Life never ceases to surprise me. If you had told me one year ago that right now I would be determined to go to law school, I would not have believed you. In fact, if you had told me anytime between when I was twelve and two months ago I would not have believed you. Ever since an elementary school friend told me not to become a lawyer (her dad was one and he was too busy), I refused consider the profession. I realize that eliminating the possibility of pursuing a profession based on what a twelve year old said is a bit ridiculous, but she was quite mature for her age.
The past year has been a rollercoaster of self–discovery. After completing undergrad, I spent a few depressed months uploading resumes online, and struggling with the prospect of a long-term relationship going long distance. Although I applied for a few jobs, I was not convinced that I would have much job satisfaction if I succeeded in landing one, and I was unsure if I would even want stay in Vancouver. Also eating at me was the question of whether getting a ‘real job’ was really what I wanted. Throughout high school and undergrad, my choices had been clearly laid out before me: Complete the IB diploma program because it would get me university credits, and major in math because my original plan to major in physics fell through when I found out that I was not fond of physics labs. I never had a concrete idea of what I would do when I graduated but assumed something would come up. Certain professors had encouraged me to continue in mathematics, but although I did not mind math, its connection to everyday life was too vague for it to be meaningful for me. When the time came to leave SFU, my lack of passion for finding a ‘real job’ created a giant question mark. Did I really want to start a career, most likely in something sales-related, perhaps in insurance or banking? Or did I miss something somewhere that would have led me down a better path? Was it only those career-driven individuals surrounding me that made me think that getting a ‘real job’ right away was the only way to go?
As a way to balance out the voices telling me to get a job, I decided to enroll in Vancouver Film School and take Acting Essentials. Luckily, my undergraduate scholarship left me with enough financial freedom to do so. I had always wondered if acting was a profession I would enjoy, and I concluded that surrounding myself with artists who were willing to starve for years to practice their craft was an excellent way to balance my perspective. It worked. Having teachers whom I respected telling me to pursue acting really opened my mind, and having done something so radically out of character from my ‘A’ student persona, I felt freed. Although I did not decide to pursue acting as a career, Vancouver Film School taught me a lot about what it is to be human. Upon completion of my program there, the next logical step was to make a decision with regards to my geography. I decided to move to Kingston, work at lululemon, do yoga, teach group fitness, and let the next step in life come in due time.
So here I am, doing all of the aforementioned, and my simple existence is far from comfortable. Before this past year I had always had school to challenge me mentally, and never knew with certainty that mental stimulation is absolutely necessary for my happiness and wellbeing. Now I know that I need to be challenged, and I need a certain level of pressure and tension to be fully alive.
Shortly before moving to Kingston, my mother mentioned law school to me, after having met some lawyers in her choir. This time, I was open to the idea, as my previous bias did not seem like a good enough reason to dismiss it. I started looking into law school at Queens, and law in general, and with everything I read applying made more and more sense. What I enjoyed about math - the logic, reasoning, understanding of abstract concepts, and the satisfaction of a good proof - are also present in law. Moreover, the aspects of math that I did not enjoy - its lack of obvious practical applications and distance from the everyday human experience -are definitely not present in law. I am fascinated by moral dilemmas and am eager to learn how we attempt to apply logic to social conflicts. Considering the irrationality pervading human interactions, law is a most ambitious discipline.
When looking into law programs at Queens, I was excited to see the combined J.D. and M.A. in Economics program. Economics is a subject I discovered late in undergrad, having taken my first Econ courses in my last year. I found Economics to be quite interesting, and if I had stumbled across it earlier I think I might have made it my major. Before looking into law school, I thought that if I were to do grad school it would be in Economics, so seeing the option of doing both at once was amazing.
Besides having a program I would love to be in, Queens offers so many experiences that would enrich my studies. Gaining international experience at the I.S.C, volunteering with Queens’s Legal Aid, and learning oral advocacy are all opportunities I would love to have. I already love leading groups in fitness and athletics, so combining my studies with public speaking would be an amazing challenge. Furthermore, with opportunities for summer internships, I am sure I would leave Queens much more prepared for life than I currently am.
Here are the brutal facts of my life: with my current level of education and work experience, I am unlikely to have a career that is anything other than sales or management of salespeople. I admire my managers very much but do not believe that their path is right for me. I am also unlikely to reach my full potential as I am not being challenged in the areas that I have the most potential in. Those areas are logical reasoning, understanding of abstract concepts, and the ability to advocate for a certain viewpoint once I have established that I believe it is right, or as close to right as possible. Without more education, and therefore without a more diverse range of career opportunities, I am unlikely to ever feel that I am participating in the world in the way that I was meant to. And ultimately, without more education, I am unlikely to live a satisfying life. This is why there is no doubt in my mind that going to law school, and completing the combined M.A. in Economics and J.D. program if possible, is absolutely the best thing to do.
My only reservation about more education has been uncertainty about whether or not it will lead me to an enjoyable career. I am wary about refining my path too much and limiting my options. When I found out that going to law school is useful for careers in business and finance as well as in law, my mind was eased. I believe that I would enjoy a career in law; however, I would not presume to know without doubt how I would feel doing something that I have not yet experienced. That more education is needed is unquestionable, but anything too specific could be a waste of time and energy. That studying law would not narrow my opportunities, and in fact would expand them incredibly, makes it a perfect solution without even taking into account how much I believe it will suit me
The day when I was twelve and my friend turned me off law for the next ten years, I remember saying something like, ‘how awesome would it be to argue for a living?’ She promptly explained that the cost of being a lawyer is never having time to see your family. Now that I know that there are many places law school can lead, and never seeing family is not a requirement, I believe again that, if there is such a thing, law could be the ideal profession for me.