[therdogg]

I am considering starting law school when my children are 6, 4.5, and 2.5. Crazier yet, I would like to adopt and am wondering if law school is a good time, can you in fact take a year off (I'm guessing that time off during school, while definitely not ideal, is better than time off in the first year or two following when you're trying to establish a career)?

This would be a competitive school, full-time day attendance only. Also, how do those of you who have done/are doing this balance school/work and family?

I have been a SAHM since graduating with a BA in 1999 (well, traveled the world for a year, then nannied for a year, THEN became a SAHM). My practice LSATs have been 169-171, my GPA is pretty good (can't remember, I had three Bs in college, the rest were As), I think I'd be able to get in but the big looming question in my mind is AND THEN WHAT?

 

[aprilushka]

I would thoroughly research the profession first-- look at different types of law practices there are where you think you will work, talk to lawyers if possible in those areas you think may interest you (and others also since you may very well change your mind). Law school is only worth it IMHO if you really want to practice law because you think you will like it (and what one does in law school is often only tangentially related to practice) or (as in my case) you know you will be supporting yourself for sometime and no other career is better all around.

Adoption during the third year of law school, esp if you have a job lined up might be plausible but certainly won't make your life easier, but if you really want to you could make it work. I wouldn't do it during the first two years. I might also wait until my youngest kid was 5 and more into school and activities, just my IMHO before starting. I did law school with no kids so I can't really say from personal experience what it's like, but it's pretty tough even with no kids at a competitive school. I went to UCLA and the competition was pretty brutal there, esp first year. The first year you really have little time for anything except school, esp if you want to do well and the school uses a curve (which pretty much all do except some of the top 5 schools).

 

[therdogg]

Thanks. I have read a bit about the profession, have books etc. I was really turned on to the idea because of my experience with pursuing a due process hearing against our school district on behalf of my son with autism. I realized that the IDEA is rarely implemented, many school districts are out of compliance, and most parents are unable to be effective advocates due to the myriad pressures and time constraints associated with being the parent of a disabled child.

I would like a stable career that involves a decent return on investment while allowing me to do work I find meaningful and relevant.

Has anyone here actually taken a year off from law school?

 

[jadzia's_mommy]

I agree that law school is only really worth it if you love the law and want to work in the legal profession. I personally loved law school. But I know some people who were there because they wanted to make money, or their parents wanted them to go, or they just didn't know what else to do. They were the miserable ones.

I would not recommend taking off a year from school even if the school allows it. If you want to adopt that soon (and don't want to do it while going to school), I'd suggest just waiting until you've gone through the adoption and then go to school. I think it would be really hard to get back into the swing of things after taking off a year. Plus, it gives you an extra year to forget some of the stuff you learned when you're getting ready for the bar exam. Not to mention that it'll just give you one big weird thing on your resume to have to explain to every potential employer in the future. In my experience, most legal employers (in the private sector--less true in government) are not of a family friendly mindset. They aren't going to be terribly understanding that you took off a year to adopt a child.

 

[maddysmommy]

I don't know where you are in the country, but I want to put a plug in for Northeastern, a school with no curve (or grades) and a co-op program that mandates that you work fulltime for 4 quarters. It means that when you're done getting a job and knowing what you want are that much easier. I don't know about adopting, or the age of the child you're thinking. I do agree with the pp that taking a year off would be rough. I'm a single mom of a 4 yo in my second year, and we're finally in a groove, it would be hard to restart. Expect to not have any time the first year, and make sure you have food in the freezer and good childcare help. I think parents are better students, better at focussing and multi-tasking. I also agree, don't do it unless you really love it because it's a giant amount of work, and the money's not even close to enough at the end. It's gotta be, at least partly, about the love.

 

[BookGoddess]

I wasn't married and I didn't have kids when I went through law school yet the first year of law school was tough, at least for me. I thought of dropping out that first year because I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of hours it took me to understand all the material. I had pages of cases to read each night. I am a fast reader and I like to read. Reading cases is different. These were important but dry cases that I had to read over and over to fully understand what was being said. It was time consuming. And you do have to understand the cases well because law schools still use the Socratic method. The professor calls on you to explain the case to the rest of the class. It can be fun under the right conditions but I had a few teachers who enjoyed bringing down newbie law students.

In comparison, college was a breeze for me. I'm not saying that to brag but it's a fact. I didn't need to apply myself as much to get the grades I did as an undergraduate. Most everyone in my law school class had been the top students in their college classes. I was operating at a whole different level and I had to step up to the challenge. It didn't help that the courses are graded on a curve. We used to have a Dean that would tell us to "Embrace that C!".

I wouldn't take a year off from law school after the first year. You don't want to forget that material. What you study in the first year are all the core courses. These courses (Contract Law, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Civil Procedure, etc.) will definitely appear on the all important Bar Exam.

As for taking time off after law school...hmm..I'm on the fence about that. Rather than taking time off you might want to consider doing something like a clerkship for a judge. I did that for nearly 2 years. It was a steady 8-5 job. Nothing like the 70 hours that my friends in private practice were putting in.

