I really appreciate you for posting this video, as a senior in high school who really hopes to become a lawyer this video really helped me personally and helped me build up more self confidence and excitement. Thanks so much for @Tex
I dropped out of HS and got my GED, I just graduated with my bachelor's in May, now I'm thinking about going to law school. You can do it bro! I'm rooting for you
although of course no one would ever actually advise dropping out, i think its getting more and more possible to make something out of yourself these days even after dropping out, i love to hear this man keep killing it
@@nickklatte960 It's absolutely possible!! It takes a ton of work, but I love seeing people put in the effort to get back through school! I forget if I mention it in this video, but I'm a former college dropout myself. If I can get back and be successful, then I believe anyone else can too!
I remember reading a case from the 1850’s on quasi in ten jurisdiction. I got stuck on one paragraph for an hour and a half. If I had just moved onto the next paragraph (which I eventually did), it explained everything. I felt like an idiot, but I WAS prepared.
Are you talking about Pennoyer v Neff?!! I still have nightmares about that case 😂 It was the very first case I was assigned as a 1L and it had me so worried that I almost dropped out of law school on the spot!
An honestly really reassuring video. Didn't make Law School out like its a piece of cake, but also didn't pull what some other youtube lawyers do, like ignoring or significantly reducing time with family and friends, severing romantic relationships, and cutting back on relaxation even during non work or minimal work days. Gonna be honest, those guys act like you have to sell your soul and become a robot to become a lawyer.
Glad you thought so! Honestly, they have a point, but only if you’re aiming to be at the top of the class and work in big law. If your goal isn’t to work 80+ hours a week for a law firm then you don’t need to kill yourself during law school.
im in college and i'm in a law class which i'm not thinking of going forward with in my future but the class is very interesting. (i had to take the class because it's required for my business degree
@@jgreen55 I'm glad that you find the class interesting! Knowing some basics about the law is really helpful for business majors! Not everyone wants to hire a lawyer, but knowing when one is necessary can save companies thousands or even millions in the long run!
Im considering going to law school at 43. I have a background in real estate & contracts, and a bs in history that required a ton of reading, research, wtiting, public speaking and required cited sources for every point made. Thanks for the video.
I was about 34 when I decided I want to go to law school, but I found out I need a bachelor degree first. By the time I completed my degree, I was 38 and burned out. I kept postponing my LSAT then finally canceled it (and they never gave me my partial refund!). I talked myself out of it by dwelling on the fact I’d be around 43 and in debt once Im done (only ABA law school I could afford out of pocket was in Puerto Rico and I don’t speak Spanish!). Now I’m 46 and still in construction (electrician), which I intended to be a backup thing during my apprenticeship almost 25 years ago! I’m not sure I made the right decision or not because I didn’t want to study law for the money, but to make a difference (corny, I know). I do think out it A LOT. Maybe that’s how I ended up here! Good luck!!
I studied public admin in college and it was a lot of the same thing you described. Massive amounts of reading and writing, I could not take a break without falling behind. I took law classes, policy courses, government, and interned at a law clinic. I got the chance to work under my professors who managed the law clinic and were successful lawyers themselves. One had a law firm downtown where we would meet every week. It was an amazing experience, and I had some great classmates I still think about even though its been a few years. Law school has been a dream of mine for many years. I am so busy helping my husband with his construction business and taking care of my kids, that he doesn't support me going currently. He said to wait a few years until the business really gets going. I'm 33 so my time is ticking.
That’s awesome! Even if you don’t ultimately go it’s great that you’ve gotten the experience of studying it a bit and working with actual lawyers. If you’re serious about going, then don’t worry about the time. We have multiple students in my cohort who are in their late 30s and early 40s. I’ve even met some law students who are over 50! If you don’t think you can spare the time though but are still interested, I highly recommend MLS programs. It’s a master’s degree covering most of the same topics as law school. A ton of schools have online programs and they’re much more accessible. I TA some classes for them and I’ve had students in their 60s! Either way, best of luck with the business, kids, and any future school that you pursue!
Number 7 just saved me a LOT of money; thank you very much. I was contemplating getting a law degree primarily for intellectual stimulation and to gain knowledge on the Law, but I have no interest whatsoever in becoming a lawyer. I guess I'll just stick to self-studying.
Thank you for making this video. You've painted a clearer picture for me. You also made me feel less like I'd be a weirdo going to law school in my 40s. 😊 I'm still working on my bachelors, but I'm thinking about all of this early on before I even get to the point of applying to law school.
Glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for the compliment! Keep working at it and I'm sure you'll be able to get in! I'll be making a video in the future about how to get into law school, so try to keep an eye out for that!
For a UK law undergraduate the perspective outlined in this video is so informative and refreshing. Lots of students get bogged down by social expectations and competing with each other. This advice about thinking like a lawyer seems to apply internationally. As undergraduates studying the law in the UK, universities fail to teach prospective barristers and solicitors how to think and write like a lawyer. Too much time is spent following precedent and learning the different methods of applying the law. Here undergraduate sessions often focus on asking questions for cases surrounding legal issues that will engage students, equally dependent on completing reading prior to class and understanding the facts of the case. Mock trials do in fact teach you how to mimic the language used but no time is spent teaching us about the language we should use. Instead we are expected to learn this from corrections on papers. The mere guideline of do not refer to yourself in your writing, do not use any informal colloquialisms, and utilise your full word limit as concisely as possible. Many students are confused by being limited to a word count then told you must fill it but do so concisely. In reality all this means is you should structure your essay/argument in such a way you can efficiently express all the relevant points with balanced weightings for more and less important points. In other words do not write to fill your word count, write to be as persuasive as you possibly can with the word count you have been given. No vocational skills are taught meaning many students lack employability following their degrees, it is common knowledge that barristers learn on the job. Though solicitors compete further training, this somewhat still applies. Before going into a law degree many of us are told to consider doing a different subject first degree and completing a masters in law instead, to give breadth of knowledge and different academic skills or to even go down poorly paying at first apprentice certificates that then lead to split law degrees whilst learning the job on the job. Be interesting to see if Tex or any other viewers have any thoughts on the differences on how the law is taught all over the world, or if any other UK law students would agree or disagree with me. Good luck to anyone studying or thinking about going into law.
A lot of those similarities still hold true for law school in the US. We still have classes where there is a lot of reading cases and routinely memorizing the applicable law. However, most classes will try to dive deeper into the material and have the students work to understand the underlying legal principles that support the outcome. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that in the US, law school is a graduate level degree. Everyone in law school will already have a college degree so there isn’t as much need to emphasize getting a more practical degree or going over writing style. You raise a lot of interesting points in your comment and I can’t answer all of them here but it does give me a few ideas. I may work on a video detailing the differences between law school in the US and in other parts of the world. I would love the perspective of law students in other areas so if you or anyone else are interested, please feel free to reach out via Instagram or my business email. Both are listed in the description.
Hi Tex! I love you! Thank you so much for sharing! I hope to enter law school next year (older student), and your video gave me even more confidence. I'm looking forward to the challenge... thanks again for your time!!
I wanna study law and this was very helpful, one thing, I am in high school right now and we have word limits and it's so annoying, I thought it would be over when I went to further studies but I guess my suffering will never end T-T
Yeah it sucks having to limit yourself like this but it does make you a better legal writer. You can get your point across efficiently and convincingly. I hate going through it but I understand the reasoning behind it
Hi Tex! I love you!! Your information regarding law school was so helpful!! I'll apply this year (older student) and I'm really looking forward to the challenge !! Your video gave me even more confidence....Again, thank you for your time!!
Hey Tex! Love the videos. As an incoming 1L, they help settle the nerves. A potential idea for a video - any chance you could go in depth in how to approach networking/mixer events? Always eager to attend, but with no legal knowledge/background, it becomes intimidating for some. Thanks!
That's a great suggestion for a video!! Networking has always been second nature to me so I never thought about making a video on how to approach it! Definitely added to the list of video ideas I'll be working on over spring break! Btw, I'm glad you enjoy the videos! Best of luck with 1L!!
Only problem is that Chat GPT cites fake cases! I actually made a short about how lawyers kept getting caught using it since judges would go to look up cases from the lawyer’s briefs and nothing would be there 😂
what if lets say I did checks with cases that were given by CHATGPT and do my own personal research to see if they are real before using them? @@Tex100
Lawyers are using Chat GPT bc they save tons of hours of work -time which they charge 😅. Nevertheless Chat GPT may make law school absolete or shorten it to a yr or yr and a half.
Hope you all enjoyed! If you haven't started law school yet, what are you curious about? If you're in law school or have graduated, do you agree with my list?
