How to Decide If You Should You Go to Law School

Is law for you?

Every year tens of thousands of people enter law school, giving up three precious years, racking up thousands in debt and subjecting themselves to one of the most stressful experiences possible. If you're thinking about going to law school, you should ensure that law school is the right choice; otherwise it could be one of the worst decisions of your life. To decide whether you want to enter the fray, think about the following three questions:

Do you really want to be a lawyer?

This may seem like a silly question, but it's one that surprisingly few students truly think about. Many people enter law school because they don't know what else to do, they think law is lucrative, they want respect or their family/friends pressure them into it. Entering law school for any of those reasons can be a recipe for disaster.

To answer the question of whether you want to be a lawyer, you first have to understand what lawyers really do. This can be tricky because public perception and reality are often worlds apart. If you think that being a lawyer will be like anything you've seen on TV, then you'll be sorely disappointed.

Because Hollywood's version of lawyering is very theatric, many thrill seekers enter law expecting their days to be full of excitement. Such people can become miserable when they discover that real law is often mind-numbingly boring and mundane. What's more, others are drawn to law because they think they'll be able to help others. While this can be done, economic realities often make it difficult for lawyers to do altruistic work. Instead, idealistic law grads find themselves working for corporations, which can lead to serious discontent.