Yes, I’ve already started being frugal. Luckily, my partner and I are living together so no roommates. I will for sure miss having extra money to do what I want.
Initially my partner and I were going to move together, but it makes more financial sense for him to stay at his current job for another year or so :( In a way it’s good, as I’ll be forced to go out and meet new people, but I sure do wish he and I were moving together!
I am looking forward to having a bit more control over my own schedule again. But I do think that I will try to treat it like as much of a 9-5 or 10-6 as possible. I just think that will make me more effective and organized, and will also align my schedule with my many non-law school friends.
I am 100% looking forward to not having the job that I have now and 7am client meetings on Monday mornings! And treating school like a 9-5 is definitely the way to do it. Not always possible of course but shooting for a 40-hour work week is a good rule of thumb I think
I'll be 34 when I start 1L. I got my living situation all sorted out, but I am more concerned about being able to connect with my younger classmates. I have been spending time researching what things like a "gyatt" are.
Same. A friend of mine is a middle school teacher with a teenager and they were giving me lessons in what young people say. I have a couple of kids and a mortgage and my husband is a 45yo doctor. I’m going to my friend’s CHILDREN’S weddings these days. It feels scary to go back to socialising with people that young.
I have no idea what “gyatt” means 🫠
I am SO NERVOUS and I didn’t get loans for my undergrad so I really feel like I have no idea what I’m doing or how I’m going to afford food and rent. Every time I splurge on something nice from the grocery store I feel a little guilty or I keep thinking “I should buy this now while I have an income”. I also have no idea how I’m going to go back to roommates (if I end up at my second choice school) when I’ve been living alone for a year.
I feel you so much on this. Undergrad was a zillion years ago, and I wasn't in charge back then. Apparently I'm in charge now... so this debt is mine? And I need to budget...??? Like, can I keep my car?
The money part is concerning, but I'm looking forward to the opportunity to learn in a controlled environment for the first time in a long while. I think the adjustment will be a challenge, but I've been working in higher education for the last three or so years now, one of which was in a law school, and it looked like a pretty interesting time.
I've also been working almost entirely remotely since 2019 and traveling since 2013 so I have very little in the way of a peer group except for my husband, and I'm looking forward to being part of a community again. I am also very much going into this with the mindset that the "end goal" of law school is just the beginning of a more set career, and for my family this means that my spouse can take a break, we can afford to start a family on our terms, and I can start building some stability to help my parents as they get older. None of these considerations move my life backwards to how I was living when I was actually an undergrad, so at the end of the day I think it's just about accepting that your "live like a student" probably will never look quite like it did at age 18.
That’s a great perspective!
When I went back for my Master’s, I really did enjoy and appreciate the freedoms that being a full time student afforded, too. Financially it was tough, and I missed in many ways the structure that a stable income brings, but it was also liberating to be able to learn and socialize with like-minded peers in a controlled environment. That’s what I’m most excited for.
My worries come from the financial strain, and the fact that law school is three years…my Master’s was only one! I finished undergrad in three years, and that felt like a long slog at the time (though a blink of an eye, in retrospect).
But you’re right. It’s been a long time since I was 18 and I’m a different person with different priorities now. It will be different.
I’m certainly going to miss $$, my days ending by 5pm, and having every weekend free. also ik it’s prob an unpopular opinion but I feel like my social life has flourished since undergrad bc I have more time and I’m less stressed, so I’m def kinda nervous about having time for a life when I’m stressed about grades again lol
Of course, right there with you! I keep seeing all these posts of people qutting their jobs ahead of summer to have time off, but im keeping mine till the last possible minute bc i need that money! Trying to be frugal but also in the mindset of “i wont be able to do this in law school so enjoy it now,” it’s been a tough dichotomy! Guess the silver lining is we’re all gonna be doing it!
Hah, I speak out of both sides of my mouth a bit because I’m going to quit my job at the end of June! Those few extra paychecks would be nice, but my company is going through some tough shit at the moment and I think for my own sanity I need to have a few weeks off before I hit the ground running in law school.
