Law School or Elsewhere?

A good portion of the people in the world carrying around the initals “J.D.” behind their names had intended to go to law school before they had even finished their bachelor’s degrees. However, the decision to attend law school sometimes comes up unannounced.

Societies are governed by laws. Lots of laws. So many in fact that there are professionals who spend their entire working life learning the ins and outs of these laws: lawyers. There will always be a need for lawyers (hopefully) because people will have laws they need to abide by, and so they will need people who understand them.

That’s what lawyers do: they learn what other people do not have time to. There are lawyers who specialize in criminal law, entertainment law, zoning laws, all the different facets in which the everyday man interacts with society’s rules and doing legal battle for their legal interests.

The word “attorney” actually comes from “at Tourney”, referencing the tournaments of the Middle Ages, where champions would represent nobles and kings. Lawyers do much the same, representing their clients and waging war, sans battle-axe, on their behalf.

Is that right for you? Even if you have never seen yourself as a lawyer, understanding the laws of the society around you can be extremely beneficial. One who understands laws understands how to benefit from them.

Law school is the door to be opened on a legal-savvy career and personal prosperity, because if someone is willing to pay a mechanic to swap out a flat tire, they will certainly pay someone to represent them in court.

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A Brief History of Lawyers

1st third of 16th century

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The art of practicing law has existed as long as laws themselves have. The profession of “lawyer” has a long and diversified history, with as many ins and outs as the laws that this profession focuses on.

In ancient Greece, the law required that individuals represent themselves, which should have completely aborted the birth of a lawyering profession. However, Greeks would often “ask a friend” for help with their defense or prosecution, and thus lawyers were born.

Later, Roman law allowed the use of lawyers in court, but forbade paying them. Not surprisingly, that law was widely ignored and eventually struck down by Emperor Claudius.  The Roman Empire saw much development of the profession of professing law: statutes were enacted to regulate the trade and to ensure deceit and trickery were duly punished.

Like many other aspects of society, the profession of lawyering completely died in the aptly named Dark Ages of western Europe.  With the rise of European feudalism and the decline of culture, the only persons practicing law were priests and monks who studied the canonical laws of the Catholic Church. This eventually led to full time canon lawyers, and eventually lawyers were reborn. By the 1200s a new core of the profession had been created and lawyers were again appearing on the scene. Over the next century, standards were set for lawyers and oaths administered, practices which continue today.

In modern times, a lawyer must pass the bar exam in whichever state they wish to practice in.

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Law School in 250 Words

NEWTON - MAY 22: Law students take part in Bo...

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High school graduates have the opportunity to pursue higher education at a college where they may earn several degrees, such as a bachelor’s degree. Beyond a bachelor’s degree, there is additional schooling available where students can gain true mastery of a subject. Law schools fall into this category of educational institutions.

Law school can be an excellent choice for those looking to enter government service, who wish work as an attorney, or those who want to do things that require an understanding of laws, such as opening a new business.

So what goes on in law school?

First off, every person considering law school has to first take a test called the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). This is like the ACT for law school, and it lets the powers that be know how sharp you are, specifically in analytical capabilities.

Provided you show your smarts on the LSAT and are accepted, you can start attending classes. Law school revolves around preparing students to think like a lawyer: analyzing facts, reviewing statements for crucial data, and how to best serve your future clients’ interests.

Law school was not designed for the faint of heart or wishy-washy. A poll conducted among law students returned the statistic that most students study 10 hours a day, as well as attend classes. Some even studied up to 12 hours each day. Law school is expensive, requires lots of time and dedication, and does not always pay off in the end. For those simply looking to jump on the gravy train, law school will be an uncomfortable place.

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