I confess, I was a “K-JD.” I went straight from college to law school. Some say we are overeager, immature or simply, babies, but what do they know? If you are a college student considering law school, you will probably be advised to take time off between college and law school to gain work experience. This can be solid advice, especially if you are not entirely sold on law school or do not want to spend your senior year preparing for the LSAT. However, for those sure that they want to be a lawyer, you should go for it. Now that I am settled in my career, I am glad I went straight through for the following reasons:
1. I was already in study mode for 1L. After the summer off, I easily returned to study mode at the start of my 1L. While studying for college finals and law school exams require different skillsets, there are similarities in that your schedule varies day-to-day depending on your courses. It could be difficult for someone accustomed to having their post-work evenings free to adjust to the rigors of 1L readings and exams.
2. I have more time to figure out my long-term career ambitions. Those who work between college and law school typically do so for about two years. When I graduated law school, I was 24 years old. As I have mentioned, I work at a big firm doing corporate transactional work. Most associates stay in a position similar to mine for 3-5 years and then move to government positions, smaller firms or in house counsel roles. By thirty years old, I will have completed those five years, and have a wide array of options. If I want to leave large firm life, I have solid work experience but if I do not, I am about halfway through the typical partner track. Moreover, most professionals do not settle down with families until their early thirties. Going straight to law school allows me to get the hours-intensive years under my belt before deciding how a possible child would fit in the mix.
3. Comp. Many pre-law college grads work as paralegals for two years at large firms to decide whether they want to go to law school. Working as a paralegal does provide valuable insight into the life of a corporate associate. Importantly, however, you will be compensated significantly less for working similar hours to an associate. At least on corporate deals, paralegals and junior associates handle similar tasks, i.e. tracking signature pages and document distribution. If you are confident that you want to go to law school, consider skipping those two years as a paralegal and jumping right into your JD. You can graduate law school, work those two years as an associate and then jump ship if you decide corporate law is not for you. You will be paid better, have the prestigious mark on your resume and plenty of time to decide what you want your career to look like long term.
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