# ENFP law school?



## fricks1 (Dec 28, 2012)

Hey guys

I am an enfp and am thinking about going back to university to give law a go. It has always been something that I have thought about doing. I am currently in sales and really have no passion for it, but my attachment to law is largely based on the prestige of the career, alongside a greater understanding of the justice system and peoples rights. I think it would open up more doors for me career wise, even if i decide against becoming a lawyer.

The hard part for me is that studying isnt my forte, it never has been. How can I accomplish this goal? law school is 5 years, how do enfps learn and retain information most effectively so I can nail my exams? 


Thanks in advance


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## enfpish (Aug 13, 2012)

"my attachment to law is largely based on... a greater understanding of the justice system and peoples rights.I think it would open up more doors for me career wise, even if i decide against becoming a lawyer".


I'm an ENFP, I'm a lawyer and the quote above could've been mine before going to law school. Are you really just wanting to know how to "learn and retain information most effectively" so you can "nail" exams or are you not totally sure about your choice to go to law school? Are you in the US?


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## fricks1 (Dec 28, 2012)

no im in new zealand, and I am not currently satisfied with my job. I have a BA in Politics but would like to do an LLB now. (LLB is an undergraduate law degree in nz) I guess no I am not 100% sure yet, I was more looking for validation to know that Law school/being a lawyer can be done by ENFPs


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## enfpish (Aug 13, 2012)

The short answer is that, yes, ENFPs can do well in law school and they can be successful lawyers. However, it requires a lot of studying, at least until you find outlines/short cuts that work for you, which cuts down on some of the studying time but not all. It doesn't end when you graduate. Being a lawyer typically means working longer hours, particularly in the beginning of your career. It takes a few years to have a decent understanding of the area of law you practice and it requires putting time in to acquire that understanding. If you become a litigator, you also have court imposed deadlines, which can make having a decent work/life balance tricky. However, the bigger issue in my experience, is that law rarely feels like a warm and fuzzy ENFP world...especially in a law firm but even outside of a firm setting (I work in the human rights field). It can feel a bit lonely at times feeling the absence of NFs around. I enjoy my work and I think I'm good at it but there's A LOT of it resulting in the last 10 years going by rather quickly. Although there's prestige (at times... and undeserved mostly) that comes with the job title, I would caution you if that's your primary motivator. I don't regret my choice but prestige only goes so far... perhaps just far enough that given how much work it takes to become/be a lawyer and how it becomes a large part of your identity, it's often hard to leave even if being a lawyer "opens up" other doors. You may be surprised to learn that it can also close some doors. People often have a hard time understanding why a lawyer would choose to do something else and sometimes people just don't trust lawyers. Shocking, I know lol. Also, if you acquire a lot of student debt in the process, it can be hard to make other choices if you don't like being a lawyer. I hear about that a lot in the US. Here in Canada, it isn't as bad and maybe it isn't as bad in NZ but still something to consider. I appreciate that I must sound like a real ray of sunshine. In no way am I suggesting that you cannot do it as an ENFP or that there aren't positives (there are) but it's a big investment, there are some downsides that you should consider and I think it's wise to have more information.


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## timeless (Mar 20, 2010)

I knew a ton of NFs in law school, you'll be fine.


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## downsowf (Sep 12, 2011)

i knew some NFs. succeeding in law school has little to do with type. it has all to do with how much effort you're willing to put in to succeed- as does most things in life.


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## Different (Jan 3, 2013)

MMmmm, make sure you committ 5 years of your life to something that you actually enjoy. 

Anyone can do well in Law school, I know ENFPs in my law school and they're doing fine. 

An important thing to note, I guess it applies to all academic disciplines, you better be organized and willing to put in lots of work! And that goes double for a subject like law


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## enfpish (Aug 13, 2012)

This article is from the US. Warning: it's negative albeit food for thought. 

Tucker Max: Why You Should Not Go to Law School


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## Doll (Sep 6, 2012)

I almost went to law school, but then decided that some laws annoyed me too much to bother. They're too constrictive. If I want to do well at something, I have to have a passion for it - and as a fellow ENFP I imagine you're similar (maybe?) So that put law school out for me. The judicial system is just so UGHHH that I would eventually start to resent myself for being part of it.

An example: Brandon Hein - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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