When I decided to embark on going to law school, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a lawyer. My friends and family found that strange, as they thought studying law was the same as studying medicine-- it’s a necessary pathway to a career, but not exactly a passion project. Well, now that I’ve graduated with a law degree and am not a lawyer, I can very happily say they couldn’t have been more wrong. Granted, law school differs greatly between countries, in some it is a graduate discipline, whereas for me I did it for my undergraduate degree. Nevertheless, here are three things that studying law taught me that adds incredible value to my life now:
1. How to be organised
A law degree is rigorous, demanding, and is definitely not something you can dance your way through. Keeping on top of the copious amounts of reading I had to do every week as well as balance being an active member of the student body meant that I had to hone my organisation skills very early on in my academic career. The discipline that I’ve learnt whilst studying law has translated very well beyond my time at law school, as being an organised person helps me in life every single day!
2. How to advocate for myself and my beliefs
No, law school is not people arguing back and forth for fun all day like what the movies may depict, but a large element of our degree does revolve around our ability to take a stance and advocate for it with full force. Because of this, I’ve become better at articulating my thoughts and opinions in a concise, calm, and evidence-based manner. I’ve found that this translates very well into giving presentations at work.
3. How to see the nuance in everything
Should the death penalty exist? Does the law play a duty to protect us and rehabilitate us, or to stop us from causing harm to others? There’s a reason these debates are still ongoing without a definitive answer-- because it’s complicated. Analysing legal issues in depth in law school has made me more balanced in my views, as I’m acutely aware of the fact that not everything is black and white. I now seek opinions on a given topic from those who both agree and disagree with mine, and quite actually enjoy the fruitful discussion that ensues.