Hi Everyone,
I hope y’all are doing well as we all prepare to wind down summer 2019.
Allow me to introduce Triangle Park’s guest blogger this week: Katherine Hunt.
Katherine is a dear friend of Savanna and Diana, and I might add she is one of the most intelligent, talented and beautiful young ladies I also have the pleasure of calling a friend.
[Breaking News: Diana is considering law school when she finishes up at Georgia Tech.]
Katherine is about to graduate from Georgia State University Law School. We invited Kat to guest blog because we’ve always wanted her to(!) and to help Diana and others explore law school.
There’s valuable information below from someone who is in the midst of all that is legal learning. Enjoy and as always, thank you for reading:
Hello Triangle Park readers!
I am so excited to guest-blog for some of my favorite ladies this week.
I will be answering a few questions about my law school experience and law school in general:
Did you attend law school immediately after undergrad? Are you happy with the decision you made?
I took two years off between undergrad and law school. I worked full time during my undergraduate studies and I finished in three and a half years so I was definitely ready for a break. In addition, I was so focused on school during my senior year that I did not begin studying for the LSAT until after I graduated. Ultimately, I am glad that I took this break because it gave me the opportunity to gain some work experience and confirm that I really did want to pursue a career in law.
Do most law students work FT/PT? Which did you choose? Is working and studying law relatively easy to balance?
Most law students do not work or they work part-time. I work full-time and that is one of the main reasons why I chose Georgia State Law. They offer an evening program specifically catered to those who work full time. Although it takes an additional year or two to graduate, it is a great option for those who already have a career or who do not want to take out loans.
Working and studying is easy to balance for me because my time is so limited that I value and prioritize study time on the weekends and on weeknights. On the other hand, it can be difficult sometimes because law school is so competitive. I have had to turn down many fun plans over the years because of papers, exams, etc.
Finally, almost every law student works at a law firm for the summers during school. The bigger the firm, the more competitive it is to get a summer associate position. These are important because this is how almost every law firm hires first year attorneys. In my case, I have worked at the same law firm for over two years and I am lucky enough to have an attorney job there when I graduate and pass the bar. Otherwise, most firms give out job offers after the second summer so most law students go into their third year of school knowing where they will work the following year.
What are your thoughts/opinions of different areas of law to study? Why did you choose the specialty that you did? Do you know anything about Patent Law?
First, law school is great because less than half of your classes are required so you can really take any classes you want and learn about many types of law. Our school, like many other schools, offers certificate programs in Tax Law, Health Law, Intellectual Property etc. That way, if you know what type of law you want to practice, you can earn a certificate in it by taking the required classes for that program. Unlike undergrad, you don’t have a major so your class selection is truly up to you and the certificate programs can be a great guide.
I am interested in real estate and transactional law as well as white collar criminal law. I currently work in transactional law which covers everything from corporate law to lending law so I have chosen many classes that fall in this range. I surprised myself by falling in love with criminal law during my mandatory first year class. So, I am lucky to be a graduate assistant for a Dean who used to practice white collar crime. She has graciously given me a few projects on this topic and recommended classes to further my studies in this area. Right now, I would like to practice transactional law for a while and hopefully move to criminal prosecution when I am more established.
I don’t know much about patent law except that it is an incredibly specialized and growing field. One of my best friends at law school is focusing on intellectual property and patents and he received multiple job offers after his first year! He was flown out all over the country for interviews and ultimately chose a job in New York City.
Ultimately, it is great to come into law school knowing what you want to study but you might be surprised at additional interests or changes in interest over the years. For example, I started law school thinking I would NEVER do litigation but all of my favorite classes and best grades have been litigation classes. I recommend keeping your mind open to new ideas and seeking guidance from professors that you admire and trust.
Savanna and Katherine 6.29.19 Ansley Golf Club (Law school looks very good on ladies these days!)
Comentarios