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When you were in college what were you interests that led you to choosing law?

#law #government #criminal-law

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Alexa’s Answer

I will be entering law school in the Fall after a couple years working for a tech startup in an administration role. When I was in undergrad, I had a "make-your-own" kind of major and built my degree around classes that interested me. I focused a lot on relationships - romantic, platonic, familial, and even with oneself. I was always interested in ways people interact with their surroundings and how to best capitalize on this to continue to improve as a community/society/human race. I knew I was possibly interested in the legal field so I also took a philosophy/legal studies class called Law, Self, and Society.

Once I graduated undergrad, I immediately got a job in Marketing. However, I knew that this was not the right company for me so feeling lost, I decided to prep for the LSATs. I ended up getting a job during this time that I love and postponed going to law school. I knew it was time to apply for and attend law school because I want an intellectual challenge different than the one I am getting at my current role, I want to more directly see my efforts impacting and helping people, and I am genuinely interested in aspects of law such as negotiating, researching, collaborating, etc. that seem like they are aligned with my interest in human interaction with themselves, others, and objects in their surroundings. Even if I don't practice after getting my J.D., I know that a lot more doors will open and there will be more opportunities that better match my interest. So to answer your question, I would advise you to first ask yourself, why law? and do a little more research into the profession then figure out what sparks your own interest (it could be sports or tech or even chemical engineering) and run with it because there will be a sector of law out there for you!
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Jamie’s Answer

Great question. Some people have their Atticus Finch moment. (To Kill a Mockingbird) And those are great stories. Some of us, don't.

I tried a lot of different things before I decided on law school. Biochemistry. Economics. Pharmaceutical sales. Professor. Residence Life. Public Policy. I did 4 internships and 2 part time jobs in college that let me explore options. I found that it was really easy to strike things off the list once I figured out what I really didn't like to do. I did an internship in D.C. and got to see economists, scientists, and lawyers all influence public policy. Time after time, it was the lawyers who had the greatest influence.

I think your journey has to be personal and there's no right answer on this. You're going to find the thing that combines what you enjoy doing with some things that you're good at.
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Joseph’s Answer

I always knew I wanted to go to law school, so I studied history in college because I liked it. I didn't necessarily have a great reason for going to law school, just that I thought it would help me get into politics (which I'm not in now), so maybe I should've picked a college degree that was more useful on its own.

Should you go to law school? I have the degree and a law license, but I don't practice. My perspective is that you should only go to law school if you want to be a lawyer. I see a lot of smart people with broad interests go into law because they aren't sure what they want to do and they are smart in that kind of way. Law school is really expensive and most of the time it doesn't lead to a huge paycheck the way it used to. If you think you want to be a lawyer, try working and interning in law offices before you commit to see if it suits you. It is a degree you can use in a lot of different ways, but don't forget that the amount of debt you graduate with will limit the kinds of jobs you can take, which might lock you out of really interesting but lower-paying careers.
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Lauren’s Answer

Personally, I became interested in pursuing a career in law when I took courses in e.g., public finance, public policy, and environmental law/policy in college.
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Jorie’s Answer

I had always considered law as a career but went into college undecided on a major because I wanted to explore other courses first. My sophomore year, I took a class called Law, Lawyers and the Legal System which really helped solidify that law was what I wanted to do. My major focused on philosophy and political science so those courses were also relevant. In addition, I took courses on constitutional law, civil rights and liberties, and business law. I did a short internship program with the WV legislature as well, which also helped me confirm my career choice. Happy to answer any specific questions you may have about a career in law!
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