 Wabash Trustee and Chase School of Law Professor Roger Billings '59 |
"You don't have to be a political science major to get into law school or to practice law," Billings said. "You can be an English major, an art major, a music major; your liberal arts background is an excellent preparation for the law."
What matters most, Billings said, is to master writing and communication skills. Flipping through a Bar Association listing of essential skills for various specialties of law, Billings pointed out that writing skills were at the top of the list for practically all of them.
"At Wabash, you've written what must seem an interminable number of term papers in which you've had to consider, understand, and articulate clearly any number of difficult and varied concepts," Billings said. "The good news is: that's a perfect preparation for the law."
Billings also told students that taking time off between undergraduate and law school is often a wise choice.
"Make some money, find out if this is what you really want to do, get some experience in a related field," Billings suggested. He said the work ethic brought to the classroom and the practice of law by those who have been out of school for awhile or have come to the law from other vocations is most impressive. The same goes for those who work their way through law school, taking classes at night.
If you decide to attend law school, Billings said, and you know where you want to practice law, consider attending law school there. "Don't overlook the good regional law schools in that area," Billings said, admitting a personal bias towards medium-sized cities such as Cincinnati and Indianapolis, which can be "wonderful places to practice law."
By attending law school near the city or town where you wish to practice, you can intern with attorneys, clerk with judges there, and get to know those who will be your colleagues, who you'd like to work for, and, as importantly, who you don't want to work with, the professor said.
"If you want to practice in upscale law firms in Chicago or New York, you're well-advised to attend one of the more prestigious national law schools," Billings said.
"That's a great path for some of you, and many Wabash students have that option. But be prepared to pay the price, in more ways than one," the professor warned.
Besides re-paying substantial loans, he said, "you may find yourself working in a firm that behaves as if it "owns you, body and soul?and that can be a very unpleasant experience."
Billings urged students to research the firm they do consider and to carefully think through the consequences.
"And that's another skill your liberal arts education has given you," Billings added.