Tertiary and Continuing The Law Thread

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I'm doing Arts/Law at La Trobe. I'm only doing Law because no one hires an Arts student. I'm finding it quite dry. The teacher asked an ice breaker question of the group - "who here wants to become a lawyer?" to which everyone except me put their hand up. Should I change to another subject to market myself for a job?
 
What subjects are you doing?

I was never a Law kind of guy. I was always more interested in Science/Maths during school, but some subjects I am doing/done are still quite interesting which is probably the reason I am still doing it.

Although some subjects like you say, can be very stale.
 

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I'm doing Arts/Law at La Trobe. I'm only doing Law because no one hires an Arts student. I'm finding it quite dry. The teacher asked an ice breaker question of the group - "who here wants to become a lawyer?" to which everyone except me put their hand up. Should I change to another subject to market myself for a job?

I believe law gives you many other options - public policy and so on. If you don't want a desk job, law is probably not for you. :)
 
I believe law gives you many other options - public policy and so on. If you don't want a desk job, law is probably not for you. :)

Exactly, it can open so many doors for you. One of my mates did a combined Law & Business (majoring in Info Systems) degree and now he's working with Deloitte in their Business Management arm. Whilst he doesn't use the Law part of his degree every day, he definitely was ahead of the cue in the interview process because he had it.

Though what's the point of doing something you know you don't enjoy? Is it going to get you into a job where it's passionless and you aren't really enjoying it? Think about what you want to do and then work out how you're going to get there. That'd be my best advice.
 

nylexbandit

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I think a small number of people who do a law degree end up practicing law. But the stuff you learn combined with other experience is invaluable in an employment context. Also, just the fact you're able to get through a law degree generally gives potential employers an idea that you're a capable person (although in reality the difficulty to pass a law course is quite low)
 
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Final year law at UWA here, so close to the end and so happy.

May do articles immediately after completion, depends if I get an offer. Have enjoyed the degree despite its dry nature and would recommend it, as people say it is a very flexible and sought after degree .

Any other law students have specific areas of interest? I love corporate insolvency personally, and also doing a unit at the moment - corporate finance and security regulation that is really good.
 
What subjects are you doing?

I was never a Law kind of guy. I was always more interested in Science/Maths during school, but some subjects I am doing/done are still quite interesting which is probably the reason I am still doing it.

Although some subjects like you say, can be very stale.

Well I'm in second semester 1st year after doing all my arts subjects first (sort of a couple of gap years whilst deciding what i wanted to do) so I've got one degree in the double. At the moment I'm only doing criminal justice and criminal law.

I believe law gives you many other options - public policy and so on. If you don't want a desk job, law is probably not for you. :)

What is there other than a desk job? I think I'm the type of person where I don't really care what I have to do (unless it's ridiculously bad) so long as there are reasonable people to work with (even though I am an introvert).
 

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Law is good if you are either:

a) a pretentious twat who automatically thinks you are better than the rest of the plebs

or

b) want to work in the country

Those are your two choices. City firms only hire the top students who are willing to suck up their arses and work 60 hour weeks. Suburban firms are struggling as it is and wont hire you. Country firms dont really care.

Any other law students have specific areas of interest? I love corporate insolvency personally, and also doing a unit at the moment - corporate finance and security regulation that is really good.
Corps(e) law sends a shiver down my back. If you want a meaningless career, go for it.

I prefer family law myself.
 

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Law is good if you are either:

a) a pretentious twat who automatically thinks you are better than the rest of the plebs

or

b) want to work in the country

Those are your two choices. City firms only hire the top students who are willing to suck up their arses and work 60 hour weeks. Suburban firms are struggling as it is and wont hire you. Country firms dont really care.


Corps(e) law sends a shiver down my back. If you want a meaningless career, go for it.

I prefer family law myself.

Cheery fellow you are.

Let's have constructive discussion. Thanks.

As for the city/country thing, I think you're being a teensy bit narrow in your assessment of an entire professional field.

I have a friend who got her degree at 40 and works in a firm here in Brisbane, with standard 9 to 5 hours. There are also in-house legal jobs which offer flexibility and good conditions. Overseas work is also there for the taking. I had a good friend who got a good job in London for a couple of years while exploring Europe and is now back in a state government policy position.

Lots of scope for law grads.
 

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Im third year of law/IR at La Trobe, but i think I have about 3 years still to go. I think Im strange in that contracts has been my favourite subject so far and I think because of my other degree I'll probably end up in international trade. I can feel my personality slowly draining away with every semester.

But please tell me there are other law students out there like me who seriously cannot stand most law students. I honestly sit there in most tutes inwardly cringing at about 95% of what comes out of thier mouths!! Majority are just so conceited/boring/lacking basic social skills and concerned with trying to appear smarter then everyone else. I know im posting on a saturday night right now, but generally i have a life and i just have nothing in common with most of them. Please tell me there are some sane law students out there!
 

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Cheery fellow you are.

Let's have constructive discussion. Thanks.

As for the city/country thing, I think you're being a teensy bit narrow in your assessment of an entire professional field.

I have a friend who got her degree at 40 and works in a firm here in Brisbane, with standard 9 to 5 hours. There are also in-house legal jobs which offer flexibility and good conditions. Overseas work is also there for the taking. I had a good friend who got a good job in London for a couple of years while exploring Europe and is now back in a state government policy position.

Lots of scope for law grads.
Right, so you send me a message/infraction basically telling me you are going to ban me because you disagree with my views.

Cheery fellow you are.