@@jaydemerita2676 Yeah it can be a ton to deal with 😂 My suggestion is to get used books or try to find free copies online. Those might be a bit out of date, but you can double-check the cases with a classmate and you'll be set. Good luck with your first year!
@@LIFERSCANADA I personally studied philosophy and economics in undergrad and highly recommend both of those. Psychology is solid, but you're going to need to teach yourself logic for the LSAT and spend more time prepping for it. You can get into law school with any undergrad degree, but I encourage you to look at the average LSAT scores of people from that major and weigh that against your interest in the topic. I plan on making a detailed video on this in the near future so keep your eyes open!
I actually did take a torts class cause I’m a pre-law and boy was in for a real reckoning. We had only one final and our professor was a law school professor so it was basically like a law school course. It was hard and insane how much we had to read but gave me an insight on how law school will be
@@iFrankie. Do you know if the professor graded on a law school curve? Most classes in law school only give a certain number of A's. B/B+ are the average for those classes. The material is very tough so professors tend to give the highest scoring students the A's and just work their way down the curve from there.
Great video! I'm terrified for 1L, specifically due to the all the reading. Of course, I would like to do well but balance is key, in order to really enjoy the experience. Reassuring! Thank you:)
I am planning to go to law school. Reading and writing doesn’t sound too bad, maybe becoz I studied politics in college. Instead I’m a bit concerned about how to get the attitude and mindset right as a future lawyer. Thanks for the video!
this is making me realize how different people's undergrad experiences can be!!-- all or most of my undergrad assignments have word limits, it can be common in some countries for your final grade to be only based on the final, and I spend at least a few hours per class every weekday doing readings in undergrad (in my 4th year now). not to say your experience is wrong or anything, I was just kind of shocked!! anyways nice video, good break from practicing logic games TT
Yeah I everyone had a bit different of an undergrad experience. I went to a small liberal arts school in Western New York so that was even different from some of our big universities. Good luck with wrapping up undergrad and I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
High school student here, very interested in law. Admittedly, my passion for being a lawyer is partly fueled by money, but I am fascinated with the work and structure of law. I know law school is a long ways off, but wish me luck!
Best of luck on your journey!! I recommend taking a look at the different fields of law sooner rather than later. The pay can vary pretty widely, so if part of your motivation is the money, it can help to know what areas of law are well-paying that you're also interested in!
There aren't any "books" that I'm familiar with. I picked up most of it by reading case law and using context clues. Whenever I didn't know something, I'd look it up and prioritize legal resources like Blacks Law Dictionary. Glad you liked the video!
Great video dude. When i started PA school I was expecting to learn medicine but instead they tought us how to just do the greatest hits of medicine and how to follow a flowchart of how to treat each disease. Dropped out, amazing decision b/c I learned why it's so damn hard to become a doctor and whole new level of respect. How do you feel a year out from this video? Any changes on your views or new tips and tricks? Just in case you're thinking about it, if you're gonna join JAG for tuition reimbursement, go Air Force.
I originally was going to do aviation which really is my true passion, but a few things in life happened and I decided, it would be best to move towards something I also love, law. Im only a diploma student at the moment, just sat my first exam yesterday. I decided to watch your video over proper law school fears. A bit like the 1850 case another commentor mentioned, i was internally like oh crap, this may not be for me... Until you explained its Hard, not difficult. Genuinely made me smile, and makes me think, aye, yknow what, this could be it.
I'm glad you took that away from this video! That's the section that I spent the most time thinking about when I was writing since I wasn't sure how people would take it. I truly feel like anyone can succeed in law school though if they're willing to put in the effort! You seem like you have a good mindset. I'm rooting for you! Best of luck!!
Appreciate the video. I'm a law school dropout considering returning. Thanks to Covid it can be done fully remote and at a fraction of the cost it was. Nothing worse than unreasonable student loans. Though I am not a fan of the Socrates method. We shall see.
Good luck if you end up returning! Not sure what point you dropped out at but the Socratic method starts going away after 1L. Some professors will still use it, but since you can choose your own courses you can actively avoid those classes if it’s a deterrent for you
@@Tex100 appreciate it. Not sure how online system is going to work because a lot of it is self paced unless they have an AI version of Socrates himself 😂 but good to know that after 1L it goes away.
That would be something 😂 I TA some of the Masters level law courses here and they’re much more laid back than the JD programs. I’ve also noticed that the online JD classes are pretty relaxed too. Best of luck!!
No problem! If you’re asking which one to take, I highly recommend the LSAT if you’re planning on law school. Only a few schools accept the GRE. If you’re looking for grad school in general, then the GRE is likely better. If you were asking about advice on taking the LSAT/GRE, then that would best be explained in a separate video.
In my country, law school has little bit of reading .. but you need to have general information about law rules. I’m now at 3rd year law school, and everything is peace of cake.
i’m in a legal program right now, and maybe i’m insane but i love the research, and writing aspect of it all. I enjoy the readings too, i just hate that im a slow reader so it takes me like triple the time to complete that stuff
That's fair! A lot of people really do enjoy those aspects. For the average student though, the reading and the research are some of the toughest parts of law school. Btw, reading fast isn't the goal, it's understanding what you read.
Admitted in 2009, and basically left private practice in 2015 for in-house. What I found out during these 16 years was that a lot of lawyers don't know laws. They are so concerned with complying with the rules and procedures and practice directions, they just didn't even bother with the law and relying on advocating counsel to do all work. You'll be surprised. A lot of lawyers just don't know the laws. I know I'm going to get a lot of hate and ridicule for saying this. I have been in counsel's meetings where medical experts knew more law than the solicitors which retained them for expert opinion. To some, billing is the only thing they care about. Not impressed with lawyers and the legal profession as a whole. I don't even tell people that I'm a lawyer now. Just a contract specialist.
Go for it! Both of those lead really well into law school and a JD is likely the best thing you can pursue if your undergrad work was in philosophy. The only other big option is teaching, but that typically requires a doctorate anyway.
I'm in my 30s and strongly considering an accredited online course 😅 i have an AA in Dental Assisting and I've been a practicing hygienist for over 10 years, andmy entire professional career has been in dentistry. And I'm way more interested in learning how to think like a lawyer than an attorney representing someone at trial. I LOVE words and reading. I love writing. Any advice for a new subscriber? Great video, thank you ❤
I’ve given this advice before, but I’d look into other masters programs and see if they fit your interests! Some of the top schools offer MLS degrees which are watered down versions of JD’s. You won’t actually be able to practice law, but you’ll get a high level overview of what it means to think and act like a lawyer. I will caution you that it isn’t the full experience though. If you really enjoy reading and writing, I would look into reading some legal theory/philosophy and looking at the writing involved with case law, motions, memos, and briefs. If you find it interesting, then I’d say apply for an actual JD program. The vast majority of lawyers will never actually advocate for someone in the courtroom. Instead, they spend the majority of their careers reading cases, doing legal research, and writing legal documents. If that sounds interesting, then go get a JD! It’s never too late to switch career paths! If that seems tedious though, and you just want to learn more, check out the readings I recommended and look into MLS programs and other law specialized masters degrees. Hope you found this helpful!! Best of luck with whatever you decide to do!
im interested in legal work lately but i have one big hesitation, that i will have to defend someone i dont agree with or know is guilty, i dont think i could do that.
Hey man, Im a sophomore in HS, and I have been thinking about going and trying to become a lawyer. Do you have any tips for me so I can become prepared not only for law school but also college?
My best advice for someone in your position is not to focus on law school just yet. I know you may want to get ahead of the curve, but you still have 6 years before you'd even start! In terms of advice to set yourself up for college and law school, keep your grades up and do well on standardized testing. Those are the two most important things determining acceptance into college and law school. Take as many AP classes as you can, and study hard for your SAT/ACT. For extracurriculars, focus on high-impact areas and areas that instill discipline. For example, sports and community service are better options than most of the clubs based on interests. Similar advice applies once you're in college. Choose a major like philosophy or economics that will be challenging but will set you up well to take the LSAT. Study hard for the LSAT and take as many easy courses as you can in undergrad. A general rule of thumb is "if you're going to get less than a B+ or an A-, withdraw from the course or don't take it in the first place." The same extracurricular advice applies in undergrad. Now for the human advice. (I highly encourage you to pursue this route. Trust me, you'll be happier in the long-run.) Do what YOU want! You are still a kid, don't put so much pressure on your future! Enjoy your time being a kid while it still lasts! Sure, grades are important, and so is doing well on your SAT, but what's more important is living a life that you're happy with. If there's an elective you want to take but it's not academically challenging or prestigious, take it! If there's an AP class that you feel obligated to take, but you really hate the material or the teacher, don't take it! Hang out with your friends, join the club that interests you, pick up that niche hobby! Do what YOU want to do! The same thing goes for when you're in college. You can get into law school with literally ANY major, so study what you want! Apologies for rambling. If you are dead-set on being a lawyer then that's great! However, I find that most highschoolers who reach out saying that they're interested in law school are thinking too far ahead. I've seen too many of my classmates be disappointed with their teenage years and their time as a young adult, and I don't want to lead others down that path unless they're certain of it. Ultimately, it's your life, but that's my advice on the matter.
