Leaving law school?

[dft]

when i think about, i realize that i probably will at least do OK, like say at the 50th percentile, even though i have this feeling like im going to fail.  i guess the reason i have that feeling is that i am putting so much pressure on myself to do REALLY well, so like if i dont do better than 50th percentile, ill consider that failure.

actually, i think the thing that scares me most is just NOT KNOWING exactly where im going to end up on the curve. like i said, im pretty sure ill do OK, but there's always a chance that i wont. if i had to take a safe guess at where i am going to end up, and this is COMPLETELY speculative (and pretty much a worthless estimate), id say somewhere around 50-60th percentile. of course, im hoping for 75th percentile +.

we have mid terms (25%) this semester and finals (75%) in may. i think this semester is going to be a learning experience.

[lawgirl]

I know this is easy for me to say because I've already been through it, but put it (where you are going to end up after grades) out of your mind. Right now, just concentrate on learning the material, figure out what you need to do to study and retain the material and make that your priority right now. If you focous too much right now on the rest of it, you will stress yourself out (beyond what is normal, anyway). One step at a time. 

[eray01]

when i think about, i realize that i probably will at least do OK, like say at the 50th percentile, even though i have this feeling like im going to fail.  i guess the reason i have that feeling is that i am putting so much pressure on myself to do REALLY well, so like if i dont do better than 50th percentile, ill consider that failure.

actually, i think the thing that scares me most is just NOT KNOWING exactly where im going to end up on the curve. like i said, im pretty sure ill do OK, but there's always a chance that i wont. if i had to take a safe guess at where i am going to end up, and this is COMPLETELY speculative (and pretty much a worthless estimate), id say somewhere around 50-60th percentile. of course, im hoping for 75th percentile +.

we have mid terms (25%) this semester and finals (75%) in may. i think this semester is going to be a learning experience.

My feelings exactly.

[dft]

i went into ls with a 75th + percentile estimate, but i had to revise it to 50-60th. one of the primary reasons that im revising it to 50-60th percentile is based on my lps grades (only 15% of our grades so far), which put me right around that range. again, this is completely speculative, since those grades may have NO correlation to how well we do in the end.   the lps grades do give me some sort of indicator of the level of intelligence and work ethic of my classmates though.

[dbgirl]

Well I would never quit law school because I am in way too deep financially. Plus, I do actually want to be a lawyer.

That said, I frequently fantasize about quitting school buying a guitar and becoming a folk singer. Sometimes law school makes me feel so stupid and incompetent that I want throw my hands up in the air and scream. This is coming from someone who
was completely in love with law school when I started in August.

I think what is killing me most is the uncertainty of it all. Do I know what I'm doing? Will I get good grades, the great job, etc?

What helps me is talking to the students who are further along the path than I am. They seem much better at handling stress. I guess your coping skills just get better as you go through.

[jimmyjohn]

Well I would never quit law school because I am in way too deep financially. Plus, I do actually want to be a lawyer.

That said, I frequently fantasize about quitting school buying a guitar and becoming a folk singer. Sometimes law school makes me feel so stupid and incompetent that I want throw my hands up in the air and scream. This is coming from someone who
was completely in love with law school when I started in August.

I think what is killing me most is the uncertainty of it all. Do I know what I'm doing? Will I get good grades, the great job, etc?

What helps me is talking to the students who are further along the path than I am. They seem much better at handling stress. I guess your coping skills just get better as you go through.

Or they drink beer. Like me!

[unlvcrjchick]

I feel your pain about wanting to leave law school:  I'm in the same boat.  I'm in my second year (I'm a part-time student), and I'm absolutely miserable. 

I went into law school because I only thought about the dollar signs I could make as a lawyer.  However, now I realize that I would need to give up my life in order to make that kind of money.  Attorneys work, on average, 70 hours per week, maybe even higher if you're a new associate.  They have to deal with nasty clients and the opposing side, constant phone calls, etc. etc. etc.  Every time I meet an attorney (usually I do at job interviews), I always ask them, "do you regret becoming an attorney?"  Ten times out of ten so far they've all said, "if I could do it over again, I wouldn't."  That to me is a very telling statement about this field.

I've invested about 30 grand so far, and I feel trapped.  I know I don't want to be an attorney, and yet, I can't make the decision to just leave.  When I attend class, I fool around on the internet and hardly pay any attention at all.  The competition gets EXTREMELY tiresome come second year, and this whole experience has left me with a sour taste in my mouth and has often times questioned my faith in humanity.  This may seem dramatic, but it's true.  I wish I had just done court reporting from the start, since I know that is the type of work I'd enjoy.  Unfortunately, court-reporting school is more expensive than my law-school tuition, and since most people fail the program, I'm afraid to take the risk of trying it.

Good luck to you with your decision, for I above all know how difficult a decision it truly is...

[dft]

Attorneys work, on average, 70 hours per week, maybe even higher if you're a new associate.

This is wrong. Attorneys as a whole, on average, probably work more like 55 hours a week.

[avocat]

Attorneys work, on average, 70 hours per week, maybe even higher if you're a new associate.

This is wrong. Attorneys as a whole, on average, probably work more like 55 hours a week.

Ha! that's for the 55 hour statement.

to the op, MP, DROP OUT! after this semester of course. if you've given it that much thought, then you don't need to be there. first, you went for the wrong reason, and second, you shouldn't be a lawyer if you're not into it. a lot of people want to quit, but they don't seem as serious as you; it doesn't seem like it's finals that's getting you, but rather a real disdain for the career. life's too short to spend three years in something you are not interested in, let alone the rest of your life. and life's too short to not at least try to pursue marketing. think of it as a learning experience, better to regret this one semester than the rest of your life.

[dft]

New associates at very large law firms ONLY probably work an average of 70 hours. The larger the firm gets, generally, the more hours you will work. Also, in the northeast, they will work you harder than the south or the west. The average number of hours for associates at LARGE firms in NYC, for example, is probably 70-80 hours a week. In contrast, the rest of the country is significantly lower.

You have many many mid sized firms, small firms, and solo practitioners who are not working 70 hour weeks. And then you have the rest of the country other than the northeast, who are working significantly fewer hours per week. You have to factor all of this in, and not just consider the stereotypical BIGLAW associate.

To be safe, I'd say attorneys on average work 55-60 hours a week.

Attorneys work, on average, 70 hours per week, maybe even higher if you're a new associate.

This is wrong. Attorneys as a whole, on average, probably work more like 55 hours a week.

Ha! that's for the 55 hour statement.

to the op, MP, DROP OUT! after this semester of course. if you've given it that much thought, then you don't need to be there. first, you went for the wrong reason, and second, you shouldn't be a lawyer if you're not into it. a lot of people want to quit, but they don't seem as serious as you; it doesn't seem like it's finals that's getting you, but rather a real disdain for the career. life's too short to spend three years in something you are not interested in, let alone the rest of your life. and life's too short to not at least try to pursue marketing. think of it as a learning experience, better to regret this one semester than the rest of your life.