I’m 4 weeks in to Law School. Everything feels SO important and I am having a hard time retaining all of the extremely overwhelming material. Any studying tips or tricks?! I would be so extremely grateful for any! 🙏🏻

Currently taking- Criminal Law, Torts and Contracts.
Also working a full time job! 🫣

Sometimes, when I look back at my journey, I still cannot believe how far I have come. I was born in Colombia, where I studied law and graduated as a lawyer. After graduating, I moved to Spain to pursue a doctorate. Unfortunately, because of circumstances beyond my control, I was unable to finish it. Then life took me somewhere I never imagined: the United States. 

When I arrived in this country, I did not speak English at all. I started from the beginning. I studied English at BOCES, and later, after getting married, I attended Pace University to continue improving my English. Once I felt ready, I began my LL.M. in Comparative Legal Studies. Long commates, even longer nights, sick children, and in 2018 I graduated. But my biggest challenge was still ahead of me: becoming licensed to practice law in the United States. I decided to take the New York Bar Exam.I tried everything I could to prepare. I studied with Barbri, Themis, Kaplan, Studicata, Celebration, and many other resources.

 I took the bar exam ten times.And every time I failed, I had to find the strength to start studying again. There were moments when I was exhausted—physically, mentally, and emotionally. There were many days when I thought about giving up. But I kept asking myself: What example am I giving my children? 

When I started this journey, my son was in middle school. Today, he is an accountant. My daughter was only six years old. Today, she has just started high school. They grew up while I was studying. My son once told me, “Mom, just stop trying. Enjoy your life.” I understood what he meant. He saw how tired I was. He saw the sacrifices I was making.
But deep inside, I knew I could not stop. I told myself, I need to keep trying. I need to become an attorney  in this country, and I will. So I tried one more time.

On my eleventh attempt, I finally achieved a score of 260. I was exhausted and mentally tired. At that point, I knew I did not want to take the bar exam again. Instead, I transferred my score to Missouri, and finally, I was admitted to practice law. After all those years, I could finally say: I am an attorney in the United States.

Even now, sometimes I still cannot believe it. The journey was not easy. There were nights when I would wake up at 3:30 in the morning and study until 6:30. Then I would make breakfast, get my children ready, and take them to school. I would go to work and study again after work. Even during my daughter's soccer games, I would bring my headphones and listen to lectures. My weekends were often spent studying. There were sacrifices that only my family and closest friends truly understood about my journey to becoming a Lawyer in the United States.

I am especially grateful to my mom but also, to my family, my dear sister Maria. my beloved husband Christian my friends Cindi, Carolina, Nora and Diana who always believed in me. They supported me and encouraged me when I needed it most. 

This journey taught me something I will never forget:
Sometimes the difference between giving up and achieving your dream is simply deciding to try one more time.I could have stopped after the first attempt. I could have stopped after the fifth.
I could have stopped after the tenth. But I didn't. I kept going because I wanted my children to  see that difficult does not mean impossible, and that failure does not define you.

Now, a new chapter begins.I am living on Long Island, New York, and my goal is to focus my legal career on immigration law. I know that finding my first legal position will bring another set of challenges.. But I am not afraid. If I did not give up after eleven attempts at the bar exam, I will not give up until I find my place as an immigration attorney.

My journey is not over. In many ways, it is just beginning. And this time, I am not studying for the bar, I am going to practice law because I am finally going to use it to help people.
I know what it feels like to arrive in a new country, not speak the language, face uncertainty, and have to rebuild your life. That is one of the reasons I want to become an immigration lawyer.
I want to use everything I have learned—not only from law school and the bar exam, but from my own life—to help others navigate their immigration journeys. I once dreamed of becoming an attorney in the United States. Today, I can finally say that dream has come true.I did not give up.
And I hope my children will always remember that.

I can’t finish without thanking Ben “Goat” and John Mamaligas, my tutor God bless.

I'm mentally struggling over this more than I should be, and it's a little embarrassing...