Go into it if you really love law. It's hard to know that you love it until you've actually done it. I volunteered at a court before law school. I was so full of myself. I thought I knew what the field was about but I didn't. I wouldn't do it for the prestige or money. I'm not saying you are either.

There were students in my class who gave up on a law career because this is a field that eats you up and spits you out. It's really not easy to be a mother and an attorney.

 

[aprilushka]

I went because I didn't know what else to do really more than for love of law, and I'm not miserable now (in a good gov't job) but I think it's more plausible to do that without kids than with. If you've got kids I think you have to go because you know you love it.

 

[mammastar2]

I had two kids when I started law school (though not full-time kids), and had a baby during. It worked really well, for me. I did not take time off, still finished in three years, but I did my second year spread over three semesters instead of two (attended during the summer after first year), each at a 60% course load. The law school was very open to my taking time off if required, and I know of other women who did so. Interestingly they were less accommodating with student dads, but it's a start.

How well you would balance the workload and parenting really depends on the school, your kids, your own study style - it's hard to say in the abstract what would work for you. I agree that taking time to be a parent during school is actually easier than taking time out during the first few years of your career, but that may be because I am now in full-time private practice in a fairly male-dominated area of the law. There are other opportunities out there as well, which are more flexible (do watch your debt load from school so that you can take advantage of the family friendly opps out there, because they will not pay as well!).

I don't have any experience with adoption, in particular.

 

[kglewis5691]

between my first and second years of law school. My law school allowed a "leave of absence" and I was able to return after one year no questions asked. At the time I wasn't sure I wanted to continue with law school so I spent a year working toward my Master's degree in Music History. Ultimately I decided I would prefer a job where I could make a decent living, so I went back to law school. If you think you have a PASSION for the law, then go for it. All of the details will work themselves out. However, if you have another "calling" for which you feel a great deal of emotion, follow that lead. In my case, I have a passion for music, not for the law. I still wish I had pursued music as a career because I think I would ultimately be more fulfilled. Then again, I do have a great job and make decent money, so I don't have to constantly worry about paying the bills. There is a trade off, no matter what you decide. Just think things through and, decide what's important to you and go for it. Also, find a program where you can take some time off from law school if you find yourself doubting your decision and you need time to sort things out. Good luck!!

 

[*caitlinsmom*]

I too took a year off of of lawschool... I also changed schools at that time to be in a school closer to home so I could actually live with my DH.(long story!) during Law school I was juggling family life with a stepson (5.5 when I started) and a new husband, as well as clerking for a small firm. Lawschool is very competitive and no matter how well you did in college, it's a real challenge that first year. I needed so many hours to digest the material... to give you some idea, the first semester especially, I usually got home from school at 2 pm and studied straight through until 11 pm, only taking about 30 minutes to toss a salad for dinner. the first year I was not living with DH and DSS. I can't imagine how I would have made it through the first year if I had those responsibilities too! After the first year, it does get easier... but you still need to get through the first year. It will be very hard on your DCs, because mama needs to study so much. You also need to consider the enourmous financial burden you will be getting yourself into... I have about 80K in student loans to pay off now. Also, I can honestly tell you that despite the unwavering support of DH and DSS, I almost had a nervous breakdown studying for the bar.
that said, I have a decent paying job (not getting rich or anything!) with the government and I really like what I do... But I also didn't expect to be doing this when I was in lawschool, and I spent a few years in private practice doing something I hated before I landed here.

 

[jstar]

all the lawyers that i know work LONG hours. very very long hours. (except one who is a public defender and works a normal schedule of 40 hours). i don't think they get a lot of quality time with their families. most of the lawyers i work with are big firm types. very highly compensated but they pay a premium

i would not take a year off in law school either. law school is difficult and from what i have seen with friends you get on the rollercoaster ride of school and summer internships at the big firms and graduation and if you don't get a job at a big firm right out the gate you sort of miss the boat. competition is stiff and anything keeping you from going through with the rest of your class is going to be a setback

obviously it depends on what type of lawyer you want to be. what type of firm you want to work in. what type of law school you go to. it is a really demanding field. and that is why they make the big bucks

i've been tempted by it myself. but then i think i'm nuts.

 

[mammastar2]

I didn't summer at a big law firm, in fact I didn't work at a law firm at all during the summers, since the first summer I was hugely pregnant, and the second one I needed to stay in town for family reasons. Nonetheless, I'm at a big firm now (if should that be a goal), because my marks were high and I got a (very family friendly) clerkship. There are lots of different avenues one can take.

While I took the big firm route, I also went to school with plenty of people living the good life working for the government, doing research work, doing policy work, and/or living in smaller cities or towns. Lots of them get time with their kids too!

I don't get as much family time as I might like, but I have to say that 9 times out of 10 I'm home for bedtime, and if I miss bedtime I make darn sure I'm there for breakfast. The bonus part of being at a big firm is that, if things aren't crazed, no one minds if you leave for a while to attend a ballet class or have some together time.

The nice thing about a law degree is that it does give you a lot of options, particularly if your debt load isn't too high.