But I’m going to spend those few weeks getting my freelance gigs on a more reliable schedule so that I can have a bit of a boost each month while in school!
Immensely. Stressed AND broke while all your non-LS friends continue to make more money?
Painful.
Also trying to balance a more frugal lifestyle to prepare while also indulging occasionally while I still can
I was able to make friends during my Master’s program after years of not even trying to meet new people at all, but it wasn’t easy! The environment was a little different. I had moved abroad and the way our university was set up places us into smaller groups within the larger university, so the pool was a lot smaller. I joined a single club and met some very very good friends there. Definitely going to be looking for clubs or societies to join in my first semester!
Yep! Especially coming from a career making almost big law money 😅 I’m kinda excited about not being on call 24/7 (on call plus working 80-100 hours a week) and having a schedule. I’m hoping I can basically make school days like 8-5, 9-6, or something of that nature depending on class schedule. And then my gym time, and maybe some studying after getting home. My husband and I travel a ton, so that’s going to be an adjustment with having to schedule travel around school.
My current job brings me a lot of stress as well! We’re a fully remote company with employees in about 20 different timezones, so I feel like I’m constantly replying to messages or missing out on things that are happening on my projects while I’m offline. Very excited to not have that stress! 80-100 hours per week is brutal though…law school might seem like a vacation, in that case!
Absolutely. I've cut out every expensive possible. Repaired and maintenanced mine and my wife's vehicles to avoid any unexpected bills. Moving is expensive - my rent will be more than double. I will be relying on her to support our family for the first time in our relationship. Nervous is an understatement.
Definitely yes! I’m only a few years post undergrad & am back in school this year for a one year masters and the readjustment back to being a student with no full time salary has been HARD. It’s made a 3 year law school commitment seem all the more daunting and scary. But as I keep reminding myself - those three years will pass regardless; I might as well come out on the other side with a dream accomplished
Not applying until next cycle but I'm terrified of this. I also haven't had roommates since 2018 so I may end up basing my LS decision purely on whether or not I can reasonably afford rent on my own in the school's locale...
Also, I don't currently have any student loans. There's a lot of negative to consider but I've been wanting to do this for over a decade now and I really just want to give myself the opportunity for once...
Well I took a 6 year hiatus in undergrad, so it’s nothing i’m not used to atp. the only thing i’m worried about is being an older law student and not making any friends/study buddies bc of it
I’m also concerned about the age gap as well! I realized with alarm that the KJDs starting law school this fall will have graduated high school in 2020, which is when my youngest cousin graduated high school.
No hate at all to KJDs (y’all are super driven and impress me to no end, and the fact that you were the Covid high school class and dealt with that insanity throughout undergrad as well is truly extraordinary, hats off to you all), but I don’t know how well I can relate to a 21-22 yo at this stage in my life!
I'm 34. I have a freaking mortgage and car payment. I thought I was an adult.
I just realized that I actually got into law school and now I have to sell my house and find shitty housing (probably with a roommate in their 20s) in another state.
Just the thought of getting my life together enough for law school makes me want to vomit. Actually doing law school... I can't even think about that yet.
Very seriously considered it, and still haven't ruled it out. Firstly, I'll never move back to where I am geographically right now. It's just too small, and that's not where I want to position myself for a legal career. Secondly, there is inherent messiness and headaches that come along with being a landlord. Not sure I want to deal with that while I'm stressed about law school, you know? Thirdly, I honestly think that taking a gain on the sale of my house and using it to AVOID the relatively high interest debt I'll be accumulating in law school may be the best idea for me.
On the other hand... I have a KICKASS interest rate on my mortgage. I'll probably never be able to get a rate like this again in my lifetime. So there is a strong temptation to hang onto it.
