SillyCheapSquirrel '23–'24 app cycle Class of 2027 class year

Please please PLEASE take time off in between undergrad and law school!

So many KJDs just want to go straight through “to get law school over with” or “not waste time because they’re 100% sure they want to be a lawyer.” And while the latter may be true for some, there is so much you learn—about yourself, your values, your habits, your hobbies—when you experience real adulthood. I didn’t do anything fancy during my 2 years off—I applied to random jobs my senior year and accepted the first offer. But I still learned how to navigate the world outside of school, and I will be a better law student and lawyer because of it.

Looking for jobs is hard and the real world seems scary. But life is also long, and careers comprise a large chunk of it. So take the time now to do something, anything, that allows you to become acquainted with non-student you. The legal profession will always be there when you’re ready.

There is a reason most people advocate for gap years, and that alone should make you think. The truth is, you don’t know what you don’t know, and because of that, I implore anyone considering KJD-ism to carefully evaluate whether it’s truly worth it.