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It's Graduation Season: Do You Know What Your Future Is?

By William Peacock, Esq. on May 16, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Commencement. It's the end of something, but it's also the beginning of your future.

Yes, typing that just made me throw up a little, but it's true: no more casebooks, no more studying ... oh wait, the bar exam. Well, once you pass the bar, no more casebooks ... oh wait, practicing law.

Sorry about that. Besides a whole lot of reading, what does your post-graduation future have in store?

A Personal Life!

Maybe you got down with the law-cest and met someone in Torts. Maybe you had a relationship before law school that actually survived. Or maybe, you're single and ready to enjoy your disposable income in style.

Welcome to adulthood. You'll now have more time for dating, marriage, children, and anything but obnoxious hairy hand cases. (We hope.) In fact, one recent graduate was so eager to get started that he proposed during graduation this week (H/T: Above the Law):


Strong work, kid -- there's no way she can say no in front of a few thousand people. Congratulations to Nicholas Siewert and Abril Valdes, Detroit Mercy Law Class of 2014!

A Few Obstacles

There will be a bar exam, if you're planning on practicing law. You might not even pass it the first time, especially if you take one of those super hard exams.

And, of course, unemployment is a reality for many of us. Plan on sending out feelers now, though many small employers don't want to hire a "will they or won't they pass the bar" candidate -- it's risky. Once the exam is in the books, however, you can take that opportunity to catch up on the job hunt.

For now, here's hoping you have a family member's couch to sleep on, or a significant other sugar momma/daddy.

But Mostly: Success

Again, cheesy, but if you're smart enough to be spending time on FindLaw's blogs, we're sure you'll be just fine in the real world. Keep us bookmarked, as this blog is a continual stream of bar tips, bar exam tips, career advice, and even lifestyle lessons.

Just know this: even if you are currently broke, single, facing a bar exam, and have no employer (been there -- all of thee above), there is nowhere to go but up -- things will get better. You're no longer paying $100,000 to be somewhere -- soon enough they'll be paying you.

What do you have planned for your big post-graduation celebration? Tweet us @FindLawLP.

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