Friday, August 31, 2007

Such Is Life...

So I failed out of law school. Well, to be more accurate I was "academically dismissed" from law school, which is more accurate considering I didn't fail any classes and earn full credits for my first year, but I think you'd get the gist better if I said I just failed out. Before I continue, I just want to say two things. First, I am not trying to make any excuses. What happened happened, and that is that. I didn't have any sort of clarity that I wanted to do something other than law or anything like that. If I had gotten decent enough grades to go back, I would have. Second, I'm writing this out of my own self-interest. I don't know if it will be particularly interesting, but I am using this as my own sort of press release to inform people that don't know what's going on in order to save me from having to tell everyone I know individually about what happened. I'm not looking for pity or anything like that. As a matter of fact, I hate pity being shown in my direction. Sympathy is appreciated, apathy is preferable, and pity is loathed.

The more I have thought about this situation the more perplexing it has gotten. It is seriously the most odd thing that has happened to me. I cannot wrap my head around how this did not work out. How it works at Widener is that there is a minimum GPA requirement for the year. You fall below it and you are academically dismissed. I was less that .15 points below that requirement, thus I got the boot. But that is really neither here nor there because I shouldn't even have to worry about a minimum requirement. If I'm anywhere near there, then there is something wrong.

What went wrong? I really can't say. I worked harder at that school than any other time in my educational life. I was on top of work, I did everything I needed to and yet the grades were not there. If I had to guess what went wrong, I'd say that the form of testing is different than what I was accustom to coming from mostly written paper finals and such. Also to answer questions on exams there is a specific format you had to follow, and I'm not sure I ever really understood how the professors wanted the answers presented. I thought I had made proper adjustments, but that turned out to be not true.

Like I said, I'm not making excuses. I can say I wasn't comfortable with the format or whatever, but when I'm still doing poorly on exams, I'm just missing the boat on something. It's not like my answers were perfect but in the wrong form. That aspect of it is what I cannot answer for myself. What major thing did I miss that virtually everyone else that goes to law school in general get? I know I can do better, and I should have done better, but for some reason I did not. To be honest, when I found out I wasn't going back (about a month ago) I really just felt like God was just telling me, this is not what I'm supposed to do. I don't mean that in a religious aspect, but just as a universe and cosmos thing where the planets and stars were just like, this isn't for you. That's the only reasoning I can grab onto to make sense of what happened. I'm no genius, but I know I'm a smart person. Smart enough that I should be able to do well in law school, and yet nothing law-related in my life has worked out.

I could have reapplied or petitioned for readmission, but I decided against it. Mainly because at the time I was pretty distraught and took the, "if they don't want me then fuck them" role. Then I kind of gave up the idea of going back to law school all together. I told myself it was time to move on and find something else for me. The last phase of my reasoning for not petitioning was that the school said a petition for readmission would only be accepted under "extreme circumstances." Which I basically took as bullshit right off the bat, and an underhanded way of saying, "Do you really want to do this?" I mean let's face it X amount of kids transfer out, they're just dipping into the readmission pool to fill up the empty slots to get money. Bottom line. Anyway, I still thought I could make a good argument for myself, but then I figured if I did get back in then where would that leave me? I would be in the lowest percentage of kids at a pretty average law school. That would fuck me for next summer when I would have been looking for an associate position and that would have snowballed to me having an expensive J.D. at the end of 2009 and no job.

Don't get me wrong, I've always subscribed to the theory that there is no such thing as a bad law school. Which is absolutely true. If you're a good law student anywhere then you'll be fine. But when you're a shitty law student from Widener is different from being a shitty law student from Yale.

Where I am now is basically limbo. I've been on the job hunt looking for good opportunities, but I've only turned up rather poor ones and the jobs I have wanted, I haven't gotten called back for. Honestly, I thought finding a job would be easier, but it has been difficult. I'm definitely bitter about having to be home and not forwarding my life, but I don't think I show it too much. I think I've turned that corner and am more looking for opportunity rather than mulling over the past. While I will still be looking for a good job, I think I may bust out my old LSAT books to start looking them over for a possible return to law school in 2008.

I'll retake the LSAT's (as much as I loathe the idea) and let that determine whether or not I continue with law. If things work out, I'll reapply and go from there. If not then I know for sure law wasn't for me.