I say all this because I currently work in law, and know how the game works. You are obviously a sad disenchanted moderator looking to score cheap points with an anonymous poster. I know, you have done it before and are only doing this because I have stood up to you before, on completely different issues.

The fact is that law students need to be told how it is. The profession is hard to get into, and will require much dedication. If you do not know what you what to do, I suggest you either transfer to another course, or downgrade your expectations.

I also believe you are making s**t up.
 

Smell The Glove

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Im third year of law/IR at La Trobe, but i think I have about 3 years still to go. I think Im strange in that contracts has been my favourite subject so far and I think because of my other degree I'll probably end up in international trade. I can feel my personality slowly draining away with every semester.

But please tell me there are other law students out there like me who seriously cannot stand most law students. I honestly sit there in most tutes inwardly cringing at about 95% of what comes out of thier mouths!! Majority are just so conceited/boring/lacking basic social skills and concerned with trying to appear smarter then everyone else. I know im posting on a saturday night right now, but generally i have a life and i just have nothing in common with most of them. Please tell me there are some sane law students out there!
I'm fourth year law at La Trobe and completely agree with you.

:thumbsu:
 
Right, so you send me a message/infraction basically telling me you are going to ban me because you disagree with my views.

No, I disagree with how you've come into the thread and basically acted obnoxious and EXACTLY how you accuse other law students of acting. I sent you a private message to warn you to maybe remove the chip from your shoulder. It isn't needed or wanted here and I do have the power to remove you.

I say all this because I currently work in law, and know how the game works. You are obviously a sad disenchanted moderator looking to score cheap points with an anonymous poster. I know, you have done it before and are only doing this because I have stood up to you before, on completely different issues.
Mate I cannot even remember what you've "stood up to me before" about. Can't recall ever speaking to you, but let's not make this ENTIRE thread about you. ;)

The fact is that law students need to be told how it is. The profession is hard to get into, and will require much dedication. If you do not know what you what to do, I suggest you either transfer to another course, or downgrade your expectations.
That was better way of putting it. Try that more often.

I also believe you are making s**t up.
:D You're a classic, so I'm not giving you a Red yet. :thumbsu:

Mate I am in my thirties. I've met many people in my life. I gave you some examples of people I personally know who fall outside your narrow description of life in law. No idea why you would think I would LIE about this :confused: You're, what, 21? 22?

The friend who got her degree at 40 - after doing science Masters - is very intelligent and hard-working. Her husband is also doing very well in one of those "dying" suburban law firms.

Another friend worked in corporate law in, I believe, mergers and acquisitions, IPOs and the like in a smaller firm that didn't require 60 hours a week. He's overseas now as well.

Another bloke I know did law then quit it, going into finance journalism. He says, don't do law unless you REALLY want to be a lawyer.

So yes, from talking to the people I personally know, I have found there is a reasonable amount of life outside of top level firms who want to suck every waking hour out of you.
 
Another friend worked in corporate law in, I believe, mergers and acquisitions, IPOs and the like in a smaller firm that didn't require 60 hours a week. He's overseas now as well.

Murders and Executions, what...?
 
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I say all this because I currently work in law, and know how the game works


Fourth year La Trobe Law, and you know how the game works? ;)

It's pretty well known (especially in Melbourne) that work has dropped off.

But with the GFC and the whole phasing out of articles thing that is going on, for someone like you, it seems a lot tougher than it really is.

It will pick up.

On a sidenote Chief, I'd like to work in a small firm that handles IPO's and M&A's, and doesn't demand 60+ hrs a week...
 
Don't get me wrong, he had a stretch of about a month of working 7 days a week when a number of jobs were on, but generally he chose this firm because it did not demand he abandon his young family. He left when a few people from big firms came on board and started making noise about people leaving for the day at 5 or 6. Now he works overseas.

Now, this thread is about the study of law and perhaps the posts about the industry in general might work better on their own thread.
 

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Im third year of law/IR at La Trobe, but i think I have about 3 years still to go. I think Im strange in that contracts has been my favourite subject so far and I think because of my other degree I'll probably end up in international trade. I can feel my personality slowly draining away with every semester.

But please tell me there are other law students out there like me who seriously cannot stand most law students. I honestly sit there in most tutes inwardly cringing at about 95% of what comes out of thier mouths!! Majority are just so conceited/boring/lacking basic social skills and concerned with trying to appear smarter then everyone else. I know im posting on a saturday night right now, but generally i have a life and i just have nothing in common with most of them. Please tell me there are some sane law students out there!


Well said, accurately summarises my time at Law School at Uni of Adelaide.

Graduated in 2004, admitted to the bar in 2005, worked as a solicitor in a second rate suburban law firm for about 2 years, then quit after getting a job working for the SA Govt. I knew I had to quit my job when I found myself on the floor of my office breathing out of a paper bag!!

Personally I found my time at Law School a personality draining experience, and very little you were taught prepared you for the workforce. My happeist day was when I graduated and I knew that I never had to go back! I remember when I did my Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (GDLP), and a young lawyer gave us a presentation of life as a young lawyer. I still remember the gasps and shocked looks when she told us that 2/3rds of law graduates are unemployed in their first year out of law school. However that drops to a 1/3rd one year later when you are admitted to the bar, and this was in 2005 during a booming economy.

I would recommend corporate law (in particular bankruptcy law) for a career, simply because there is always a need for it. I would not recommend family law if you are a young male lawyer.

Enjoy your time at law school and may the spirit of lionel hutz be with you always!
 

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