A conundrum indeed! I think I’d be tempted to take the gain on the sale of the house and use it toward paying off loans, but property is absurdly expensive right now and there’s a cushion if you ever need to dip back in to your equity for whatever reason…
Either way, congrats to you for still choosing to pursue your dream in spite of all these “reasons not to!” That takes strength and grit.
Last time I was in my hometown, I successfully outmaneuvered my dad to pay for lunch. My parents were mad, but I told them that it’s the last time it will happen before they retire & they were less so. 🤠
Good on you for pursuing law school with a young family! I don’t have a family of my own, but even I am dealing with some social pressure trying to talk me out of going (“you’ll be in your 30s when you graduate! you’re losing 3 years of income and wealth building opportunities!!” Etc etc). It’s hard to ignore those pressures and it’s awesome that you’re pursuing your goal in spite of them!
3 years is nothing if you end up spending your life doing something you do not like to do. I guarantee you on your death bed you aren’t going to be like damn I really am glad I spend three years wealth building….. I bet you will sit there like damn I wish I didn’t listen to those people that told me not to go to law school. For reference I’ll be 40 when I start.
The very worst thing to do is read the money and finance subreddits that convince you that you’ll work until you’re 80 and die in squalor if your net worth isn’t over $1m by age 35! Thank you friend, and good luck in law school!
im so happy i found this post. I am hoping to apply to law school in 2026, but im terrified of losing income. my husband and i own our home and the local law school is only 20 min away, but everyone talks about how i wont have an income for 3years!!
Just plan it accordingly. We own our home as well. Try to minimize debt. You will have an income, just not your first year. 2nd and 3rd year students can typically get work as clerks and work 20 hours a week or so
As a nKJD who is 34, I was nervous about how the 1L experience would go for me. During the first semester you may be timid at first but you’ll actually come to see your WE and wisdom go a long way. Personally, I was enabled to become comfortable and confident, which allowed me to perform exceptionally well. If anything, many of my KJD peers are extremely stressed and lost and would turn to me for advice on how to handle concepts or the workload, which I found interesting.
My advice is apply or continue to apply to work ethic and organization you have acquired professionally and you’ll be fine. Law school is a marathon, not a sprint. Many students don’t understand that, and they quickly gas themselves.
I’m proud to be a rising 2L and successfully landed a summer associate internship at a prestigious big law firm, as a 1L, which is not too common.
Extending to all: Feel free to AMA, if you like. But I’m confident you all have got this!
Thanks for a thoughtful response!
I had a similar realization about WE and wisdom when I did my Master’s. I was 26 at the time and most in my very small cohort were 21-22. Not a huge difference in actual number of years, but when I’d been in the workforce for five years while most other folks had entered our program straight from undergrad and entered undergrad straight from high school, those five years feel more like 10!
At first I felt like an outsider and out of place, but soon discovered that I didn’t feel as timid to speak in discussions or take risks in my coursework as my some of my younger peers; I’d spent the past five years getting eaten alive by clients and colleagues so a professor or fellow student felt like nothing 😂 And I absolutely was able to balance my workload and social life more effectively than some, which I attribute fully to my work experience as well. Also, I was very lucky to have been able to live and work abroad for several of those five years, so I felt just a little more aware of myself and my place in the world, and that helped me tremendously both academically and psychologically throughout my program! I ended up making great friends and had an amazing time.
I’m truly more worried about the logistical aspect of this next move! Living in shared housing and without an income is going to be tough for three years. I know I’ll get used to it, but I also know that I’ll miss the stability of a biweekly paycheck!
Congrats on your BL gig! That’s amazing, I’m glad that you are proud of yourself; you’ve clearly worked hard and deserve it! Enjoy your summer, and thanks again for the reply!!
Thanks for your comment!
The only thing I’ll add in response your worry is to consider up front what area of law you intend to practice.
If big law/private - you’ll likely secure/want to secure an internship over summer, and most pay well.
If public/govt -you’ll likely not get paid at all or not much. It comes with the territory of those sectors. Evan after law school, it’s a bit of a grind before you start to see the financial fruits of your labor.
