Posts Tagged ‘job’

Using family in the larger sense, my family is somewhat lower class. My parents though, being the most successful of our clan, are more upper-middle class (they have a combined annual income that is probably a few ticks over $120,000). Despite their success, neither of my parents are college graduates. In fact, I was the first of all my cousins (more than fifty people if you count both sides) to graduate from a four-year university. It goes without saying then, that my going to Harvard Law School was a major family event.

And when I was 0L with my HLS acceptance in hand, I loved discussing my future profession and income.

• “Yeah Uncle Mike, they are paying first year attorneys $160,000 – crazy huh?”
• “I’m not sure Aunt Tammy, probably corporate litigation.”
• “Haha, I don’t think it’s selling my soul, that’s where the best work is.”

Now that I have a semester under my belt and we are all together again for the holidays, not only do I hate discussing this shit, when I do, I have to lie. Instead of:

• “Everyone is hideous and miserable.”
• “No it’s actually pretty easy.”
• “What did I learn? Well I know how to search Westlaw.”
• “The professors? I can’t even remember their names, much less what they failed to teach me.”
• “I spent more time drunk, watching Friends reruns, than I did studying.”
• “No Grandma, I can’t write your will, I don’t know shit about the practice of law.”
• “Cousin Johnny, I’ve sampled the women and I wouldn’t recommend them.”

I have to be all like:

• “Oh yeah, Boston is great.”
• “Harvard Law School attracts the best and the brightest, my classmates are very smart.”
• “We all basically live in the library, researching and studying.”
• “Haha, the Harvard Law girls are very smart and intimidating but who knows? I’ve gone on a few dates.”
• “No Grandma, I can’t practice law yet, but when you get your will done, let me look it over, I’ll make sure he treats you right.”
• “My professors and I had a number of heated debates. They definitely respect my opinion and consider me more of a colleague than a student.”

So I guess I’m trying to say that law school was just as bad as everyone said. I have yet to learn anything useful; it all feels like a huge waste of time. To quote our Vice-President, “law school is the biggest bore in the world.”

In brighter news, I found a job. A middle-sized firm in my hometown, $2750 a week. They were very understanding when I informed them that I was going to wait and see if anything materializes at a V50 before accepting. A cursory examination of their attorneys yielded two Harvard graduates, so I guess they have some experience with us. I have some concerns about the firm, primarily their lack of perks. I have to pay for my own parking, they rarely host big recruiting events, I’ll be responsible for three of my five lunches every week, etc. At least it pays…