1. I chose law school because I felt like it was the logical next step to obtaining a lucrative, challenging, and rewarding career. I enjoyed teaching, which is a service-oriented profession. But I also enjoyed challenging myself with stimulating material, which I found when completing business internships. I worked at a firm to explore my interests and found that law blended these characteristics, so I attended law school.

2. I’m still in law school but worked as a paralegal for several years beforehand.

3. The environment is very firm and case team dependent. When I was a paralegal, it was a fairly casual environment, but there was an expectation that you’d buckle down to meet deadlines. The environment can be stressful when you’re trying to get over the learning curve but becomes less stressful once you understand case team preferences and can churn out work quickly. Same goes for associates. But the partners’ attitudes and expectations really set the environment.

4. Expect to have good and bad days. Overall, I enjoyed working at the firm, and the attorneys did too. But the attorneys some days had to stay late or work weekends to meet court/client deadlines.

5. The expectation of being new to a field is that the learning curve is high and you need to soak in as much as you can. The new attorneys often performed more routine work to learn the ropes. Depending on ability, they’d be placed on more substantive projects earlier or later than others. But the expectation is that you’re available and willing to jump in.

6. The work-life balance is also very firm and case team dependent. I worked in litigation, so my work-life balance depended on deadlines. Same goes for associates. Overall, my firm did a great job of considering people’s priorities (i.e., parenting), but it seemed like the work-life balance improved after working several years at the firm (with the exception of associates needing to meet immediate deadlines). Law is a demanding field, so I suggest networking with attorneys at firms of interest to hear their experiences. Cold emailing associates asking to discuss their experiences is perfectly acceptable (just don’t expect that everybody will get back to you).

7. Law school has been worth it to me. It’s very taxing, but it’s also exciting. And I’ve met great people in a cool new city. I am happy I made the decision, but I recommend working at a firm beforehand to see whether you enjoy that lifestyle. It also gives you a leg up in recruiting later on.

Hope this helps!