On the Process of Making Life Choices in Law School
The French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre said that human beings are “condemned to be free.” While I suppose there are many meanings one could take from that quote, I like to think of it as describing one of the many wonderful and terrible things about life: the tension between the joy of having lots of free choices to make, and the anxiety that accompanies making those choices.
It is this tension between the joy of choice and the fear of the sheer number of choices and potential missed opportunities that I’ve really grappled with after my first year of law school. At this point in my legal journey, I’ve begun to reach the point where I can make choices about my future, which is both exciting and scary. In your first year of law school, choice is not really something you have to worry about (unless you are a summer starter, but even then, you only get to choose one class). Your whole 1L year curriculum is scripted out for you, and the focus is mostly on adapting to those classes and your new life as a law student. But the ability to make life choices comes into play at the end of your 1L year and the start of your summer. Then you have to ask yourself numerous kinds of questions: What area of law are you interested in? Where do you want to work? Where do you want to live? What internship should I get? What classes should I start taking? A whole new realm opens, full of choices to make, as you exit your first year of law school.
All the choices and opportunities can be both daunting and exciting. On the one hand, you have a chance to experiment, try new things or pursue what you’ve always thought you wanted. On the other, there are numerous worries that can accompany making choices: what if by taking this summer internship, I am closing myself off from other opportunities? What if I don’t like what I am doing or my classes next year? What if I end up in a job I don’t like? With choice comes freedom but also anxiety about those choices.
As a second-year law student, I have already made some choices about my life and legal career, but I will have many more choices to make before law school is over. I can’t say I have found the perfect way to deal with the problems of making decisions, but I can say that I have found lots of help, guidance and support around me – and that makes all the difference in the world. The Career Services Office at KU Law has been extremely helpful and supportive, and I have spent quite a bit of time talking choices over with them. I’ve talked with professors, friends and family about what choices to make, from things as large as “What kind of law do I want to practice?” to things as seemingly banal as “Should I take Administrative Law with Professor Levy next semester?” What I realized from talking to people around me is that at the end of the day, no matter what choice is made, it will be the right one.
The tension in the freedom of choice and the anxiety of choosing is all part of our condemnation of freedom as law students. We all are fortunate and privileged to be in our positions as law students. But we also should remember that sometimes making choices about our lives and careers can be difficult, and that we can always draw on those around us for support.
– Alex Nelson is a 2L KU Law Student Ambassador from Stillwater, Minnesota