DC Mom Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Someone got some good résumé advice here... well, this is what I need - sort of. I am in the middle of law school. I have become convinced that I do not want to be a lawyer. I can leave without drowning in debt. I have a little bit of time to decide whether I will keep on this semester and do my summer stint at a firm or whether I take a leave of absence and most likely be done with law school forever. I could stay on this semester and do my summer stint at the firm and know for absolutely sure whether law was right for me, but then it "would just be one more year", followed by "might as well practice for a little while" etc. I fear the following scenario: 1.5 years of law School on my résumé w/ good grades or 2 years of law school on my résumé w/ hopefully still decent grades after this semester. JD + more debt, opportunity cost, etc. (Why didn't you practice law?) or A lot of time missing from my résumé. I am screwed. Who would want to hire someone like me? But what looks worse? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nervous Guy Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Worse is comparative - worst is superlative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Mom Posted January 30, 2007 Author Share Posted January 30, 2007 Worse is comparative - worst is superlative. Fixed. Sorry, I am tired and stressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Worse is comparative - worst is superlative. you're such a giver Fish tosser...it aint all bad. Personally I would recommend that you finish what you started. That will be important to future employers. When the question comes up you'll have an answer ready. The first time you give it maybe its shaky. The second time better, and the third better still. Nothing to be ashamed of, and nothing wasted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 you're such a giver That's what T-Bone's always said. I guess he's the catcher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nervous Guy Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 That's what T-Bone's always said. I guess he's the catcher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayFinkle Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 ...I could stay on this semester and do my summer stint at the firm and no absolutely sure whether law was right for me,... I don't no what you should do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Coli Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 You should finish law school. You will regret not finishing school years down the road, and while you think you're not interested in a career practicing law, you clearly went into law school with the idea that you would finish. You may change your mind after another year-and-a-half and the internship. You're freaking half way through, and the toughest year is already in the rear-view mirror. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Mom Posted January 30, 2007 Author Share Posted January 30, 2007 you're such a giver Fish tosser...it aint all bad. Personally I would recommend that you finish what you started. That will be important to future employers. When the question comes up you'll have an answer ready. The first time you give it maybe its shaky. The second time better, and the third better still. Nothing to be ashamed of, and nothing wasted. I worry that the time and money it will take to finish will set me back in starting something else. Also, I am worried that the law degree - in my opinion only useful for practicing law - will not help me that much and may turn people off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Mom Posted January 30, 2007 Author Share Posted January 30, 2007 I don't no what you should do. Ugh... I know there are a lot of typos, etc. I am just really out of it right now. My bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Mom Posted January 30, 2007 Author Share Posted January 30, 2007 You should finish law school. You will regret not finishing school years down the road, and while you think you're not interested in a career practicing law, you clearly went into law school with the idea that you would finish. You may change your mind after another year-and-a-half and the internship. You're freaking half way through, and the toughest year is already in the rear-view mirror. I didn't find the first year that tough. It took a lot of time, but I took it day by day and all I had to focus on were studies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theesir Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Someone got some good résumé advice here... well, this is what I need - sort of. I am in the middle of law school. I have become convinced that I do not want to be a lawyer. I can leave without drowning in debt. I have a little bit of time to decide whether I will keep on this semester and do my summer stint at a firm or whether I take a leave of absence and most likely be done with law school forever. I could stay on this semester and do my summer stint at the firm and no absolutely sure whether law was right for me, but then it "would just be one more year", followed by "might as well practice for a little while" etc. I fear the following scenario: 1.5 years of law School on my résumé w/ good grades or 2 years of law school on my résumé w/ hopefully still decent grades after this semester. JD + more debt, opportunity cost, etc. (Why didn't you practice law?) or A lot of time missing from my résumé. I am screwed. Who would want to hire someone like me? But what looks worse? I left Law school in my third year and took the rest of my money and got a teaching certification. I had good grades (3.4 ish) was president of the Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity, but really started to feel I did not want to be a lawyer. I will be paying my law school loans for at least another 10 years, but I got my certification, taught for a few years, moved out of education and now am the Director of Training and Support for a medium sized software company in Buffalo (and have been for the past 5 years.) I have always put my law school experience (incomplete that it is) on my resume. When people ask, I tell them the truth. I realized I didn't want to be a lawyer and thought it best to move forward with what I wanted to do as quickly as possible. School is just exercise for the brain. A degree is worthless without a good person behind it. I would hire an