Easy Answers to the Law School Question

Considering law school presents a paradox: Is law school a bold risk, a chance to express your talents, to create a future that few have the intelligence, perseverance and tenacity to realize? Or is law school a retreat from your potential, a pre-packaged career path that lets you off the hook from reflecting on who you are or what you want out of life?

I have a conviction that we sell ourselves short when we put our fears before our needs or our lack of imagination before our capacities.

What makes the “Should I Go to Law School?” question so hard is that it can fall squarely on both ends of the spectrum.

Running Away

Many people who apply to law school do so simply for the reason that they don’t know what else to do with their lives. It sounds like an exaggeration, but I’ve known many people, smart people, who went to law school because they felt like law school was an easy answer. Sometimes people in this camp report no clear sense of passion when it comes to a career path and feel unqualified to enter traditional business careers like marketing, sales, product management, etc. They often have liberal arts degrees. While they may have done well in school, it’s unclear how they transfer their academic skills to a money-making career path.

Law school may be a good fit for this group. It may even end up being a good fit for those who don’t think too carefully about it.

But there is an opportunity that is lost when you make a decision out of not knowing what else to do. It’s the opportunity to give yourself the time and space to become something that you can’t see or know or understand yet. If you “don’t know what to do with your life”, what would be the problem with inhabiting this uncertainty, trying out different things, developing your interests to see if you find something that moves you?

When your career path is something you choose because it is what you need most to express your talents, you will feel energized and motivated. Your life will have a unique vitality because you are living in alignment with your interests, abilities and — if you are lucky — your passions.

Hiding

Some people don’t apply to law school, even though it is what they want the most. This group is often dominated by fears: Fear of the cost of law school, fear of the impact of law school on their relationships, fear of the competitive environment of some law schools (and law firms).

These fears don’t come from nowhere: law school is expensive, time consuming and can be competitive.

But, behind these fears, I often hear a faint but persistent sense that law school is something that would genuinely be a good fit. Why would someone deprive themselves of the opportunity to live their dream?

The answer will vary, but in many ways it boils down to a fear of risk and a lack of confidence that taking a chance would bare fruit.

But hiding from your potential will always leave you in a questioning state, wondering if that spark of passion inside you should be given life or simply ignored. Looking back on your life, you might always wonder “what if…”

Your Decision

There are no simple answers to the “Should I Go to Law School?” question. My recommendation to you is to take the time to reflect on the question, not settling on answers because they seem easy or safe. You are worth it.