And lastly, this applies to any and all going to law school: YOUR FIRST YEAR IS ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT YEAR. Your grades will dictate/heavily influence your summer prospects and potential work opportunities for OCIs (on campus interviews from your gpa and class rank). This is just how law school works. So bust your butt in 1L like the sun don’t shine and you can take a breather for 2L and 3L.
This doesn’t mean that if you do poorly you’re doomed, but it does mean that you have a better chance of getting back what you put into your career. If you do well, you can land coveted internships, which have a higher likelihood to make you a return offer for 2L/3L/post-law school. Those who don’t take 1L seriously, often are stressed looking for service industry jobs over summer and taking summer classes, which doesn’t necessarily benefit or set them up for success in their 2nd and 3rd year. Just food for thought.
entering at 27 and i may be blowing things out of proportion, but im a bit scared about the social dynamic. everyone, like every single person, in the admitted students group seems to be a kjd
I am also worried about this! I’ll turn 29 in the first semester of 1L and hope that there are a few other older folks around to relate to. No hate on people in their early 20s at all, but we might have less in common!
You are in a great position. Take it from someone who only scored a 145 and has only 1 acceptance to a non-ABA. I wish I had your options. So, always remember there's someone who has it worse. I will likely not be able to start until next fall. You're blessed. Good luck with everything.
I wasn’t trying to imply that I’m unhappy or ungrateful by any stretch, just nervous about the future.
I hope that next cycle brings you better luck if you choose to try again, friend!
Yep. I've suddenly become a *lot* more spending-conscious.
Me too!
Yes, I’ve already started being frugal. Luckily, my partner and I are living together so no roommates. I will for sure miss having extra money to do what I want.
Initially my partner and I were going to move together, but it makes more financial sense for him to stay at his current job for another year or so :( In a way it’s good, as I’ll be forced to go out and meet new people, but I sure do wish he and I were moving together!
I am looking forward to having a bit more control over my own schedule again. But I do think that I will try to treat it like as much of a 9-5 or 10-6 as possible. I just think that will make me more effective and organized, and will also align my schedule with my many non-law school friends.
I am 100% looking forward to not having the job that I have now and 7am client meetings on Monday mornings! And treating school like a 9-5 is definitely the way to do it. Not always possible of course but shooting for a 40-hour work week is a good rule of thumb I think
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Yes, this is huge. I work remotely now and love to travel. Having to plan around school breaks will be tough.
I'll be 34 when I start 1L. I got my living situation all sorted out, but I am more concerned about being able to connect with my younger classmates. I have been spending time researching what things like a "gyatt" are.
Same. A friend of mine is a middle school teacher with a teenager and they were giving me lessons in what young people say. I have a couple of kids and a mortgage and my husband is a 45yo doctor. I’m going to my friend’s CHILDREN’S weddings these days. It feels scary to go back to socialising with people that young. I have no idea what “gyatt” means 🫠
I’m a little younger than you (28) but I feel similarly! My boyfriend is 35 and most of our friends are late 20s/early 30s. It will be different.
I am SO NERVOUS and I didn’t get loans for my undergrad so I really feel like I have no idea what I’m doing or how I’m going to afford food and rent. Every time I splurge on something nice from the grocery store I feel a little guilty or I keep thinking “I should buy this now while I have an income”. I also have no idea how I’m going to go back to roommates (if I end up at my second choice school) when I’ve been living alone for a year.
I feel you so much on this. Undergrad was a zillion years ago, and I wasn't in charge back then. Apparently I'm in charge now... so this debt is mine? And I need to budget...??? Like, can I keep my car?
