Final law school class

My last law school class ever was Thursday evening. The professor announced the students for whom this would be their last class and we got a round of applause from our fellow students. Then the class was over and we walked out. The end of law school seems almost anticlimactic. I thought it would feel like a huge weight would be lifted off my shoulders. It does not. I thought there would be a huge party where we all took a chance to breath and smile. No, we just packed up our books and went home. My last semester was a summer semester in which I had only an advanced legal research class and an externship. So, I didn’t have any tests this semester. It wasn’t the typical semester that I have been used to in law school. But now it is over. I have often thought about being done and even fantasized about it. But the reality of being done with school is so far away from a student (even in the last semester) that it doesn’t seem to be a reality worth considering until you are able to raise your head from the last test.

If you are reading this as a law student 1, 2, or 3L, or even a law student wanabe, I wish that I could tell you that it was a dramatic finale where I suddenly felt lifted to new heights. Actually, it was kind of a let down. Law school has been a place unlike any other. I don’t know of any other place where there are sustained levels of self induced stress that last as long as the ones at law school. Marine Corps boot camp was stressful, but at least there the stress came in spurts. Here at school the stress levels are high, last for unreasonably long times, and is the product of your own willingness to commit. And often, even when you give it everything that you have, you will feel that it wasn’t enough. Law school consumes your life. It allows for no other outside interferences or you will fail. Unlike older, more established institutions, Jones is newly accredited and because of being under the watchful eyes of the ABA, Jones adheres to strict grading and attendance policies. In core courses 5 to 15% of the class must receive a “D” or “F.” Unlike other schools, we regularly fail out 2 and 3Ls. I didn’t miss a single day until the end of my first year when I was sick.

Anyway, law school is over for me now. I am not depressed but have to admit that I am a little lost in what will lay ahead. I am currently looking for a job, but have few prospects.
My wife found a job quickly because she had been with the public defender’s office prior to going to school and was able to get a job there that will allow her to ease into a roll as a defender. Georgia allows 3rd year law students and graduates to practice under licensed attorneys in rolls such as DA or public defender. They have already given her a case. I am very proud of her.

I will return to the school for the MPRE and then not again until graduation. My school has fit to only hold one graduation a year. This is at the end of next May. By the time graduation rolls around I will hopefully be a licensed practicing attorney. It is 6 months until the next bar exam. Job prospects are not exactly jumping out at me right now. Not legal ones anyway.
The law school’s career placement office seems to be a joke to me. This is especially true if you want to practice outside the immediate area around the school, much less out of state. A bit of advice to the future law graduate is this: Don’t rely on the school to find you a job. Hit the streets early and often. Unless you have a family connection or are the very top of your class, paying legal jobs are hard to come by for a new law grad. There are a lot of us and very few positions. This is especially true if you have not yet taken the bar. The career office is a last resort if it is anything like ours, and I suspect that it is. Either way, don’t expect much from them but promises.

I don’t want to end this post on a negative note though. I am ecstatic to be done with law school. It seemed so far away up until the very end and even now seems to hold some anticipation for some reason, like I expect them to call and say, “Oh, by the way, we mis-calculated last semester’s exams. You failed.” Or there is some unpaid fee somewhere that they will find and not allow me to get my diploma. Speaking of diplomas: I have no idea if I will have to wait almost a year to get mine or if they will allow me to have it before graduation. Who knows. But for now I will keep looking for a job and try to keep you updated on what it feels like to be finally completed with law school.