At BYU, there was a class offered by the pre-law advisement center called the Law Lecture Series. The purpose of this class was to give prospective law school students more information that can be helpful in deciding if law school I right for them. To my knowledge, many universities offer a similar class. In this article, I will be discussing what the class is like, sharing 3 lessons from the law lecture series, and give a substitute activity to do if there is no law lecture series available.
What is the Law Lecture Series
The law lecture series was a class organized by the pre-law advisement center. Each week, an attorney from a different field of law would share their legal experience and answer questions from the students. When I took the class, I listened to attorneys practicing criminal law, family law, immigration law, and more.
Lessons from the Law Lecture Series
There are several fields of law to explore
Before I participated in the law lecture series, I did not realize how many fields of law were practiced. Previously, I had known about criminal law, family law, business law, and personal injury. However, this class helped me expand my understanding of what fields of law could be practiced. Additionally, I learned how versatile a lawyer can be. A lawyer can practice one field for a few years before easily transitioning to another field of law. This skill was important to me because if it turned out that I didn’t enjoy practicing law in my first field of choice, a transition would be fairly easy to manage.
You do not need to enjoy all fields of law to still enjoy law
I will be honest, several of the fields of law practiced by the attorneys in the class sounded pretty boring. Several others sounded like problems I did not want to deal with. However, there were a few fields that sounded very interesting. Further research has helped me realize what career I would want to pursue as a lawyer. But the first insight I had to those fields of law came from the Law Lecture Series.
Anyone can become a lawyer, but not everyone should be a lawyer
This lesson has two parts. First, anyone can become a lawyer. Quite a few of the attorneys interviewed had a lot of success in their undergraduate. However, there were others who had a lower GPA and LSAT score but were still successful attorneys. These attorneys taught me that you don’t need to be the smartest students, or attend the best university, to enjoy and be good at your job.
These attorneys also discussed what kind of person should not be a lawyer. Students who want to study law because of family pressure or for financial success do not make good attorneys, even if they are good at the job. People need to have a strong goal and purpose for studying law.
A good substitute
I understand that not every school will offer the opportunity to interview several attorneys throughout a semester. If you are in this boat, you may be wondering what you can do to gain a similar experience. Well, you will simply have to do it yourself. Here’s one way to do it:
At the beginning of a semester, look up law firms practicing several fields of law. You can also look up corporations legal department to find in-house counsel. Once a week, reach out to these attorneys and ask if you can interview them. Let them know you are a student hoping to learn if the legal field is right for you. Let them know the interview will be brief (i.e. about 20 minutes). Most people who know you are a student will make the time to meet with you.
Once you are in an interview setting, here some potential questions you could ask.
- Basic background questions (i.e. where was your undergrad, what did you study, why did you choose to go into law?)
- Why did you decide to practice “field of law”?
- What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
- What is the most fulfilling aspect of your job?
- What traits and skills are required to do your field of work?
- What lessons did you learn in law school that best prepared you for a career?
- What lessons have you learned while in your current capacity?
Of course, there are other questions you can ask that can be helpful. After conducting the interview, thank them for their time and use the information to influence your academic and career choices.
Summary
The law lecture series was very helpful for me as I was preparing for law school. Once again, here are my 3 lessons from the law lecture series:
- There are several fields of law to explore
- You don’t need to enjoy all fields of law to still enjoy law
- Anyone can become a lawyer, but not everyone should be a lawyer
Even in your university doesn’t provide a lecture series, you can still learn these lessons as you interview several attorneys in your area. Good luck!
