Mike
I am currently 4th yr criminology student I have plans to study in law school after my bachelor degree.but I quite not sure can I make it to become lawyer even my grades now in my law subjects of my current course is only passing.? Please reply me it would be a great help to me.thank your ample time to feedback me..
#law I have plans to study in law school after I graduated my degree course criminology.but there's a quiet doubts in me.can I possibly be able to make it and in the law school.even though at this time my grades in my law subjects are only passing..I hope somebody will reply me..I'm from Philippines ..thanks for your ample effort to feedback me.if there's any.
8 answers
Alexandra Grashkina-Hristov
Alexandra’s Answer
Hi Mike,
I think it is great that you are considering law school. Law school is very different from your undergraduate studies and it is also different from what we call the "real world," meaning the practical situations in life where you use your knowledge in the area of law. I would not be concerned about your grades but rather about how you see yourself as a professional. I think it might be helpful if you could do a brief internship with a law office (perhaps as a paralegal?) or just speak with people who have completed their law school studies in order to understand what their day-to-day experience is like. You can also try to visit a law school and ask to sit in on a class and simply listen.
There may be other ways to explore what studying law is like. Ask a career counselor to connect you with alumni from your college who are now in law school. Consider asking around your community as well so you can meet more people with experience and discuss what they have learned.
Also, think about what you want to do. Would you like to focus on criminal law? Juvenile crime programs and rehabilitation, or prosecution of crimes? Are you interested in exploring other areas of law?
Do not rush into making this big decision. Law school is not for everyone and neither is any other type of graduate study. But rest assured that if you have a genuine interest, you will do well even if your grades are not all As.
Good luck,
Alex
Ron S
Ron’s Answer
Law school tests your ability to read, think, and write critically and succinctly. These skills are not exclusive to undergraduate "law" subjects, therefore: No, your performance in those law-related classes do not determine how well you'll fare in law school.
Bem Ramirez
Bem’s Answer
Decide and do the right thing that makes you more alive.
I came from a family of lawyers, but fortunate or unfortunately I pursued what I think am more passionate of doing - world of IT.
There is no easy job actually, you find out how to make your life easier while doing the work.
The grades at all doesn't really define you, What's more important is that you are able to apply it. All the best in your Career Journey!
Donna Hull
Donna’s Answer
There is no shame in altering your career goals or staying the track. Criminology offers such a wide array of opportunities. Is being a lawyer still your passion or during your 4 years did you discover you had a greater aptitude for another area of Criminology.
I hope this helps you focus on what is important to you and make decisions for your future. "Happiness is a journey, not a destination"
Desiree Giler Mann
Desiree’s Answer
There are lots of articles out there that can help you assess the value of law school and factors you should consider (e.g.,
https://www.attorneyatwork.com/is-law-school-worth-it/ ).
As others have suggested, you do not necessarily have to go right from undergrad to law school. I took several years between undergrad to law school and worked in the "real world". That helped me focus on what areas of law interested me, and financially made the cost of law school easier to manage. You could consider working in the field of criminology for a few years to see if you still want to attend law school or if you see other career paths that interest to you. Also, strong performance and real world experience in a field related to law may help to mitigate the undergrad grades.
Desiree recommends the following next steps:
Gwendalyn S. Tolentino
Gwendalyn S.’s Answer
It's great to hear that you are already passionate about pursuing a career in law. You just need to maintain that passion and work extra hard to reach your goal. We will always have doubts in any life changing decisions but if we always second guess ourselves, we will never be able to achieve what we want.
Since you already know your opportunities, I suggest you devote time to work on those. Pay extra attention to the subjects that will be the building blocks for entering law. Develop better study habits and create a framework you can follow in your journey to law school. Find a mentor, a trusted teacher or the guidance counselor, who will be able to objectively provide you feedback on your current academic standing and also give you directions on where to focus.
Trust yourself and believe that you can do whatever you put your mind and heart into. Best of luck!
Nikisha Mercado
Nikisha’s Answer
Kim Igleheart
Kim’s Answer
I think you are right to be concerned. Law school is extremely intense, with a whole lot of reading and studying and not enough time to get it all done.
I encourage you to consider another option. That is, go ahead and get 2-5 years of real world experience. This could be as a civilian in a police department, as an officer, a probation or parole officer, working in a detention facility, etc. This will allow you to see the complexities of the situations you will be dealing with in law. It may also provide tuition assistance for you to continue your education.
If you are then still committed to pursuing law, go back to school for a paralegal certification. Paralegals do a lot of the work for lawyers, and the schooling is not nearly as stressful!