Saturday, December 1, 2012

Light at the End of the Tunnel



My sister took the LSAT today, and endured 4.5 hours of cruel and unusual punishment that only pre-law students can appreciate. She told me her brain is tired, which is a feeling I am sure she will revisit once she goes to law school. Unlike me, I think my sister will be a good fit for law, considering she had the gumption to sue the IRS. Watch out, legal world, another Akao is on the way!

Is the pain worth it?

I recently interviewed a friend of mine, Doug MacLean. Like me, he was a fellow English major from UNR, but unlike me, he had a specific reason for attending law school. Four years ago, I had helped Doug with his personal statement to Georgetown. Not only did he get in, he excelled. Doug is now in Japan for a year on a Fulbright, studying exactly what he wanted to: international women's humans rights. Doug told me that many professors in the legal world agree OneL is "pedagogically bankrupt," but are unwilling to do anything about it. I translate this to mean that there is absolutely no reason why law schools across the country have to make learning law so hard for first year students. Will the system ever change? I hope so.

Is there light at the end of the tunnel? For advocates like Doug, absolutely. Is studying law uncomfortable? Most definitely, yes. Is it worth it for some? For sure, yes.

If you are thinking about law school or in the process of applying, my advice to you is this: write down your goals and be specific. Include those goals in your personal statement. Years later when you look back at that document, you will see why the pain was worth it! Or, if you're like me, you will find a passion that doesn't require so much suffering.

Cheers, Gina