Are You Considering Law School after Pulling the Pin?

A police officer inside a library.

Stephenie Slahor, Ph.D., J.D.

Some law enforcement professionals consider attending law school during their “tour of duty.” Exploring the reasons and options can help decide if pursuing law is the right path.

The Presley Center of Crime and Justice Studies of the University of California, Riverside, previously hosted a presentation about attending law school. Members of the Riverside County Bar Association cohosted the presentation to assist with the considerations to make when deciding whether to gain a law degree.

Panel member Erica Alfaro, Esq., advised that some law schools allow potential school applicants to sit in class for a day to see how law instruction is done and how faculty/student interaction occurs. “Can you see yourself doing this?” is a question which might be more easily answered after experiencing such classes and visiting law schools, she stated. If you are considering a particular law school, she advises contacting the registrar to answer your questions or doubts and to arrange a visit.

Before attending a law school, you will likely have to score well on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), a standardized test administered at different times of the year. It assesses the basic skills needed for success in law school and as a lawyer, including reading comprehension, decision-making, language proficiency, analytical skills, and logical thinking. A preparation course is a wise choice, said Alfaro, because it enhances the chance for a better score through practicing sample questions. Time (and money) will be needed for such preparatory courses, though, and those may be factors which are limited. Also, the LSAT may have to be taken more than once in order to perform better on the scoring, but there are limits on the number of times the LSAT may be taken in a given year. In addition, schools may have different policies about whether the best score or an average score is used to evaluate a potential student.

Advanced Preparedness

Free or low cost online resources, used practice books and setting a personal timeline schedule for budgeting time and money may help the practical side of preparation for the LSAT. Alfaro adds that it is wise to determine the cutoff scores needed for the schools being considered for enrollment. Some schools are what Alfaro termed “dream schools,” but they may be out of reach because of poor LSAT scores, long waiting lists for enrollment, high tuition costs, distance from home or costs to move to the campus, or other factors. It may be necessary to find other schools or ones which do not require the LSAT for entry, but, rather, look at overall grade point average, work experience, meaningful letters of recommendation from respected sources, and other factors. 

She also advises obtaining practical experience, working with a lawyer or legal aid/public interest group to gain practice in research, client relations, trial preparation, and day-to-day active legal work. Such full- or part-time work or volunteering will enhance the skills and learning related to law and its processes. And, it may also reveal that a law school education and/or a law career are not to one’s liking. 

“There is no single path to the law,” said panel member David Rivera, Esq. Any undergraduate curriculum in any field of learning can be the basis for learning analysis, writing, English grammar skills, and reading comprehension – all things which will be tested with the LSAT and which will be needed for success in law school. Cultivate relations with your professors for meaningful letters of recommendation from them and have your employers describe your work ethic, self-discipline and goal orientation. If your GPA is low, but you are working, focus on your strengths at work, your challenges and experiences, and why you want to attend law school, Rivera said. Find what you have which stands out to distinguish you from the other applicants. Bringing something different to the law school environment and classes tells the school you can be successful not only in the school itself, but also competent as a lawyer. Be sure your letters of recommendation address your character and your classwork, not just one or the other. He acknowledged that future career prospects will likely be better if you attend a better school, but there are unaccredited schools which may meet your goal of graduating law school and taking the bar examination in the state in which you want to practice. The school and exam processes demand time and money, but even more a factor is that you must be what he termed “incredibly disciplined” to achieve the goal of completing law school, taking bar examination preparation courses and passing the bar examination. 

Alternate Routes to Employment         

Marie Wood, Esq., also a panel member, stated her career in law began as a paralegal assistant to a lawyer. That practical experience in legal processes, terminology and, yes, paperwork created her “depository of information,” she said, which assisted her success in achieving the LSAT and being admitted to law school. She, too, emphasized the importance of strong letters of recommendation from professors, employers and/or lawyers. Such letters must be from personal knowledge, attesting to your dedication and your work ethic. It is “quality over quantity” when it comes to those letters, she said. She also advises developing a good support system from family, friends, former teachers, and lawyers. “It’s doable. You must have a plan to do it,” she says. If your goal is a prestige job at a major law firm, you will be in heavy competition not only for such a job, but also from those who attended a major, top-tier law school, she said. For the majority of lawyers, though, in the public or private sector, that top-tier school may not be so important. “Schools want students who will succeed and who will make the school look good,” she said, so “share who you are, what makes you ‘you’ and what makes you unique.” You must state “this is why you want me” in your application so that you “stand out from the other applicants,” she said. 

