Having an identity outside of being a Law Student

Sometimes it’s quite satisfying to walk around and proclaim yourself a law student. There’s a range of connotations that come with the label, albeit some are not the most favourable, but for the most part, it is a respected area of study. 

It’s a lot of fun to get involved in competitions, to intern at law firms and volunteer as a paralegal. The study aesthetic of heavy textbooks and colourful highlighters can be quite the motivator. But what is perhaps less talked about, is how little time you have to be anything more than a law student.

As a biomedical science double degree student, I often find myself torn between my two very different degrees.

I love being a law student, but I also love being involved in the biomedical science community and participating in their programs. I love science, and I enjoy volunteering in healthcare.

I also love animals, and I’d never want to give up volunteering with those who are most in need.

Yet the more I progress through my degree, the more I feel the pressure to focus all of my attention on my future legal career. Because my peers are working in law firms, building commercial awareness and advocating for international causes. And here I am, focusing on multiple side quests that aren’t at all related to the legal field.

After all, being able to calm down an anxious dog or recite the phases of a viral infection, aren’t going to be particularly advantageous traits in a clerkship interview. 

I also find myself shying away from my biomed degree. Often, the moment I reveal my second degree, I can instantly feel the judgement and doubts from the other person. Suddenly I’m questioned, ‘oh, so you want to be a doctor?’ And no one really thinks you’re that committed to being a lawyer anymore.

It’s a weird and interesting paradox; everyone used to tell me that the career opportunities with my degree would be endless, yet I fear that may have all been a false presumption not considering the fierce competitiveness behind graduate roles.

With all that being said, there is one thing I have neglected to mention, that I’ve heard is quite a valuable and important component of a clerkship or graduate application.

About a month back, I attended a clerkship application workshop. And something the speaker mentioned stood out to me – when she interviewed future clerks, she didn’t remember which firms they previously worked at, or how much they knew about the commercial industry, she remembered the random hobbies and skills they mentioned in passing, or the odd jobs they worked during university.

Because these are the characteristics that make you more than a law student. They define who you are as a person, your characteristics and quirks. They show what you’re passionate about, or what you enjoy doing.

So, during an interview, perhaps I can pique the partner’s interest by detailing how I spend two hours a week walking a parrot in a pram while he dances (and sometimes yells at me). Or when I’m networking and someone compliments my blazer, I can tell them I got it from the Op shop I used to manage, and share stories of the crazy donations we received. 

My biomed degree won’t teach me how to write a contract, but it has taught me how to research incredibly complex concepts and translate those into simple language that a layperson can understand.

I probably won’t be needing to walk any erratic puppies, but I can talk about the patience and ability to adapt to unexpected situations that I have developed during my time volunteering at RSPCA.

Your life doesn’t need to revolve around being a law student. Don’t get me wrong, it is perfectly fine to love law with all your heart and dedicate every inch of your life to it – I have full admiration for you! But you also don’t need to feel pressured to do this, you can do other things. And it won’t detriment you, it will help you in other ways.

Law school is a unique journey for every student. You don’t need to fit into a specific stereotype to be a successful law student, and future lawyer. As my best friend likes to say, ‘bee-leaf’ in your capabilities, and your strengths.  

Your identity is what you make it to be. And I for one, can say that I am finally confident to admit that I am a law student, but I am also so much more :)

Written by Angela Cremona