I really need advice from people already in law school/graduated. PLEASE.

[dft]

And I agree that my family wants me to be happy, but that they have the wrong ideas about what brings happiness. For them its money. While money would be nice, I feel like I need something more.

If your family wants you to have money, I'm surprised they haven't recommended marrying a rich guy.  That's what you should do if you don't want to go to law school - it will be much easier.   

[rach33]

Haha, yeah marrying rich would be easy. But somehow I feel like depending on someone else for $$ is scarier than going to law school when I don't want to!!

[dft]

Well you won't have to "depend" on him if you make your own money.

Also, you seem intelligent, attractive and driven.  This leads me to infer that a) you'll make decent/good money even without the law degree and b) you'll attract plenty of successful, (physically and socially) attractive men, due to these qualities.

Haha, yeah marrying rich would be easy. But somehow I feel like depending on someone else for $$ is scarier than going to law school when I don't want to!!

[giraffe205]

I tend to agree w/ the first post by zemog. It's hard to imagine that three years of law school will ruin your life. You are not having a baby or doing anything that you can't correct. If you don't like it, you typically have about a week to receive a full refund, and it decreases from there. Then again... you'd be surprised at just how great law school can be. You'll meet interesting people. You'll be examining issues that you've always wondered in the back of your mind but were too lazy to look up. You'll look at the world differently and learn to think and write better. You'll be able to understand the legal terminology for (proposed) statutes. And even if you abstain from a career in politics or the law, it'll just help you tremendously. 

I'm sure that you can be sucessful doing whatever normal job. However, politics is not your average job. You need the kind of expertise and training that only a law degree can give you.

[dft]

You'll be examining issues that you've always wondered in the back of your mind but were too lazy to look up.

I can see the brochure now: "At _____ law school, you will examine issues that you've always wondered about but were too lazy to look up." 

 

[rapunzel]

Money does not equal happiness.  Money can buy options and oppurtunities which might lead to personal fullfilment, but there is no guarentee for happiness.  Your family would probably feel better knowing you are financially secure, but they don't have to live your life and finacially secure is a relative term. 

You have to make a decision, and it should not be based on what your family will say or how they will react.  I am thinking of a few women I knew who got married because even though they knew it was not right, they were afraid of the public falling out if the broke an engagement.  Going to LS isn't quite as big of a commitment, but it is still not something to do for someone else.  Wait until you are ready if you ever become ready.  I love LS, but I know too many people who are completely miserable, but they don't want to be quitters, so they trudge through.  But they are truly unhappy.

Yes, it will be scary to throw yourself into the abyss of not having a plan.  When driven people take a turn that leaves them without a plan for once, it is very hard.  But you will find something to do.  If you like it, that's wonderful.  If you don't, law school will wait for you.  Work for a year.  Support yourself without help from mom and dad.  Consider other grad degrees that interest you.  Volunteer for a political campaign. 

Only walk into that law school this August is you are ready and willing to make a three year commitment and you are excited about your choice.

[linquest]

BigRedWarEagle -  Were you an ILRie?

[linquest]

Rach33-  Where did your folks get the idea that you can't make money with a Bachelor's?  I think you should pull some salary statistics for careers with your academic background and see if the range meets what you would consider an adequate income, then present the hard facts to your parents.

Yes, law is a versatile degree.  But so is an MBA or MPA degree, and they're shorter, cheaper, and tend to be less competitive programs.  I just don't see the sense of going into law school unless you're sincerely interested in the law as an intellectual pursuit and/or know that you want to be a lawyer.  Remember, the richest people in the world aren't lawyers--they're businessmen and they come from all sorts of academic backgrounds.

Here's an idea...tell your parents that you respect their wishes for you to go to law school but that you want to try things your way first.  Give them and yourself a set time frame, perhaps btw 1-3 years.  Have them set aside the money they were going to give you for law school into a savings account, bond, retirement fund, whatever...this is money that you will not touch for the next X years.  (If they have no intentions of financially supporting you for law school, you shouldn't allow them to dictate your path anyhow.)  At the end of your pre-determined timeframe, you can all sit down together and analyze how you're doing in your career at that time, and re-assess whether you should go into law school.  At that point, they can either give you the money for law school or reward it to you (maybe as a house downpayment?) for succeeding so far on your own path.  If all else fails, and you and your parents still fail to see eye-to-eye on what you should do with your life, they can keep their d@$#% money and at least they'll have some return on that investment. 

[dft]

Good advice - Linquest and others. 

Rach33-  Where did your folks get the idea that you can't make money with a Bachelor's?  I think you should pull some salary statistics for careers with your academic background and see if the range meets what you would consider an adequate income, then present the hard facts to your parents.

Yes, law is a versatile degree.  But so is an MBA or MPA degree, and they're shorter, cheaper, and tend to be less competitive programs.  I just don't see the sense of going into law school unless you're sincerely interested in the law as an intellectual pursuit and/or know that you want to be a lawyer.  Remember, the richest people in the world aren't lawyers--they're businessmen and they come from all sorts of academic backgrounds.

Here's an idea...tell your parents that you respect their wishes for you to go to law school but that you want to try things your way first.  Give them and yourself a set time frame, perhaps btw 1-3 years.  Have them set aside the money they were going to give you for law school into a savings account, bond, retirement fund, whatever...this is money that you will not touch for the next X years.  (If they have no intentions of financially supporting you for law school, you shouldn't allow them to dictate your path anyhow.)  At the end of your pre-determined timeframe, you can all sit down together and analyze how you're doing in your career at that time, and re-assess whether you should go into law school.  At that point, they can either give you the money for law school or reward it to you (maybe as a house downpayment?) for succeeding so far on your own path.  If all else fails, and you and your parents still fail to see eye-to-eye on what you should do with your life, they can keep their d@$#% money and at least they'll have some return on that investment. 

[llb]

With regard to entering the political field, I have a story.  I have a friend with an econ. degree who is running for political office.  She had no initial interest in local politics until she met some politicians during a happy hour.  Several months later, I am helping her run her first campaign and she is having lunches with the governor.

I have another friend with a poli.sci degree and interested in pursuing a public administration degree.  He is desperately hoping to run for office but simply doesn't have the connections with the right people or perhaps the charisma of friend #1.  Meanwhile, he works behind the scenes and is unhappy.

I think if you want to be involved in politics, network! network! network!  And although I am not a 1L yet, I believe it is the same in law school when it comes to getting a job.