7 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting Law School 

I’m a legal assistant and your points on being yourself in the industry resonated so much. It’s something I’m working on. As a WOC in a majority white county and in a majority male firm, dressing cute and wearing makeup (which I used to love before this job) drew so much unwanted attention that i just stopped. I’m slowly trying to regain that part of myself back and constantly remind myself that I cannot let my job change me.

I am so glad I found this. I'm contemplating law school right now in my last year of undergrad. I have fully committed to a full year off in order to managed the mental damage undergrad has caused.

Prospective law students!!! Any questions you want to see answered in future videos??

ive been watching for a little bit now, and i just have to say your channel is hands-down one of my favorite on the platform. it’s genuine but also so well spoken and your personality is so easy to watch. you have sparked an interest in law that i would have never even thought i’d have. thank you so much dude!!!

This video is heaven sent for me right now! I just graduated undergrad in December and working an internship that I was doing throughout my last semester but I have been hoping to get started on prepping for the LSAT. However, I have no idea how to start and I have no idea what to expect from law school. Thank you so much for this video, it’s given me so much insight!

I totally agree! I have never understood why people would want to go to an Ivy League even if you are qualified enough to go! First off, it’s a whole lotta debt for that title. SECONDLY: something I’ve learned is big firms look for people who were top of their class. Why go to an Ivy League when you could go to a cheaper school and be top 5% of the class? Would you rather go to Harvard and perform in the bottom or middle of your class? Surely it will be easier to get a job and pay off debt to go to a state university.

thank you for very positively representing the creative capricorn lawyers out there, you're inspiring me to start to channel before law school this fall 💕

I love you Leeja, I mean that totally platonically. I just relate to you sm. You’re an academic like I’m an academic, and definitely we can be in our own heads about where we wish we were, Ivy League schools and the like can do a lot to make one feel insecure, I can totally relate. You speak wise, kind words here ❤ I love that you have a personality as well 😊. I’m not into law as a profession, I’m into science which is also notorious for having its people behave like robots. I suffocate, metaphorically, when I’m not allowed to express myself, and I love fitting science into my life instead of the other way around. Very warm, and encouraging video ❤

Such good advice. In the middle of my undergrad to become a paralegal and I’ve been thinking about going for my masters in that or going to law school. Very informative and definitely things that I have worried about.

Thank you for this! Apps just opened and I was still stressing myself out for not having an exact idea of what kind of job I want after law school. There were so many other gems in here but I'll have to rewatch this to really absorb them.

That was awesome, Greatly appreciate your insights and honestly. By the way your hair is fabulous that color

I’ve seen people online that went to law school that didn’t become lawyers. They just went for their own curiosity and business owners just went just so they can learn the law and you know how to protect themselves legally.

Holy heck that is exactly what it was like for me! I was/did a bunch of mooting. That was a bad idea. All kinds of perfect observations. I love your videos!

So grateful for this video! I'm starting law school in three months so this is all very valuable information.

I graduated from my undergrad college years ago with the intention of going to law school but decided against it because I had a 2-year-old by the time I received my diploma. I had always wondered what I had missed out on by not going to law school and watching this video showed me that I made the right decision. Thank you so much!

This was an excellent primer, especially the info about what happens after graduation. It's still going to cost more money because of the bar prep classes, & it's better not to work while studying for the bar exam. Some places won't even hire grads until they are licensed (e.g. public defender offices). Thanks for these interesting, informative videos.

This video is amazing. Thank you for the excellent advice. I’m starting law school this fall and I’m definitely going to do everything I can to be ready.

I'm starting at nusl in the fall! Nervous, but excited and so glad that I found this video/your channel

This is an excellent, excellent video that has the ability to serve any young person at this stage in life, whether a JD is in their future or not.

I'm getting a MS in Legal Studies and a lot of what you said about L1 students resonates. It's a big class, there are cliques and the stress level is insane. I have a MAEd and it was NOTHING like this. Oh and keep in mind, I'm going to school online. I think I'd lose it if I was doing this in person.

I did not expect this video to be this helpful, thank you so much for this!

Even though I don’t want to go to Law school (I want to get my MSW/LICSW eventually) it’s still cool and amazing advice to apply to any career path. Thank you so much

This was super interesting thank you - I'm a professional classical musician too :) and I have been thinking about how my goals might not be my goals....they will evolve and change over time like I will. Anyway, loving your channel dear x

I love this! Super relatable and I totally agree with your points on being yourself in your career. I was in an art and design college before I ended up in politics. 😅

Love the RBG book in the background Leeja! 👌💪

I’m so glad you discussed the stereotypes and cultural barriers that exist in the profession. I’m readying myself for law school right now and it’s great to hear from other individuals who understand the problems we have in this country. They will not magically disappear. They must be acknowledged and worked on by everyone. Thank you for an enlightening video.

#6, YES! I have had low self esteem for years. I have watched those with great self esteem or great bull shitting skills get far in life, but the logic just isn’t there. It has been a great motivator for me and wish I knew when I was a lot younger.

I’ve been going down the rabbit hole of Leeja’s videos and can I just say that this woman is STUH-NEEEEEENGGG! Like, she barely has any makeup on and just look at that complexion!!! 🙌

Thank you SO MUCH for posting this!!