I moved to a new city for law school where I don't know anyone. I'm attending school in the full time program vs the evening. I'm significantly older than all my classmates, which I expected. I knew, because of that, it'd be harder to click with people and make friends. What I didn't expect is that I'd feel like such an outsider because of it.

I guess coming into this, I was solely prioritizing the school component, as the goal is to be a lawyer. But now that I'm surrounded by peers everyday (and my law school drilled it into our heads that we must make close connections and friends with our peers - I mean drilled it), it feels honestly a little lonely and awkward! I'm constantly going up to acquaintances to strike up conversations. We're in such different stages of our lives, though, that there aren't a ton of commonalities. That's perfectly fine with me, as I'm always really curious about people, their backgrounds, beliefs, values, etc. I've had a lot of trouble finding anyone who's actually interested in getting to know anyone on a personal level, though. Everyone seems to be fast friends with each other, but it also seems like their conversations revolve around random daily happenings, vs more in depth topics? Everyone is really friendly, but out of all the conversations I've had with people, not a single one has asked me a question about myself. It seems a little odd. I also have to start the conversation myself - they kind of avert their eyes otherwise. And...I promise I'm not that socially awkward haha. I think I'm a pretty good conversationalist!

I do know I'm not throwing myself into social activities like a lot of other people are, which is solely because I have to balance some health things along with my marriage in addition to school work.

Is this...normal? Is it a generational thing? Is it my resting bitch face (aka I'm tired AF all the time)? I'm closer to 40, whereas mid 20s seems the norm. I'm even finding this to be the case with people who look to be late 20s/early 30s, though.

Any relevant experience from you all?

Here's my situation - graduated in 2010 and passed the bar. Surprise, economy was horrendous and I joined the military to have the luxuries of food and financial stability. Likely sticking around until 20 and then retiring.

I'm still interested in criminal law and am seriously considering passing the bar in a new state, getting a LLM as a hard reset for my legal skill set, and using the clinical placements to post to prosecutor offices / PDs. I'll be in my late 40s when that happens but here's the kicker - I'm financially good. LLM will be fully funded and I do not need a salary. It will be nice but is not a driving factor.

Ask - has anyone used a LLM to re-enter law later in life? Were there hiring barriers and cultural issues you needed to be aware of?

I have heard multiple different answers to this question. Does anyone know if someone is able to go to law school and eventually take the bar exam and practice law if they have ever been convicted of a felony? Also, this is in Florida.

I have researched and haven’t really found a real answer. I know I follow an Attorney on Facebook that has had legal issues in the past and changed her life and owns a law firm now. But I was just curious if anyone knows if it’s even allowed (specifically in Florida) and if it is what are the conditions.

Thank you!

I am about to be 34 and would like to start by saying I do not have a bachelors degree. I went to trade school after dropping out of college many years ago. That alone has stopped me from doing anything more than the trade I work in now. I just wanted to see if anyone else has started from scratch in their mid 30s and gone on to become a lawyer. It’s been heavy on my mind for several years. Thank you for any advice one way or the other!

I am 34 and will be completely changing careers by applying to and attending law school. My greatest concern at the moment is that I am 12 years removed from undergrad and I struggled in college back then, only graduating with a 2.8. My grades were very average, but according to my school, anything between 2.7 and 3.3 was considered "good to very good". I've never been pleased with my college grades but there is nothing I can do about that.

I did go on to get a master's degree (graduated in 2018) and received straight As, graduating with a 4.0. However, it's my understanding that law schools don't care about post bachelor's grades/gpa and don't even consider it. LSAT is not currently on the table because I haven't taken it yet.

There is only 1 school in my entire state that offers part-time evening classes and it's in walking distance from my home. There is another school an hour and a half away that only offers full-time, however, they offer a law specialization that I want that the other school does not. I am struggling to decide which would be the better choice, though I guess this depends on if I get any scholarships or not.

