I am a recent college grad who wants to go into law school. I have reached out to many lawyers looking for a mentor but I haven’t received any responses. I have experience as an intern at my local DA office but why doesn’t any lawyers want to mentor a young aspiring lawyer?? I need answers

The most important test of any lawyer’s life is actually the LSAT. Keep your law school aspirations to yourself for now. Study up and IF you can get a 170+, THEN contemplate whether you should go, seek mentorship, etc.

No college grad likes hearing that advice, but I don’t know many practicing lawyers who disagree with it.

The truth is, literally anyone can get into law school. The trick is to graduate without a mountain of debt, from a prestigious enough school that you’re highly employable, and likely to pass the bar exam. But a degree from a no-name school is worthless, you probably won’t pass the bar, and it somehow will have cost you as much as attending Harvard.

Reach out to current law students, either local to you or at a school you’re considering applying to. Also check the language you’re using when reaching out to folks: I might not respond to a cold email that asks me to be a mentor, bc tbh that’s a big ask from someone I don’t know. I’d be more inclined to respond to someone who asks for a 15 min coffee chat, which, if you stay in touch, could grow into the same type of longterm mentorship that it sounds like you’re looking for.

Sadly, few have the time

Someone mentioned get a paralegal position. I disagree. Paralegal is another profession in the legal field and it's an insult to take a paralegal position if that is NOT what you want to do. If you want to consider the paralegal field as a profession do so, but you likely won't find a position as a paralegal without experience anyway. And to you lawyers who are always quick to recommend getting a paralegal job, shame on you!

I would recommend shadowing some attorneys in areas you think you may be interested in before making the decision. There are a lot of misconceptions about what lawyers actually do. I happen to love my job, but I know plenty who do not and regret going to law school. If I didn’t enjoy what I did, I would probably regret the 200k+ debt and my decision to go to law school. So do as much research as possible before you make a decision that will impact your financial future for the rest of your life.

I went to a Tier 2, finished top 15 in my class. Missing out on top ten meant more resumes and cover letters but I landed a position in big law six months after graduation. Years later I went in-house and now I run a group of 7 attorneys. Going to law school was one of my better moves. But the career is not for everyone. Happy to continue this conversation.

Why do you want to go to law school? Being able to articulate your reasoning is critical. For applications, for yourself throughout the duration of your education, and after when you are looking for jobs.

There will be opportunities to be mentored by lawyers once you are in law school- clinical professors, supervising attorneys, etc. If you've already decided to go to law school, focus on your LSAT and applications. Meet with law students in the schools you are interested in to compare programs and take the leap.

When people tell me their son/daughter is going to law school, I tell them "I'm sorry to hear that," The 3X billable model has been dying for a long time but the partners keep giving it Narcan and tapping it's heart with a defibrillator.

Partner 1's comments are accurate to a degree but are somewhat obvious and unhelpful. Of course, you should be wary of incurring significant debt without sufficient return on your investment of time and money in going to law school. Of course, a law degree is not a golden ticket to a lucrative career and there are many lawyers that struggle to carve out a living. In that sense, there are likely other degrees that you could pursue that are better "investments". I expect that you realize that. There is some helpful advice in the other comments below. I particularly like the advice to consider WHY you want to be an attorney. A lawyer is at base an advocate. What would you like to advocate for? What is your passion? If you see a career as a lawyer as simply a way to make money that's fine and maybe the only advice you need is Partner 1's advice. I am nearing the end of my career. I did not attend a top tier law school. However, I graduated at the top of my class and was hired out of school by a top tier national firm in Boston where I made partner. I later left the firm to be the Americas GC of a global company for nearly 20 years. You need to think about what success would look like for you and then consider how you can get there. It's not the same path for everyone. I am happy to provide any of my advice that you might want to consider. I am not alone. I know dozens of lawyers that would happily advice you in any number of areas. Don't confuse your career with your life. They are not the same thing. Don't build one at the expense of the other.