This is such a thoughtful video, excellent content!

really cool video full of good advice and so candid. a lot of the stuff you said is also really applicable to young soon-to-be high school grads deciding on going to college too. It reminded me of a conversation I had with my teenage cousin who is thinking about college and some of the advice I gave her was similar to some of the things you said, especially about getting work experience and it being ok to not know what exactly you're going to do with your degree. thanks for posting.

That was so interesting to watch! Thanks for sharing your experience in law school to us 😁. So, about the seven topics, some differences between the US and Brazil and my thoughts lol: 1 ("The weird six-month period after graduation") Well, it's kinda fun because, although we _do_ have a bar exam in Brazil (by the Order of Attorneys of Brazil), you actually aren't _required_ to take this exam in the first three years after you've graduated. So, lawyers can actually work and have three years to prepare until the exam is required. But the thing about all the crazy 24/7 studying, we have this too to enter university because all of them require an exam (sometimes it is the National Exam, ENEM, or specific exams for each university). Also, the thing about searching for a job: there's the chance of doing an internship during law school years. I think the difference is mainly because, as you said, law school in the US takes only three years, so I guess the subjects get pretty condensed. However, in Brazil, we have five years of law school, so I guess that the contents tend to be more scattered and there isn't this "hurry". 2 ("Socializing") As I haven't been to law school (yet) I don't actually know how socializing will be, but probably the same as US. One major difference is that law school here doesn't "require" you being full-time on school, it's almost always part time (of course, you can be full-time if you want to). 3. About mental health, unfortunately here we don't have a "culture" of viewing therapists as helpers and useful to anyone. Unfortunately, when someone says they want to go to the therapist here, people will tell them that this is "for crazy people" or for "weak-minded people" (wikes), so, yeah, toxic society. Because of that, it is a little harder to find a therapist here 🤦‍♂️ Regardless of that, yes, keeping a healthy mind is VEEEERY needed 4. ("Not needing to know the specialty"), I kinda feel more relieved and comfortable (I do have an idea, but I am not _100% sure_ about that) 5 (Take the time of undergraduation to figure things out) That was a very great and helpful advice, thanks! 6. About the ranking of schools, we do have rankings and "top schools", which gives kinda pressure to enter the best schools, which is very helpful to getting a job, but yes, as you say, it won't dictate how you as a professional will be 7. About being yourself, challenging the "lawyer stereotypes", I don't think there's exactly it here, so I don't think that's much of an issue... Well, it was cool to see the similarities and differences... Thanks for the awesome video! Good luck on your lawyer carrier and on life, in general! God bless you! Stay amazing with these videos!😁 (Btw sorry for the long text lol)

My husband is about to finish up his last year of Optometry school. He is in the middle of taking his boards tests. So I kind of understand what you have been going through!

Northeastern is an amazing school! That Ivy League superiority complex is just snobby Boston BS. I’m a Husky alum as well.

I made for a when I was a kid (early 80s). We didn’t have a computer yet so I would cut paper to the same size and then write everything on the paper over and over (name, address, phone number, other stuff and all had lines after them). Then I would perforate the top of the papers so I could rip it apart. That was my mom’s idea. We did it with the sewing machine minus thread. I also punched holes (2) in the top and used yarn (probably) to hold the papers together. I’m glad I’m not the only one who like filling things out as a kid!!

My personal opinion is that most college student need a therapist. Not just law students

You’re definitely an artist ♥️

You have quite a similar story to me. I was trained on classical piano, and my undergraduate degree was music production. I got a master’s in philosophy. I went to law school after this, but my passion had always been music, so I continue chasing this dream.

Just found you. Just subscribed. Great video. Important info. Great delivery.

Thank you thank you for making this video. If you can please make other videos related this. My daughter wants to become an attorney and even though I work in the field I’m still her mom. (Lol). She said this video helps but has more questions. Hope you can give more enlightenment.

Leeja seems like a really cool person. Smart. Self aware. Honest views and opinions.

🎬 Ooh, could you PLEASE review 'The Paper Chase' (1973) someday soon??? 🙇‍♂️ And thanks for the tips! P.S. 🎭 Cool! I'm in the performing arts too-but theatre and not music. Maybe this is why entertainment law, out of all other fields, I consider the most.

This video is awesome! I love your more pop culture stuff for sure, but it's great to hear from someone whose perspective isn't necessarily the so-called K-JD. Was there any key element or idea that cemented your decision to go to law school ultimately?

Enjoyed this. Law school in Australia is such a walk in the park compared to US. No LSAT, no Bar exam (unless you wanna litigate). No 80-100% exams. Mental health problems ain't no thang when removing this crap.

I’m a lawyer myself. And I have something to say about that weird six months after law school which in my case was called practical legal experience . It took place in a College and we had practical experience in make believe law firms. I was reading a newspaper article about that weird six month period. The article referred to it as the College with surgeons or doctors, which is totally different. The context of the newspaper article was graduate unemployment. And the article went onto refer to Surgical Medical and Legal Colleges as “… at least protecting graduates from unemployment…” - with words like “… at least medicine and law graduates have the Colleges… how about the rest..”

lol 100% pure accuracy of law school. thanks for telling the world!!!