Hi, really liked your video, I see and expect a lot of reading in Law School. You also said you almost never did assigned readings in undergrad. How was that change of pace from going to not really reading to a lot of reading?
Glad you enjoyed it! It took a bit of time to get used to but it wasn’t that bad. I’ve always been an avid reader, just never felt a need to do reading for school before this. I had to shift from reading for fun to reading for work and that kinda sucked but it wasn’t that bad of a transition.
You can learn case law wherever. I recommend the library if you study best surrounded by classmates, or if you have legal research questions that the law librarians will be able to help with. I personally prefer studying and doing most of my readings at home since I get distracted in groups.
Yeah but they test two completely different skill sets. If you test well enough on the LSAT to get into a top 50ish school, chances are that you'll pass the bar. Might just be that logic and legal writing are more your speed than STEM, so don't let that hold you up before you try
I am about to go into my senior year of undergrad. I have a hefty class load compared to the other years that I have attended. when do you suggest that I start studying for the LSAT?
I spent the summer before my senior year prepping and took it at the end of that summer. Ideally it should be your primary focus so try to avoid taking classes while you prep. I actually have a full video on LSAT prep on the channel if you want to check it out!
Im a freshman into highschool still reviewing my options on what i wanna do as a main source of income when the time comes, im not academically smart nor get the best grades, how much of law school boils down to straight memorization vs critical thinking?
Good question! I'd say that law school is about 85% critical thinking and 15% memorization. You do need to memorize some legal rules and cases, but the bulk of the work is applying those rules to new fact patterns. There is very little homework in law school because you don't have to memorize a ton. Instead, you have to think it through. Being this early in your life, I wouldn't stress too much about the career you want to enter. A lot changes between high school and the end of college. I personally didn't decide to go to law school until halfway through my sophomore year of undergrad and I know people who waited even longer. The big thing for you should be to experience a ton of different things and ask questions about anything you're interested in. If you find something that really interests you, that's great! If not, then don't stress too much about it since you still have plenty of time.
Man, I'm considering becoming a lawyer but I've had a bad path and I feel like it's too late. I'm 20 and stuck in the warehouse industry I dropped out of school in 6th grade, and my family is lower income. I'm contemplating going to school for something (since nobody else has) but it seems daunting..
If you’re passionate about it then do it! You’re still young! I know it seems daunting, but if it’s something you really want to do then it will be worth it in the end. Don’t do it just to do it though. Take a look at all of your options. If the thought of 7 years+ of school seems like way too much, then look into some alternatives. Consider going to trade school and boosting your earnings that way or going through some online courses to get a certification in something. Whatever you do, make sure it’s something you can see yourself sticking with. Best of luck with whatever you decide!!
I've mentioned it a few times in videos, but I haven't gone over the full story before. I may just make a full length video about it. The gist is that I dropped out of undergrad due to health issues and wasn't sure if I'd ever make it back. I ended up reapplying and before I knew it I was a triple major and on my way to law school. In the past 6 years I went from a dropout to the point I'm at today. This is all very surface level, but if I make a video it will explain more.
Do you think getting a JD is beneficial for any business role/ career/ industry? Im currently studying information systems but I’ve had my mind on law school for two years now. There two different types of degrees obviously, but what do you think about that combination?
Honestly, given the current cost of law school, it is generally not worth a full JD if you’re not planning on practicing law. You can get similar upward mobility in business and tech sectors through MLS degrees, specialty programs, or from spending a few months working with lawyers in the field on the side. It may be a nice bonus to employers, but the cost of acquiring it generally outweighs the gains unless you’re actually practicing law or doing something specialized. For information systems, I’d recommend looking at MLS degrees, IP law certifications, and privacy law certifications. You may be able to obtain the knowledge that you want/need for the cost of a few graduate level courses instead of a full JD degree. You won’t have the piece of paper saying you can practice law at the end of it, but you also won’t have spent 3 years spending time and money learning skills that aren’t applicable when you could have better honed your technical skills. Hope this helped!
Hi so just some question I am a 17 year old going into my senior year in September. Studying in law has definitely caught my eye but I definitely want to be prepared for it. What should I start looking into to study before hand? Before becoming a lawyer would you suggest becoming a paralegal for experience? Also the bar exam, how hard is it actually? how should I study for it.
When reading any case start with the holdings and restate them as questions. That will instantly tell you what the core legal case was about. From there go to the facts of the case. Then shapardise the ruling. You will have 90% of what you need. Sequentially reading any case is foolish.
My mother wanted a consigliori so she offered to pay something for Law School. I've learned far more completely on my own. Since corruption is indemic, what proportion of your class are or should be in jail or prison or at least disbarred or a complete psych case?
If it isn’t too personal to ask, how could someone balance a job with law school? I am genuinely interested but I do need a job and I don’t know if its possible
That's the tough part of law school. Most schools have a policy of not allowing 1Ls to work. That basically means you have one year where you aren't making any money. Some schools are less strict about it and will do a wink and a nudge, but others are very strict. I recommend talking to current students at the school to get the vibe. After your first year, it's fairly easy to get a job. A lot of people will hold some kind of legal externship or part-time job while they're in class. It all comes down to scheduling at that point and taking classes that you feel comfortable missing some readings for or where the grade will be based on a final paper instead of an exam. It's definitely a ton of work, but it can be well worth it! If you do well enough your first year, you can get a summer associate position at a big firm and make almost a full-year's salary in a few months, but that's for the top students at the top law schools. Either way, best of luck!!
Your first year you'll take mostly the same classes regardless of where you go to school. The core classes are: Contract Law, Tort Law, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Property Law, Criminal Law, and some form of Legal Method and Writing. There are some minor differences between schools but you'll take these at 90% of the schools in the country. After your first year, you get to choose what you want to focus on! Some areas of study I recommend are philosophy, economics, writing, and history. Philosophy gives you a good background in logic and will help with the LSAT in particular. It also helps you understand the reasoning behind laws and legal theory. Economics is great for classes like Tort Law, Contract Law, and Property Law since it will help you apply the theories in those classes to real world examples. Writing is fairly self-explanatory. I'd focus on more rigid academic writing if you can, but any kind of writing helps! Just do whatever you enjoy and get used to expressing your ideas. History is just good to know all around. It will help give you a framework for why certain laws and theories came into place when they did. If you know a ton about colonial America, then you'll be less confused reading cases from that time. If you know a ton about the Great Depression, then you can better understand the reasoning behind laws governing securities and stock exchanges that came about in that era. These are just some of my suggestions. You can succeed in law school studying anything, but I've found that these areas give the best results. Focus on American history and English/French philosophers! We do draw some ideas from the East, but its comparatively few. Hope this helped!
@Tex100 omg! You are a God sent. I'm going to screen shot this because you answered so many of my questions perfectly! So much! Theres a part of me that wants to ask if you would like to be my mentor but i'd hate to take what little time i'm sure you have to yourself lol. So thank you! I'm sure ill watch just about all your videos!
I’m happy to help! If you have questions feel free to ask and I’ll gladly answer! Not sure about the mentoring thing but I have helped friends and old classmates through the grad school/PhD application process! It’s actually something I’ve considered doing but wasn’t sure if people would be interested 😂 Your initial question actually inspired me to start scripting a video on everything you should expect your first year of law school so I should be thanking you!
In terms of LSAT prep I just used the Powerscore LSAT Bibles and old practice exams. Mainly did it through self study but I know some of the courses are really good. For actual prep before law school I read a bunch of contracts and skimmed the model penal code. Both of these were at the recommendation of one of my undergrad professors. They helped give me a background entering law school. He also had me read about 20-30 cases that are mainstays of law schools across the country. Getting experience with them before law school really helped me feel comfortable reading cases once I was actually in class. Besides that, I read a lot of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill to understand utilitarianism, some Kant for Kantianism, and a whole lot of general stuff on economics and metaphysics. If you want specific case names or more details let me know and I’m happy to help!
