CONTACT US:
CLA Career Services
135 Johnston Hall
101 Pleasant St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
email: cclc@umn.edu
phone: 612-624-7577
fax: 612-625-4832
hours: 8 am - 4:30 pm, M-F
CLA Career Services are offered through
the Career and Community Learning Center (CCLC)
CCLC Staff
Resource Room
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Should I Go to Law School?
This is a difficult question to answer. Some people claim they've always wanted to go to law school or be a lawyer. Most people struggle with this decision right until they attend law school. After law school, some graduates are still unsure if they specifically want to be a lawyer, or enter another profession related to law.
For assistance figuring this question out, you can take our free Should I Go to Law School? workshop (open to all U of M students), or the 2-credit Law School Exploration class. We also recommend you do informational interviews with lawyers and law students. They can provide helpful insight. (One way to find students to talk to is to contact the admissions office of a school you're interested in attending.)
Each year, the U.S. Department of Labor compiles a very helpful book called the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Browse it for an overview of the legal profession and trends in the current job market.
If You Want to Be a Lawyer, Ask Yourself These Questions First
One of the best way to determine if
you want to be a lawyer is to consider the skills you have to develop in order to be a competent lawyer. Ask yourself the following questions:
1. Do I enjoy working closely with people regarding significant events or issues affecting their lives?
2. Can I empathize with a client's situation; yet have the ability to objectively analyze the issues and their consequences in light of the existing law?
3. Do I enjoy educating or teaching a person about a subject about which he or she may be ignorant or have significant misconceptions?
4. Am I able to articulate in a clear and concise manner my analysis of a problem to others, whether it is verbally or in writing?
5. Do I enjoy being an advocate? Can I argue both sides of the questions with enthusiasm?
6. Do I like detail work? Do I enjoy searching for the facts of a situation?
7. Do I like to read and study?
Career and Interest Assessments
Consider taking a personality or interest assessment, which will help you figure out which career paths might be a good fit for you. You can take the Myers Briggs Type
Indicator (MBTI) or the Strong Interest Inventory (SII) for a small fee. If you're a student in the College of Liberal Arts, learn all about these assessments here, or visit the Career and Community Learning Center's 135 Johnston Hall office. All other U of M students can visit University Counseling and Consulting Services.
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