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| | | -- By JeremyChang - 08 Apr 2013 | |
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< | If someone asks me why I came to law school, I do not have a good answer. After almost a year in law school, I still do not know what I want to do with my law degree. One thing I do know however, is that I don’t want to have my license pawned at a big-law firm. The 20th century model of law practice is undoubtedly failing. It is no longer a sustainable business model. But, every day I realize the weight on my shoulders—I must support my family financially; I hope to stay in the United States to actually make use of my license; but being a foreigner does not help. At the same time I have the urge to help change society for the better. Will I be able to go back to Korea and make meaningful changes there in the future? Everything seems so uncertain. But I think now is the time to sit down and really think about the important choices I must make in order to get the right 2L and 3L experience. | >
> | If someone asks me why I came to law school, I would not have a good answer. After a year in law school, I still do not know what I want to do with my law degree. One thing I do know however, is that I don’t want to have my license pawned at a big-law firm. The 20th century model of law practice is undoubtedly failing. It is no longer a sustainable business model. But, every day I realize the weight on my shoulders—I must support my family financially; I hope to stay in the United States to actually make use of my license; but being a foreigner does not help. At the same time I have the urge to help change society for the better. Will I be able to go back to Korea and make meaningful changes there in the future? Everything seems so uncertain. But I think now is the time to sit down and really think about the important choices I must make in order to have a meaningful 2L and 3L experience. | | |
How I ended up here | | |
How I changed (or at least how I started to be skeptical) | |
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< | One thing I realized is that no matter how much I hate Korean society, it is still a part of my identity. If there was something I didn’t like about the way society worked, I shouldn’t have just ran away or turn a blind eye. If I wanted to become a lawyer, it shouldn’t have been because I wanted to get away from all the problems. I am not sure how this change of attitude came about. I think it’s mainly because of Eben’s lectures since I was able to get a fresh perspective on what a lawyer does—something the school never really teaches you, because the whole law school experience is so focused on “firm jobs” and “EIPs”. So now, instead of complaining, I want to take action, and as a lawyer, I know I have the means to do that. Especially, as a Columbia Law student I should realize what a privilege that is, and appreciate the opportunity this opens up for me. I have the means to impact society, and I should start thinking hard about exactly what I would like to change in this world. | >
> | One thing I realized is that no matter how much I hate Korean society, it is still a part of my identity. If there was something I didn’t like about the way society worked, I shouldn’t have just ran away or turn a blind eye. If I wanted to become a lawyer, it shouldn’t have been because I wanted to get away from all the problems. I am not sure how this change of attitude came about. I think it’s mainly because of Eben’s lectures since I was able to get a fresh perspective on what a lawyer does—something the school never really teaches you, because the whole law school experience is so focused on “firm jobs” and “EIP”. So now, instead of complaining, I want to take action, and as a lawyer, I know I have the means to do that. Especially, as a Columbia Law student I should realize what a privilege that is, and appreciate the opportunity this opens up for me. I have the means to impact society, and I should start thinking hard about exactly what I would like to change in this world.
After working for about a month at a Korean law firm, I am starting to realize what kind of world I put myself into. The prestige is enjoyable; money is fine; everything seems glamorous indeed. But all those do not last much. I find myself writing memos figuring out ways to help a client evade taxes, or conducting research for some major client who wants to take over a small local competitor, and I keep telling myself, "is this the job you really want?" On the other hand, I have had time to think about what I am interested in, and I am hoping to take a class in that field coming semester. So for me, as Eben told us, this summer break is going to be a time of heavy self-reflection. | | | But what about the money? | |
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< | At the back of my mind, I still have worries. How will I support my family? Will I be able to stay in America if no employer sponsors my immigration visa? What about all the student debt I must pay back? I have to provide financially for my wife and family, so financial stability is important. I understand that the traditional law firm model is sinking ship, and pawning my license off to firms won’t be a good choice in the long run. But when I hear Eben insist that we must have our own practices, I get the feeling he has a talent for making things sound easy. The reason I feel this way is probably because I am not confident in my own abilities. I still do not feel that I know how to do anything in the legal world. Maybe this is the risk-averse control freak in me. | >
> | At the back of my mind, I still have worries. I understand that the traditional law firm model is sinking ship, and pawning my license off to firms won’t be a good choice in the long run. But when I hear Eben insist that we must have our own practices, I get the feeling he has a talent for making things sound easy. The reason I feel this way is probably because I am not confident in my own abilities. I still do not feel that I know how to do anything in the legal world. Maybe this is the risk-averse control freak in me. | | | What should I do then? | |
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< | Classroom experience alone will not make me a truly effective lawyer. My lack of confidence might be cured if I participate in externships or legal clinics next year. Dealing with real world problems and meeting actual clients will make me a lawyer better equipped to have my own practice. Another thing I should do is to build valuable network. As a student with virtually no connection in America, it is critical that I utilize as much resource as possible to build a foundation for my future practice. My classmates will be especially important because they will be my colleagues for my whole career. Also, getting to know processors and being involved in mentorship programs will be helpful. The whole law school experience has been eye-opening. Now it’s time to get a more practical and concrete idea about my legal career and start building on that for the remaining two years.
Leaving behind a
regimenting society that demands constant obedience to norms doesn't
mean leaving behind the constant anxiety about the future that is
one of that society's most powerful controlling forces.
You've decided to come to a country of self-reinvention, in order to
have a chance to invent yourself. If you're going to do that, the
progressive efforts to let go of anxiety about not having a plan
must be maintained. How will you support your family? It depends
on what family you have, who else is in it, what else they do, and
how you choose to live. You can't know about those things now. You
learn about various ways that people can go about making justice,
making a difference, making a living. You remain open to
alternative visions of yourself, possibilities you can try out. You
meet many people from different corners of the profession, and you
make them possible allies in your network when you leave school.
Enough for the moment, because then learning will begin.
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> | Classroom experience alone will not make me a truly effective lawyer. My lack of confidence might be cured if I participate in externships or legal clinics next year. Dealing with real world problems and meeting actual clients will make me a lawyer better equipped to have my own practice. Another thing I should do is to build valuable network. As a student with virtually no connection in America, it is critical that I utilize as much resource as possible to build a foundation for my future practice. My classmates will be especially important because they will be my colleagues during my whole career. Also, getting to know processors and being involved in mentorship programs will be helpful. The whole law school experience has been eye-opening. Now it’s time to get a more practical and concrete idea about my legal career and start building on that for the remaining two years. | | | |
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