Should I drop out? Forum

(Study Tips, Dealing With Stress, Maintaining a Social Life, Financial Aid, Internships, Bar Exam, Careers in Law . . . )
Post Reply
alawstudent2222

New
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Nov 11, 2017 1:30 pm

Should I drop out?

Post by alawstudent2222 » Sat Nov 11, 2017 1:43 pm

T30 (top 25-30%) to T10 transfer (2L). Didn't get anything from OCI. However, my debt load at the school I transferred to, due to unique circumstances, will be extremely low, with the school covering more than half of my tuition. My goal was to do litigation at a large law firm, but I'm assuming that ship has sailed at this point. Considering the clerkship route, but that also seems like a long shot to me. I worked in criminal law over the summer. Have a BA from an ivy undergrad, but not in a lucrative field. Entirely at a loss in my unusual circumstances as to whether sticking out the rest of law school is worth it. Any thoughts?

User avatar
sweets91

Silver
Posts: 763
Joined: Mon Sep 05, 2016 1:22 am

Re: Should I drop out?

Post by sweets91 » Sat Nov 11, 2017 1:49 pm

alawstudent2222 wrote:T30 (top 25-30%) to T10 transfer (2L). Didn't get anything from OCI. However, my debt load at the school I transferred to, due to unique circumstances, will be extremely low, with the school covering more than half of my tuition. My goal was to do litigation at a large law firm, but I'm assuming that ship has sailed at this point. Considering the clerkship route, but that also seems like a long shot to me. I worked in criminal law over the summer. Have a BA from an ivy undergrad, but not in a lucrative field. Entirely at a loss in my unusual circumstances as to whether sticking out the rest of law school is worth it. Any thoughts?
So are you a 2L or 3L? Any connections? Is biglaw your only goal? You can always get there via working at midsize firms or smaller firms first, and excelling. What would you do if you drop out? I would say stick it out and get that JD

alawstudent2222

New
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Nov 11, 2017 1:30 pm

Re: Should I drop out?

Post by alawstudent2222 » Sat Nov 11, 2017 1:55 pm

sweets91 wrote:
alawstudent2222 wrote:T30 (top 25-30%) to T10 transfer (2L). Didn't get anything from OCI. However, my debt load at the school I transferred to, due to unique circumstances, will be extremely low, with the school covering more than half of my tuition. My goal was to do litigation at a large law firm, but I'm assuming that ship has sailed at this point. Considering the clerkship route, but that also seems like a long shot to me. I worked in criminal law over the summer. Have a BA from an ivy undergrad, but not in a lucrative field. Entirely at a loss in my unusual circumstances as to whether sticking out the rest of law school is worth it. Any thoughts?
So are you a 2L or 3L? Any connections? Is biglaw your only goal? You can always get there via working at midsize firms or smaller firms first, and excelling. What would you do if you drop out? I would say stick it out and get that JD
I'm a 2L. I'd be completely satisfied at a midsize firm, but I haven't been having a ton of luck there either. Not sure what I would do if I left but I'm worried having a JD would preclude me from seeking out opportunities outside of the law if I graduate jobless.

User avatar
sweets91

Silver
Posts: 763
Joined: Mon Sep 05, 2016 1:22 am

Re: Should I drop out?

Post by sweets91 » Sat Nov 11, 2017 1:58 pm

alawstudent2222 wrote:
sweets91 wrote:
alawstudent2222 wrote:T30 (top 25-30%) to T10 transfer (2L). Didn't get anything from OCI. However, my debt load at the school I transferred to, due to unique circumstances, will be extremely low, with the school covering more than half of my tuition. My goal was to do litigation at a large law firm, but I'm assuming that ship has sailed at this point. Considering the clerkship route, but that also seems like a long shot to me. I worked in criminal law over the summer. Have a BA from an ivy undergrad, but not in a lucrative field. Entirely at a loss in my unusual circumstances as to whether sticking out the rest of law school is worth it. Any thoughts?
So are you a 2L or 3L? Any connections? Is biglaw your only goal? You can always get there via working at midsize firms or smaller firms first, and excelling. What would you do if you drop out? I would say stick it out and get that JD
I'm a 2L. I'd be completely satisfied at a midsize firm, but I haven't been having a ton of luck there either. Not sure what I would do if I left but I'm worried having a JD would preclude me from seeking out opportunities outside of the law if I graduate jobless.
my 2 cents: have an alternative path planned out before getting off your current path

Bunbury

New
Posts: 99
Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2016 5:05 pm

Re: Should I drop out?

Post by Bunbury » Sun Nov 12, 2017 1:08 pm

alawstudent2222 wrote:
sweets91 wrote:
alawstudent2222 wrote:T30 (top 25-30%) to T10 transfer (2L). Didn't get anything from OCI. However, my debt load at the school I transferred to, due to unique circumstances, will be extremely low, with the school covering more than half of my tuition. My goal was to do litigation at a large law firm, but I'm assuming that ship has sailed at this point. Considering the clerkship route, but that also seems like a long shot to me. I worked in criminal law over the summer. Have a BA from an ivy undergrad, but not in a lucrative field. Entirely at a loss in my unusual circumstances as to whether sticking out the rest of law school is worth it. Any thoughts?
So are you a 2L or 3L? Any connections? Is biglaw your only goal? You can always get there via working at midsize firms or smaller firms first, and excelling. What would you do if you drop out? I would say stick it out and get that JD
I'm a 2L. I'd be completely satisfied at a midsize firm, but I haven't been having a ton of luck there either. Not sure what I would do if I left but I'm worried having a JD would preclude me from seeking out opportunities outside of the law if I graduate jobless.
I don't think you should drop out since it seems you will graduate from a T10 with minimal debt. I think leaving the program would raise more concerns for an interviewer than merely having a JD. If you end up looking at a non-legal opportunity, you can always come up with a compelling story about why you want something different. A JD may pose some issues from a salary standpoint if employers don't want to pay for it, but you can address that head on.

You're obviously bright to have been at the top of your class in your prior school. If you want a firm job, I can't imagine you wouldn't be able to find one with a little bit of hustle and networking. I know it's easy for me to say on the sidelines and a lot of work in reality but it should pay off. Good luck!

User avatar
Rowinguy2009

Bronze
Posts: 364
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:37 pm

Re: Should I drop out?

Post by Rowinguy2009 » Sun Nov 12, 2017 4:21 pm

I certainly don't think your current position necessitates dropping out. You're at a t10 with what seems like minimal debt, and you're almost halfway to getting the JD. Stick with it.

(I also, personally, don't think that having a JD is going to sink your chances at a non-lawyer job. Of course, most now know that going to law school simply because it "opens so many doors" is silly, but it's also not a kiss of death, and in some ways it is a benefit. If you hadn't started law school yet I would probably tell you to wait a couple years to figure out whether you want to be a lawyer, but given where you are sitting right this second, I think putting in the remaining time for the JD is probably the right choice, even if you're currently questioning whether you want to be a lawyer.)

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


Post Reply

Return to “Forum for Law School Students”