Passing the Bar: What Next?

Yes, there is light at the end of that tunnel and passing the bar is the beginning of the next step – deciding where you will focus your law career. Will it be criminal law, civil law or a blend of both? That “next” is definitely not what TV and the movies depict as the practice of law.

Darrel Exum of Exum Law Offices said, “You have to decide early on that you love this,” or else you will burn out. The practice of law involves clients who are “besieged with human drama” involving a victim’s justice or a defendant’s freedom in criminal law, or money, property and frustration which are involved in civil law. “Part of being a lawyer is being a social worker,” he said, and that translates to work which sometimes underpromises and overdelivers. The pressure of keeping current with the changes of law and carrying out the work of a lawyer cannot be 24/7. There must be a balance between work and a life with family, friends and other interests.   

Homan Hosseinioun of the Riverside County (CA) District Attorney’s Office agreed that things done on a daily or weekly basis in practicing law are not all that is needed. A competent lawyer knows how to read people and use all of life’s experiences to prepare being an advocate for the people behind the cases. 

Lori Meyers of The Law Offices of Lori Myers said that, unlike a medical degree in which a graduate must then work an internship or residency with other physicians, lawyers become admitted to the bar and then are able to practice at local, state and federal levels. She advised seeking experienced mentor lawyers to learn which areas of law are more appealing and how one’s “personal development” will influence the choice. She said new lawyers sometimes find that some cases are not appealing or have ugly evidence and things not thought of – all because of the drama and problems people have when involved in criminal or civil law matters. Those people look to lawyers to “make it better,” she said, but that takes a balanced person who not only knows the law, but also knows how to manage the stress and demands of practicing law. Dreams need to be “realistic,” she said. Cases and their outcomes will change someone’s life forever.  “You’re an advocate for your client,” she said. Besides knowing the law and its processes, you also need to know how to handle personality conflicts, self-control and how to speak persuasively without anger or lost temperament. Those skills are needed in both criminal law and civil law.

Where Should I Work?

Judge Rany Stamen of the Riverside County Superior Court said that, after the “huge task” of passing the bar, the new lawyer must consider whether to work for a public agency, a large law firm, a small practice, or one’s own practice. Economics may dictate such a decision. Working for the government will provide a steady income and benefits and access to a well equipped library and software, but government work may not fulfill one’s “passion” about the law. In a large firm, the new attorney is often assigned to very routine, entry-level work such as doing depositions or document preparation. Even then, a large firm wants “rainmakers” aboard who will bring business to the law firm and increase the billable hours. A smaller firm may offer more variety in work for the new lawyer and perhaps even the opportunity to take a case from the first client interview through to the conclusion of a trial.

Having one’s own practice is a leap of faith and requires not only the abilities of a lawyer, but also a person who can run the business of the law firm, hiring of competent staff and the economic reality that growth may be extremely slow for the first couple of years. Also, research and practice resources may cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month, along with rent, salaries for full- or part-time staff, etc.

Lori Myers added that, for female lawyers, the questions of balancing family and work can be challenging. Employers expect availability for work, but a woman (particularly a single mother) may find that she is relegated to nontrial work and other assignments. “She won’t be in the trenches,” she said, adding that stereotypes still exist and management sometimes makes decisions based on such concepts.   

All the panelists agreed that, whether criminal or civil practice, there must be a personal “outlet” to help the lawyer develop time with family, friends and interests. Otherwise, the lawyer will become too methodical and clients may lose confidence and the sense that their lawyer cares about them. Changing law firms or areas of practice can help someone struggling with priorities. Said Judge Stamen, “Don’t be old someday and saying, ‘I didn’t pursue my passion.’” Practicing law is “a difficult thing to do year after year,” he said, but you must “pursue your passion” and work toward a “good balance.”   

Goals, discipline and tenacity are the keys to your success.

Stephenie Slahor, Ph.D., J.D., is a writer in the fields of law enforcement and security. She can be reached at drss12@msn.com.