From an "OG" Lawyer (in year 50 post admission to CA Bar), I offer the following swing thoughts. I once hosted Justice Douglas for a day when he visited our law school, where I was President of the Student Bar Assn. I inquired regarding his opinion of the area of study that best prepares one for a wholesome legal career. He didn't hesitate and said, "The Humanities." The essential work that you must do before focusing on a career in the law is to really be in tune with your needs and passions. Once you are fully cognizant of what true north is for you, then the question becomes which career best aligns with those ambitions. You may find that the law does not bring the full bandwidth of realizing your potential. Take the Briggs test and determine which careers best align with your capabilities and personality traits. Lastly, take some time in between this next chapter---a Gap year---to take the pressure off making a hasty decision.

Have you contacted the local bar association in your area? It may have a program.

My best advice would be to give yourself plenty of time to decide whether going to law school is a good decision for you. The unfortunate reality is that the legal job market is tough, which means that, in all likelihood, you may not be able to find employers who will hire you for the precise type of legal work you want and/or prepared yourself to do while attending law school. Having said that, if you can see yourself as a generalist or don't have any particular ideas about you want to do with your legal career, law school can be a good option.

Another thing to consider is whether you are cut out for trial or appellate work. I went to law school to be a prosecutor and found out that my skills were actually in research and writing rather than the courtroom. Fortunately, I eventually found work as a student attorney with my state's appellate defender office, but the fact they couldn't afford to hire me after graduation was a devastating blow to all of my career plans. I wish I had known, for example, that appellate work is very scarce and that attorneys with trial-level experience are strongly preferred. I hope that helps. Best of luck to you with whatever you decide.

Unfortunately, lawyers are extremely busy people and oftentimes they're looking out for themselves more than anything. However, there are a few out there who are willing to mentor you. You'll need to keep reaching out to lawyers until one decides to take you under their wing.

I recommend being intentional about the lawyers you reach out to. Are you looking to work as a prosecutor at the DA office, work at a prestigious law firm in the corporate space or looking to work at an IP law firm? Lawyers want to see that you're being intentional with your career trajectory.

Also, I recommend you reach out to alumni from your undergrad. I remember using handshake after graduating from UCLA and I met lots of lawyers who happily offered their advice and guidance.

With that being said, I suggest you focus less on networking and focus on the LSAT. Scoring high on the LSAT is better than any meetings you take with any lawyer and will have an important impact on your career as a law student and lawyer.

Good luck!

That advice is not 100% worth following. Many attorneys attend non-name or non-ABA-approved law schools and are some of the smartest and most successful attorneys.

Because most of us wish we hadn’t become lawyers, and can’t fathom the idea of mentoring someone in something we hate.

Buy “law school admission game”
A book that walks you through the app process


If you don’t have a Facebook account, make one and join the one or two largest LSAT Prep groups on there. It helped me tremendously

I secured over 5 90% scholarship offers and two full rides or full ride plus with a 167 and low gpa. (Below nearly every school’s 25th percentile I applied to)

Know what LSAT score you need to get into a reasonable school with good employment outcomes.

Not all schools publish them, but you can find NALP reports for many schools that survey graduates 9 months after graduation and report what percentage of the class actually responded. These reports tell you the state, size law firm or business, and if it’s a JD required position. Some have salary info.
Google “school name NALP report”

To learn what LSAT score you need
Google “school name 509 report”
This report will also tell you on the third or fourth page what percentage of the class gets scholarship. Broken down into 25th percentile increments.

Either way if you join that Facebook group there’s tons of free content from LSAT tutors and individuals who are in or recently graduated law school that are always willing to help.

That’s one way to find a few quick mentors, and individuals that are currently where you are right now.


On a personal level, I think most law schools are not worth attending for anything less than 50% scholarship. I’m in a state with a lawyer shortage so job prospects are a little better but in many states attorneys start at 60k a year depending on practice area. 

Keeping that in mind, have a max amount you’re willing to take out in student debt and stick to it.



A big part of what attorneys do is take in information and try to make informed decisions. You have a lot of people telling you they (or people they know) have 200K in student debt and it made their lives miserable. Don’t let yourself also become that person. Have a plan. 

I experienced the same. Thoughts of discrimination keep rolling in my head