sounds like ATL red meat

7/26/2013 9:34:21 AM

Lordy...alumni are saying they would rather have a degree from a closed law school than one associated with Infilaw. This is going to get very interesting.

7/26/2013 1:11:43 PM

man, if i can swing it, i have the opportunity to do a comparative law program for a month next june. all i need to do is for work to not say no, and i can spend a month in london/paris/brussels/geneva while knocking out 6 credit hours, leaving me with like 12 hours total to finish over my final year of part-time. I have leave time at work coming out of my ears, so it wouldn't be a problem there.

(maybe)

7/26/2013 3:25:08 PM

Passed NC's bar.

8/30/2013 1:49:30 PM

Nice. Huge weight off the shoulders I assume.


My law school is still planning to be sold to Infilaw. Alumni are trying to block it. Fairly certain a lawsuit will be filed if the sale goes through. They are trying to get College of Charleston to buy it. Its been pretty crazy to follow.

I just hope if they end up selling to Infilaw...that I can join in on a suit and get them to pay my loans back.

8/30/2013 4:44:30 PM

http://abovethelaw.com/2013/08/contract-attorney-problems/

8/30/2013 7:39:39 PM

Congrats Arab13!

8/31/2013 7:56:41 PM

I still haven't heard, this is bullshit!

Congrats bud!

8/31/2013 9:46:00 PM

Congratulations to those who passed. It could be worse on waiting, I don't get results from Texas until November.

9/2/2013 5:26:07 PM

the suspense of the mail getting here today is too muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

9/3/2013 1:57:01 PM

For those of you who are a few years out of law school - has it been worth it? What kind of debt did you come out with and where are you at now? Still fiddling with ROI before I pull the trigger

9/3/2013 2:57:22 PM

Tough to answer that one, because law school did bring me to this awesome city and I've had a pretty awesome past 8 years (3 in law school, 5 out). But as far as the law school/legal career experience goes...I would probably have done something different in retrospect.

I'm doing okay career wise. I jumped around with a couple small firms for the first couple years and then opened up my own spot a little over two years ago. I'm doing okay, but I'm not exactly crushing it. I have great months and I have really slow months. I've still got a decent amount of debt (around $50k). My financial situation would be a lot easier if I didn't have that $650 payment every month.

My regret comes from seeing kids my age who I feel equal to, climbing up the corporate ladder with pretty cool jobs living pretty easy lives. I had similar opportunities coming out of undergrad to get in on that bottom rung of a good company, but law school seemed a little more appealing at the time. At the same time, I still have some really smart friends with good educations still toughing it out in the restaurant industry...so I try not to let it get to me.

I just think the legal job market is not that promising right now. If you're going to go to law school, you REALLY have to have passion for something in that field (I didn't...I just thought it might be something I'd like). Because, IMO, the money isn't good enough these days to put up with the generic legal job. Being an attorney is stressful. You're handling people's lives and most of the time it is in very delicate, emotional situations. That's the hardest part I've had to deal with having my own practice. It's a little bit easier in big firms where you might have some separation from the client and you're just pushing a lot of papers...but my friends that are doing that aren't exactly loving it either. They have a lot more stability than me, but their hours blow. their work is boring, and they aren't exactly stuck in the best pay range unless they become partner.

I go back and forth all of the time. When I have a slow month or some really shitty clients, I start to look around at different careers and contemplate getting out of the legal field. Then I'll have an easy, big money case drop in my lap and I envision how much money I'll be making 10 years from now when I get these cases all the time. I assume that's a pretty similar mindset to a lot other careers and that I'd probably be a lot more satisfied with it if I was pulling in a lot more money.

So I guess that's where I'm at right now. Hopefully the firm will get more consistent as I have more clients and more referrals and my name gets cemented in town more as a respectable attorney. But if it doesn't, I'd jump at a decent paycheck with a good company with an opportunity to move up.

TL;DNR....don't go unless you have a passion for some type of legal career. The probability of making a ton of money as an attorney just isn't what it use to be...so you better like what you're doing.

9/3/2013 3:55:31 PM

it didn't come today either! I called the board of law examiners and they said to get in contact with my analyst who helped me with my application, hopefully she gets back to me tomorrow. this is the worst.

9/3/2013 5:36:15 PM

Our alumni have been having a big online discussion regarding the sale of our law school and how we can prevent it. This was written in response to alumni talking about job prospects and how a sale to Infilaw would only make it more difficult:

Quote :

"I'd like offer some words of encouragement to alumni seeking jobs. I heard some concern last night that people are not being considered for jobs because of where they went to school. I landed a job before I passed the bar, but have since opened my own practice. Recently, I placed an ad looking for a legal assistant, and have received resumes from people who have passed a bar exam and hold a JD from other schools. One I received today went to the University of Baltimore and worked at several prominent D.C. law firms, and another went to UNC Chapel Hill for her JD and Duke for undergrad. When a Duke undergrad/UNC law grad is looking to be my assistant, you know the job market is bad."

