Law School: Books for Sale - Great Deal

I have a number of copies of my book (So, You Want to be a Lawyer, Eh?: A Comprehensive Guidebook for Prospective and Current Canadian Law Students) that were slightly damaged in transit. Booksellers will not accept books for their stores unless they are in pristine condition. As such, the books were sent to me. I have no use for a bunch of my own books, so I thought I would offer you all a sweet deal. The books are in almost new condition. They were dropped out of a box, so they may have a little dust or a scratch on the cover. Nothing more.

You can buy the book on Amazon.ca for $17.39 CDN plus shipping. You can get it for $12.99 US plus shipping and duty on Amazon.com.

I will mail you a copy of the book for $9 CDN plus shipping plus $1 handling fee. I think that's a pretty fair price, given that the retail price is $24.99. Give me an email if you are interested, providing your address and I will confirm the shipping cost to you. If you have any further questions about the book, please let me know.

Law Articles: Closing in on becoming a lawyer

Time stretches on in these last two months before my bar call. I just finished a judge's rotation at the courthouse, which was fantastic! It was one of the highlights of my article. I got to meet a lot of the judges and justices and see first hand what they do each day. They willingly gave us a ton of information that will help us to be successful in the court system. It was pretty inspiring to get the real information straight from the judge's mouth.

I am keeping very busy finishing up a bunch of files, doing various research for lawyers, and getting ready to open my own law firm. That has been a ton of work so far, and it's tough to fit it in with everything else.

To think that it has been almost 4 months since I embarked upon this career, and a year before that when I began preparing madly. Was it worth it? So far, yes. The next year will really provide the answer to that question. Law school was fantastic. The article was great. Both were harder than hell. Now real practice will provide the true test. Now I will really get to feel what it is like to be a lawyer.

Law School News: Law School in the News

University of Toronto Law School has decided to raise its tuition. They are going for the full 8% increase allowed under Ontario's new tuition rules. When will the carnage stop?!?? Ouch.

Law School: The progression into law

Everybody has their own story about why they decided to write the LSAT and apply for law school. Everybody has their own story about why they chose the law classes that they chose, why they decided to get involved in the extracurricular activities, the law moots, the summer positions, etc. that they partook of during law school. Everyone has their own story about why they chose to apply or accept an offer at a Big Firm, a medium firm, a small firm or a public practice outfit. Everyone has their own story about why they decided to work in a Big City, a Small City, or even a Town.

So, What’s Your Story? I am interested, and would love to hear how you came to your decisions. Whatever stage of your legal career. I am sure that others would love to hear other’s stories.

Here’s mine, now that I am done law school, and just about to finish articling, in case you care:

I went to law school because the industry that I worked in popped. The “bubble” burst. Our company ran out of money, the economy was tanking, and I wanted to enter a field where there was the promise of more security. There have always been lawyers, always will be lawyers. I chose to take the law classes that really interested me. It has paid off, as I am now practicing in the areas that interest me. I often struggle with some of the core subject areas, such as Debtor/Creditor, Wills, Family, etc., but have found that I have been able to pick up my socks in those areas by “jumping into the deep end” of private practice. I chose to get very involved in law school leadership opportunities, a moot, and the Law Review. I regret spending too much time away from my family, but do not regret the things that I experienced or learned from these law school activities. I chose to apply to non-conventional summer jobs – in house legal department at a multinational corporation, and Editor in Chief of the Law Review. I chose (among a variety of offers in 4 different centres - some at Big Firms) to accept an articling position in a small city, as I felt I would get a more hands-on experience. It paid off! I have been able to go to court on many occasions, my practice is nearly exclusively my own client-base, and I rarely did “research memos” during my article. I am now breaking off and starting my own firm with a partner, with offices in a few centres, and with myself enjoying the life of a “country lawyer” in a nice small town. Life is great when you create your own circumstances.

So again, what’s your story?