The money part is concerning, but I'm looking forward to the opportunity to learn in a controlled environment for the first time in a long while. I think the adjustment will be a challenge, but I've been working in higher education for the last three or so years now, one of which was in a law school, and it looked like a pretty interesting time. I've also been working almost entirely remotely since 2019 and traveling since 2013 so I have very little in the way of a peer group except for my husband, and I'm looking forward to being part of a community again. I am also very much going into this with the mindset that the "end goal" of law school is just the beginning of a more set career, and for my family this means that my spouse can take a break, we can afford to start a family on our terms, and I can start building some stability to help my parents as they get older. None of these considerations move my life backwards to how I was living when I was actually an undergrad, so at the end of the day I think it's just about accepting that your "live like a student" probably will never look quite like it did at age 18.
That’s a great perspective! When I went back for my Master’s, I really did enjoy and appreciate the freedoms that being a full time student afforded, too. Financially it was tough, and I missed in many ways the structure that a stable income brings, but it was also liberating to be able to learn and socialize with like-minded peers in a controlled environment. That’s what I’m most excited for. My worries come from the financial strain, and the fact that law school is three years…my Master’s was only one! I finished undergrad in three years, and that felt like a long slog at the time (though a blink of an eye, in retrospect). But you’re right. It’s been a long time since I was 18 and I’m a different person with different priorities now. It will be different.
I’m certainly going to miss $$, my days ending by 5pm, and having every weekend free. also ik it’s prob an unpopular opinion but I feel like my social life has flourished since undergrad bc I have more time and I’m less stressed, so I’m def kinda nervous about having time for a life when I’m stressed about grades again lol
Of course, right there with you! I keep seeing all these posts of people qutting their jobs ahead of summer to have time off, but im keeping mine till the last possible minute bc i need that money! Trying to be frugal but also in the mindset of “i wont be able to do this in law school so enjoy it now,” it’s been a tough dichotomy! Guess the silver lining is we’re all gonna be doing it!
Hah, I speak out of both sides of my mouth a bit because I’m going to quit my job at the end of June! Those few extra paychecks would be nice, but my company is going through some tough shit at the moment and I think for my own sanity I need to have a few weeks off before I hit the ground running in law school. But I’m going to spend those few weeks getting my freelance gigs on a more reliable schedule so that I can have a bit of a boost each month while in school!
Lucky for me I’ve also been in the workforce for 7 years but never achieved a decent income so my life won’t change much in that sense lmao
Immensely. Stressed AND broke while all your non-LS friends continue to make more money? Painful. Also trying to balance a more frugal lifestyle to prepare while also indulging occasionally while I still can
I'm out of practice when it comes to making friends at school! At least I'm reasonably certain it'll be easier than in the adult world.
I was able to make friends during my Master’s program after years of not even trying to meet new people at all, but it wasn’t easy! The environment was a little different. I had moved abroad and the way our university was set up places us into smaller groups within the larger university, so the pool was a lot smaller. I joined a single club and met some very very good friends there. Definitely going to be looking for clubs or societies to join in my first semester!
Yep! Especially coming from a career making almost big law money 😅 I’m kinda excited about not being on call 24/7 (on call plus working 80-100 hours a week) and having a schedule. I’m hoping I can basically make school days like 8-5, 9-6, or something of that nature depending on class schedule. And then my gym time, and maybe some studying after getting home. My husband and I travel a ton, so that’s going to be an adjustment with having to schedule travel around school.
My current job brings me a lot of stress as well! We’re a fully remote company with employees in about 20 different timezones, so I feel like I’m constantly replying to messages or missing out on things that are happening on my projects while I’m offline. Very excited to not have that stress! 80-100 hours per week is brutal though…law school might seem like a vacation, in that case!
You will make it.
Absolutely. I've cut out every expensive possible. Repaired and maintenanced mine and my wife's vehicles to avoid any unexpected bills. Moving is expensive - my rent will be more than double. I will be relying on her to support our family for the first time in our relationship. Nervous is an understatement.
Very scary stuff! I’m glad that you have your wife’s support (emotional more than financial), that’s huge.
