Walking Away (For Now)
As in taking a break from the law, at least for now. More specifically, I’m taking a break from studying the law for the perspective of a practicing attorney. Figuring that it’ll be at least a few years before I crack open the bar books again, and in the meantime I’m going to enjoy the break from the pure testing evaluative part of the law and can focus more on the substantive parts of the law that actually have more of an interest to me. I’ve come to the conclusion that I get and understand enough of legal theory and process to continue my education in a more informal way which will allow me to focus on the legal areas relevant to my work, life, and personal interests.
One thing I considered in taking this break is the concern that I would forget the old core legal subjects and theories, and as a result may put myself in a much more difficult position to pass the bar later. I thought about this a lot when talking to other fellow poor souls that were studying for the bar that they had forgotten a certain subject from 1L. However after going through the process once already, I know now that the test is really mostly a test-taking test, with some broad references to basic legal concepts from the first year of law school. Further, something that I’ve noticed through the years that might put me in a different position than others is that I really retain quite a bit of what I learn. I can recall random lessons as far back to college, HS, and beyond, even as far back as grade school. I can see a similar pattern in law school, the extent to which I learned and retained it from the first time is directly related to their relative strength of teaching. So the bar will be there when I’m ready to take it again, and if I need to take another prep course to strategize how to take it again, I will do so also.
It really feels like I’ve put my life on hold for 4-5 long years grasping for the brass ring, and now it doesn’t make sense to do much longer just for a credential that in this economy has an unknown, and likely depreciating value over time. Until society catches up with how over-saturated the legal job market is, most non-legal employers will consider a JD an over-qualification, more specifically, a job applicant with a law degree would be a flight risk, and therefore a very bad prospect for employment. In a weird way, I’m actually better off not being licensed if I decide to continue working in a non-legal job might be the best proof of all that I wouldn’t be a flight risk, I would simply point out that I am “not currently licensed to practice law” in this state. It seems baffling, but it has really come to it, I never thought that having a credential could actually hurt your job prospects in a down economy. At least if I’m ever in a situation where I absolutely have to consider omitting the JD from my resume, at least I won’t have a 3 year gap in employment to have to explain.
Making this decision feels like a weight has lifted off of my shoulders, even the brief time spent looking at my bar exam books again just to see what I still retained over the recent months was extremely unpleasant. How long this break will be really will depend on whether the legal job market improves or stabilizes to the point where an average law student like myself with extensive non-legal or quasi-legal professional work experience can get a job as an attorney in the capacity that at least recognizes the alternate perspective and training. I think it’ll be at least for a few years when I decide that the job market has improved to the point in which I have a true economic and personal incentive to get my license.
Of course this doesn’t mean that I’ll refrain from making comments during Law and Order, the Good wife, or CSI-whatever. That’s still fun.