People go to college for many different reasons. Some go with dreams of athletic stardom, the jocks, the competitors, the people with unmatched physical determination and skill. These people go to college to hone their skills with ambitions to one day become the next iconic global athlete. Some simply go to college to find a suitable mate. These "gold diggers" or "trophy wives" often cash in on a budding young executive or politician. On the flip side of that analogy many young males enrolled at various colleges would like nothing more than to find a nice "cougar" fresh out of medical school to supply them with a fantastic upper middleclass living. It seems, however that a majority of others enter college to expand their learning and to prepare themselves for what they hope will be a successful career in a field they are passionate about. I suppose if I had to pick a group to be a part of, it would be the latter, but truth be told, I consider myself to be part of a more select society within the last niche of students. This faction of brilliance I belong to goes by many names, all of which fail to supply us with the proper respect I like to think we deserve. I'm talking about the students who somehow manage to exist in a world that requires the balance of a thriving social life, rigorous course load, and often times numerous extracurricular activities. I'm talking about the greatest niche clique found on any university campus, the prospective law students, which is comprised of students who go to college so that one day they can get out and pursue something that matters and touches individuals and countries alike: the law.
Despite what many people may think, the process of actually getting into law school isn't incredibly easy or especially glamorous. The application process to law school can be a difficult journey. Being well into my sophomore year, I am just now beginning to get into the thicket of that process. While some people I know are studying for the LSAT, visiting schools, applying to schools, hearing from schools, or setting up various legal internships in hopes of clarifying that law is the field for them, I have spent most of my time wondering if becoming a lawyer will be satisfying enough for me. I recently joined PAD and I find the group to be fantastic. It made me realize that the law community in America isn’t as large as I initially thought. I found PAD to be a very tight-knit group. I liken the feeling I get at PAD meetings to a perfect first date experience, everyone just clicks. Everyone in PAD, from the members to the club leadership and even guest speakers just immediately find themselves with an instant connection that leads to an astounding array of shared knowledge and experience. It showed me that the legal field is full of competition and brilliant minds, but at the same time possesses an almost unsaid bond between lawyers that I find comforting. In many areas it’s incredibly close and forging solid friendships with other lawyers is the cornerstone to success, as people often get jobs through other people, mixed of course with an outstanding display of merit.
Besides joining PAD, I find myself in the usual smorgasbord of undergrad law type classes ranging from comparative law and courts to human rights. None of these classes are prerequisites for law school, but they fuel my passion to pursue a career in the legal field as both classes give a peek into the legal world, and all I want to do is see and know more about them both. I really think the best part about being a “prospective law student,” or for the purposes of this dynamic article, a man slowly evolving through the law school application process, is that my coursework or major isn’t pre-determined. Having the flexibility to major in anything that interests me, or particularly excel in makes the process much more enjoyable. I wouldn’t be confined to a set of boring pre-determined classes, I could shape my major and my road towards law school with mostly classes I truly enjoy, not classes I am forced to take. I love that the law can often hold and welcome creativity, a person from practically any background or specialization could become a lawyer and, most importantly, succeed at it.
The application process to law school seems tedious and at times daunting to me. It also doesn’t help that I’m really just beginning to get into the thicket of it. Personally I feel like the most important step in the process is actually diving into it. You’ve really got to have a definite love for law to put in huge hours, read thousands of texts, and somehow in the middle of all that get the feeling that you’re actually making a difference in the world. I came to college unsure of things and leaning towards becoming a singer/songwriter. The fame, the fortune; I thought that was the life for me. But after realizing I lack musical talent, thanks in due part to my former girlfriend who told me I couldn’t sing every time I tried serenading her, I realized my dreams needed to take a different direction. I sat down and did some soul searching and realized that besides singing and songwriting, I was extremely interested in my classes that related somewhat to law. I’ve honestly loved every law and political science class I’ve taken, and when you really love something, you can’t let it get away from you, you have to go after it. It was with that mentality I began my arduous journey towards law school. So now I find myself striving towards a definitive goal, declaring a political science or LSJ major sometime soon and looking forward to pursuing a job I’m passionate about, a career in law.
-Casey Hoag: Sophomore, Undeclared