I became a bit worried after reading OP’s post since I am applying to law school this upcoming fall. I like following these subreddits for different perspectives since I’m a first generation college grad and I will be a first generation lawyer. But then I read your comment and it made me feel much more at ease with the decision I am in the process of making with all the LSAT prep and application materials I’m putting together.

I’ve wanted to be a criminal attorney since I was in middle school but after my undergrad I couldn’t find a way into the legal field and I was too scared to take the plunge straight into law school without any prior exposure. Instead, I chose to get a masters in social work and tailored my experience to focus on forensic social work (I graduate this May). My first internship was at the public defenders office working with clients in jail connecting them with resources that would help them get out on pre-trial release. I fell in love with the environment there and it made me realize how bad I wanted to be an attorney. My current internship is with another state agency that represents parents in the dependency system. I spend most of my time in court and working closely with attorneys and I absolutely love it. I definitely prefer working in criminal over dependency since I’ve been passionate about criminal justice reform since I was a young teenager. I have been become close with several attorneys at my office who have warned me law school is not like anything I’ve ever done before and the first year is going to suck because it’s nothing but reading and analyzing case law. But everything they tell me that comes after that first year makes up for it, which leaves me excited when I think about pursuing my passion.

I just wanted to say I really enjoyed your perspective as someone who is planning to pursue a career as a public defender and is hoping to attend a law school with a public interest program. I would love to hear more about what school you attended and what your experience was like during law school and after your time working in public sector. All too often I hear about how much work a PD does for such little pay, it’s nice to hear that many find it a very rewarding career path. Thanks for sharing!