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Study, study, study
NamelessRiver
Veteran
OK I am currently in a situation that bothers me a lot. I graduated from law school and I am unemployed for over an year, the thing is, law firms here pay crap (as in not enough to live decently and really not enough to compensate the trouble of going through law school, they would pay around 6k dollars an year "hello-o??" :mad:), and don't have much of an opportunity of advancement. There is free law procedures or free consultation for most of the litigation procedures here, except for big cases from companies that want, well, BIG law firms.
The leftover solution, that has been the only solution for over 90 % of the people that graduate here, are jobs in the government. They pay reasonably well (the best ones, for being a judge or a prosecutor for example, pay around, 120-130kish and the crappier ones for law, half that amount, or 10 times what a starting lawyer gets privately) the problem is, they demand something I don't know if I can give
. They have tests for it that are way WAY harder than a BAR examination (WAY WAAAAAAAY harder, as in if a thousand people pass the BAR only 1 gets into this kind of job).
People MOB these jobs: professors, experienced lawyers, people that are in the government already, etc. I don't feel like I have any other choice, but I am like "no way man, I can't do this, this is not happening to me". I need to go over EVERYTHING I learned in law school (legislation and court decisions are aways changing) plus many more subjects I am clueless about.
The thing is, the study load of someone doing these is around 10 hours a day for a few years, and I am not pulling it off, meanwhile the rest of my life is stuck.
I don't have the ammount of discipline required to pull it off, any tips on how to get there?
The leftover solution, that has been the only solution for over 90 % of the people that graduate here, are jobs in the government. They pay reasonably well (the best ones, for being a judge or a prosecutor for example, pay around, 120-130kish and the crappier ones for law, half that amount, or 10 times what a starting lawyer gets privately) the problem is, they demand something I don't know if I can give
. They have tests for it that are way WAY harder than a BAR examination (WAY WAAAAAAAY harder, as in if a thousand people pass the BAR only 1 gets into this kind of job).People MOB these jobs: professors, experienced lawyers, people that are in the government already, etc. I don't feel like I have any other choice, but I am like "no way man, I can't do this, this is not happening to me". I need to go over EVERYTHING I learned in law school (legislation and court decisions are aways changing) plus many more subjects I am clueless about.
The thing is, the study load of someone doing these is around 10 hours a day for a few years, and I am not pulling it off, meanwhile the rest of my life is stuck.
I don't have the ammount of discipline required to pull it off, any tips on how to get there?
0
Comments
Hmmm... not a good predicament to be in. You have a degree that is not so easy to obtain then you're finding it difficult to find work. Just out of interest, which country do you live in? In Australia, law graduates are paid poorly (not as badly as in your country though) and treated badly in their first year out. But then conditions and pay get much better. This is especially true when they set up their own practices. I just wonder in your country can you go out on your own? Maybe it's worth taking a crappy job to get the experience for a few years then going out on your own with your own practice. Can you so that in your country?
The other thing is, use your networks to get where you want. Talk to someone you know that can help you. If they can't help, maybe they know someone that can. Don't be embarrassed to do this - it's not only common but in many industries, that's how you get work.
Sorry I can't be more helpful but that's all I can think of at the moment.
Hope it goes well for you.
Kind Regards,
Vangelis
That is the hard thing, to get what I want (pass these tests) I can only rely on me. There is nobody that can help me pass them, and I gotta push myself into a heavy study load, but I think it is a problem of lack of confidence. I am taking small steps until I build up confidence to dive in. It is a weird feeling, because I feel like I failed Law School and I am having to do it all over again, I feel a bit powerless and incompetent, so sometimes I am sitting down studying and I just freak out a little. Oh well it is life :-\
Quite frankly it is not something that I go crazy about, somehow I don't think normally it should be, afterall there is nothing enchanting about reading regulations, commentaries on regulations, decisions about regulations, quoting regulatons and linking a case to regulations... No big mistery either: you just read, read, read.
The thing is, my "ah, what the hell I am gonna do this" attitude (because that is the way I roll, lol) sort of hit its limit when I passed the BAR. After that, I got stuck, and now I am having to face the real deal: I HAVE to find a MAJOR interest in law, there is no way I can solve my current predicament without it. Either that or I have to find within myself the sheer amount of discipline to pull it off (which is kind of hard, since there is a lot of anxiety and all sorts of bad feelings involved. I don't have my "trademark" serenity right now, and I kind of need that to focus :-().
I doubt that you've painted yourself into as bad a corner as it feels at the moment. I suspect if you look around, you'll find lots of people who've come to the same impasse, then found their own solution to it which uses their training in some unexpected way. Don't just jump after the brass ring society's put in front of you (these exams.) Figure out what you want in life, and craft a life which honors that.
Sometimes when you add something to your present education, say medicine (only guessing), you can find a place for yourself. (I know in the USA there is something called a patients advocate which is quite new.)
Also, in the USA, too many people study psychology and cannot always find work. But, they add nursing to it, as in psychiatric nurse, and doors open up to them. This gives them an edge that others may not have.
I wish you luck,
S9
Hmmm... sounds like law may not have been the best choice for you from the start. You know we graduate from high school without really knowing or thinking about what we really want in life. I did it too so I know exactly how you feel! But, with the benefit of hindsight, I would suggest doing what I discovered works well in these difficult decision situations. Lie down on your back, close your eyes, calm yourself and allow your mind just to float - even do some calming meditation (look up samatha). Then, when your mind is calm and not troubled, ask it to think about what you really want in your work life. Don't push your mind to think of it, just be sensitive to how you are feeling. Just let yourself float and lightly direct your mind to the problem you have. If you don't force your mind or restrict it in the options it can come up with you can get some real surprises popping in your head! Try it just for fun even if you don't think it will get you anywhere... who knows where it can lead you.
You know, my wife did a science degree first then decided it wasn't for her and decided to do an accounting degree! Totally different but now that she works in the accounting/business area, you would be surprised how helpful her science degree has been and is even well regarded by prospective employers. So, don't restrict yourself, since you have to do at least 2 years of law, there's no big deal doing say 3 years of something else instead especially if it takes you in the direction that you really want to go. And you will be surprised how your law degree can help even in a totally different discipline.
Anyway, hope it goes well for you whatever you decide to do. Worse case scenario, do your 2 years of law but form study groups and do it together with others so you can all help each other and provide support both academically and psychologically.
All the best,
Vangelis
Or where land rights exist, tribal peoples in the Amazonia need advocates to assist them to protect their rights & negotiate fair business deals.
But yes...if one wants to drive a Mercedes on Copacabana Beach...there is probably little future in Brazil.
Try California or Lisbon.
Palzang