law school may be right for me. 

Tip #2: Look at the Career Options

Despite enjoying the LSAT, I remained worried about my career after law school. I was excited to study the law, but I had no interest in being in a courtroom. What do lawyers do besides sue and get sued? Well, it turns out, a lot. Besides being litigators, lawyers can build a career through working on business transactions, drafting and negotiating the documents in an M&A agreement or an IPO, for instance. Lawyers also provide private tax or trust and estate advice. They are also at the forefront of providing regulatory advice to businesses, and even conducting corporate investigations on the company’s behalf. And these are just to name a few of the career paths that lawyers can find (most of which I had never heard of before going to law school).  

So, if you’re unsure if law school is right for you, figure out two things: whether you like the skills required and whether you are interested in the potential career outcomes. Know that the latter is far more expansive than simply being a litigator.  

If you need more advice, please reach out to our Admissions Consulting team at PowerScore!