The main things I'm dreading about entertaining the idea of law school again is retaking the LSAT's, which is a horrible experience. Then having to retake classes I earned full credit for. Go through everything again, and do the briefs and outlines. It will be frustrating. Then I wouldn't graduate until 2011, which would probably be the worst considering I would have been working for 2 years at that point. It would just be a constant reminder of my failure. But I have to man up and move past those things if I want to succeed.

Ideally I'd like to find a good job in the city, either Philly or New York, and earn enough in a year that I could move into the city and continue working. I still have high standards for myself, so in the end, I'm not going to take some garbage job just to live in the city, I'm looking for a career opportunity that will allow me to be as successful as I had planned to be. If all else fails then I thought about some professions I might want to try my had at:

I. Music producer - probably rap music because it is so easy and lucrative. Eventually I'd work my way into videos a la Timbaland. I think that would be good. I mean if this guy can make it how hard can it be? I certainly don't need street cred.

II. Screenwriter - use my creativity and writing chops to pen a movie script. Sell it for a nice sum and move on from there. Sadly, this may be the most realistic crazy venture idea I had. Problem is I don't know the first thing about blocking scenes and whatever, I'd just do dialogue. So that's a problem.

III. Monk - just pack it all in and live in the mountains somewhere.

Anyway, I've been able to move beyond the fact that I won't be attending law school this year, but the thing that is the worst is missing out on the friendships I had established at school. There were some great people there, and while I can accept that i didn't do something well academically, having to bail on friends and such is something that is harder to wrap my head around. I know I will still maintain friendships, but I feel as though there was a sort of bond that we were all going to grind through this together. I guess it's the closest to a fraternity setting, in regards to the bond between people, that I've had. That is disappointing.

As for regrets, I don't think I have any pertaining to law school. I worked my hardest and did my best so I can sleep at night knowing that. Something about that school at that time didn't click with my head. Was I in front of a book 20 hours a day? No, but that's not my style nor could it ever be. I worked as hard as I could have and I know I put in the effort to be proud of myself in that respect. If anything I guess I would wish that I focused more on the LSAT's. Gave it a little more focus and effort. I was still in school and had other things going on which probably affected me negatively. Again, I'm not making excuses, tons of other people do great on the LSAT's right out of college and do well in law school, but for me I think some time off would have been better. I always told myself I didn't have a year to just refocus. I think I may have gotten into the kind of rut where you don't know you're in it until it caught up to you.

So I'll be around, keeping at it and seeing what turns out. I don't know if this is my brain in denial or an actual feeling I have, but I'm kind of excited to see what opportunities are out there for me. If it leads me back to law school and I succeed then that's fine. If something else turns up then that's fine as well.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

I failed out of Widener as a third year. I have about $100k in loans and nothing to show for it. Be happy that they got you in the first year, because I am not the only one that they bounced in the second and third year. Widener is a heartless and cold lawschool that will string you along for every penny they can get from you and then wash you out with no apologies.

HOme said...

wow man, that is crazy...i thought after first year, it was pretty much smooth sailing. i couldn't imagine getting the boot three years into it. widener is what it is, and when you're a low tier law school their main focus is keeping gpa up and making money, for that i can't fault them.

just gotta pick yourself up and move on. i hope things are working out for you, and if you decide to head back to law school, finish strong.

Anonymous said...

any advice? I am going to be facing the same situation at widener as I just received my 1L first semester grades and they were like nothing I've ever received before. I worked pretty damn hard last semester and am now on the cusp of that kick out mark unless I bring up my GPA this semester. I too am not sure I get what the professors want and the worst part is you know you are smart but for some reason it doesn't click. Plus it feels worse because its happening at widener. Anyway, if you got some advice please share. Thanks!

HOme said...

obviously im not the best guy to go for advice, but here are some things i felt i could have done better, which may help your situation.

1. go see your professors. i tried to figure things out on my own because that's the kind of person i am. i thought i corrected what i did wrong first semester, but that turned out to not be the case. so go talk to them often and ask any questions you have. for all the complaints about widener, i can say the professors are accessible and helpful.

2. when studying or reading cases be sure to look at the big picture. a case isn't just about this guy or this event. its about the formation of a law and all that goes into it. you're supposed to take that situation and compare it to a million others that vaguely resemble it. i know i took things too literal and did not have a wide enough scope to fully grasp the point of each case.

3. don't get down on yourself. confidence is a huge thing. you have to be confident in yourself and know you can do this.