I've had tons of resumes sent to my office and I'm not even hiring! Basically cold-calling asking for jobs. Don't think I've gotten any Ivy Leaguers, but I've had some Wake Forest/UGA/USC law degrees thrown out there. It's a shittastic market right now. Charleston is the worst in SC because everyone wants to live here, but I imagine with the ridiculous numbers or law schools churning out graduates in NC, it can't be much better.

9/5/2013 11:13:06 AM

I PASSED

^ some dude messaged MY linkedin page looking for a job and he was an old-timer, kinda sad

9/6/2013 2:06:28 AM

Congrats!

9/6/2013 1:00:01 PM

^^
CONGRATULATIONS!

---

Quote :

"ClassicMixup: For those of you who are a few years out of law school - has it been worth it? What kind of debt did you come out with and where are you at now? Still fiddling with ROI before I pull the trigger"

I don't quite qualify for the group that question was addressed to (I've only been out 1 year instead of a few), but I can at least comment on the debt situation.

I'm currently sitting on $188,932.35 in student loan debt from both law school and undergrad. That's a lot higher than it should have been -- I spent 6 years at NCSU (including a 5-year hiatus after Year 2, and went to summer school 4-of-5 summers) plus did summer school both years of law school "just because" -- but I love what I do so I expect in the long run everything will pan out.

Part of that is me starting my own firm right out of law school though. The money's not amazing yet (and my boss is an asshole), but you can't beat the freedom.

9/9/2013 7:01:20 PM

If you can do anything that pays around $20 an hour with your current education, absolutely do not go to law school. you'll be setting yourself up to make around $20 an hour three years from now with six figures of debt. i'm in a good position now where i'm essentially my own boss and my career is what i make of it, but if i could hit reset knowing what i know now i would never go to law school.

9/12/2013 10:11:49 PM

i know my situation is not reflective of most, but i would 100% recommend law school for certain people. i loved law school, and enjoyed the chance to read the law and have great discussions with my classmates and professors.

i would also add that i think the job prospects are totally there, but not for everyone. and i think almost everyone will be happy they did it fifteen years from now.

[Edited on September 16, 2013 at 2:40 AM. Reason : asd]

9/16/2013 2:11:02 AM

Quote :

"man, if i can swing it, i have the opportunity to do a comparative law program for a month next june. all i need to do is for work to not say no, and i can spend a month in london/paris/brussels/geneva while knocking out 6 credit hours, leaving me with like 12 hours total to finish over my final year of part-time. I have leave time at work coming out of my ears, so it wouldn't be a problem there. (maybe)"

work gave the thumbs up. gonna get to spend next June fucking around in Europe for a month on paid leave and knocking out six credit hours.

9/25/2013 3:35:50 PM

take the lsat next week. took a crack at the first 2 sections of a 2010 practice exam this week. it's more like an sat vs. something you study for right?

9/25/2013 6:20:48 PM

you should probably have some idea of your score from taking a full practice test. that way you know whether you need to study or not.

some people destroy the LSAT like it's the SAT

some people destroy the LSAT after studying their asses off (it's a test you can "learn to take")

some people will never do well on the LSAT no matter how much they study despite being reasonably to very bright

some people are just not intelligent and will bomb it no matter what

9/25/2013 6:35:56 PM

i studied for 6 months before i took it. i took dozens of full practice tests, too. i don't remember exactly, but i think my score increased about 15 points. it is definitely the kind of test you can get better at, especially in the logic games portion.

remember that the only two things a school cares about are your GPA and LSAT, and only one of those can really be changed at this point.

9/25/2013 10:38:10 PM

Quote :

"remember that the only two things a school cares about are your GPA and LSAT, and only one of those can really be changed at this point."

I agree that those are the most important factors, but what would even be the point of having humans employed in admissions if that were the case? Why wouldn't you just use an algorithm and be done with it? If you're comparing two candidates with similar GPAs and LSATs, why wouldn't you consider work history, letters of recommendation, internships, etc?

9/26/2013 12:05:46 AM

schools may always look at these other things, and they can factor in to some small degree, but if you look at the large amount data out there from above the law, top law schools, and law school numbers and all the other publications and websites, it becomes clear that GPA and LSAT are really the only things that matter.

it's bleak but generally true. unless you are an URM. then that will change things. but no, your personal statement won't get you into Duke. and neither will your recommendations or work experience.

9/26/2013 8:41:32 AM

That extracurricular shit only matters when it's coming down to the last few kids schools are going to Amit. 95% of admissions are GPA/LSAT.