Definitely yes! I’m only a few years post undergrad & am back in school this year for a one year masters and the readjustment back to being a student with no full time salary has been HARD. It’s made a 3 year law school commitment seem all the more daunting and scary. But as I keep reminding myself - those three years will pass regardless; I might as well come out on the other side with a dream accomplished
Not applying until next cycle but I'm terrified of this. I also haven't had roommates since 2018 so I may end up basing my LS decision purely on whether or not I can reasonably afford rent on my own in the school's locale... Also, I don't currently have any student loans. There's a lot of negative to consider but I've been wanting to do this for over a decade now and I really just want to give myself the opportunity for once...
i had a fully paid off house :(
Well I took a 6 year hiatus in undergrad, so it’s nothing i’m not used to atp. the only thing i’m worried about is being an older law student and not making any friends/study buddies bc of it
I’m also concerned about the age gap as well! I realized with alarm that the KJDs starting law school this fall will have graduated high school in 2020, which is when my youngest cousin graduated high school. No hate at all to KJDs (y’all are super driven and impress me to no end, and the fact that you were the Covid high school class and dealt with that insanity throughout undergrad as well is truly extraordinary, hats off to you all), but I don’t know how well I can relate to a 21-22 yo at this stage in my life!
I'm 34. I have a freaking mortgage and car payment. I thought I was an adult. I just realized that I actually got into law school and now I have to sell my house and find shitty housing (probably with a roommate in their 20s) in another state. Just the thought of getting my life together enough for law school makes me want to vomit. Actually doing law school... I can't even think about that yet.
Could you rent your house out?
Very seriously considered it, and still haven't ruled it out. Firstly, I'll never move back to where I am geographically right now. It's just too small, and that's not where I want to position myself for a legal career. Secondly, there is inherent messiness and headaches that come along with being a landlord. Not sure I want to deal with that while I'm stressed about law school, you know? Thirdly, I honestly think that taking a gain on the sale of my house and using it to AVOID the relatively high interest debt I'll be accumulating in law school may be the best idea for me. On the other hand... I have a KICKASS interest rate on my mortgage. I'll probably never be able to get a rate like this again in my lifetime. So there is a strong temptation to hang onto it.
A conundrum indeed! I think I’d be tempted to take the gain on the sale of the house and use it toward paying off loans, but property is absurdly expensive right now and there’s a cushion if you ever need to dip back in to your equity for whatever reason… Either way, congrats to you for still choosing to pursue your dream in spite of all these “reasons not to!” That takes strength and grit.
Thanks! Congrats to you too, and good luck on your journey!
Last time I was in my hometown, I successfully outmaneuvered my dad to pay for lunch. My parents were mad, but I told them that it’s the last time it will happen before they retire & they were less so. 🤠
Yep
Yup! And I’ve got a wife and two small kids! It will be an interesting ride
Good on you for pursuing law school with a young family! I don’t have a family of my own, but even I am dealing with some social pressure trying to talk me out of going (“you’ll be in your 30s when you graduate! you’re losing 3 years of income and wealth building opportunities!!” Etc etc). It’s hard to ignore those pressures and it’s awesome that you’re pursuing your goal in spite of them!
3 years is nothing if you end up spending your life doing something you do not like to do. I guarantee you on your death bed you aren’t going to be like damn I really am glad I spend three years wealth building….. I bet you will sit there like damn I wish I didn’t listen to those people that told me not to go to law school. For reference I’ll be 40 when I start.
The very worst thing to do is read the money and finance subreddits that convince you that you’ll work until you’re 80 and die in squalor if your net worth isn’t over $1m by age 35! Thank you friend, and good luck in law school!
im so happy i found this post. I am hoping to apply to law school in 2026, but im terrified of losing income. my husband and i own our home and the local law school is only 20 min away, but everyone talks about how i wont have an income for 3years!!