4. go balls out 2nd semester. work your hardest and do your best. if it turns out that you're like me and maybe your brain just wasn't wired for this sort of stuff, then so be it. like i said, i took failing out of law school as a sign that now just wasn't the right time for me. i still play around ideas of going back in a year or so because i really love the law and it is what i truly want to do. but now im at a job where it's fun to work everyday, there are good people, and the money is pretty good. so things can get better.

5. you are who you are. don't say, "i'm going to bury my head in a book and be at the library all night." im not that kind of person. you have to work hard, but work in a way that it will be productive for you. i did every drop of work when i was at law school, but i didn't sell my life away. it's not a question of "having fun" but more a question of keeping your sanity and a fresh mind through the semester.

i feel like im going back in time to help a past form of myself with this. it's bizarre. anyway, thanks for asking my advice. i hope it helped. keep in touch with what happens and good luck.

Anonymous said...

Your advice definitely helps a lot. It is good to be able to get a perspective from someone who has been through it. Thanks for saring your story, and I'm glad to hear that you are happy with the way things turned out after law school. Also its encouraging that you havent been discouraged enough to give up and try again. That says a lot. I agree the professors here are very accessible and seem to genuinely want to help you for the most part. With that said they are also somewhat limited when it comes to heping you grade wise because of the ridiculous curve guidelines they have to follow. Guess that makes supposedly average law thinkers like me on the verge of not making it. I also thought confidence was big too, going into my first exams I was fairly confident that I would do well, well enough to not put me in this position. I agree it plays a part but I now now that its not everything. I think it is a major factor in whether you have the drive to make it here overall or not...

One thing that really stuck out to me in your advice is that you say your brain isnt wired forthis way of thinking. I feel that exact same way everyday. That really hit home and it kind of makes me wnder if I will ever get it, because when you feel like this it makes you think you aren't as smart as everyone else, which totally isn't the case. I think there are some of us that just dont naturally "think like a lawyer" and us learning takes probably over a year while many others who have the mindset already through a job or previous experience/natural ability are already ahead of the game.

With that said, I am already busting my ass this semester and not planning to get anywhere near first semester's grades. Time will tell! Thanks for your advice and I will keep you updated.

HOme said...

cool man, wish you all the best...i hope you know im expecting free legal advice from you down the road...fo sho'

Anonymous said...

Where were you 3 years ago when this happened to me? You're "God was telling me..." comment struck a nerve. I'm not religious, but I believe God did me a colosal favor, something I was too stubborn to do myself. I then went to B-school instead, did very well and now have a better job than 75% of the kids I was in Law School with. Meanwhile my Dad--the lawyer inspired me to go to LS--says the profession has gone to complete shit and the newly minted JDs are insane ande useless. I deffinately owe God a solid.

Anonymous said...

What up dude. First..let me say that it takes courage to openly admit that you were "academically dismissed" from law school. Especially since, in today's world, I feel like the average person takes pleasure in the misfortune of others. Shit, I won't lie, I felt a nice warm feeling inside when I read of your misfortune. Haha I'm just playin' around. I mean, I can respect the fact that you were open about it instead of trying to play it off and make it seem like you left voluntarily. But yeah..i am bored as hell at work right now..so I figure I'll hit you with a relevant story that might make you look at the situation in a more positive light.


I feel like I bombed my Evidence exam, and as such, I've been googling shit like "failed out of law school" or "re-apply to law school after failing out," which is actually how I came across your site. I just finished my 2L year at Syracuse..a Tier 2….and to be honest..a small part of me feels like I deserve to fail out…not because I am a moron but because I am the laziest human on the planet, however, I guess spending thousands of dollars on a legal education and then being lazy is moronic in itself…whatever, it is what it is; My undergrad school spoiled me and allowed me to still get As and Bs while jerking off all semester, so to speak. I know I'll do well though…Cuse has a pretty generous curve..it's a safety net for some and a restraint for others, but most people get sucked into that B- vacuum. I've heard Tier 4s are pretty tough with their grading curves though..I don't know what their agenda may be..what I do know is that every law school's decisions really come down to money. Maybe the Tier 4s feel that failing out students who are actually smart but did not crush their exams is just a means of ensuring that only the best students sit for the bar..and therefore will likely increase the bar passage rate for the school...which in turn will help the school in upping its ranking...and with an increase in ranking comes a justification for increasing tuition....so yeah, shit is all about $$$$. Shit bro..you don't want a degree from a school called Widener anyhow….sounds like the name of a sex toy. "Hey honey!! Let's try anal tonight….get out some lube and don't forget the Widener!!"


