Monday, February 06, 2006

I'm Going to Law School. Deal with it.

It's been a long, long four months. Four months of unemployment, four months of job-seeking, four months of organizing my life, faxing my undergraduate institutions, making phone calls to my undergraduate institutions, making long-distance phone calls to old teachers who displayed some interest in seeing me succeed and therefore ranked as potential recommendation-givers, navigating the murky waters of the law school admissions council, frantically remembering to construct a personal statement, glossing over my sad, unemployed state of being...in short, four months of applying to law schools. And, finally, I managed it. Unless I wake up tomorrow with another email telling me that my application is still incomplete, I managed it. I finished applying to law school.

Oh, what a process. It's so, so, so painful. The paperwork, the waiting, the stress -and the LSAT. Taking a test to see how logical you really are? I mean, who does that? I really think that all those yeshiva boys have an unfair advantage. They've spent most of their educational careers honing their minds over the intricate logistics of the Talmud. I've spent my educational career mastering the supreme art of procrastination over the intricate combinations of slurpees and nachos. Anyway, I did it, took a course and didn't do so badly, if I do say so myself. But look at the mess I got myself into with the pleasant score of a six hour logic and reading comprehension test: the unpleasant application process. Grrr. And the worst part is that I was never really sure that I wanted to go to law school! I took the test, "just in case" (those were my own dumb words) I wanted to go, and then once I saw I definitely could go, and started receiving ego-boosting letters from law schools in the most random villages of the US of A, I started getting excited.

Now that I'm in the equally unpleasant process of awaiting response from my four chosen law schools like some sick puppy dog waiting for a bone, the realization has sunk in. I am going to graduate school next year. No question. I only applied to law schools. No question 'bout that, either. Hence, I'm going to law school next year. (Provided a bone gets thrown my way.) Now, I guess, I just have to deal with it.

6 comments:

Jewboy said...

As a first year law student, I was interested in reading your post. Yes, the application process is annoying and time consuming. But it sounds like you've gotten through it. Also sounds like you did better than me on the LSAT. I was doing decently in practice but slipped when I took the actual test. I was disappointed, but I'm happy with how things have gone. Law school has been a positive experience, though certainly not easy. I'm married with child, so my life is quite busy. I also had questions if I wanted to go to law school, but I'm glad I went. Of course, everyone's situation is different. Good luck.

Lee said...

Thanks. I'm looking forward to a challenging three year experience, and all the doors that will afterwards be open to me. If you're a first year and you still say you have been having a positive experience, then maybe it won't really be so bad. I've been dissuaded from choosing law as a profession due to my, ah, female status, but I hope to accomplish great things nonetheless.
Good luck to you too!

FrumGirl said...

Hey, good luck with law school... and thanks for checking out my blog!

Josh said...

OJ - Sounds like you didn't need a Yeshiva to hone your reasoning skills. Very impressive. So other than being smart, what made you want to go to law school?

Lee said...

Josh- that's a difficult question, because it's actually ridiculous that I can't give a one line answer. It would be a whole 'nother post. But, in short, I can say that law school is a place for people who don't have that much direction, want the power to accomplish certain goals, and enjoy the concept of a lawful, civilized society. That's me, I guess. Wow, I manage to sound lazy, megalomaniacal, and stuffy all in one comment. Go me.

Josh said...

OJ - I was just curious. I wish more frum girl's would take professional aspirations more seriously. But I see many single's going to grad school just because they are afraid to be single and out of school. That being said, I think you're three reasons are exquisite.