There is only one reason to go to law school. To become a lawyer. That sounds obvious, but many students focus on law school instead of on careers in the law. Law school can be a rewarding and intellectually challenging endeavor. It can also help you please your parents and postpone your career decision making process for a few more years. But ultimately,law school is just that three years of schooling that prepares you for a career in the law.

You need to ask yourself why you want to be a lawyer and what you see yourself doing as a lawyer. Learn as much as you can about the practice of law. Spend time talking to lawyers. Ask them if they like their jobs, and why.  Find out what they do, and what they like or dislike about their daily activities. Are they happy or stressed, challenged or bored?  Read legal journals and newspapers to find out about the advantages and disadvantages of the legal profession, current trends in hiring, and current salary scales.  Even better, take a legal job of some sort. Spend a summer as a paralegal or legal intern in a law office, volunteer for a district attorneys or public defenders office, or assume some other legal undertaking. Once you learn first hand what the practice of law is like, you will be much better prepared to decide whether or not the law is for you.