The Perspective of a Young Attorney, who went Straight to Law School
Lauren Waninski6 graduated from John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 2009. She began law school right after graduating from the University of Illinois in 2006. She has worked in several different areas since graduating law school. From working as an Assistant Attorney General in the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, to her current position as an Associate for Inman and Fitzgibbons, where she now works doing litigation in the areas of workers’ compensation, employers liability and general insurance defense. We asked Lauren about her experiences as a “straight-out-of-undergrad” law student and as a young attorney.
Lauren's Perspective:
As an undergraduate student, did you consider taking a few years off before going to law school, or did you always know you would go to law school right after college?
I always knew I would go to law school right after college. I did not even consider taking a year off. I was one of those students who always knew I would go to law school. I always knew I would be an attorney. I saw no reason to take a year off before law school. When starting law school, I was not even aware the option existed to take time off. Looking back, I realize I was fortunate enough to be in a position that allowed me to attend law school straight out of college.
For me, it was the best decision I could have made. When I graduated law school, the legal job market was plummeting and my class was hit pretty hard; however, the classes graduating after me have been affected the most by the plunging job market. Tuition and loan rates continued to rise. I would advise going straight to law school if possible.
What piece of advice do you wish you had received when you started law school right after college?
Law school is very intimidating the first semester. I wish someone explained to me how difficult law school would be, and how much I would need to study. For someone to explain what to expect from the professors and examinations. I felt like I was flying by the seat of my pants. I had no idea how to study or what information would be important to remember for the final examination. I don’t think I brought a laptop with me to my first week of classes. I really had no idea what I was doing.
What were some of the advantages you saw to going straight from undergrad into law school?
I was still in “school mode,” if you will. I noticed that my classmates who had taken time off were in work mode or family mode. They treated law school like a job because they had been out of school for some time whereas I treated it like school. Also, a lot of students who had worked previously prior to law school were doing so for various reasons – some worked prior to law school because they had to support their family, others did not decide they wanted to go to law school until later in life.
Were there any disadvantages you noticed about entering law school without outside work experience?
The only real disadvantage I noticed was not having a suit for my first law clerk
interview and trial advocacy or moot court courses. I remember buying my first suit and having no idea what I was doing. I do not think you need to have outside work experience prior to going to law school. Nothing in the outside world can prepare you for what is inside a law school classroom
What advice would you give to an undergrad student who has decided to go straight to law school?
I would advise you to speak with a law student as well as a young lawyer to get their perspective on law school. I would also advise sitting in on a class or shadowing a law student to get a feel for what life as a law student is all about.
Once a “straight out of undergrad” student is in law school, what can they do to make themselves as appealing to employers as a person who has more working experience?.
I recommend working in the legal work force. I applied and obtained a law clerk position with an attorney as soon as I was able to, which was second semester my 1L year. Law school teaches you how to think, read, and write like a lawyer. There are classes that will teach you how to put on a trial and how to present an oral argument. Law school does not teach you how to be a lawyer. Working for a lawyer teaches you how to be a lawyer. I was fortunate enough to work for an attorney who allowed me to go to court and present myself in front of judges and deal with other attorneys. It was through my experience as a law clerk that I learned how to spindle a motion at the Daley Center, how to put together Arbitration packets, and how to handle other attorneys and judges. It showed me what it was like to be an attorney in the real world.
TIP #3: Understand that law school and undergraduate are two very different experiences, what may have worked for you in undergrad, probably won’t work in law school. Try new study techniques, take advantage of study help, and pay attention to tips from older students that will help you be successful.
Tips of the Trade from a Law School Advisor
Marianne Deagle7 is the Assistant Dean in the Office of Career Services at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She has worked with law students seeking out employment for the last eight years. Prior to joining Loyola’s Career Services Office, she worked as the Manager of Legal Recruiting at two large law firms. We asked Marianne about her experience working with “straight-out-of-undergrad” law students and any advice she would have for students who are thinking about going to law school straight from undergrad, or who already choose to go to law school straight from undergrad and are looking for ways to be successful.
Marianne's Perspective:
Throughout your experience working with law students, what stands out to you about students who have work experience versus those who do not? Are you able to identify “straight out of undergrad” student immediately?
I usually can identify straight out of undergrad students within a few minutes of a meeting with them. First, they appear younger. Second, they have less work experience on their resumes. Third, not in all cases but in many, they are uncomfortable with the concept of networking, mostly because they have never had to do it to find a job, or to survive in the workplace. Many students who have worked a few years are more savvy about how to behave in the workplace and are more comfortable with interviewing and networking.
What differences do you notice between students who go to law school straight from undergrad, if any?
Actually, they have many traits in common. Many students who come to law school immediately following undergraduate
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