It all depends on how you apply it! You can get into law school and succeed with almost any degree! If your Communications degree focused on the PR side and public policy, then it might be more beneficial. It all depends on what you studied in undergrad. If you’re interested in law school though I highly recommend checking out some of the course topics to see if they’re a good fit. Even if they don’t seem great right away, don’t be discouraged! I’ve seen people do great in law school with degrees in accounting or even teaching 😂
My Dad is a respected Lawyer, so was my Grandfather. I am currently working in finance but want to pivot my career and pursue law school. I majored in Poly Sci and did not take it very seriously and have a low GPA. My skill sets are more so people skills / sales but I am no dummy. Do you think it would be wise to go into law school where a more "nerdy" person would thrive over a social / salesy sleezball type guy?
That all depends on what you want to do with a law degree and what your motivations for going to law school are. "Sleazy salesmen" type lawyers do great in certain fields and having good people skills is good if you want to go into client-facing areas of law. You mentioned that you work in finance currently though. If you want to work in big law or doing business law, then you typically need excellent grades and to come from a top law school. There are exceptions, but generally, you need a fairly prestigious background. That means that you'll need to focus pretty hard while you're in law school to beat out your classmates. If you can't see yourself doing that for 3 years (or 2 if you secure a job early), then it will be very hard to get into that area of law. Overall, you can definitely succeed as a lawyer with the skillset you have, but some areas of law are much more suited to that than others.
At this point I recommend focusing on undergrad first. You can start learning more about the law a bit later on. For now, get a solid foundation in logic, writing, and economics if you can.
Good question! AI honestly hasn't played much of a factor yet. This is because the most widely used AI products (ChatGPT) do not have access to the relevant case law. AI is great at summarizing certain laws, but it does not provide the necessary nuances yet. For example, it will tell you the elements of adverse possession, but you still need to read case law to see how these elements are analyzed by judges. Part of what's holding AI back is that it will routinely cite fake cases when you ask for sources. I know some people who use it to summarize their notes and get general outlines of legal concepts, but that's as far as I've personally seen AI being used in law school (Aside from some students unsuccessfully trying to use it to write their briefs and memos).
Attorneys at Law, is not the same as Attorneys in Law! Think swimming pool. Are you at the pool or are you in the pool? Just use the Constitution and Treatise; after all it is the Supreme Law of the Land. Codes, statues, ordinance, resolution, regulations are used to support the Treaties and Constitution!
Not necessarily. It shows how well you perform logical reasoning under stressful situations. This is what most law school exams are, but doing well on the LSAT doesn't necessarily translate to doing well in a law school final. There are other skills that play a role like legal writing and issue spotting. The LSAT is the best metric currently available at indicating law school success though. That is more a function of the other metrics (GPA, letters of rec, personal statements, etc..) being awful indicators than anything else though.
That depends on the school. Some have strict no-AI policies, but they can’t police that for study prep and summarizing legal topics. I TA some grad courses here and grade papers. When I’m helping with a substantive law course, I will give a 0 if I catch a student having AI answer for them. I actively encourage them to use it as a study aid though. Some schools are much more lenient. Just beware that after law school you’ll need to take the bar and you won’t have AI to help during that so you’ll need to actually learn the law along the way
Im a 24 year old high school drop out. I had to quit at 16 because my dad broke his back and could no longer work so i had to. Do you guys think its possible or realistic for me to get the ball rolling and become a lawer?
Hi, lawyer here specializing in Property Law. I left school at 18, did a higher degree in economics and quit after 1 year as I decided it wasn't for me. I decided to stop waiting for something good to happen and decided to make it happen, and I applied to do a degree in law part time. I started at 30, which is on average a little older than normal. I'm 37 on £67k a year currently which is well above average for income in the UK. If I could have gone back and spoken to my older self I'd have told myself to stop being a wimp and get it done sooner. It's not easy, but nothing worth having in life is. If you want to make it a reality, you have to work at it. But absolutely it is possible. The only thing limiting you from doing it is you.
I'm currently thinking to read for a degree in law come September 2024 but I don't know how working and studying law will play out😫.... any advice for someone who is thinking about working & studying law at the same time?
Hey! One thing to keep in mind is that nearly every law school in the U.S. doesn’t let you work during your first year. This is because they want you to get used to the workload of law school. So, you won’t be able to have a full-time job during your first year. You can have a part-time job if you keep it quiet, but nothing more than like 15-20 hours per week. Honestly, I recommend not working at all during your first semester at the very least so that you can get used to what law school is like. The workload can be intense and since you’re graded against your classmates, spending time working isn’t worth it in the long run. After your first year though, you’re more than welcome to work. In fact, schools will encourage you to pick up externships and stuff. A lot of law schools have paid options for these which will help. Hope this answer helped. I plan on making a video going into more depth on this topic too so lmk if you want more info on anything specific!
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I really appreciate you for posting this video, as a senior in high school who really hopes to become a lawyer this video really helped me personally and helped me build up more self confidence and excitement. Thanks so much for @Tex
Thinking about
High school dropout here working on getting my GED, law school is in my sights and this video just boosted my motivation. I’m coming for it all
That's awesome! Keep up that motivation!! Good luck on your journey!!
Hell yeah man, you own the finish line!
I dropped out of HS and got my GED, I just graduated with my bachelor's in May, now I'm thinking about going to law school. You can do it bro! I'm rooting for you
although of course no one would ever actually advise dropping out, i think its getting more and more possible to make something out of yourself these days even after dropping out, i love to hear this man keep killing it
@@nickklatte960 It's absolutely possible!! It takes a ton of work, but I love seeing people put in the effort to get back through school! I forget if I mention it in this video, but I'm a former college dropout myself. If I can get back and be successful, then I believe anyone else can too!
I remember reading a case from the 1850’s on quasi in ten jurisdiction. I got stuck on one paragraph for an hour and a half. If I had just moved onto the next paragraph (which I eventually did), it explained everything. I felt like an idiot, but I WAS prepared.
Are you talking about Pennoyer v Neff?!! I still have nightmares about that case 😂 It was the very first case I was assigned as a 1L and it had me so worried that I almost dropped out of law school on the spot!
That may be a good option for you to create content on. I’d certainly love to hear you talk about this experience and learning outcomes.
An honestly really reassuring video.
Didn't make Law School out like its a piece of cake, but also didn't pull what some other youtube lawyers do, like ignoring or significantly reducing time with family and friends, severing romantic relationships, and cutting back on relaxation even during non work or minimal work days. Gonna be honest, those guys act like you have to sell your soul and become a robot to become a lawyer.
Glad you thought so! Honestly, they have a point, but only if you’re aiming to be at the top of the class and work in big law. If your goal isn’t to work 80+ hours a week for a law firm then you don’t need to kill yourself during law school.
Currently researching what law is like, and this was super helpful and informative. Simple, direct, and clear. Thank you
Glad it helped! Best of luck deciding if you want to pursue law school!
im in college and i'm in a law class which i'm not thinking of going forward with in my future but the class is very interesting. (i had to take the class because it's required for my business degree
@@jgreen55 I'm glad that you find the class interesting! Knowing some basics about the law is really helpful for business majors! Not everyone wants to hire a lawyer, but knowing when one is necessary can save companies thousands or even millions in the long run!
I am really glad that I bumped into this video. I am submitting my admission requirements this week! Thank you for sharing this.
Glad you found it helpful! Good luck with your applications!!
What did you get on your lsat if you don’t mind me asking ?
@@iFrankie. How do you take a LSAT and where
Im considering going to law school at 43. I have a background in real estate & contracts, and a bs in history that required a ton of reading, research, wtiting, public speaking and required cited sources for every point made. Thanks for the video.
No problem! Best of luck with your application if you do decide to go to law school!
I'm 42 and I'm going too! See ya at the end!
I was thinking of it .. then read the salaries
@@SonnySinghGlobal Do it for a better reason, like taking our County back.
I was about 34 when I decided I want to go to law school, but I found out I need a bachelor degree first. By the time I completed my degree, I was 38 and burned out. I kept postponing my LSAT then finally canceled it (and they never gave me my partial refund!). I talked myself out of it by dwelling on the fact I’d be around 43 and in debt once Im done (only ABA law school I could afford out of pocket was in Puerto Rico and I don’t speak Spanish!). Now I’m 46 and still in construction (electrician), which I intended to be a backup thing during my apprenticeship almost 25 years ago!
I’m not sure I made the right decision or not because I didn’t want to study law for the money, but to make a difference (corny, I know). I do think out it A LOT. Maybe that’s how I ended up here!
