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I went to law school and am currently a biglaw first-year. Trying to switch back to dev though (see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29690759 https://news.y

by ss108 5y ago

I went to law school and am currently a biglaw first-year. Trying to switch back to dev though (see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29690759 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29690759) Basic reasons for switch: 1) self-taught dev, so felt like I was always playing from behind; 2) wanted to pursue interests I had before going into tech; 3) felt like I wasn't productive in college, and thus wanted to have an intellectual experience. I didn't think at all during law school that I would go back to being a dev (exiting to in-house counsel role in tech was always a possibility). However, working full-time in law has made it clear this is a huge misfit for me culturally, and also the work of being a lawyer mostly involves a bunch of low-skilled bullshit. I thought that I was leaving a more superficial industry to go into something with more intellectual depth and thoughtfulness, but it turned out to be the opposite. Happy to elaborate if anyone wants; previous times I have mentioned this on HN, people really wanted to know more, but I was unable to answer them in time, unfortunately.

gedy 5y ago
You may want to consider joining or starting company that works on trying to simplify or automate the low skill bs you mention
- ss108 5y ago
  On it ;D
georgeburdell 5y ago
Did you study from scratch to get into law school or did you already have a pre-law background? I am thinking (daydreaming, really) about becoming a non-profit type lawyer as my next profession because I am interested in some social causes that have fallen out of favor and don’t have much activism anymore. Going to law school seemed to me a good option for understanding how to effect change through the legal system.
- ss108 5y ago
  One doesn't need any specific background to go to law school in the US. People go with STEM backgrounds all the time. I would say to strongly consider going if these social causes are sufficiently specific (sounds like they are) AND if you really care about them enough to be able to put up with any BS in the actual act of lawyering to pursue such litigation. If you're in tech, I can say with like 80-90% confidence that the actual experience of working in the law is going to feel like bullshit. But, if lawyering is a means to an end for you, then I think it can be worth it. > Going to law school seemed to me a good option for understanding how to effect change through the legal system. Do you know anyone working at a policy-focused legal non-profit? Paradigmatic example would be the ACLU, immigration-focused non-profits, or environmental orgs. I would ask them for a better take on whether effecting such change is even possible. If you're willing to share what your particular social causes are, I can perhaps give better advice, but ultimately the kinds of changes you want to see are probably better pursued through lobbying and other such advocacy as opposed to actually lawyering. FWIW, during law school, I interned at the ACLU and one of the bigger environmental orgs (and also at the Manhattan DA's office and for a state appellate judge in CA, but those aren't really applicable here).

by ss108 5y ago

gedy 5y ago

You may want to consider joining or starting company that works on trying to simplify or automate the low skill bs you mention

ss108 5y ago
On it ;D

georgeburdell 5y ago

Did you study from scratch to get into law school or did you already have a pre-law background? I am thinking (daydreaming, really) about becoming a non-profit type lawyer as my next profession because I am interested in some social causes that have fallen out of favor and don’t have much activism anymore. Going to law school seemed to me a good option for understanding how to effect change through the legal system.

ss108 5y ago
One doesn't need any specific background to go to law school in the US. People go with STEM backgrounds all the time. I would say to strongly consider going if these social causes are sufficiently specific (sounds like they are) AND if you really care about them enough to be able to put up with any BS in the actual act of lawyering to pursue such litigation. If you're in tech, I can say with like 80-90% confidence that the actual experience of working in the law is going to feel like bullshit. But, if lawyering is a means to an end for you, then I think it can be worth it. > Going to law school seemed to me a good option for understanding how to effect change through the legal system. Do you know anyone working at a policy-focused legal non-profit? Paradigmatic example would be the ACLU, immigration-focused non-profits, or environmental orgs. I would ask them for a better take on whether effecting such change is even possible. If you're willing to share what your particular social causes are, I can perhaps give better advice, but ultimately the kinds of changes you want to see are probably better pursued through lobbying and other such advocacy as opposed to actually lawyering. FWIW, during law school, I interned at the ACLU and one of the bigger environmental orgs (and also at the Manhattan DA's office and for a state appellate judge in CA, but those aren't really applicable here).