Oh I digressed….the story: My 1L roommate ended up failing out of school. He went to Columbia undergrad and got a big scholarship to Cuse Law. He felt like he was smarter than everyone at the school, which he may have been, and decided to slack all year. I was lazy as hell too….but the difference was that I put in work on my Legal Writing papers and made sure to turn in my best work. He slacked even in Legal Writing….and it's one thing to half-ass prepare for an exam….but in law school, you really can't half-ass write papers; the professors expect perfection….plus there are always a bunch of pedantic little dorks meeting with the professor to review their papers before turning them in. Anyway, the dude got a D- in Legal Writing (a heavily weighted course here) and C+s in most of his other classes…causing the Dean to academically dismiss him. He was devastated. Even to this day, I can tell that it still eats at him….mainly because he was dismissed not knowing whether he had what it took do well. Anyway..sorry for all this drivel….but for what it's worth….at the end of the day…at least you can say that you were not dismissed for lack of effort, and that really does count for something….it's like asking that hot chick out and being rejected but at least being free from constantly wondering what she would have said..but don't give up..retake those horrid LSATs and try to get into another school..see where fate takes you. And for the person who failed out as a 3L..man that is just ruthless on the part of Widener..damn.

filmjunkie said...

I definitely feel your pain. Something at Widener is definitely rotten. Despite never getting less than a C- and placing in the top half of my class in torts and legal writing I was academically dismissed because I had a 1.97 instead of the 2.0 required. When I pleaded my case to the dean I was basically told "tough luck." Unfortunately many students that were barely dismissed might not have had good grades, but would not have even been on academic probation at other schools because they curve to a 3.0 or 3.2 instead of the 2.5 curve that my Torts professor (who left cause he hated the school so much) thought was rediculous. It also placed a third of the students on academic probation. If there is any consolation I finally landed a great job I absolutely love even though it took a year and a half. Unfortunately many of the students in the top of my class got screwed and found it impossible to transfer out cause despite top class rankings their GPAs were significantly lower than those transfering out of other schools.

Anonymous said...

Hey, count your lucky stars. I went to Campbell U. Law School, which is a steaming pile of crap in the middle of NC. It's full of Baptist Bushites. I repeated my first year, worked my ass off, was spun into a deep depression, and then “academically excluded” at the end of my second year (3 yr of attendance), b/c of rule specific to Campbell. I still had almost a 78 avg. when I left. I was in the middle of the class.

A lot of low tier law schools operate in a backward academic world. They operate like the law schools of the 1950s, but the price tag is definitely 21st century. They treat you like it's a privilege to attend, like they don't owe you any real instruction or real help for your $20k+/yr.

The reality is, if you have a creative and thoughtful mind, the typical law school will serve you poorly. If you are one dimensional and you were good at filling-in those worksheets in high school, law school is the place for you. You need enough intelligence to understand the basics of a case and a supplement and the ability to recognize the case's exact analogue. Then, you have to be able to analyze, in 4th grade language, why the test question is similar to and different from the case you read in class and explain why it you should or should not apply it.

Unique analysis and comprehensive understanding of the theory behind the law and good prose are punished.

Here is the reality about law professors:
1) They are among the most arrogant people on the planet, but, like most lawyers, they have huge inferiority complexes. They can't handle being challenged, questioned, or intellectually bested. That's why most of them leave the practice of law. Most of them are the weakest of the flock--especially those at 4th tier schools.

2) Most law professor cannot comprehend adrogogy (pedagogy for adults). They don't study how to teach their students better. And they take no responsibility for their students’ performance. They teach with the intent to obfuscate the material, rather than teach it. They are either unable or unwilling to clearly teach legal analytical methodology, and they refuse to do the work to improve as teachers.

I'm in the same boat as glockness now. I have 3 years of law school debt and no degree. $200k. They've destroyed my financial life and stole 3 years and confidence from me. Relish the fact that you got out when you did. You are among the blessed.

Btw, 75% of lawyers hate what they do. I loved studying law. I love legal history and writing, but law school was the worst thing that ever happened to me. And it's a nightmare that will never go away, b/c I have this debt that will haunt me the rest of my days.
Glockthoughts...you'll do fine.

