A few e-mails arguing the flip side of what the rest are saying:

Post #14

I've been reading the blogs you have posted on your blog and I am disgusted with the constant whining. I agree with blog 10. If you don't want to work for a big firm; then don't. You can work for the government or try to find a small firm. You don't even have to practice law if you don't want to. The majority of us (law school graduates) don't have that luxury. Most of us can't get jobs until we get our bar results (which, if you are in NY, is not until mid Nov.) To say its depressing would be putting it mildly. But to hear these intellectual wimps complain about whether or not they want to work at a job that pays them six figures a year is really aggravating. You guys don't know how good you have it.

Nobody is happy. The person working the horrible job that pays crap isn't happy and the person stuck at a big firm making lots of money isn't happy either. There is no middle ground.

Post #15

Well, I've been reading a lot of the messages from readers, and it's prompted some extra reflection on my part. I'm a 1L at a top law school. I've barely started, so maybe it would be wise for me to hold off judgment. But all the dissatisfaction makes me feel like someone ought to say something good about law school.

Maybe reading about how good things are is less interesting than all the bad stuff. Maybe it's contrary to the law school culture to discuss the positive (a lot of my section's bonding has been accomplished through complaints). And maybe the fact that I'm one of the "lucky ones" who got into the law school of my dreams means that I should just shut up.

But I can't help wanting to say something good about law school. I step into class, and I get to dive into a world of ideas, a world where critical thinking is encouraged. The professors and students around me are some of the most accomplished, interesting, and (occasionally) fun people I've met. Yeah, we read a lot, but we also spend *a lot* of time enjoying ourselves.

Granted, it's a little sad how much time goes into looking for jobs. But I was out in the so-called real world for awhile, and I think that that's just how life is. When I was unemployed, I was wondering if I'd ever find any work at all. After getting a job, I was excited for a few months before I started thinking about what else I could be doing.

At least going to law school has opened up some new possibilities I never had before. I'm not exactly certain what I'll do when I get out of here (I have a bunch of ideas, but nothing is set in my mind). I just plan on soaking up the great stuff here in law school, dealing with the bad, and letting the future take care of itself. Because whether you're in law school, clerking, working at a firm, government, or nonprofits, it seems to me that there's always the choice to be happy.