Good luck!!
I studied public admin in college and it was a lot of the same thing you described. Massive amounts of reading and writing, I could not take a break without falling behind.
I took law classes, policy courses, government, and interned at a law clinic. I got the chance to work under my professors who managed the law clinic and were successful lawyers themselves. One had a law firm downtown where we would meet every week. It was an amazing experience, and I had some great classmates I still think about even though its been a few years.
Law school has been a dream of mine for many years.
I am so busy helping my husband with his construction business and taking care of my kids, that he doesn't support me going currently. He said to wait a few years until the business really gets going. I'm 33 so my time is ticking.
That’s awesome! Even if you don’t ultimately go it’s great that you’ve gotten the experience of studying it a bit and working with actual lawyers.
If you’re serious about going, then don’t worry about the time. We have multiple students in my cohort who are in their late 30s and early 40s. I’ve even met some law students who are over 50! If you don’t think you can spare the time though but are still interested, I highly recommend MLS programs. It’s a master’s degree covering most of the same topics as law school. A ton of schools have online programs and they’re much more accessible. I TA some classes for them and I’ve had students in their 60s! Either way, best of luck with the business, kids, and any future school that you pursue!
@@Tex100 Prefer researching law, not scoring a degree.
Sealed the deal for me. I’ve been racking my brain on whether or not to pursue it. Thanks!
No problem! Best of luck!
This is really solidifying my decision to go to Law School, Thank you so much.
Of course! Glad it helps!!
Number 7 just saved me a LOT of money; thank you very much. I was contemplating getting a law degree primarily for intellectual stimulation and to gain knowledge on the Law, but I have no interest whatsoever in becoming a lawyer. I guess I'll just stick to self-studying.
This was awesome! I start 1L in Aug and I greatly appreciate you doing this video. Have a great week!
Thank you! Glad that you got something out of it! You too!
May God bless you in your studies!!!!!🙏🏽🤲🏾❤️
Thank you for making this video. You've painted a clearer picture for me. You also made me feel less like I'd be a weirdo going to law school in my 40s. 😊 I'm still working on my bachelors, but I'm thinking about all of this early on before I even get to the point of applying to law school.
Glad you found it helpful! Best of luck with the rest of undergrad and with law school in the future!!
Much needed optimism. Great tip about enjoying the process bc it goes way beyond just reading and studying.
I really enjoyed this video. You're actually super entertaining to watch. I really hope I get into law school one day.
Glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for the compliment! Keep working at it and I'm sure you'll be able to get in! I'll be making a video in the future about how to get into law school, so try to keep an eye out for that!
For a UK law undergraduate the perspective outlined in this video is so informative and refreshing. Lots of students get bogged down by social expectations and competing with each other. This advice about thinking like a lawyer seems to apply internationally. As undergraduates studying the law in the UK, universities fail to teach prospective barristers and solicitors how to think and write like a lawyer. Too much time is spent following precedent and learning the different methods of applying the law. Here undergraduate sessions often focus on asking questions for cases surrounding legal issues that will engage students, equally dependent on completing reading prior to class and understanding the facts of the case. Mock trials do in fact teach you how to mimic the language used but no time is spent teaching us about the language we should use. Instead we are expected to learn this from corrections on papers. The mere guideline of do not refer to yourself in your writing, do not use any informal colloquialisms, and utilise your full word limit as concisely as possible. Many students are confused by being limited to a word count then told you must fill it but do so concisely. In reality all this means is you should structure your essay/argument in such a way you can efficiently express all the relevant points with balanced weightings for more and less important points. In other words do not write to fill your word count, write to be as persuasive as you possibly can with the word count you have been given. No vocational skills are taught meaning many students lack employability following their degrees, it is common knowledge that barristers learn on the job. Though solicitors compete further training, this somewhat still applies. Before going into a law degree many of us are told to consider doing a different subject first degree and completing a masters in law instead, to give breadth of knowledge and different academic skills or to even go down poorly paying at first apprentice certificates that then lead to split law degrees whilst learning the job on the job. Be interesting to see if Tex or any other viewers have any thoughts on the differences on how the law is taught all over the world, or if any other UK law students would agree or disagree with me. Good luck to anyone studying or thinking about going into law.
A lot of those similarities still hold true for law school in the US. We still have classes where there is a lot of reading cases and routinely memorizing the applicable law. However, most classes will try to dive deeper into the material and have the students work to understand the underlying legal principles that support the outcome. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that in the US, law school is a graduate level degree. Everyone in law school will already have a college degree so there isn’t as much need to emphasize getting a more practical degree or going over writing style. You raise a lot of interesting points in your comment and I can’t answer all of them here but it does give me a few ideas. I may work on a video detailing the differences between law school in the US and in other parts of the world. I would love the perspective of law students in other areas so if you or anyone else are interested, please feel free to reach out via Instagram or my business email. Both are listed in the description.
This is the REALEST feedback on law school. Big ups 👍
Hi Tex! I love you! Thank you so much for sharing! I hope to enter law school next year (older student), and your video gave me even more confidence. I'm looking forward to the challenge... thanks again for your time!!
Glad you liked it! Best of luck with law school!!
Excited to go to law school someday! I LOVE research and reading
I wanna study law and this was very helpful, one thing, I am in high school right now and we have word limits and it's so annoying, I thought it would be over when I went to further studies but I guess my suffering will never end T-T
Yeah it sucks having to limit yourself like this but it does make you a better legal writer. You can get your point across efficiently and convincingly. I hate going through it but I understand the reasoning behind it
May God bless you in your studies!!!!!🙏🏽🤲🏾❤️
Hi Tex! I love you!! Your information regarding law school was so helpful!! I'll apply this year (older student) and I'm really looking forward to the challenge !! Your video gave me even more confidence....Again, thank you for your time!!
Hey Tex! Love the videos. As an incoming 1L, they help settle the nerves. A potential idea for a video - any chance you could go in depth in how to approach networking/mixer events? Always eager to attend, but with no legal knowledge/background, it becomes intimidating for some. Thanks!
That's a great suggestion for a video!! Networking has always been second nature to me so I never thought about making a video on how to approach it! Definitely added to the list of video ideas I'll be working on over spring break! Btw, I'm glad you enjoy the videos! Best of luck with 1L!!
you've highlighted some important parts, especially the part of hardwork and how to manage the carriculum, which I strongly agree with.
Just finished my 1L year and everything he said is accurate!
Glad someone else can verify 😂 Good luck with 2L!!
@@Tex100 thank you!
@@Tex100post 2L
"the ideal piece of legal writing is something that a robot would write" ... Chat GPT has entered the chat and taken all the legal jobs hahaha
Only problem is that Chat GPT cites fake cases! I actually made a short about how lawyers kept getting caught using it since judges would go to look up cases from the lawyer’s briefs and nothing would be there 😂
what if lets say I did checks with cases that were given by CHATGPT and do my own personal research to see if they are real before using them? @@Tex100
Lawyers are using Chat GPT bc they save tons of hours of work -time which they charge 😅. Nevertheless Chat GPT may make law school absolete or shorten it to a yr or yr and a half.
Best video I’ve come across on the topic! Thanks Tex.
Thanks for the compliment! Glad you enjoyed it!!
Hope you all enjoyed! If you haven't started law school yet, what are you curious about?
If you're in law school or have graduated, do you agree with my list?
I’m starting up this semester… how am I gonna pay for this and these books🤣🤣
@@jaydemerita2676 Yeah it can be a ton to deal with 😂 My suggestion is to get used books or try to find free copies online. Those might be a bit out of date, but you can double-check the cases with a classmate and you'll be set. Good luck with your first year!
What’s a good undergrad? Thinking of taking psychology
@@LIFERSCANADA I personally studied philosophy and economics in undergrad and highly recommend both of those. Psychology is solid, but you're going to need to teach yourself logic for the LSAT and spend more time prepping for it. You can get into law school with any undergrad degree, but I encourage you to look at the average LSAT scores of people from that major and weigh that against your interest in the topic. I plan on making a detailed video on this in the near future so keep your eyes open!
@@Tex100 thanks :)
I actually did take a torts class cause I’m a pre-law and boy was in for a real reckoning. We had only one final and our professor was a law school professor so it was basically like a law school course. It was hard and insane how much we had to read but gave me an insight on how law school will be
Yeah it's definitely a ton of work! Experiencing it beforehand will definitely help when you actually get to law school though!
