I was alloted a T1 law school earlier this year and i was pretty pleased with my results.
But as the opening day draws closer, i cannot help but overthink my decision of pursuing law. Most of my time these days is spent reading things on "why not to pursue law".
I am scared, what if i turn out to be miserable in law school? What if i have to drop out?
The fear of being unemployed, being looked down on as failure has been giving me nightmares.
Is this normal, does every law aspiration experiences this?
Yes there's competition in law, yes there are plenty of people frustrated with their lives. But that does not mean that this will be the same story for you. I pursued law and am happy with my decision. Have a comparative analysis with your back up options and consider the worst case scenario for all of them, this will help you out.
Consider what do you want out of your career, is it money, is it work life balance, is it satisfaction, all of these might be there in law as well, if you find the right balance, a T1 job or litigation might not be the only ways ahead. Similarly, work on these for your other options for your career, always take your families financial situation in account when considering these decisions. That should be a must, talk to your sibling if you have one, that helps me out.
As someone who's doubted their employability while being in a T1 NLU, I can assure you that the fear is largely misplaced.
Almost every one gets a decent job at the top 3 NLUs. If not a high paying law firm, then a well-known litigator's office or a highly established firm offering an in-house counsel role.
In any case, the trajectory to ensure your employability at a T1 NLU is really very simple: Study just enough to not be academically ranked in the bottom 20% of your batch. If you come from an English-speaking background, remain sober at least half the time & attend classes regularly, then you're probably halfway through already. Plus, credit-based colleges like nalsar will also allow you to practically half your rank in as less as one or two semesters as well.
And for anyone who is currently ranked in the bottom portions of the batch and reading this, internships are your opportunity to shine. I got PPO offers from multiple T1 firms while being in the bottom 30%, primarily because I worked that hard in the internships.
So, bottom line? Getting into a top NLU may be an inherently randomised privilege, but it undoubtedly alleviates any reasonable fears of unemployment you could have. Don't bother too much, and let law school charm you now!
But as the opening day draws closer, i cannot help but overthink my decision of pursuing law. Most of my time these days is spent reading things on "why not to pursue law".
I am scared, what if i turn out to be miserable in law school? What if i have to drop out?
The fear of being unemployed, being looked down on as failure has been giving me nightmares.
Is this normal, does every law aspiration experiences this?
Consider what do you want out of your career, is it money, is it work life balance, is it satisfaction, all of these might be there in law as well, if you find the right balance, a T1 job or litigation might not be the only ways ahead. Similarly, work on these for your other options for your career, always take your families financial situation in account when considering these decisions. That should be a must, talk to your sibling if you have one, that helps me out.
Unemployed? Not really
Almost every one gets a decent job at the top 3 NLUs. If not a high paying law firm, then a well-known litigator's office or a highly established firm offering an in-house counsel role.
In any case, the trajectory to ensure your employability at a T1 NLU is really very simple: Study just enough to not be academically ranked in the bottom 20% of your batch. If you come from an English-speaking background, remain sober at least half the time & attend classes regularly, then you're probably halfway through already. Plus, credit-based colleges like nalsar will also allow you to practically half your rank in as less as one or two semesters as well.
And for anyone who is currently ranked in the bottom portions of the batch and reading this, internships are your opportunity to shine. I got PPO offers from multiple T1 firms while being in the bottom 30%, primarily because I worked that hard in the internships.
So, bottom line? Getting into a top NLU may be an inherently randomised privilege, but it undoubtedly alleviates any reasonable fears of unemployment you could have. Don't bother too much, and let law school charm you now!