How do you know if you will like law? (1 Viewer)

[timeslowsdown]

To those studying law:
How do you know if you're going to like it? A lot of people have told me that you can only know until you've tried it. Or is there a criteria to determine whether you'll like it?

Thanks

 

[Leffife]

I'm not studying law since I have no interest but anyways, no one exactly knows if they will enjoy it or not.
However, there are a few ways that can guide you to see if you will like it, such as -
1) Reading the course outline.
2) Checking the subject descriptions.
3) Having a family or friend who is already doing it and shows you his/her work.

 

[Omnipotence]

Pretty much after a few weeks into the course. A lot of stuff you learn in foundies is pretty dry - it's almost a history lesson. Only fun thing was statutory interpretation, approaches, and how to answer intentional tort questions/scenarios. These however were towards the end of the course.

 

[timeslowsdown]

Pretty much after a few weeks into the course. A lot of stuff you learn in foundies is pretty dry - it's almost a history lesson. Only fun thing was statutory interpretation, approaches, and how to answer intentional tort questions/scenarios. These however were towards the end of the course.

So you're saying that a few weeks into the course should give me a good indication of the course as a whole and if I'll enjoy it?

 

[Omnipotence]

So you're saying that a few weeks into the course should give me a good indication of the course as a whole and if I'll enjoy it?

Not a whole but to a certain extent. I don't believe foundies reflects the true essence of law.

 

[Trans4M]

Maybe doing any comps organised by the Student Society could help.

 

[Aerath]

Not a whole but to a certain extent. I don't believe foundies reflects the true essence of law.

I hate university, and I hate law school (pretty much exams kill me, particularly when they're 100% finals). But at the same time, I work in a law firm, and I love it - so for me, it's a saving grace, as it is a career I would love to embrace. Foundies tells you sweet fuck all about law, I think you'd need to get into the end of your second year before you can kinda make a judgment as to whether or not you 'like' law.

 

[Caligula]

Nobody likes it and 'law' as a university experience isn't reflective of 'law' in practice, hence the enormous attrition rates.

 

[chewy123]

There is nothing you can do beforehand to see if you will like law definitively. If you like debating, tedious reasoning, read and untangle complex information... then you might like law.

 

[wannaspoon]

To those studying law:
How do you know if you're going to like it? A lot of people have told me that you can only know until you've tried it. Or is there a criteria to determine whether you'll like it?

Thanks

easy answer to this... you won't like it...

 

[enoilgam]

Not a whole but to a certain extent. I don't believe foundies reflects the true essence of law.

This pretty much - you need to do a proper law subject to get a real taste of what it's really like (i.e. criminal law, torts, contracts).

 

[Trans4M]

This pretty much - you need to do a proper law subject to get a real taste of what it's really like (i.e. criminal law, torts, contracts).

TBH I never liked any of my law subjects from 1st Year and 2nd Year however, I am actually enjoying Lit 1 (generally done in 4th year) and so I will probably be taking electives around that area e.g. dispute resolution. Now had I drop law in say 1st year, I would have never experienced Lit 1

In short, you might hate law until you reach a course that you will enjoy

 

[Accuracy]

bump

 

[whemand]

You can’t force yourself to like it. Do you know Ella Enchanted? She said that, “nobody should be forced to do things they don’t wanna do.” Don’t force yourself. You don’t always have to try things just to figure out if you really like it or not. Sometimes, you just feel it. And when you do, just grab it and don’t negate it.

 

[lawstu]

I'd hazard that most people either have rose-tinted glasses and live in the clouds prior to or at the beginning of their courses or dislike or even hate it. There is no definitive way of knowing whether you will like law, as every person and every case is different; however, some things that could suggest you might like it have been outlined above and other things that you could do to see whether you might fit in law have been outlined above too. Some things you can't really tell, such as whether you'll like the law school, the future, etc., but don't get too ahead of yourself either.

If you have the opportunity to study law, give it a serious go to see whether you enjoy it and see whether you can last the length of the degree, whether the real/opportunity costs are justifiable and indeed justified.

I should warn you that, as you start out, you'll probably be really naive and view the world through rose-tinted glasses, living in the clouds, or dislike or hate 'law' (Foundies or Intros, both of which are known for their issues). If you do suffer from the blues, there's always help from CaPS, those that came before you (e.g., graduates), and those that are before you (i.e., academics).

You'll really like law (if you do) after Foundies or Intros, when you start studying substantive law courses, or when you start a core or elective that's your thing, your niche.