Also, you shouldn't question your intelligence. I have an IQ that qualifies me for Mensa International, and I failed out of law school. It has nothing to do with intelligence. Some of the dumbest people I have ever met were at the top of my law school class.

In the great words of Jeannie from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, "Screw 'em!"

Anonymous said...

you guys are a waste

Anonymous said...

Hi,

It's 9am here, and i find myself having stayed up all night writing a paper about resulting trusts, to be handed in 3 hours from now. You're right in many ways, law school stinks. It's full of pretentious little pricks, and people with bloated egos (but hey you being there probably means you're one too).

I don't know. I'm trying to stick through this, but as the semesters go by i'm loosing my drive. Used to be all crazy about getting As, but now here i am doing a paper 3 hours before i hand it up.

Just hope i come out of this still sane.

HOme said...

i'll say this, law school maybe getting to you, but it's a grind. it's supposed to. after 1L all people want to do is get the hell out of there.

considering you're more than half way done (i'm assuming) just keep at it. even if you don't decide to do something with you're JD, it'll never hurt to have that on your resume.

as for the coming out sane part, that won't happen. even being there for a year, you can tell law school changes your whole psyche. whether it's for the better or worst is up to you.

you'll do great, and you'll be better off for it!

Anonymous said...

Hi, there: I really appreciated reading this entry. I am in the same boat and I was wondering if you happen to know anything about people in our situation who have tried to apply to other types of grad schools after our god-awful law school experiences and not-stellar transcripts. I've been looking at other fields.

Thank you :)

HOme said...

I do not. Funny thing is that I know a lot of people that went to grad school then law school, so I suppose doing the opposite can't be that bad.

I considered getting my MBA, but ultimately decided I did not have the drive or funding to go down that road. In the job market, things are tough, so if you have a desire to go to grad school, I say do it.

Anonymous said...

I also had to leave law school years ago, as I wasn't doing well in first semester. I wanted to go back eventually, but later decided I have no interest in law. Why? Well mainly because there are far too many lawyers and its hard to get a job in this field. I feel the profession has lost some of its prestige.

I also didn't care for the arrogance of some of the professors. I remember one professor stating that medical students "aren't really smart, they just memorize stuff". I think its the epitome of arrogance to say that med students/doctors are not smart! They are far brainier than lawyers are, hands down. And no, they don't just "memorize stuff". They have to learn hardcore math and science just to get accepted into medical school. You can't say the same about law school. I almost feel that any joker can get admitted into some law school, somewhere. And you can b.s. your way through many law school exams, but you can't b.s your way through medical school exams - no how, no way.

Anonymous said...

Well after first year of B's and C's, Second year squashed me. I had lost my husband (sudden, tragic death) in year one, in year 2 I lost my brother- he was 48-- to complications of diabetes. I struggled through exams, got 2 c's and one D-

The d- brought my GPA dow to 1.97 and you need the 2.0 to stay. I could appeal, but most who do just end up with same answer NO, and had to keep on with classes that ultimately do not count for anything and still dismissed.

I'm not saying I'm brilliant, but anyone can see that two deaths had an inpact on my ability? I'm looking at online law schools- I know, no one respects them, but some do grad from Concord and go into private practice, or do really get hired. It's an option I'm looking into.

The D- prof is the same prof who got tipsey at a party at his home and asked a student to kiss him! She said NO WAY, and the next week he appologized... some ethics huh?
She did not report him, took the appology and forgave him.

I'd like to know what anyone thinks of Concord as an option? It's non-ABA, like my brick and motor school was, it's pass rate on 1st time Bar is very close to the brick and motors' pass rate...
I know there isd resistance to online law school, but any JD will let me sit for Ca Bar, and also give me a boost in paywhile I'm working the IT job.

It really sucks that I went from a B/C student to a D- bye-bye student, all because of loss, and grief, and no heart at the school, for the diff between 1.97 and 2.0?

I guess there has to be a cutoff, but sure wish I'd made it....

If I had it to relive, I'd tell them NO WAY I'm taking any exams less than a month after my brother passed away... I came back from services and 8 days later too the midterm, my first fail , D ever; then still grieving, found it difficult to think/ and sunk the final in civ pro, but sqeaked by in Real Prop and Prof Resp. In my opin, the civ pro prof FAILED in Prof Responsibilty in real life.... Oh well, some sour grapes...
Onward and upward..
R

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for your story! I agreed with everything and felt exactly the same. The worst thing for me is that I've never been so embarrassed in my life. I don't even know where to go from here or what to do...

