How to Be Sort of Happy in Law School

I had to buy this book when I read the title on Amazon.ca. It was most intriguing. As the author of So, You Want to be a Lawyer, Eh? Law School in Canada, Third Edition, I was very interested in what Ms. Kathryne M. Young, Ph.D., JD meant by "Sort of". I have spoken to many, many law students, former law students and lawyers or former lawyers who have shared numerous stories of how great law school is or was, or how terrible it is or was. Ms. Young has collected a wide range of similar stories in her academic work (especially about difficult or poor experiences), and she has shared many of those comments in this book. This was most engaging to read, especially in that many of the shared anonymous comments were from a large cross-section of law students across the US from a variety of law schools. This lends great credibility to her very entertaining commentary about the law school experience.At first, I was skeptical of Ms. Young, when reading the beginning of this book when she shared that she had quite despised many aspects of law school. I actually enjoyed many aspects of law school at the University of Alberta in Canada, but as I continued to read this book, I smiled often as I remembered various experiences and possibly even traumas throughout my law school experience and as I started in my legal career.My favourite parts of this very well written, introspective, and quite complete commentary about the law school experience was Ms. Young's personal commentary about law school professors (especially the crappy ones) and her individual thoughts about how the law school experience and law school pedagogy could be improved upon. As an instructor of law-related courses at the Dhillon School of Business, I am always looking for more effective ways to teach university students about the law. Ms. Young, although not a law school professor, has many good ideas here that she is willing to share. I do hope that some, or rather many, law school professors read this book and take note of the student commentary and Ms. Young's thoughtful suggestions for improvement.This could have been a depressing read, with many of the student comments being quite negative or even shocking. However, Ms. Young has provided many resources and suggestions for getting through the more obviously difficult experience of law school, and to find potential success in the legal field. She does not sugar coat law school at all. It is obvious that Ms. Young has more to say about how we could improve law schools. However, she comes across as being optimistic in the end.The sociological approach and commentary are a welcome addition to the law school guidebook libary, and I hope that many of my readers will consider this entertaining and enlightening book as they approach law school or as they navigate their way in or out of law school.I think that many of my law school and legal colleagues might have benefited from reading this book and possibly leaving law school or the legal profession before it became a true chore to them. Many people enter law school with naive ideologies and are afraid to pursue a different path that might be more agreeable to their personalities. It is well worth considering the commentary in this book as you contemplate your career choices.As I said, I really quite liked law school, and many people have shared that sentiment with me. However, it is important to look at law school from many perspectives before plunging in.In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any prospective or current law student, or to all law school professors or law school administrators.Adam Letourneau, QC, JD, LLM

Bought this for my fiance before he started law school and we read it together. This really helped prepare us both for what to expect, and it has been helpful for me to understand what being in law school is like. Highly recommend.

This book will vaccinate you against so many of the horrors of law school. It'll prepare you for law school, the sheer of amount of work, the not-so-kind people, etc.It'll also uplift your spirits! It'll make you feel like you belong in law school and reinforce your reasons for going to law school.With so much uncertainty in the world, especially with regards to how law school will look like for the Class of 2023, I highly recommend you read this book. For my fellow incoming 1Ls, we may not be able to control what law school will look like, but we can control how we react to it and this book will help you do just that!

This book is an honest guide on what to expect while in law school. I HIGHLY recommend this book not only to law students but to everyone [kids, parents, friends, etc] who plans to spend time around them. It's honest and direct, there's no sugarcoating a difficult journey in law school. I sent my friends each a book so they could try and understand what my journey will be like, and how they could best support me on this next chapter of my life.

This truly is a must read for prospective and current law students, their family and friends, and anyone else considering or actively pursuing higher education. Unlike most resources aimed at prospective students, Young doesn't dance around troubling statistics (lack of diversity, prevalence of mental health struggles and financial debt). Instead, through qualitative research and an extremely personable voice, she presents a more realistic look into the world of law.Beyond its honesty and informational value though, this book is amazing for the soul. In each chapter, there are thought experiments and tangible solutions that allow readers a deeper understanding of themselves and a sense of control.This book is eye-opening and particularly ahead of its time in the way it shines light on often stigmatized topics in institutional environments (and most high stress environments for that matter). Still, one can't help but feel more assured of their purpose, empowered in deciding to take action, and less alone in their fears after reading.