9/26/2013 9:00:35 AM

^^, ^ yep

coming from someone who got waitlisted initially, nooooo one gives a shit about all the soft stuff.

your numbers are basically the only thing that show up in school rankings algorithms, and thus, that's the preponderance of your admissions decision.

you might want to think about punting to the next test date and taking some time to practice the test. i mean, maybe you're one of those preternatural LSAT takers. I know a guy who has zero interest in law school but sat down for "fun" one day to take it and scored a 178 on a practice test.

you are probably not that guy, but for your sake i hope you are.

[Edited on September 26, 2013 at 10:55 AM. Reason : .]

9/26/2013 10:54:13 AM

Quote :

"work gave the thumbs up. gonna get to spend next June fucking around in Europe for a month on paid leave and knocking out six credit hours."

damnit. this was too good to be true. it would have worked, but those hours wouldn't count with my other summer school to satisfy the ABA residency requirement for a full semester combined with my summer school from this past summer. so ill have to suck it up and plow through 6-7 hours again this summer so i can finish up in december 14 rather than may 15.

10/30/2013 7:23:16 PM

Just found out I passed the bar. Which is good, since I start work on Monday.

10/31/2013 11:14:58 PM

congrats!

in backwards news, I have the MPRE on Saturday after already passing the bar

11/1/2013 12:52:32 AM

Well the good new is that if you passed the bar, the MPRE should be a joke. Good luck!

11/1/2013 1:33:28 AM

If you don't remember anything from your professional responsibility or legal ethics class, just spend an afternoon or evening watching the BarBRI or Kaplan free videos. That should cover you.

I cleared for all 50 states using that method.

11/1/2013 6:18:33 AM

yeah I've been doing the free kaplan course, got 70% right in the pretest so it said I only needed to review a bit

11/1/2013 10:40:08 AM

Hope you nailed it ThatGoodLock, and congrats FuhCtious!

I've got a hearing tomorrow where I'll be defending against a meritless Rule 60(b) motion... and then promptly making my first request for Rule 11 sanctions. Fingers crossed.

11/4/2013 12:38:45 AM

good luck with your motions!

I'll know in 5 weeks whether I'm an Esq.

11/4/2013 1:39:23 AM

NC requires a scaled 80, right? If you passed the bar, I'm sure you'll be fine.

11/4/2013 9:22:37 AM

passed the MPRE with a score good for any jx, now just waiting for that license to arrive!

12/4/2013 10:09:08 PM

Awesome man, congrats and welcome to the club!

12/5/2013 11:45:49 AM

very cool to everyone who is making progress in the law.

12/8/2013 5:17:48 AM

I need to take the MPRE so I can waive into DC. Maryland doesn't require it.

I want to be barred in VA, but they won't take my MBE score, i'd have to take the whole bar exam again... not sure if I'm willing to do that!

12/11/2013 10:27:37 AM

Does anyone see a streamlining of legal practice coming as a result of the internet and demand for efficiency from an ever more informed public?

prepare to go the way of the airline pilot, lawfags

did you really think you were gonna live well considering every dime you make comes not from actually generating any wealth but from sucking off the puss of a badly inflamed stretch mark on the ever growing ass of the modern world

12/11/2013 1:03:37 PM

I don't think you understand anything

12/11/2013 6:05:55 PM

which makes him part of that "better informed public" he was so confident about

12/11/2013 7:50:09 PM

Ahhh...nothing more satisfying than getting rid of a bad case. And by "bad case", I mean a case in which I was in way over my head.

Only regret I have in opening on my own firm was taking pretty much every case that walked in the door the first 6 months. I filtered the majority of those cases out over the past year or so, but I was still stuck with two up until the holidays this year (which would be about two and a half years later). One is now in the process of settlement (for which I've been told by other attorneys is a pretty good deal for my client) and I just signed a substitution of counsel for the other one.

My [former]clients are fortunately still happy and I think they are in great hands with new counsel. I also barely took any money from them, so that lessens my guilt a great deal. I get too "into" cases and having these hanging over my head for the past couple years has been kind of shitty.

Phew...right before the holidays too!

12/17/2013 2:09:52 PM

I just interviewed with a biglaw firm, one that has one of the best tax practices in the country. It was nuts. 12 people total, 3 of them were V/C'd in from other cities. The V/C screen was pretty much the size of the wall... the whole things was just all sorts of intimidating.

It took me all day to write the 12 thank-you e-mails.

12/21/2013 7:22:28 PM

i'll cross my fingers for you if you do the same for me, waiting to hear back from Legal Aid tomorrow

12/22/2013 11:23:38 AM

got it!

12/23/2013 7:21:34 PM

congratulations!

12/24/2013 12:46:50 AM

Congrats dude!

Getting a legalaid gig is a huge deal!

12/26/2013 5:37:47 PM

Congratulations man! Now you'll get to experience first-hand the uphill battle of trying to help poor people getting f*cked over

Let me know if you need any advice on the land-loss prevention side of things, I've come to thoroughly enjoy fighting the banks

12/26/2013 7:10:03 PM