@@Tex100 I got a B for my grade not too many people got an A if any tbh he graded so tough
@@iFrankie. Do you know if the professor graded on a law school curve? Most classes in law school only give a certain number of A's. B/B+ are the average for those classes. The material is very tough so professors tend to give the highest scoring students the A's and just work their way down the curve from there.
@@Tex100 not too sure tbh it was a summer course and I don’t think much people scored an A
@@iFrankie. Fair enough. Either way it was good experience before you actually start law school! Best of luck!!
Thank you so much for this video! I'm starting in the fall so I'll do my best to keep all of this in mind.
Best of luck!!
Super informative. Love it. Glad you’re living the life!
Great video! I'm terrified for 1L, specifically due to the all the reading. Of course, I would like to do well but balance is key, in order to really enjoy the experience. Reassuring! Thank you:)
Glad you found it helpful! I can tell you already have a good mindset and you'll do great! Good luck!!
I’m not even pursing a career in law, but I like to research other careers and this was a very interesting and informative video, keep it up man!
I am planning to go to law school. Reading and writing doesn’t sound too bad, maybe becoz I studied politics in college. Instead I’m a bit concerned about how to get the attitude and mindset right as a future lawyer. Thanks for the video!
Great video. Amazing balance of funny and educational with great insight. Thank you.
Thank you! I appreciate the thoughtful feedback! Comments like this really help me see how I can improve my other videos! Glad you enjoyed it!
I enjoyed reading in law school. I don’t know if I was comprehending though, but I enjoyed reading lol
this is making me realize how different people's undergrad experiences can be!!-- all or most of my undergrad assignments have word limits, it can be common in some countries for your final grade to be only based on the final, and I spend at least a few hours per class every weekday doing readings in undergrad (in my 4th year now). not to say your experience is wrong or anything, I was just kind of shocked!! anyways nice video, good break from practicing logic games TT
Yeah I everyone had a bit different of an undergrad experience. I went to a small liberal arts school in Western New York so that was even different from some of our big universities. Good luck with wrapping up undergrad and I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
Yeah my undergrad assignments all have word counts. A lot of my classes also did cold calling. And I spent hours reading each week.
High school student here, very interested in law. Admittedly, my passion for being a lawyer is partly fueled by money, but I am fascinated with the work and structure of law. I know law school is a long ways off, but wish me luck!
Best of luck on your journey!! I recommend taking a look at the different fields of law sooner rather than later. The pay can vary pretty widely, so if part of your motivation is the money, it can help to know what areas of law are well-paying that you're also interested in!
Thank you for the heads up and advice. i will be taking this into consideration and taking notes
Is there any books we should read to better understand law terminology and enhance our vocabulary? great video btw!
There aren't any "books" that I'm familiar with. I picked up most of it by reading case law and using context clues. Whenever I didn't know something, I'd look it up and prioritize legal resources like Blacks Law Dictionary. Glad you liked the video!
Great video dude. When i started PA school I was expecting to learn medicine but instead they tought us how to just do the greatest hits of medicine and how to follow a flowchart of how to treat each disease. Dropped out, amazing decision b/c I learned why it's so damn hard to become a doctor and whole new level of respect. How do you feel a year out from this video? Any changes on your views or new tips and tricks? Just in case you're thinking about it, if you're gonna join JAG for tuition reimbursement, go Air Force.
Thank you Tex, this was very helpful..
You’re welcome! Glad you thought so!
I originally was going to do aviation which really is my true passion, but a few things in life happened and I decided, it would be best to move towards something I also love, law. Im only a diploma student at the moment, just sat my first exam yesterday. I decided to watch your video over proper law school fears. A bit like the 1850 case another commentor mentioned, i was internally like oh crap, this may not be for me... Until you explained its Hard, not difficult. Genuinely made me smile, and makes me think, aye, yknow what, this could be it.
I'm glad you took that away from this video! That's the section that I spent the most time thinking about when I was writing since I wasn't sure how people would take it. I truly feel like anyone can succeed in law school though if they're willing to put in the effort!
You seem like you have a good mindset. I'm rooting for you! Best of luck!!
@@Tex100 haha
I could definitely tell, and thanks for the support!
@@TazziedoesWT No problem!! Good luck!
Appreciate the video. I'm a law school dropout considering returning. Thanks to Covid it can be done fully remote and at a fraction of the cost it was. Nothing worse than unreasonable student loans. Though I am not a fan of the Socrates method. We shall see.
Good luck if you end up returning! Not sure what point you dropped out at but the Socratic method starts going away after 1L. Some professors will still use it, but since you can choose your own courses you can actively avoid those classes if it’s a deterrent for you
@@Tex100 appreciate it. Not sure how online system is going to work because a lot of it is self paced unless they have an AI version of Socrates himself 😂 but good to know that after 1L it goes away.
That would be something 😂 I TA some of the Masters level law courses here and they’re much more laid back than the JD programs. I’ve also noticed that the online JD classes are pretty relaxed too. Best of luck!!
Thanks for the vid player! Starting 1L next year
Of course! Best of luck!!
I am still 17 and I just started studying law
Thanks so much for your insight and encouragement. I'm an older adult and needing advice on taking the LSAT or GRE.
No problem! If you’re asking which one to take, I highly recommend the LSAT if you’re planning on law school. Only a few schools accept the GRE. If you’re looking for grad school in general, then the GRE is likely better. If you were asking about advice on taking the LSAT/GRE, then that would best be explained in a separate video.
@@Tex100 what is the difference, and what are these for ?
In my country, law school has little bit of reading .. but you need to have general information about law rules.
I’m now at 3rd year law school, and everything is peace of cake.
What country?? This sounds like a dream!!
i’m in a legal program right now, and maybe i’m insane but i love the research, and writing aspect of it all. I enjoy the readings too, i just hate that im a slow reader so it takes me like triple the time to complete that stuff
That's fair! A lot of people really do enjoy those aspects. For the average student though, the reading and the research are some of the toughest parts of law school. Btw, reading fast isn't the goal, it's understanding what you read.
Dude you are going to be a great attorney!
Thank you!!
Admitted in 2009, and basically left private practice in 2015 for in-house. What I found out during these 16 years was that a lot of lawyers don't know laws. They are so concerned with complying with the rules and procedures and practice directions, they just didn't even bother with the law and relying on advocating counsel to do all work. You'll be surprised. A lot of lawyers just don't know the laws. I know I'm going to get a lot of hate and ridicule for saying this. I have been in counsel's meetings where medical experts knew more law than the solicitors which retained them for expert opinion. To some, billing is the only thing they care about. Not impressed with lawyers and the legal profession as a whole. I don't even tell people that I'm a lawyer now. Just a contract specialist.
This is a great video. SDO is my #1 pick.
Glad you liked the vid! Best of luck!!
Thank you for this video , you’re giving me hope
Glad you found it helpful!
Great video dude! 👌🏿
Thank you!
Story was so good, love it.
Glad you thought so! This was one of the vids I spent the most time scripting since I really wanted to get my message across!
The video is great im really thankful for you
No problem! I’m glad you found it helpful!
Thank you for the great content ❤
No problem!! Glad you enjoyed it!
this is super helpful, thank you! :)
Glad you thought so!
Thanks my stress is becoming lesser because of this tips
I'm glad! Good luck!!
Thinking about JD after philosophy and theology.
Go for it! Both of those lead really well into law school and a JD is likely the best thing you can pursue if your undergrad work was in philosophy. The only other big option is teaching, but that typically requires a doctorate anyway.
thanks dude this really helped
No problem! Glad you found it helpful!
This video is very helpful. Thank you
Glad you found it helpful!
makes sense but i'm going to be 50 when i go...either to ASU or TEXAS A&M for IP law.
I'm in my 30s and strongly considering an accredited online course 😅 i have an AA in Dental Assisting and I've been a practicing hygienist for over 10 years, andmy entire professional career has been in dentistry. And I'm way more interested in learning how to think like a lawyer than an attorney representing someone at trial. I LOVE words and reading. I love writing. Any advice for a new subscriber? Great video, thank you ❤
I’ve given this advice before, but I’d look into other masters programs and see if they fit your interests! Some of the top schools offer MLS degrees which are watered down versions of JD’s. You won’t actually be able to practice law, but you’ll get a high level overview of what it means to think and act like a lawyer. I will caution you that it isn’t the full experience though.
If you really enjoy reading and writing, I would look into reading some legal theory/philosophy and looking at the writing involved with case law, motions, memos, and briefs. If you find it interesting, then I’d say apply for an actual JD program. The vast majority of lawyers will never actually advocate for someone in the courtroom. Instead, they spend the majority of their careers reading cases, doing legal research, and writing legal documents. If that sounds interesting, then go get a JD! It’s never too late to switch career paths! If that seems tedious though, and you just want to learn more, check out the readings I recommended and look into MLS programs and other law specialized masters degrees. Hope you found this helpful!! Best of luck with whatever you decide to do!
im interested in legal work lately but i have one big hesitation, that i will have to defend someone i dont agree with or know is guilty, i dont think i could do that.