For the "you need to know exactly what you want" part...the same applies to those getting in the mental health field.

Cs get degrees and can become great lawyers! That's me and I've decided I'm going to be a phenomenal lawyer once I graduate next year!

Watched this video a year ago. Shortly after decided to go to law school. Started my law school orientation last week :)

Some schools will include a bar prep class in tuition.

I really want some sort of career in the law profession, but the thought of law school greatly intimidates me. Especially because as of right now I don’t even have an undergrad.. Would you be able to make a video about paralegals and what they do?

Your style of dress is so New England cute!

Was the stress necessary? Do you think there's a better way to learn what you need, without being driven to the brink? Was it worth it? Would you do it again? Once upon a long time ago, I was a union rep. At one point I filed a NLRA complaint against our employer (long and short, I could barely get our 'lawyer' on the phone; and I had enough hubris to do it myself). The board found in our favor. As a personal matter I brought a suit (Pro Se) against a collection agency that was f^cking with my pension. I wrote up the brief and appeared in court - and won. I also filed my own bankruptcy (too broke to pay the $2k lawyer’s fee). I realize, I was phenomenally lucky. School is absolutely necessary. But how much of it is learning, and how much is just BS - expensive BS at that - designed to push everyone to their limits?

Unbelievable how you can talk off the cuff so easily. You will be fantastic at whatever you choose to do.

What type of lawyers do the chill people end up being I wonder 🤔

Is that a pole lamp in the back corner? Flash back. She looks great today, and sooo smart! (Sound like a grandpa). Engineering School was much more fun. It slowed my progress down a lot.

Hi, I love your videos! I’m a 3L and will be graduating next semester. I’m curious about what you’re doing now, like what type of lawyer are you? Are you in private practice? If so, what type of law do you practice? Thanks!

I definitely felt I needed a therapist in law school- it was a lot of stress

Two years ago, I started prepping to take the LSAT...I still haven't taken it. I feel like I want to take the test, but not go to law school, and deal with all of the things described in this video, soooo I've never followed through on it 👻

This also depends on the person and not to mention the law school and also the age of people in the class I’m sure if I could guess most lawyers especially one else are probably kids meeting people in their mid 20s or could be as early as 22 if they just got done with college you know for them high school has just ended so a lot of it is that very clicky high school mentality. It also depends on the law school you go to.

I took the bar (successfully) three times in three states during my career (last time in 1996) and took the review course all three times. I just basically studied enough to keep up with the course and did the exercises they told me to do, without tracking or really thinking about how many hours I was spending - but I don’t think it was nearly the amount recommended in this video. The last time I was working full time and had young kids, but of course I also had the benefit of having been through it twice before. There were indeed many things I wished I’d known about law school before attending, and this video rings true on what it discusses. Good luck to anyone attending now, or planning to do so. It’s a challenging way to make a buck.

I'm watching this as a first-year just finishing his first semester of LLB in Australia and I genuinely wish I knew about the social dynamics and issues with mental health which arise from law school ahahaha rip

16:57 See, Opera singers make great lawyers and doctors!

In your opinion, how many licensed attorneys with 10 or more years of experiance practicing law could retake the bar exam and pass?

♥️♥️♥️

OMG I also had a random obsession with paperwork as a child 😂 I used to pretend my homework assignments were paperwork and I would sign my name at the bottom 😅

the way we are the EXCT same person

any tips for those of us that may need law school for a medical career (think medical professional practice within healthcare institutions, or projects that intersect with legislation, but not their legal team) but don't have any intention to take the bar? Is there a way to do law school cheaper knowing that you don't need to "practice law" at the end of the day, you just need the education?

Now we all want to hear you sing.

I know this is an old video, but I can't focus on what you're saying with the background music. I appreciate that you've left that behind

A former roommate was a promising student in law school got the best scores 90% of the time even 1st year. From what I understand is when hella classmates drop out- 4 lots of reasons but primarily LAW IS HARD! Guy is brilliant basically but 1/2 way to taking the BAR... It was clear reality for him was not what it was for anyone around him. I only guess that the stress he felt was too much. He never got help 16 months post exam he was disbarred. That made it a zillion ×s worse. Sadly this guy with so much potential CONSTANTLY in & out of jail. The 3 times he went to prison have been when he's ever had "stable" mental periods b/c the G.D.C. provide basic care. Then the only way he gets mental health services are shut down after release. Y'all ever seen a person off meds? It can be scary. Dangerous 4 all within sight really. Then BOOM!!! Back to jail then prison! It's horrible ... & it all began while studying to be a lawyer. ☹️ Listening to this makese imagine it happens too often.

Where is this “huge recession” you referenced in this video ?

Wooow in Poland law school takes 5 years

Ily

New York

Can we hear some of your music?

I still have blue hair XD

Classic hot lawyer.

Is it just me or this woman just drop dead gorgeous

After such misery of school, now I understand why lawyers charge so much money...

I'll just stick with being a paralegal lol

So many red flags in this video lol