Anonymous said...

Hey all, just found out today that like many of you guys, I too will be "academically dismissed" from a 4th-tier law school. This seems especially ironic because I was given a full-tuition scholarship for the first year, which was renewable assuming I stayed in the top 25% of the class (HA!). Yea, this has been quite the humbling experience.

Anyway, just wanted to say that reading your comments has definitely helped me to start looking ahead. At least the school didn't wait til I was 2.5 yrs in to kick me out; and at least I didn't get bankrupted by this little foray into the legal world.

I'm not gonna lie, I also didn't spend endless hours in the library editing my legal writing papers or studying for finals, but then again, I don't think I had the drive to do that. Maybe (as some of you suggested) that's a sign that law school is not where I'm supposed to be.

But like I said, thanks for sharing your stories, they have definitely been helpful. Hope everyone is doing well post-law school. I'm thinking of signing-up for the GRE and applying to grad schools, as well as looking around for jobs. Advice from someone who's gone this route would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again guys. All the best everyone!

PS- I can totally identify with some of yall's comments. Some law professors are completely self-absorbed assholes, some of my classmates are total dumbasses that I would NEVER seek ANY kind of advice from (much less legal advice), and law school standards aren't getting any easier: the place I attended requires a minimum 2.33 gpa. Maybe, as some of you suggested, this is an example of low-tier schools weeding out people in an effort to ensure better bar passage rates. Then again, if I can't meet the minimum standards, I'm probably not in the right place.

cinnamon said...

thank you so much. I was dismissed from a tier 1 law school and I have been sort of free falling trying to figure out what went wrong. It has been less than a month so I am still trying to process it. Like you I worked my ass off and thoroughly enjoyed law school and so I am trying to figure out what went wrong. Maybe my brain is wired differently? I am not sure. It really sucks though not being able to figure out what went wrong. I wish I could figure it out so that I could work on it and fix it and then re-apply...on the other hand maybe I should just accept that it is what it is and give it up? I am not sure if I am fooling myself in believing that I should give it another go or if I should close that door and move on. The idea of flunking out of law school just never occurred to me...Either way thank you so much for your initial post and all that have followed at the very least it is a small comfort to know that I am not alone in my situation.

HOme said...

guess it's that time of year when people are getting that bad news---i'm really surprised at the feedback i've gotten, i appreciate it because to be honest i just really wrote about my situation for myself...to get it off of my chest---for those deciding what to do next, if that choice is to tackle law school again or not, i think the best thing you can do is take some time, clear your head and really assess if you want it that much and be honest with yourself as to if you really should be pursuing law school. my gut feeling on both accounts were no, but it was close and a tough decision to make. good luck for all of you, we'll all be law school failures together, haha!

Anonymous said...

I was dismissed from a tier 4 back in 2001. It was devastating but I went and got a master's degree and am now in a great career that I am happy with. After reading all these stories I can't help but think that the people who run law schools are complete f-ing assholes. You people don't deserve what happened to you. You all deserve a second chance. F-them.

Anonymous said...

I too failed out of Widener Law without ever receiving a grade lower than a C...glad to know I am not alone

Anonymous said...

this is the best blog ever. i am just about to fail all my first year exams at pepperdine (which i mistakenly thought would be an easy school). i had no idea law school would be so hard.

Anonymous said...

I failed out of University of Nebraska in 2005, gpa needed to stay 4.0 on a 9.0 scale; I got a beautiful 3.917; so a whole 0.083 kept me from being through! Surprisingly, I ended up in 2 100k jobs, the second and the one im still employed with is with the government, so can we say JOB securtiy! However, I guess being out of school for 4 years is like childbirth you forget the pain and decided to do it again. Thats what I did, i appealed to UNL and applied to another school who luckily accepted 5 year old LSAT scores. I got into both. Nothing really happened that caused me to fail, accept that I didnt do well on the finals, unlike most schools, the finals are 1 complete year of study so I wasted 1 year of my life for absolutely nothing, and I had a full ride! HA! god is funny. Now Im paying for school, I have a kid, am a single mom, and Live at home. (so sad for someone with 6 figures). But, going back feels like such an accomplishment. My advice, let time and life happen to you, then decide if its worth it! You will find that if you still feel strongly after everyone forgets you failed to go back, you will, and you will do it in your own time. Use your failure as a reason for them letting you back in. My personal statement actually said I failed! I used the decimal to show how that less than one tenth of a point changed my entire life, and how I needed to overcome that decimal to prove something to myself because I had the professional accomplishmnets I knew I would be ok without the degree. But failure I had to overcome, because like you I knew I should not have failed. I say go back, fulfill your goal, start again. Yet, this time do it for you and no one else, and surprisingly its easier. Oh and pay attention to the big picture, and how your teachers write the exams. I knew the rules but failed to get the analysis that was happening in my head down on paper so the teach could grade it. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