Law school is like fitness.It’s a lifestyle.You eat and sleep with it.The learning never stops.Until you’re expired
i’m doing it
as an IB diploma student… word limits are typical and they SUCK
Agreed!
Hey man, Im a sophomore in HS, and I have been thinking about going and trying to become a lawyer. Do you have any tips for me so I can become prepared not only for law school but also college?
My best advice for someone in your position is not to focus on law school just yet. I know you may want to get ahead of the curve, but you still have 6 years before you'd even start! In terms of advice to set yourself up for college and law school, keep your grades up and do well on standardized testing. Those are the two most important things determining acceptance into college and law school. Take as many AP classes as you can, and study hard for your SAT/ACT. For extracurriculars, focus on high-impact areas and areas that instill discipline. For example, sports and community service are better options than most of the clubs based on interests. Similar advice applies once you're in college. Choose a major like philosophy or economics that will be challenging but will set you up well to take the LSAT. Study hard for the LSAT and take as many easy courses as you can in undergrad. A general rule of thumb is "if you're going to get less than a B+ or an A-, withdraw from the course or don't take it in the first place." The same extracurricular advice applies in undergrad.
Now for the human advice. (I highly encourage you to pursue this route. Trust me, you'll be happier in the long-run.) Do what YOU want! You are still a kid, don't put so much pressure on your future! Enjoy your time being a kid while it still lasts! Sure, grades are important, and so is doing well on your SAT, but what's more important is living a life that you're happy with. If there's an elective you want to take but it's not academically challenging or prestigious, take it! If there's an AP class that you feel obligated to take, but you really hate the material or the teacher, don't take it! Hang out with your friends, join the club that interests you, pick up that niche hobby! Do what YOU want to do! The same thing goes for when you're in college. You can get into law school with literally ANY major, so study what you want!
Apologies for rambling. If you are dead-set on being a lawyer then that's great! However, I find that most highschoolers who reach out saying that they're interested in law school are thinking too far ahead. I've seen too many of my classmates be disappointed with their teenage years and their time as a young adult, and I don't want to lead others down that path unless they're certain of it. Ultimately, it's your life, but that's my advice on the matter.
Great tips!
Hi, really liked your video, I see and expect a lot of reading in Law School. You also said you almost never did assigned readings in undergrad. How was that change of pace from going to not really reading to a lot of reading?
Glad you enjoyed it! It took a bit of time to get used to but it wasn’t that bad. I’ve always been an avid reader, just never felt a need to do reading for school before this. I had to shift from reading for fun to reading for work and that kinda sucked but it wasn’t that bad of a transition.
thanks alot buddy, you helped out alot.
No problem! Glad it helped!
Thank you for this God bless you🙏🏽🤲🏾❤️
No problem!
Would you recommend going to the law library and library to help understand case study?
You can learn case law wherever. I recommend the library if you study best surrounded by classmates, or if you have legal research questions that the law librarians will be able to help with. I personally prefer studying and doing most of my readings at home since I get distracted in groups.
I won't lie my only trepidation of going to law school is the fact I failed the NREMT so I am not sure about the Bar since it's exponentially harder
Yeah but they test two completely different skill sets. If you test well enough on the LSAT to get into a top 50ish school, chances are that you'll pass the bar. Might just be that logic and legal writing are more your speed than STEM, so don't let that hold you up before you try
@@Tex100 Good point
can you use chatgpt for school help like in readings and in writing?
Listening as a Grade 8 student who is really determined to be a lawyer like fr
i trust this man with my life
I wouldn’t go that far 😂
I am about to go into my senior year of undergrad. I have a hefty class load compared to the other years that I have attended. when do you suggest that I start studying for the LSAT?
I spent the summer before my senior year prepping and took it at the end of that summer. Ideally it should be your primary focus so try to avoid taking classes while you prep. I actually have a full video on LSAT prep on the channel if you want to check it out!
Im a freshman into highschool still reviewing my options on what i wanna do as a main source of income when the time comes, im not academically smart nor get the best grades, how much of law school boils down to straight memorization vs critical thinking?
Good question! I'd say that law school is about 85% critical thinking and 15% memorization. You do need to memorize some legal rules and cases, but the bulk of the work is applying those rules to new fact patterns. There is very little homework in law school because you don't have to memorize a ton. Instead, you have to think it through. Being this early in your life, I wouldn't stress too much about the career you want to enter. A lot changes between high school and the end of college. I personally didn't decide to go to law school until halfway through my sophomore year of undergrad and I know people who waited even longer. The big thing for you should be to experience a ton of different things and ask questions about anything you're interested in. If you find something that really interests you, that's great! If not, then don't stress too much about it since you still have plenty of time.
Man, I'm considering becoming a lawyer but I've had a bad path and I feel like it's too late. I'm 20 and stuck in the warehouse industry
I dropped out of school in 6th grade, and my family is lower income. I'm contemplating going to school for something (since nobody else has) but it seems daunting..
If you’re passionate about it then do it! You’re still young! I know it seems daunting, but if it’s something you really want to do then it will be worth it in the end. Don’t do it just to do it though. Take a look at all of your options.
If the thought of 7 years+ of school seems like way too much, then look into some alternatives. Consider going to trade school and boosting your earnings that way or going through some online courses to get a certification in something. Whatever you do, make sure it’s something you can see yourself sticking with. Best of luck with whatever you decide!!
Did you talk about dropping out before, and what happened since?
I've mentioned it a few times in videos, but I haven't gone over the full story before. I may just make a full length video about it. The gist is that I dropped out of undergrad due to health issues and wasn't sure if I'd ever make it back. I ended up reapplying and before I knew it I was a triple major and on my way to law school. In the past 6 years I went from a dropout to the point I'm at today. This is all very surface level, but if I make a video it will explain more.
Do you think getting a JD is beneficial for any business role/ career/ industry?
Im currently studying information systems but I’ve had my mind on law school for two years now. There two different types of degrees obviously, but what do you think about that combination?
Honestly, given the current cost of law school, it is generally not worth a full JD if you’re not planning on practicing law. You can get similar upward mobility in business and tech sectors through MLS degrees, specialty programs, or from spending a few months working with lawyers in the field on the side. It may be a nice bonus to employers, but the cost of acquiring it generally outweighs the gains unless you’re actually practicing law or doing something specialized.
For information systems, I’d recommend looking at MLS degrees, IP law certifications, and privacy law certifications. You may be able to obtain the knowledge that you want/need for the cost of a few graduate level courses instead of a full JD degree. You won’t have the piece of paper saying you can practice law at the end of it, but you also won’t have spent 3 years spending time and money learning skills that aren’t applicable when you could have better honed your technical skills. Hope this helped!
There is a special place in hell for the Bluebook author.
Agreed! I'm so glad I decided not to do journal so I barely need to reference mine anymore
Hi so just some question I am a 17 year old going into my senior year in September. Studying in law has definitely caught my eye but I definitely want to be prepared for it. What should I start looking into to study before hand? Before becoming a lawyer would you suggest becoming a paralegal for experience? Also the bar exam, how hard is it actually? how should I study for it.
Could you explain what Howard V Aspen Way enterprise inc. is about? And what I need to take from this case?
I've unfortunately never read it
When reading any case start with the holdings and restate them as questions. That will instantly tell you what the core legal case was about. From there go to the facts of the case. Then shapardise the ruling. You will have 90% of what you need. Sequentially reading any case is foolish.
My mother wanted a consigliori so she offered to pay something for Law School. I've learned far more completely on my own. Since corruption is indemic, what proportion of your class are or should be in jail or prison or at least disbarred or a complete psych case?
If it isn’t too personal to ask, how could someone balance a job with law school? I am genuinely interested but I do need a job and I don’t know if its possible
That's the tough part of law school. Most schools have a policy of not allowing 1Ls to work. That basically means you have one year where you aren't making any money. Some schools are less strict about it and will do a wink and a nudge, but others are very strict. I recommend talking to current students at the school to get the vibe.
After your first year, it's fairly easy to get a job. A lot of people will hold some kind of legal externship or part-time job while they're in class. It all comes down to scheduling at that point and taking classes that you feel comfortable missing some readings for or where the grade will be based on a final paper instead of an exam. It's definitely a ton of work, but it can be well worth it! If you do well enough your first year, you can get a summer associate position at a big firm and make almost a full-year's salary in a few months, but that's for the top students at the top law schools. Either way, best of luck!!
