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May 23, 2003

When you grow up

Sorting. Selling. Packing. Moving. iBook freaking. Posts will likely be sporadic for the next couple of weeks until things settle down a little and the computer decides to behave. (For the first time in 1.5 years, my computer is freezing and crashing; I have no idea why this is but it makes me very, very unhappy. I'll wipe the hard drive and start over when I get a chance...)

For now, here's a question for everyone in law school or headed there soon: How long have you thought you wanted to practice law?

The question arises from Gary A. Munneke and William D. Henslee's article on using a legal education for a non-legal career [link via jd2b a few weeks ago]. Munneke and Henslee write:

No one ever completely escapes that childhood question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" As long as the answer to this question is "a practicing lawyer," it will be difficult to find satisfaction outside the practice of law. Similarly, if the answer to the question never has been "a practicing lawyer," it will be difficult to find happiness within. An honest self-appraisal focusing on your fundamental aspirations in life is useful. As simple as it sounds, law graduates who choose a nonlegal career because that's what they want to do are most likely to succeed.

I'm headed to law school, yet I'm not sure I've ever wanted to be a practicing lawyer. I know I certainly never thought so as a child, and I'm far from sure about it now. Thoughts?

Posted May 23, 2003 06:12 PM | law school


I have always wanted to be a practicing lawyer. I want to go to trial and try cases in front of a jury. I know it's not like it is on T.V., nevertheless I've always been fascinated. I like the idea of preparing a case, finding background information and cases,preparing arguments and...winning. I know that litigaition is not exactly glamorous and it's a lot of work, but when I'm at work, I like to work hard.

DG

P.S. Growing up and working for a living are both overrated!

P.P.S *must resist iBook joke*

Posted by: DG at May 27, 2003 08:09 AM

I thought about being a lawyer a few times before law school. I never really liked the idea of being a trial lawyer, but the law itself seemed interesting. And now that I'm in law school, I'm finding out that it's more interesting than I could have hoped. I'm still not sure if I'll be a trial lawyer. I could be perfectly happy doing research all day. We'll see how my opinion changes after my Trial Advocacy class.

Posted by: Janeway at May 29, 2003 04:42 PM

Always. Always, always, always. Screwed around in college, had to go to grad school to make up for it, and realize that I need to pursue what makes me happy. So far.....well, time will tell, won't it?

Posted by: greg at May 29, 2003 06:02 PM

I'm not sure when it started...maybe in high school, when I first had a really interesting history class, including legal history. It made me want to be a part of that.

Posted by: miscellaureous at June 8, 2003 06:45 PM

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