Is it bad to take a year off before law school?

Apr 05, 2022

Written By Helena Kudiabor

As a prospective law school student, you probably have a multitude of questions about it. One question might be whether you should take a year off before law school. To help you make your decision, here are a few things to consider.

What are the benefits of taking a year off?

If you take some time off before you start law school, you can take the time to figure out what you’re truly passionate about. If you go straight from sixth form or university to law school, you won’t have had much of a chance to truly think about your decision and work out whether it’s right for you. You can even get some legal experience to work out which area of law will suit you best. An extended break may even make you miss going to school and even more eager to study.

Taking some time off also allows you to further improve your application. For instance, if you didn’t secure admission to your dream law school, you can take the time to think about where you went wrong in your application. If you’ve still got your heart set on the same school, why not reapply? Taking some time out provides you with the chance to boost your application: for instance by doing some voluntary work or getting a part-time job.

One major benefit of taking a year off is that it gives you the time to do something you’ve always wanted to do. This year away from school may be your last chance to have an extended break, before you’re faced with study and work responsibilities. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to drive, why not take the time to do so? Taking time off doesn’t mean you have to do something educational either, you could just take the time to get back into your hobbies or even go travelling.

What are some drawbacks of taking a year off?

Although you may start the year off with plenty of activities planned, it’s all too easy to get distracted. Just think of all the times you’ve headed to the library to get some work done and then spent the whole time on your phone.

It can also be easy for your plans to get thrown into disarray: for instance if you can’t find any work experience or you can’t afford to travel as much as you wanted. Your future employees can also see that you took a year off based on the dates on your CV, and won’t look favourably upon you if they ask what you got up to and hear that all you did was watch Netflix.

Taking some time off can also make it hard to adjust back to schooling. Think about how difficult it can be to adjust back to school after a long summer break, then imagine after a year off! The adjustment period can be even more difficult if you spend your time off relaxing and travelling. To help ensure a smooth transition, make sure you keep abreast with the legal world, for instance by reading about recent court cases or studying legal journals.

What can I do during my year off?

If you’ve decided that taking a year off is right for you, there are so many things you can do to make it worthwhile. You could get some legal work experience, by shadowing a lawyer or doing an internship. Volunteering is another excellent way to spend your time off, for instance by doing some pro-bono work for a charity close to your heart.

It’s also important to remember that your year off doesn’t have to be completely related to law. If you’ve always wanted to travel and see the world, now is the time to organise a trip. You could even get a part-time job, to make sure you don’t have to worry too much about finances when you’re studying.

Hopefully you have found this advice helpful. If you’re interested in taking a year off, remember there’s no right or wrong answer to this question. It all depends on your personal circumstances and what feels right to you.

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