Sparkling sports cars, prestigious clubs, oodles of billable hours – sound like a Mastercard commercial yet? Oh right – the cost: law school. While three more years of parties at the beach, Pizza Med for dinner and a smattering of studying may seem like the way to go, unfortunately many Fairfield University students (75-100) may find themselves punching a clockcard instead.
Order, order! We’re not adjourned. The only thing holding these students back is the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Remember how pointless the SAT’s seemed to you a few years ago? They weren’t pointless – they were teaching you how to waste time by worrying about standardized tests, and you should worry about the LSAT. The LSAT is designed to test a student’s legal reasoning and ability to win logic games. Professor of Politics Dr. Alan Katz explained that law schools value a student’s LSAT results “as much or slightly more than four years of grades.” Roughly three hours of testing is equal to four years of college. Aren’t you glad you didn’t waste all of that time studying for MA 17?
Katz commented that “a significant number of students are disappointed with their results.” So why are Fairfield students having such a hard time getting into law school? Quite simply they are competing against over 134,000 students for 37,198 spots to get into the usual suspects – Harvard, Boston College, Yale… What’s a law student to do?
Good thing you have that Jesuit education to back you up! There’s the traditional approach – studying and researching. What do you think you’re going to spend 60 to 80 hours a week doing at a big-time firm? Hint: Not driving your new BMW. Of course, you don’t have to go to law school. Shocking as it is, Katz emphasized that there are many other great options to explore beyond the law school setting. For instance, take a year off.
Backpacking through Europe is so cliche – why not surf through LA? You’re in luck – companies are getting sued every day – you could still work on Wall Street as a legal consultant. Social work sound interesting? If you don’t feel like getting beat up at your job, you could write legal thrillers. Look at John Grisham – or works such as “Law ‘ Order” or “Legally Blonde”. Or you could write a book about a student who plunges into a tailspin after getting rejected from Fordham Law. Still missing school? All across America schools are looking for teachers. There’s the few, the proud, the…Peace Corps.
Yes, being a lawyer can be an incredibly rewarding (especially in private practice) career. What’s nobler (or more exciting) than defending the innocent or prosecuting the guilty? Then again, not all lawyers are that great – look at the Clintons. Fairfield really prepares students with a myriad of choices – if law school is it, then go to law school. Remember to look beyond the traditional – public schools can be just as good (and markedly cheaper). If you have any doubts, it’s never too late. Case closed.
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