What is your course work? I'm trying to prep myself before going into law school.. what should I look into/study?
Your first year you'll take mostly the same classes regardless of where you go to school. The core classes are: Contract Law, Tort Law, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Property Law, Criminal Law, and some form of Legal Method and Writing. There are some minor differences between schools but you'll take these at 90% of the schools in the country. After your first year, you get to choose what you want to focus on!
Some areas of study I recommend are philosophy, economics, writing, and history.
Philosophy gives you a good background in logic and will help with the LSAT in particular. It also helps you understand the reasoning behind laws and legal theory.
Economics is great for classes like Tort Law, Contract Law, and Property Law since it will help you apply the theories in those classes to real world examples.
Writing is fairly self-explanatory. I'd focus on more rigid academic writing if you can, but any kind of writing helps! Just do whatever you enjoy and get used to expressing your ideas.
History is just good to know all around. It will help give you a framework for why certain laws and theories came into place when they did. If you know a ton about colonial America, then you'll be less confused reading cases from that time. If you know a ton about the Great Depression, then you can better understand the reasoning behind laws governing securities and stock exchanges that came about in that era.
These are just some of my suggestions. You can succeed in law school studying anything, but I've found that these areas give the best results. Focus on American history and English/French philosophers! We do draw some ideas from the East, but its comparatively few. Hope this helped!
@Tex100 omg! You are a God sent. I'm going to screen shot this because you answered so many of my questions perfectly! So much! Theres a part of me that wants to ask if you would like to be my mentor but i'd hate to take what little time i'm sure you have to yourself lol. So thank you! I'm sure ill watch just about all your videos!
Are there any really good resources you went to for your studies?
I’m happy to help! If you have questions feel free to ask and I’ll gladly answer! Not sure about the mentoring thing but I have helped friends and old classmates through the grad school/PhD application process! It’s actually something I’ve considered doing but wasn’t sure if people would be interested 😂 Your initial question actually inspired me to start scripting a video on everything you should expect your first year of law school so I should be thanking you!
In terms of LSAT prep I just used the Powerscore LSAT Bibles and old practice exams. Mainly did it through self study but I know some of the courses are really good.
For actual prep before law school I read a bunch of contracts and skimmed the model penal code. Both of these were at the recommendation of one of my undergrad professors. They helped give me a background entering law school. He also had me read about 20-30 cases that are mainstays of law schools across the country. Getting experience with them before law school really helped me feel comfortable reading cases once I was actually in class.
Besides that, I read a lot of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill to understand utilitarianism, some Kant for Kantianism, and a whole lot of general stuff on economics and metaphysics.
If you want specific case names or more details let me know and I’m happy to help!
Hello, I'm a Bachelor of Arts in Communication student and I've been thinking about this. Is my course good for Law school?
It all depends on how you apply it! You can get into law school and succeed with almost any degree! If your Communications degree focused on the PR side and public policy, then it might be more beneficial. It all depends on what you studied in undergrad. If you’re interested in law school though I highly recommend checking out some of the course topics to see if they’re a good fit. Even if they don’t seem great right away, don’t be discouraged! I’ve seen people do great in law school with degrees in accounting or even teaching 😂
@@Tex100 Thank you very much! Imma do some research about Law school
My Dad is a respected Lawyer, so was my Grandfather. I am currently working in finance but want to pivot my career and pursue law school. I majored in Poly Sci and did not take it very seriously and have a low GPA. My skill sets are more so people skills / sales but I am no dummy. Do you think it would be wise to go into law school where a more "nerdy" person would thrive over a social / salesy sleezball type guy?
That all depends on what you want to do with a law degree and what your motivations for going to law school are. "Sleazy salesmen" type lawyers do great in certain fields and having good people skills is good if you want to go into client-facing areas of law. You mentioned that you work in finance currently though. If you want to work in big law or doing business law, then you typically need excellent grades and to come from a top law school. There are exceptions, but generally, you need a fairly prestigious background. That means that you'll need to focus pretty hard while you're in law school to beat out your classmates. If you can't see yourself doing that for 3 years (or 2 if you secure a job early), then it will be very hard to get into that area of law. Overall, you can definitely succeed as a lawyer with the skillset you have, but some areas of law are much more suited to that than others.
I am very new in this field and I know nothing about law
At this point I recommend focusing on undergrad first. You can start learning more about the law a bit later on. For now, get a solid foundation in logic, writing, and economics if you can.
what role has ai played in law school and legal research? in your opinion
Good question! AI honestly hasn't played much of a factor yet. This is because the most widely used AI products (ChatGPT) do not have access to the relevant case law. AI is great at summarizing certain laws, but it does not provide the necessary nuances yet. For example, it will tell you the elements of adverse possession, but you still need to read case law to see how these elements are analyzed by judges. Part of what's holding AI back is that it will routinely cite fake cases when you ask for sources. I know some people who use it to summarize their notes and get general outlines of legal concepts, but that's as far as I've personally seen AI being used in law school (Aside from some students unsuccessfully trying to use it to write their briefs and memos).
Attorneys at Law, is not the same as Attorneys in Law!
Think swimming pool.
Are you at the pool or are you in the pool?
Just use the Constitution and Treatise; after all it is the Supreme Law of the Land.
Codes, statues, ordinance, resolution, regulations are used to support the Treaties and Constitution!
Question: is a good LSAT score really an indicator of future law school success?
Not necessarily. It shows how well you perform logical reasoning under stressful situations. This is what most law school exams are, but doing well on the LSAT doesn't necessarily translate to doing well in a law school final. There are other skills that play a role like legal writing and issue spotting. The LSAT is the best metric currently available at indicating law school success though. That is more a function of the other metrics (GPA, letters of rec, personal statements, etc..) being awful indicators than anything else though.
Thank you so much!
@@islip376 No problem!
"Do whatever you feel is is necessary to achieve your desired outcome" - so, is AI off limits or are able to use it?
That depends on the school. Some have strict no-AI policies, but they can’t police that for study prep and summarizing legal topics. I TA some grad courses here and grade papers. When I’m helping with a substantive law course, I will give a 0 if I catch a student having AI answer for them. I actively encourage them to use it as a study aid though. Some schools are much more lenient. Just beware that after law school you’ll need to take the bar and you won’t have AI to help during that so you’ll need to actually learn the law along the way
I'm 23 and making preparations to attend law school thank you for the information. I figure it'd be pretty tedious but I'm a bookworm.
Glad you found it helpful! Best of luck with law school!!
Im a 24 year old high school drop out. I had to quit at 16 because my dad broke his back and could no longer work so i had to.
Do you guys think its possible or realistic for me to get the ball rolling and become a lawer?
Hi, lawyer here specializing in Property Law.
I left school at 18, did a higher degree in economics and quit after 1 year as I decided it wasn't for me.
I decided to stop waiting for something good to happen and decided to make it happen, and I applied to do a degree in law part time.
I started at 30, which is on average a little older than normal.
I'm 37 on £67k a year currently which is well above average for income in the UK. If I could have gone back and spoken to my older self I'd have told myself to stop being a wimp and get it done sooner. It's not easy, but nothing worth having in life is. If you want to make it a reality, you have to work at it.
But absolutely it is possible. The only thing limiting you from doing it is you.
@@SarahM-fd1kk Thank you for your advice. It is definitely appreciated.
I'm currently thinking to read for a degree in law come September 2024 but I don't know how working and studying law will play out😫.... any advice for someone who is thinking about working & studying law at the same time?
Deciding to do the same thing! Hopefully someone has advice for us 😅
Hey! One thing to keep in mind is that nearly every law school in the U.S. doesn’t let you work during your first year. This is because they want you to get used to the workload of law school. So, you won’t be able to have a full-time job during your first year. You can have a part-time job if you keep it quiet, but nothing more than like 15-20 hours per week.
Honestly, I recommend not working at all during your first semester at the very least so that you can get used to what law school is like. The workload can be intense and since you’re graded against your classmates, spending time working isn’t worth it in the long run.
After your first year though, you’re more than welcome to work. In fact, schools will encourage you to pick up externships and stuff. A lot of law schools have paid options for these which will help. Hope this answer helped. I plan on making a video going into more depth on this topic too so lmk if you want more info on anything specific!
Hey! Check out my comment I just posted in the thread for some info on this. Good luck to both of you with whatever you decide to do!!
Im watching this because its my dream job
Good to get an early start and see the inner workings!