General Question...Personality for Law School

[jd_]

First post, help me out.

I am an INTJ Career changer. I am looking towards law / public policy for grad school... Possibly as gov/public interest lawyer, career as judge, background in politics. Just in general trying to help and be fulfilling...The aspects I am most interested in are constitutional law and jurisprudence.
I have considered journalism... but I would like to be able to eat.
I am 30...

I am a non conformist and do not like set rules, I hate corporate jobs and the culture, so although I like the law, philosophy/public policy... I have my doubts. Big law from what I gather, would make me quite insane. I am pretty eccentric, and I dislike corporate drones, conformist thinkers, misers or any combination there of.

I would like to better the world.

I am coming from an IT background, I am good at it, I just do not like it. I have thought I have wanted to write, but... I am more interested in philosophical and political texts than writing a novel. If I wrote, it would be non fiction.

I took the test on human metrics:

Your Type is
INTJ
Introverted Intuitive Thinking Judging
Strength of the preferences %
100 100 25 22

# very expressed introvert
# very expressed intuitive personality
# moderately expressed thinking personality
# slightly expressed judging personality

note, I also have tested as an INTP before... always extremely intro/intuitive though. I honestly think I am slightly more INTP, despite these internet polls.

For example, I used another one, kisa.ca

Introverted (I) 100%    Extraverted (E) 0%
Intuitive (N) 82%    Sensing (S) 18%
Thinking (T) 75%    Feeling (F) 25%
Judging (J) 64%    Perceiving (P) 36%

As you see again, the J/P is the one that is closest to 50/50.

Of course I know these aren't the real thing but..
Thoughts? Or am I going the wrong path. I would consider getting a PhD in the social sciences and doing academic work, but I have the two body issue and I do not want to move out of the San Francisco Bay Area... Already have a house, etc. It just isn't happening.

I posted on here for some guidance, maybe some INTJ's who are also eccentric? Or am I weird in that way...

I have heard lawyers are mostly ST's? I am 100% Intro/Intuitive.

[khlaw]

I think the most important factors when deciding whether or not to attend law school are how interested you are in a career in law and the extent of your dedication.  While some personality types may be better suited for what law school and a career in law entails, I think it ultimately comes down to what you want and how hard you are willing to work for it.

[MikePing]

The personality type most frequently found in law, say some researchers, is ESTJ. "Extroverts are more energized by the outer world, focusing their attention more on social interaction than inner reflection. Sensors use all their senses to take in information, thus are likely to be no nonsense, realistic, pragmatic people who look for facts rather than theory. Thinkers are logical in decision-making, more comfortable being detached, objective, sensible. Judgers are organized and decisive, keep projects on schedule, want to get to the point. The ESTJ style can be described as the natural manager."

Other personality types drawn to law are ENTJs ("the 'take charge' people in law firms"); ISTJs ("the most meticulous and overly prepared, the classic perfectionists") and ENTPs ("the legal profession's entrepreneurs, risk-takers, frequently scattered").

You can also read this article called Should I Become a Lawyer. 

Hope it helps!

[jack24]

I know this is not what you are looking for, but the legal world is so screwy that there is no way to properly make the decision without taking the LSAT.

If you have a high GPA and LSAT and you can get into the top 14, then your freedom to pursue the career you want (and still eat) will be much greater.  It sounds like you might be the right fit for a law professor, so that might be a possibility if you are a genius.

It doesn't sound like you are cut out for law if you are limited by going to a low-ranked law school.

[Morten Lund]

I know this is not what you are looking for, but the legal world is so screwy that there is no way to properly make the decision without taking the LSAT.

If you have a high GPA and LSAT and you can get into the top 14, then your freedom to pursue the career you want (and still eat) will be much greater.  It sounds like you might be the right fit for a law professor, so that might be a possibility if you are a genius.

It doesn't sound like you are cut out for law if you are limited by going to a low-ranked law school.

I agree with this (as well as earlier posters.  As noted above, the question isn't whether you have the personality for law school, but whether you have the personality for what comes after law school.

Based on your initial post, it sounds like you would make an awful lawyer but a good (if somewhat aggravating) law professor. 

Law prof jobs, however, require top-notch academic credentials.  So take a crack at the LSAT and see how that goes.

[MikePing]

I think there are law jobs for any type of personality.  Generally, what you have described on your preferences, would also make it hard to eat (vs. Journalism) at first. 

I could see you enjoying a LegalAid job, criminal defense, or being general counsel for a great non-profit organization. 

But the reality is, when you spend that kind of money on law school, you probably won't have too much influence over the type of job you start out with. 

Let us know what you decide.