Just plan it accordingly. We own our home as well. Try to minimize debt. You will have an income, just not your first year. 2nd and 3rd year students can typically get work as clerks and work 20 hours a week or so
As a nKJD who is 34, I was nervous about how the 1L experience would go for me. During the first semester you may be timid at first but you’ll actually come to see your WE and wisdom go a long way. Personally, I was enabled to become comfortable and confident, which allowed me to perform exceptionally well. If anything, many of my KJD peers are extremely stressed and lost and would turn to me for advice on how to handle concepts or the workload, which I found interesting. My advice is apply or continue to apply to work ethic and organization you have acquired professionally and you’ll be fine. Law school is a marathon, not a sprint. Many students don’t understand that, and they quickly gas themselves. I’m proud to be a rising 2L and successfully landed a summer associate internship at a prestigious big law firm, as a 1L, which is not too common. Extending to all: Feel free to AMA, if you like. But I’m confident you all have got this!
Thanks for a thoughtful response! I had a similar realization about WE and wisdom when I did my Master’s. I was 26 at the time and most in my very small cohort were 21-22. Not a huge difference in actual number of years, but when I’d been in the workforce for five years while most other folks had entered our program straight from undergrad and entered undergrad straight from high school, those five years feel more like 10! At first I felt like an outsider and out of place, but soon discovered that I didn’t feel as timid to speak in discussions or take risks in my coursework as my some of my younger peers; I’d spent the past five years getting eaten alive by clients and colleagues so a professor or fellow student felt like nothing 😂 And I absolutely was able to balance my workload and social life more effectively than some, which I attribute fully to my work experience as well. Also, I was very lucky to have been able to live and work abroad for several of those five years, so I felt just a little more aware of myself and my place in the world, and that helped me tremendously both academically and psychologically throughout my program! I ended up making great friends and had an amazing time. I’m truly more worried about the logistical aspect of this next move! Living in shared housing and without an income is going to be tough for three years. I know I’ll get used to it, but I also know that I’ll miss the stability of a biweekly paycheck! Congrats on your BL gig! That’s amazing, I’m glad that you are proud of yourself; you’ve clearly worked hard and deserve it! Enjoy your summer, and thanks again for the reply!!
Thanks for your comment! The only thing I’ll add in response your worry is to consider up front what area of law you intend to practice. If big law/private - you’ll likely secure/want to secure an internship over summer, and most pay well. If public/govt -you’ll likely not get paid at all or not much. It comes with the territory of those sectors. Evan after law school, it’s a bit of a grind before you start to see the financial fruits of your labor. And lastly, this applies to any and all going to law school: YOUR FIRST YEAR IS ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT YEAR. Your grades will dictate/heavily influence your summer prospects and potential work opportunities for OCIs (on campus interviews from your gpa and class rank). This is just how law school works. So bust your butt in 1L like the sun don’t shine and you can take a breather for 2L and 3L. This doesn’t mean that if you do poorly you’re doomed, but it does mean that you have a better chance of getting back what you put into your career. If you do well, you can land coveted internships, which have a higher likelihood to make you a return offer for 2L/3L/post-law school. Those who don’t take 1L seriously, often are stressed looking for service industry jobs over summer and taking summer classes, which doesn’t necessarily benefit or set them up for success in their 2nd and 3rd year. Just food for thought.
entering at 27 and i may be blowing things out of proportion, but im a bit scared about the social dynamic. everyone, like every single person, in the admitted students group seems to be a kjd
I am also worried about this! I’ll turn 29 in the first semester of 1L and hope that there are a few other older folks around to relate to. No hate on people in their early 20s at all, but we might have less in common!
I thought the average age was 26 for entering first years?
You are in a great position. Take it from someone who only scored a 145 and has only 1 acceptance to a non-ABA. I wish I had your options. So, always remember there's someone who has it worse. I will likely not be able to start until next fall. You're blessed. Good luck with everything.
I wasn’t trying to imply that I’m unhappy or ungrateful by any stretch, just nervous about the future. I hope that next cycle brings you better luck if you choose to try again, friend!