outstanding instructor with no degree over an over-educated bad one any day. You'll be fine. If you we're smart enough to get into law school and are mature enough to know its not what you want to do, you'll have the smarts to work things out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Mom Posted January 30, 2007 Author Share Posted January 30, 2007 I left Law school in my third year and took the rest of my money and got a teaching certification. I had good grades (3.4 ish) was president of the Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity, but really started to feel I did not want to be a lawyer.I will be paying my law school loans for at least another 10 years, but I got my certification, taught for a few years, moved out of education and now am the Director of Training and Support for a medium sized software company in Buffalo (and have been for the past 5 years.) I have always put my law school experience (incomplete that it is) on my resume. When people ask, I tell them the truth. I realized I didn't want to be a lawyer and thought it best to move forward with what I wanted to do as quickly as possible. School is just exercise for the brain. A degree is worthless without a good person behind it. I would hire an outstanding instructor with no degree over an over-educated bad one any day. You'll be fine. If you we're smart enough to get into law school and are mature enough to know its not what you want to do, you'll have the smarts to work things out. How did you know it was time to move on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Mom Posted January 30, 2007 Author Share Posted January 30, 2007 I left Law school in my third year and took the rest of my money and got a teaching certification. I had good grades (3.4 ish) was president of the Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity, but really started to feel I did not want to be a lawyer.I will be paying my law school loans for at least another 10 years, but I got my certification, taught for a few years, moved out of education and now am the Director of Training and Support for a medium sized software company in Buffalo (and have been for the past 5 years.) I have always put my law school experience (incomplete that it is) on my resume. When people ask, I tell them the truth. I realized I didn't want to be a lawyer and thought it best to move forward with what I wanted to do as quickly as possible. School is just exercise for the brain. A degree is worthless without a good person behind it. I would hire an outstanding instructor with no degree over an over-educated bad one any day. You'll be fine. If you we're smart enough to get into law school and are mature enough to know its not what you want to do, you'll have the smarts to work things out. Also, how do you put your incomplete experience on your resume? And why did you not want to be a lawyer anymore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theesir Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Time to move on- I looked at the money I had left, figured out what I would need to get my certification and did the math. As for my law school time. I just list that I was at Duquesne University Law School from 91-93 and don't list a degree. If they ask i tell them if they don't, I don't bring it up. I think I decided that I just wasn't cut from the cloth of someone who could work 80 hours a week. I blame a short attention span and a love of talking. I wanted to be a litigator, but I think I failed to realize how little of my time would be spent in court and how much would be locked in a law library. It took law school for me to realize that my real skills were in presentation and teaching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tomcat Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 I like the Sirs answer... now heres my smart ass answer....go out and go on a bender for 5 days, pick up a different pig each night (wrap that rascal), recover then decide what to do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Mom Posted January 30, 2007 Author Share Posted January 30, 2007 Time to move on- I looked at the money I had left, figured out what I would need to get my certification and did the math.As for my law school time. I just list that I was at Duquesne University Law School from 91-93 and don't list a degree. If they ask i tell them if they don't, I don't bring it up. I think I decided that I just wasn't cut from the cloth of someone who could work 80 hours a week. I blame a short attention span and a love of talking. I wanted to be a litigator, but I think I failed to realize how little of my time would be spent in court and how much would be locked in a law library. It took law school for me to realize that my real skills were in presentation and teaching. Did you do legal work before you made that decision? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theesir Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Did you do legal work before you made that decision? Never a full time internship, but worked as a volunteer quite a few hours a week on something called the "Death Penalty Project" which involved researching appeals for death row inmates that (at least the guy who ran the program felt) were more likely than not innocent or at least did not deserve death as their punishment. I did not however actually work in a firm. I did date a couple of legal secretaries.... They have fast fingers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Striker Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 What to do...? (LAMP) Surely, there must be something that you can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinandjokin Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 You can complete law school and then not necessarily practice law...Sports agent, for example, is one career where a law degree is fairly prevalent. Businesses of all sizes have legal advisors which they employ, and consult on all aspects of purchasing, acquisitions, contracts, strategy, business banking, etc. A position like that might be more of a slant toward the corporate world while still using your wealth of legal knowledge. Do you have an idea what you WANT to do, rather than just knowing that you DON'T want to be a lawyer? You must've at one time wanted to be a lawyer. How do you know you won't get sick of your new endeavor in 2 years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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