Buy "Tales of the Law School Dropout" today!

Six years in the making, and the moment is finally here: my e-book, "Tales of a Law School Dropout" is available on Amazon.com! Get your copy today for $9.99!

You can find my book by going to Amazon.com and typing in "Gina Akao," or you can go directly to the link here:

You don't have to own a Kindle to read the e-book. Just download the Kindle for PC for free here:

If you have a smart phone, you can also download the free Kindle app and read the book that way.

If you have ever contemplated becoming a lawyer or have ever tried a career path that didn't quite fit, this is the book for you.

I would love to hear your feedback. Please feel free to message me on facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube.

Happy reading!

Gina

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Tales of a Law School Dropout e-Book Launch Date

Early Book Review

Hi everyone,

I hope you are having a fabulous new year so far! My book, "Tales of a Law School Dropout," is in its final stages of editing and will be available on Amazon Kindle soon.

I have been sending my book out for some early book reviews/blurbs for the back of the book, etc. Here is a sneak preview below!

Like a lot of law students, Gina Akao didn’t do nearly enough research before deciding to go to law school. But unlike a lot of law students, Gina did make the honest and courageous decision to leave law school when she become convinced that becoming a lawyer wasn’t a path that would lead to career happiness. By chronicling in detail her journey into, and out of, law school, Gina’s story reinforces the critical career advice, first uttered by Socrates, that anyone in or considering law school should take to heart: “Know Thyself.”

– Deborah Schneider, Esq, co-author of Should You Really Be A Lawyer? The Guide to Smart Career Choices Before, During and After Law School.

Happy New Year!
Gina
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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

Book Recommendation: Should You Really Be a Lawyer?

Are you planning to go to law school? You must read this book, Should You Really Be a Lawyer? The Guide to Smart Career Choices Before, During & After Law School. http://www.amazon.com/Should-You-Really-Be-Lawyer/dp/0940675579.

The author, Deborah Schneider, came to speak to my Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity club the summer before I attended law school, and out of all of the career decision books I have read, this is the only one that could stand the test of time. I wish I had a dollar for every time I said, "I wish I had listened to Deborah's advice," especially when, toward the end of my law school stint, I would rather have scratched my eyes out than read another legal case about murder and manslaughter (too gory for my classical pianist eyes!).

Deborah has a JD, and is the former Associate Director for Career Development at the University of California Hastings College of Law. Her book has three main audiences: prospective law students, current law students, and practicing lawyers. However, I think the career advice would apply to almost any career path.

My favorite part of the book: the assessments. Deborah and her co-author, Gary Belsky, have provided their readers with short, magazine-quiz-like assessments that challenge your assumptions about the legal world and the dazzling, high paying careers you think law will lead you to once you finish law school. For example, Decision Assessment 2 asks you to:

Check all the statements that apply to you:

I'm considering going to law school because...

A) I'm not sure what I want to do, and a law degree will keep my options open.
B) People whose opinions I trust are encouraging me to get a law degree.
C) I've thought about what I'd enjoy in a job, and the law would be a good fit for my skills, strengths, and interests.
D) The people whose jobs I'd like to have in a few years all have law degrees, even though they no longer practice.
E) I've already worked in legal and non-legal environments, and I would prefer a legal setting.
F) I was a liberal arts major, so a law degree seems like the next logical step.
G) Everyone says I would make a good lawyer.
H) I'm competitive by nature, so I think I'd enjoy law school and the legal profession.
I) My prior professional experience sparked my interest in law.

(Schneider & Belsky, 2005, p. 23-24).

At the time, I checked C and F, then eagerly proceeded to the paragraphs below my answers to read what my responses said about me and my assumptions. Once I had finished my entire assessment, I received a score of 71, which put me in the gray area. I laugh when I read the description of the gray area, because it was dead on: "You probably do have some valid reasons for going to law school and a sense of what you want from a JD, and you have done a little research. But you may be reading this book because you're still not sure that law is the right decision for you." (Schneider & Belsky, 2005, p. 44).

Was Deborah right? Absolutely! So if you are looking for a magic 8 ball to tell you if law school is the right fit, don't let the LSAT tell you that, read Should You Really Be a Lawyer? It is well worth the $21.86 bucks, which is nothing compared to the debt you will take on if you wait to address your uncertainties until after you are too invested to get out! Of course, you may read the book and decide law school is the right path for you. And if so, all the power to you.

Cheers,
Gina

Assault v. Battery

I am always surprised when I am listening to the radio how often people mix up assault with battery. In my torts class, we studied assault and battery by the elements. We had the elements drilled into us, to the extent that one of the torts teachers said we should be able to wake up in the middle of the night and recite the elements from memory. I can just imagine sleeping peacefully, and suddenly, my eyes popping open. I would sit up in bed and, in a zombie-like haze, start announcing:

Assault:
1) act
2) intent
3) imminent apprehension of the harm or offence
4) the harm or offence

Battery:
1) act
2) intent to touch
3) intent to harm or offend
4) the harm or offense

The elements look the same, right? Well, the difference is that assault is just the apprehension of a harm or offence, so it doesn't require contact. Battery usually involves contact while assault only involves thinking you will get hurt. It's the difference between someone faking a punch (assault) and actually punching someone (battery).

Of course, you don't have to take my word for it. Any good lawyer would say it depends on the circumstances. And of course, when you are a law student, you get to say that anything you do or say should not be construed as legal advice.

So there you have it: the difference between assault and battery.

Sweet dreams!
Gina

Writing Your Personal Statement

Writing your law school personal statement can be daunting, but it isn't difficult if you follow a few simple guidelines. Law school admissions committees are looking for three basic things: who you are, why you are applying to law school (and why now), and what will make you complete the program.

1. Give up on trying to write the perfect personal statement. Several drafts are standard. Your first draft can be a "freewrite" where you just brainstorm whatever is on your mind, and what made you consider applying to law school.
2. Revise. Show some of your later drafts to a few people you trust. I ran my law school personal statement by 20 students in an English class. If at least three people recommend the same improvement, make the change. Some comments are useful, but the author always knows best. Trust your instincts. The last person you show your draft to should be the person whose opinion matters most to you.
3. Do a final edit before you submit. Nothing looks worse than an admissions essay that has typos. Admissions committees can tell if you drafted your personal statement for the first time as you were filling out your application. Trust me. I participated on an Admissions Committee as part of the Honors Program at UNR. A panel of professors, myself, and the Honors Director read through every essay and letter of recommendation and then met multiple times to debate which applications would go into the "accept," "reject," and "maybe" piles. Standardized test scores and grades determine which initial pile your application gets put into, but after that, especially if the committee is on the fence about your materials, your personal statement and letters of recommendation get scrutinized.

There are several books out there on how to draft a good personal statement. Sometimes it is helpful to look at sample essays that were successful. But remember, your personal statement is about you. In the end, those example are just examples. Admissions committees want to know who you are, so give them enough detail so they can visualize you in the graduation processional.

Good luck!
Gina