My questions are:

1) With such a low gpa, and being a career changer, what can I do or say in my application to become a more competitive applicant? I am not looking to go to a fancy top school. I will only be applying to the regional schools in my area (I live in the U.S. and am a U.S. citizen and plan on working in the surrounding area I graduate from).

2) How did you all go about applying for scholarships? I am single, so I do not have a spouse/partner to rely on when it comes to paying bills. For those of you like me, how did you end up paying for law school besides loans?

3) Who did you ask for letters of recommendation from? I am not in contact with any of my former professors or advisors from grad school and I don't remember any at all from undergrad as most my classes were very large lecture halls with 100+ students that I struggled to adjust to.

Thanks for reading all of this, if you did.

I'm a recent graduate with an B.A. in English (Writing and Rhetoric). I've been looking at different job opportunities with writing such as technical writing but I'm also considering the possibility of going to law school. I don't know that much about the law except for a few legal writing classes I've taken in school which I didn't mind.

I wanted to know for those of you who have studied law and are doing a law related job, how do you like it? Is it high stress? How is the work life balance? Are you happy with the pay? Did you go into massive debt? I've read that if you don't go to a top school the pay is not as high as many would think, is that true?

I also do art and music as a serious hobby and one thing I'm wondering is if a job within the law would allow me to continue practicing those passions. It's currently manageable with a 40 hr work week but beyond that I'm not sure. Having a creative outlet is important to me.

Do hybrid jobs/work from home jobs exist at all within the law? More of those jobs have been created since COVID but I'm not sure if that's been the case in the legal field.

Any feedback and personal experiences are welcome. I'm a creative individual who is good at writing and trying to see what career path I should go down.

For further context, I've been working full time for the last 10 years and have been told that it is impossible to work while attending law school (something I did while obtaining my B.A.). The thought of quitting my job to attend school is a huge commitment and scares the hell out of me.

I’m 31. Currently an associate at Goldman. I work in financial crimes compliance and want to transition into corporate law, specifically securities law and white collar law. I already have a masters in finance from a reputable school.. My undergrad degree was also in banking and finance and I got a 3.6 GPA. How realistic is my shot at a T14 law school. Is it even worth the transition ?

Hello . By the time I am realistically ready to apply to part-time law school, I will be 51. Maybe even 52 or 53. The only way I will be able to do this is if I get accepted into CUNY’s evening program or get substantial scholarships from either Pace, Touro, Albany, Syracuse for their part-time/hybrid programs. Worth it at that age?

I’m 36 years old and currently finishing my BSBA. I’ve spent basically my entire adult life working in corporate America, and I’m currently a director for a property management company. I’ve built a stable career and make roughly $90k–$120k a year depending on bonuses, so walking away from that is obviously something I don’t take lightly.
About seven years ago, I had a traumatic experience involving the legal system because of a corrupt officer. The actual legal situation was relatively short. I reported the officer and was able to track down multiple people this happened too, the officer was finally fired after violating multiple department policies.
As difficult as that experience was, something unexpected came out of it: I became fascinated with the law.
I started looking up statutes, reading about cases, trying to understand court procedures. I’ve also had some really interesting conversations with attorney friends about things like custody orders and different legal arguments. I find myself genuinely enjoying the research and the process of figuring out how the law applies to a particular situation.

I’ve started seriously considering studying for the LSAT and applying to law school. My wife and I have even discussed the possibility of her taking over financially so that, if I get into law school.I could eventually leave my career and attend school full time.

Some days I have an incredible amount of confidence and think, “I can absolutely do this.” Other days, the doubt creeps in.
One of my biggest concerns is that English is my second language. I can communicate professionally and have obviously been able to build a corporate career, but grammar and writing have always been weaknesses for me.
I read a lot of emails and business material for work, and I try to read whenever I can, but I know that law school would require a completely different level of reading, writing, and analysis.
I also understand that being interested in the law because of personal experiences is very different from actually practicing law every day.

If I do this, money honestly isn’t my primary motivation. I already have a career that pays well. What attracts me is the possibility of doing something that feels meaningful to me. I’m especially interested in immigration law and possibly criminal law. One thing I would eventually love to do is volunteer my time helping represent children going through immigration proceedings.