It's that time of year again for most 1L's where all the fun and joy of life will be ripped away again as the begin of the semester approaches. Law school has been the most intellectually challenging experience of my life and all I have to show for it is 27k in debt. I am currently a 2nd semester 1L and surprise, surprise I am on academic probation. I attend a private tier 4 law school, which is a for profit school. Pressure from family and friends is making me consider a second semester, however, realistically speaking I doubt i'll be able to raise my 1.67 to 1.99 by the end of this semester. After coming across your blog and reading the comments I realized that I won't be the first person to fail/leave law school hell. Now all I have to do is muster up the courage to walk away. Any suggestions?

Anonymous said...

Well, this blog is great! Here's to the author for putting it out there and creating this venue for the rest of us. I, too, am amongst the unfortunate many who have been "academically dismissed" from law school. I attended Cleveland-Marshall for one year, at the end of which I received a nice lil certified letter explaining that I had missed the 2.0 cut-off by .12.

I think another thing basically all of us have in common is that we are not making excuses, even though everybody who understands the law school forced curve system knows it's bullshit. It's kinda like the BCS system: everybody knows the factors that go into the "success equation", but nobody really knows how the hell the answer is reached. Law school administrators know this, too, but since this system affords them a great sense of power and exclusivity, they're able to justify it all.

Anyway, a couple of years have now passed and I am now submitting applications for readmission. I saw one post from a person who has been readmitted, but haven't heard much else about anybody trying to get back in. If anybody has anything to share on that specific topic, please do...

Anonymous said...

Hi all! Just to ID myself, I am the guy who commented on June 2, 2009 at 11:09PM. Since then, I have started grad school (MA in history) and even though it's a LOT more work, I am LOVING IT!!
True, I'm not 100% sure what I'll do for a job, and I'm 100% sure whatever job I get won't pay as well as being a lawyer, but honestly, I'm ok with that. I know now that I would have been just miserable working as a lawyer. With each passing day, flunking out of law school seems more like a blessing in disguise.
I know it's a little early to consider mine a "success story," but hopefully it's enough to show others that happiness post-law-school-failure IS possible. All the best everybody!

PS- The shit-hole law school I attended was Texas Wesleyan in Fort Worth, TX. My advice is to stay away from that place unless they offer a generous scholarship...otherwise it's simply not worth it

Unknown said...

Just finished my first year..bottom pile of my class. Makes no sense. Guy next to me doesnt even speak English and everyone else is on facebook not paying attention. case work is bullshit. I would spend hours reading that shit and the guy next to me would read something off wikipedia and get rewarded with compliments from the professor. Not sure if im going to stick with it. Hope I have as good an attitude as you guys if it doesnt work out. all the best. charles

Slap Happy said...

Ya know, I was right there with you at Widener... same year, same result.

I found an attorney willing to help with a possible action against them. (long story). Sitting in his office, I'll never forget his comment to me regarding the prep work and research for my meeting. He asked if I had done all of this prep and was confused why I was washed out school. He simply said "I'm impressed."

Needless to say coming up with 6k to pay for a nasty gram and potential action was almost impossible.

So here I sit, wondering how to transfer to Rutgers and explain "Widener"...

Anonymous said...

I failed out of cooley. I was there on a 50% academic scholarship. Turns out I have Generalized anxiety disorder... which would explain the multiple panic attacks per day. Plus my boyfriend was abusing me.

I really love this blog. People are so judgmental about failing out of law school. I still cringe when I think of it.


So I took time off, got some therapy, medication, and retook the LSAT. I got a 162!!!!!

so do you think ANY school will take me. I am, FREAKED OUT but I am dying inside cause all I wanna do is be an attorney!