Law school for the rest of us: Advice/questions for/from T2/3/4 students:

[RN to JD]

That still sounds very doable. I am usually working 12-16 hour days, comming home doing the family thing, helping with 4th grade homework and my own work to finish my UG studies. My days usually end around 2am and start at 6am. I think I will be able to handle it much better when I get to ditch the job. Actually, I should be writing a paper right now but I'm not in the groove. I think I may go sit on my patio and sip me a cool beverage. This weather is great today.

It was 70 yesterday, and 50 degrees wehn I went to bed. Now its snowing here, with about 14 inches thus far, Denver weather is crazy.

I would love to see some of that snow. It is very rare around here. Maybe I need to get a vacation home in Denver   That's about as long as I could tolerate the cold.

Ok, RN to JD, I have to ask. In your avatar did you guys just walk into an operating room and ask the poor guy on the table your about to disembowel to take your picture. Because that is what the angle looks like.

How did you guess? It was a very cooperative pt. also. 
No, actually we had just set up for a C-Section (non-emergent), pt. wasn't even in the room yet. Another one of the nurses that didn't have to scrub in took the pic. I liked your version better. 

[laxlaw]

Law school shows you the ugly side of the world that people don't want to address, where its all about money

It's not that people don't want to address that, it's that they're too naive to know or think about it. Power and money make the world go round, round, round... 

It doesn't have to...

"I hope some dayyyyy you'll join us, and the wooooorld will live as one"

A little Lennon always cheers me up.

[PhiMuAmberkins]

Law school shows you the ugly side of the world that people don't want to address, where its all about money

It's not that people don't want to address that, it's that they're too naive to know or think about it. Power and money make the world go round, round, round... 

It doesn't have to...

"I hope some dayyyyy you'll join us, and the wooooorld will live as one"

A little Lennon always cheers me up.

Aw, quoting John Lennon makes my day!  And boy...did I need it today!

[Paper Chaser]

GMU begs to differ.

[Thistle]

agreed.  law school teaches nothing about actual lawyering.

[Big Slick]

Here is a quick post do get the some discussion going:

What do you think is the purpose of law school (either as a current student or future student)?

I have come to the conclusion that law school has two, and only two purposes that student should focus on above anything else: 1) ALLOW you to take the bar, 2) Getting you a JOB as a lawyer.

I don’t think you learn enough of the law in law school to PASS the bar, you need to take a bar course.

I also don’t think you learn enough of the law in law school to be practice ready. Employers expect to have to train you.

I also think most law schools don’t focus enough of helping students get a job, they leave this up to the student, and a lot of students just don’t know what to do to land one.

Thus its my view that because by default in most jurisdictions purpose 1 is satisfied by graduating, any law students primary goal in law school should be number 2. It should be their primary focus in law school. Law school is a three year interviewing job search in my view, nothing else.

Thus everything you do, from day one, should be focused on getting a job. Sure grades help, but trust me grades alone will not land you a job. Prospective law students, I believe, should be focused on day one on doing everything they can to land a job. Don’t wait till 3L to start this process, start it first semester of 1L, if you do you can overcome any obstacles in your way, as you have plenty of time to do so.

Thoughts?

Well.. I am a 0L so I can't give definitive answer on purpose of law school.  However, I think I can draw analogy based on my undergrad degree in accounting and my current job as tax accountant.

I think the purpose of school is to get you the fundamentals.  Accounting student does not learn how to fill out tax form, file 10K with SEC, or how to use tax or accounting software.

Consequently, as you correctly pointed out, employers (accounting firms, corporation, gov't) expect to teach new hires.  Employers will teach you the company's business, software, and other stuff they think that you did not learn from college.  However, they expect you to know how to make journal entries, what balance sheet looks like, distinguish between current asset and non-current asset, so forth and so on.

Think about this, how would you teach someone how to read and write in English if he/she does not even know the alphabet.  Teaching something to someone without any fundamentals in the subject area that you are trying to teach is like screaming to a wall.  

IMHO, it is necessary to have strong fundamental in order to be successful at one's profession.

[Freak]

Agreed, but the depth you need depends on law you practice - a real estate lawyer doesn't need to know crim pro...

[Big Slick]

Even at undergrad level, some people treated college as academic experience and some treated as training for job.  I treated as the latter.  My approach to undergrad was to learn how to act/think like an accounting/tax professional.  Opponents of such approach often ridiculed my approach by saying stuff like "Why didn't you go to Devry" since Devry prides themselves on giving students "Skills employers seek."

If Devry were to have lawschool what tier would it be 

[John Blackthorne]

Even at undergrad level, some people treated college as academic experience and some treated as training for job.  I treated as the latter.  My approach to undergrad was to learn how to act/think like an accounting/tax professional.  Opponents of such approach often ridiculed my approach by saying stuff like "Why didn't you go to Devry" since Devry prides themselves on giving students "Skills employers seek."

If Devry were to have lawschool what tier would it be 

Devry = TTT

I agree 100% that the purpose of law school is to get a job.  Grades, journals, clubs, networking are all means to an end.  If you treat grades as the end, you will be helping yourself out in getting a job, but you will not be on the same path as one simply seeking a job.  Great grades will never hurt anyone, but those with the best job prospects on graduation have been marketing, networking, resume building, and resume sending since first semester. 

[Freak]

I agree with all the above. However, classmates will help you, once you have a job, because then you know who to call for advice in areas other than your speciality. But he's right, they will almost certainly not find you a job.