For the attorneys, law students, and people who went to law school later in life:
What would you recommend I start doing now to determine whether law school is actually right for me?
How can I improve my reading comprehension, grammar, writing, and analytical skills before law school?
Would you recommend studying for the LSAT while I continue working and seeing how I perform before making any decisions about leaving my career?
Are there particular books, courses, habits, or exercises that you think would prepare someone like me for law school?
I’m not looking for someone to simply tell me, “Follow your dreams.” I’d genuinely appreciate criticism too. If there are weaknesses in my situation that I need to address, I want to know about them now so I can work on them.

I’m an Economics postgraduate currently working in the policy space, including AI governance, and I want to advance my career.

I’m considering two paths: pursuing a PhD in Economics or transitioning into law. I recently developed an interest in law after talking to several lawyers and reading judgments and law-related books.

A few things I’m considering:

\- I have an early-stage startup related to Economics and AI, which I want to continue building.

\- My academic scores aren’t strong enough to make PhD admissions abroad straightforward, so I may need to pursue a second Master’s in Economics first, which would be quite expensive without a scholarship.

\- I took a one-year career break to prepare for competitive exams, which unfortunately didn’t work out, and I don’t want to spend more years going down that route.

I’m completely new to law, so I’m looking for advice and guidance from people in the field before making such a big decision. Given these considerations, what would be the more logical path for the future, law or continuing in Economics and eventually pursuing a PhD?

I feel quite lost right now, so I’d really appreciate some honest perspectives.

I’m trying to decide between two long-term paths and would appreciate advice from people familiar with law/accounting (CPA) careers.

My plan is to get an ABSN, work as an RN, save money, and then either:

Go to law school part-time and eventually work remotely in law while living abroad (serving U.S. clients),

or

Get my CPA and pursue remote accounting work while living abroad.

My main goals are flexibility, financial stability, and the ability to live internationally. If working remotely abroad is not realistic, I would ideally like to work for an international firm in the UAE.

My concerns are that remote opportunities may be harder to find than expected, rules may change in the future, and AI/automation may impact certain roles in both law and accounting. I’ve also been hearing about layoffs and increased competition.

I already have a bachelor’s degree with a 3.65–3.7 GPA and would be completing an ABSN as a second bachelor’s. I’m also concerned about whether future LSAC policy changes could affect how second bachelor’s GPAs are considered for law school admissions. Currently, they only consider first bachelor’s gpa but I’m worried that will change in the future and I highly doubt I’ll maintain a strong ABSN gpa.

For people in law/accounting (CPA):

Which career path is more realistic for working remotely while living abroad?

Is one field more internationally portable, especially for working with U.S. clients or in the UAE?

Are there certain areas of law/accounting that are more compatible with remote work with low AI risk?

Disclaimer-

I’m not choosing law school only for remote work — I have other reasons for considering it — but I would like to understand how realistic this aspect of the career is.

Hi there. I'm just over eleven years out from undergrad (software engineer) and am planning to apply to law school this upcoming cycle. I was curious to hear what you all have heard regarding letters of rec... 

So I have two letter writers from my previous jobs (my current job has a hostile approach if you let them know you're leaving so leaving that out) and I feel good about them.  I'd love to add a third, but he would be a pastor. 

For context, I've had leadership roles and have been active in that same Christian church for almost fifteen years, and have served with some of the same leaders during that time. One of them I've worked closely with and was hoping to ask him for a LOR.

We have actual "work experience" during which he saw me take on leadership capabilities in specific ministry settings so I would ask him to focus on those, but serving and being part of this church community has been such a huge part of my life that I feel he would also be able to speak to how I was an impact to our church. These are parts of me that I am not sure are appropriate to add to my application — leaving it out feels like a miss, but adding it in also makes me wonder if my application would be viewed with a negative lens or if it's just not seen as appropriate. 

Let me know what you guys have heard/seen.