Good question, Legate. Over the years, I have asked this question to hundreds of lawyers at almost every legal writing class, training session, or gathering I have addressed. Initially, I was a bit taken aback by the answers - but now I can almost predict what the answers will be. There is a distinct pattern that emerges from the replies. Unlike computer engineers, doctors or software professionals, who were actually drawn towards what they studied, most of those who took up law were trying to avoid another course, for whatever reason!! In other words, they were not drawn towards the legal profession but were running away from another profession and landed up doing law.
Here are some replies to the question "Why did you study law?" Some of them are really honest.
1. "Sir - time pass. After degree I had nothing to do - so I took up law."
2. "Parents wanted me to study medicine - but i did not want to land up dissecting dead bodies. So I took up law!"
3. "Easy degree to obtain. Very easy to get admission to a law course."
4. "I used to talk a lot - and my friends and parents encouraged me to take up law."
5. "I wanted to take up a course where I did not have to study Hindi or Maths!!"
6. "I wanted to serve society." (really pseudo answer)
7. "As a citizen, I wanted to know what my legal rights are so that people cannot cheat me." (another pseudo answer)
8. "I was influenced by by books/films on law."
9. "My dad (or grand-dad, uncle etc.) is a lawyer. So I took up law."
A close friend of mine, who is a fairly successful lawyer today, took up law because he wanted to continue playing Volleyball for Bangalore University. In his days, law was the most inexpensive and least difficult degree to obtain. Just enroll - and by default you are a lawyer after three years. This way - he got to play Volleyball for BU for three more years!
Today, all the recognition he gets is from the profession.
Many students from the "neo-law schools" too admit that they took up law because they did not want to be engineers or doctors!
After asking them their reason for studying law, I next inquire how many of them took to law because they thought they had good English writing skills. Invariably nobody answers in the affirmative. That's the irony. Law has got more to do with writing than oral skills. Yet - very few take up the profession because they believe they have the writing skills to succeed in the profession.
Legal Dodo