Now I feel a little douchey for bringing Yale into the picture. I do think people work hard there, though, and are still happy, and other students I've talked to at other schools have said the same. I guess it probably boils down to the individual like anything else. Thanks for your congrats .
I haven't seen paper chase but my boyfriend told me about it and it sounds like my first semester.
I had this one professor for Federal rules of civil procedure. He was a NIGHTMARE!!!!! I used to throw up before class. More than once I burst into tears in the middle of class. Once I had to leave the room because I started sobbing.
This guy was so freaking hard on us. He would make you feel like complete and utter idiot if you were not on top of your cases. And I mean you had to be able to rattle off EVERY detail on command. Most profs let you give a general overview but this prof wanted every detail. I remember one time this guy was soooo scared his voice cracked and trembled as he attempted to defend his position. I felt so sorry for the poor guy but at the same time so glad it was not me.
When I fisrt started law school I used to cry every week. Sometimes it was from being humiliated in class but most of the time it was fear of being humiliated and fatigue that pushed me over the edge.
Even though I hated that professor, by the end of the semester I was able to defend my position without appearing nervous or afraid. I even got the best of him once and he admitted it in front of the whole class. I stopped hating him when I realized that he was forcing us to be fighters.
He used to yeall at the softspoken women to speak up, speak up and wouldn't stop until you did. I still get scared but I know how to fake it now.
Sorry I'm rambling....
I used to throw up before class. More than once I burst into tears in the middle of class. Once I had to leave the room because I started sobbing.
I graduated with a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Business (Accounting) at the end of 2005 from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia.
The only part of law I really enjoyed was tax law - yes, I'm strange!
I now work as a tax consultant at one of the big 4 accounting firms, started here as a graduate in Feb 2006.
Law school in Australia isn't as hard core as in the US, because it isn't a post-graduate degree (well, it doesn't have to be). I started when I was 16 - I was lucky I only had uni, wasn't working, and although I studied a lot, I wasn't pulling all-nighters or anything.
In a few years I would like to go to NYU and do a Masters of Tax or something similar.....
nerdphanie- I'm a 6th year associate in big law and DH is partner in big law. The point I always stress to prospective lawyers is that the practice of law (especially in big law) is hard work. It's not rocket science, but definitely long hours. Big law with its billable hour structure is inherently based on the number of hours you put in, and does not reward you for being brilliant or efficient (these two latter qualities are, without saying, expected in big law). Obviously, long hours will directly impact the amount of time you are able to spend with your family. That's something you need to consider when you have a family. I'm currently 3 months pregnant but not ready to leave big law anytime soon. I enjoy the practice too much. But the long hours at work and the diminished amount of I time I would be able to spend with my child once he's born is constantly weighing on my mind.
Unf., nowadays, hours are not much better for partners. True, you won't get fired if you don't meet your hours if you are a rain maker. But surprisingly even rain makers' comps may be impacted by hours that are too low.
If you don't have your heart set on big law, I think there are many career alternatives you can pursue that will give you work-life balance.