too much worrying?

[nj7]

I see alot of people on this website worrying an awful lot about failing out of law school. However, the lsac wesbite shows statisitcs for each school, and the attrition rate at most law schools seems really low. I think the worst attrition I saw was about 30 students not returning (and that was a really low t4). At the vast majority of schools it is maybe a few students at most. I feel like all law students are those kids in high school that used to complain after a test saying they failed when they know they did fine! I guess im just trying to figure it all out before I enter law school myself. Is failing out something to worry about? If you are focused and on task could it still happen? Statistically it doesnt seem too common but i would like some feeback from current law students. Thanks!

[Brisco]

Its not really an issue at any top 100 school. At tier 3/4 it is a hell of an issue due to forced curves.

http://officialguide.lsac.org/OFFGUIDE/pdf/aba1796.pdf
24% attrition first eyar, 22% attrition second year according to ABA
340 students not returning for second year

http://officialguide.lsac.org/OFFGUIDE/pdf/aba6824.pdf
20% attrition

[nj7]

2 very extreme cases.

[Brisco]

It's not the extreme, its the norm. It's a pretty messed up system that these schools charge 20-30k tuition and then drop a large portion of their classes through forced curves.

T4 schools

http://officialguide.lsac.org/OFFGUIDE/pdf/aba4329.pdf
34% attrition

http://officialguide.lsac.org/OFFGUIDE/pdf/aba6637.pdf
17.6%

http://officialguide.lsac.org/OFFGUIDE/pdf/aba5132.pdf
25.8%

Tier 3 is slightly better however;
http://officialguide.lsac.org/OFFGUIDE/pdf/aba2552.pdf
13.7% (tuition is almost 37,000!!!, estimated cost of living is another 18)

http://officialguide.lsac.org/OFFGUIDE/pdf/aba6872.pdf
13.9%

[jjason]

keep in mind the difference between "Academic" and "Other." 1/2 is for academic reasons, the other half are getting the hell out of there by transferring out, or making a personal decision that law school is not for them.

[plumbert]

Sure, but the fact remains that at many schools, such as my own, a notable percentage (about 8% at my school) of 1Ls  basically flunk out of law school. The original poster is, perhaps, looking for some sort of assurance that he need not worry about flunking out once he matriculates. And the statistics at most schools (the above-referenced T4s notwithstanding) may seem comforting. The problem, however, with characterizing as mere drama all the fear and loathing of failure among first-semester 1Ls is that it ignores a brutal reality almost all 1Ls face: it is awfully difficult to figure out if you are really learning and understanding what is required before you actually take the tests, and once that's done, it's done. The real feedback comes in report-card form. And I know of about six students who quit over the holiday break--so there is a real reason for concern among the 1L population.

[ApproachTheBench]

My best friend tried as hard as he could to make it and he still failed out of a T2.  It ruined his life, he pretty much is still totally ruined from.

So yeah, you can try really hard and still fail.  I think there was an issue with some of his study methods though, there had to be.

[unlvcrjchick]

I feel bad for those who try desperately to stay in law school but fail.  However, I can't help but wonder:  how the hell is it possible to get under a 2.0 in law school? 

This past semester was my laziest yet:  I didn't brief cases, I didn't outline, I didn't read the notes I took in class (and even my notes were miniscule), and I didn't take practice exams.  The result?  One A, one A minus, and one B.  So, I was able to make Dean's List...without even trying.  This is why I can't understand how someone who actually tries and/or likes law school can fail.  Maybe I'm not supposed to understand it.

[dbgirl]

Unlvcrjchick --

I agree that it is puzzling that someone could try hard and fail, but I think it might have to do with learning style.
Maybe you are just lucky and you absorb information really well. Or, maybe you're just especially good at taking exams.

I personally busted my a$$ this past semester and got decent grades. However, my classmate who drinks all the time and just skims the reading did just as well as I did.

In my second semester I'm thinking that success in law school has as much to do with working with your learning style as it does with working hard. I think this semester I can work just as hard, but more efficiently, and get better grades.

[Jumboshrimps]

I feel bad for those who try desperately to stay in law school but fail.  However, I can't help but wonder:  how the hell is it possible to get under a 2.0 in law school? 

By being in law school. The strict curve mandates this.