The 2nd Year They Work You to Death

There is a saying in Law School that goes something like this: "The first year they scare you to death, the second year they work you to death, and the third year they bore you to death."

In the interest of agency, however, I would probably change the phrase to: "The first year you let the new experience/workload scare you to death, the second year you choose to work to death, and the third year you decide you just don't care anymore because you already have a job set up."

So really, you only have yourself to blame if the saying is true for you. I have to say that the first year was hard, but the most scared I got was actually before law school started. Once I got there, I realized it wasn't as bad as I had imagined (the perks of being a pessimist).

And then my second year rolls around and suddenly there are so many opportunities open to you: picking your own courses, participating in club leadership positions, membership in co-curriculars such as Law Review, Moot Court, and Trial Advocacy. You are allowed to work the second year, which means you can clerk, TA, or be a research assistant. At this point, you leave your section of friends that were in EVERY SINGLE ONE of your classes last year, and you all start blazing your own path.

It's rather intimidating, come to think of it. I mean, the classes and other opportunities you choose shape your resume which ultimately determines your future! You would think that I came to law school with a specific plan of what I wanted to do, but to be honest, I didn't. The law just offers so many options that it's really hard to choose. Think about it: every aspect of your life can in some way or other be related to law. Family, attending school, religious freedoms, work conditions, everything!

So I haven't really decided yet. I'm hoping more job experience and being exposed to more classes will help me figure it all out.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah