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Brockton
Student
Elk River, Minnesota
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How much time studying can I expect while pursuing a job as a Lawyer?
Something that I want to be when I am older is a Lawyer. Is there a lot of studying that goes into it? Is the work related to Law hard? What are studying tips that you found to be good?
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Fred Rosenberger
Data Analyst
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St. Louis, MO
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Fred’s Answer
I am not a lawyer, so take what I say with that in mind.
Yes, there is a lot of studying when you are in law school. You will be assigned reading in each class, and the professor may call on anyone at any time and ask questions about it. They often engage you in discussions about it, asking deeper and deeper questions. This includes any and all footnotes, appendixes, or other readings.
Law school is generally three years. As I understand it, you would not have much free time. Then you have to study for and pass the bar exam. This can sometimes be done while working at a law firm. I know some people who studied for the bar for a year before taking it.
Yes, there is a lot of studying when you are in law school. You will be assigned reading in each class, and the professor may call on anyone at any time and ask questions about it. They often engage you in discussions about it, asking deeper and deeper questions. This includes any and all footnotes, appendixes, or other readings.
Law school is generally three years. As I understand it, you would not have much free time. Then you have to study for and pass the bar exam. This can sometimes be done while working at a law firm. I know some people who studied for the bar for a year before taking it.
Amber Lee
Tax Associate
41
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New York, New York
Updated
Amber’s Answer
Hi Brockton! Jumping in as I've gone through law school and can answer your question.
Fred is right in that you probably won't have much free time during law school. Law school classes tend to be very intense, and the type of reading you're going to encounter is not going to be casual reading either -- you're going to have to read critically and be able to parse through an enormous amount of information that may or may not even be relevant. However, your law school experience is going to be what you make of it. Some folks I knew barely studied and they did not participate in any extracurricular activities. They weren't stellar students, but they did okay. I'm of the opinion that you should do your best if you're going to commit 3 years of your life to getting a law degree, especially since it's an expensive commitment.
As for studying tips, it usually depends on your personal preference as different people learn differently. I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all approach, and you will have plenty of opportunity to discover what works for you. When I was in law school, I was constantly pressured by my school to participate in study groups with my peers. While I recognize the value of study groups, I quickly learned it was not the most efficient way for me to study. One thing that worked for me was going through my notes at the end of the semester and creating a clean outline for my final exams.
The bar exam was a complete monster for me. It was mostly rote memorization but completely doable if you set your mind to it and treat studying for it like a job. I had the privilege of not needing to work right after law school, so I studied every day from 9 to 5 for three months and gave myself a few days off for the holidays.
Your learning doesn't stop after law school either. Depending on the area of law you're practicing in, you may need to continuously keep yourself up-to-date on the newest developments so you're not giving your clients advice based on outdated laws.
Legal work is going to be challenging, and your role might be more demanding than others depending on where you end up working. But if you're passionate about legal work, all the hard work that goes into being an attorney should not deter you from reaching your goals. Wishing you the best in your future endeavors!
Fred is right in that you probably won't have much free time during law school. Law school classes tend to be very intense, and the type of reading you're going to encounter is not going to be casual reading either -- you're going to have to read critically and be able to parse through an enormous amount of information that may or may not even be relevant. However, your law school experience is going to be what you make of it. Some folks I knew barely studied and they did not participate in any extracurricular activities. They weren't stellar students, but they did okay. I'm of the opinion that you should do your best if you're going to commit 3 years of your life to getting a law degree, especially since it's an expensive commitment.
As for studying tips, it usually depends on your personal preference as different people learn differently. I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all approach, and you will have plenty of opportunity to discover what works for you. When I was in law school, I was constantly pressured by my school to participate in study groups with my peers. While I recognize the value of study groups, I quickly learned it was not the most efficient way for me to study. One thing that worked for me was going through my notes at the end of the semester and creating a clean outline for my final exams.
The bar exam was a complete monster for me. It was mostly rote memorization but completely doable if you set your mind to it and treat studying for it like a job. I had the privilege of not needing to work right after law school, so I studied every day from 9 to 5 for three months and gave myself a few days off for the holidays.
Your learning doesn't stop after law school either. Depending on the area of law you're practicing in, you may need to continuously keep yourself up-to-date on the newest developments so you're not giving your clients advice based on outdated laws.
Legal work is going to be challenging, and your role might be more demanding than others depending on where you end up working. But if you're passionate about legal work, all the hard work that goes into being an attorney should not deter you from reaching your goals. Wishing you the best in your future endeavors!