Why Students in Law Department Enter the Graduate School

張貼日期：Dec 31, 2015 1:4:50 AM

Jane Tsao

In these five years, many departments of universities have insufficient enrollment because of the decreasing birth rate. There are fewer and fewer children every year. Besides, many undergraduate students have no willingness to apply for a graduate school. Because it is not easy to find a good job, they want to go to work directly after graduating from university. Many consider that a master’s degree is not useful in the society nowadays. Some of my friends even say, “Even if we get a master’s degree, it does not mean we can have a good position. In addition, the pay is just two to three thousand higher than those with a bachelor’s degree.” However, it seems this trend does not affect law majors much. Many of my classmates still want to enter the graduate school to continue their studying. According to my observation, there are three reasons why many law students apply for the graduate school.

To begin with, the relationship with professors will be different. In the undergraduate school, we do not have a lot of presentations and discussions with our professors. We usually study by ourselves. On the other hand, if we enter the graduate school, we might get to know more about the professors. They usually show a peer-like respect to students, which means we can interact and communicate with each other equally. This is also the value of studying for a master’s degree. Furthermore, law students need more resources. If we study in the graduate school, professors will introduce his/her students to us. In this way, we can know different kinds of people and establish more resourceful connections.

Another reason for studying in the graduate school is to specialize in the field which we are interested in. What we have learned in the undergraduate school is more general knowledge. In fact, it is not enough if we want to choose legal work. Going to the graduate school will enrich our knowledge. Graduate work is not as easy as learning in the undergraduate school. As I know, students in the graduate school of law have to give a lot of presentations. They should read as many papers as they can. In the presentation, the professors and the students who have the same passion for this field will ask questions very sharply and directly. They have to take the challenge to answer the questions. This kind of training can help students become stronger and think critically and analytically. This is an essential quality that a lawyer should have; otherwise, he/ she is incapable of striving for the rights of his/her clients.

Most of all, the graduate school can be our protective umbrella. As a law student, it seems that our destiny is to get an attorney license. It is inevitable that our friends and relatives ask us about some questions of law when they face difficulties. For example, when they have a car accident, they will ask us how to protect their rights and how to get any compensation. If we cannot answer their questions, they will definitely say, “Aren’t you a law student? How come you don’t know?” This situation also happens about English. Many of my classmates like to ask me, “Jane, you minor in English, so what does this vocabulary mean?” “Well, I am sorry. I have no idea,” I said. “Why don’t you know?” They are disappointed to hear that. However, I just want to say that even if I major in law or English, it does not mean I know everything.

Therefore, if we continue schooling, we can say, “We are still a student and we haven’t got an attorney license yet. If we tell you how to do it, it might not be proper.” Besides, when our relatives ask us, “What are you doing right now?” We can respond, “We are studying for our master’s degree.” As a result, they will not continue asking why we haven’t got an attorney license. Therefore, the graduate school is a good excuse. Being a student can lower our pressure.

In summary, many students in law department study in the graduate school for the purpose of having a good relationship with professors and peers, specializing in the field we have a strong passion for and avoiding questioning from people not in our field. For me, there is one more reason why I want to get a master’s degree. That is, I am not sure what kind of legal work is suitable for me. I need some time to discover myself.