Last week, we heard from 2L Sarah Waxman about her career path that led her back to law school after working in the non-profit world for a number of years. This week, our counterpoint is another Sara – 2L Sara Feinstein who came straight through to the Law School from undergrad:
"Corny as it may sound, I am truly one of those people who always wanted to be a lawyer. I always intended to go to law school directly after undergrad. As a senior at Northwestern, I could not fathom what else I would do for the possible interim period some people take before law school to gain 'experience.' At one point, frustrated when one school essentially demanded I take a year off to secure admission, I asked during an interview if working as Cinderella at DisneyLand would suffice. The reply was in the affirmative, and my heels dug in that much further. From my perspective, anything that wasn’t law school would have been a waste of my time as I would be merely wishing that I could begin my career.
When I decided to attend the University of Chicago Law School, I feared entering a cold environment, chock full of experienced individuals. I worried that my lack of experience would somehow put me at a disadvantage. However, my fears could not have been farther from the reality I encountered. The small size of the class ensures a vibrant law school community, one which thrives on the diverse perspectives. Additionally, some of the more mature individuals I have met have come straight through from an undergraduate experience, so there was no bright line dividing the maturity "haves" from the "have nots." Ultimately, the first year of law school is a marathon during which individuals amass writing, analytical, and communicative skills – a process which usually presents a challenge for all individuals, regardless of background. Though some enter with far more life experience than I had accumulated, I did not feel at a disadvantage in any way. Perhaps only in one way - that I had not yet explored the extent of caffeine alternatives, only developing a dependency on Red Bull during the final quarter of my 1L year."