<p>It's very unlikely that, at this point, you're going to attain a level of proficiency in a language that would enable you to actually use it as a lawyer. For you to actually deal with legal documents in a foreign language, you would have to be able to speak and understand the language at the level of a foreign law graduate. That's going to take years of intensive study.</p>
<p>Yup.......</p>
<p>Chinese... Most European and American International Lawyers will be familiar with the main European languages, notably French. Chinese is your best bet. In fact, it is what I'm doing. I've studied French in High school, along with German but am going to try to take up Chinese next year as a freshmen undergrad to give myself a good four years to gain fluency and perhaps it'll make me stand out in the law school application process. So, I'd say Chinese, or even Spanish, and Japanese would be better than French. I'm certain you can pick up French again, but focus on Chinese. French is a real easy language for English natives. Chinese is a whole different story.</p>
<p>Why don't you just learn both? I don't know much about law school yet seeing as I'm still in undergrad, but I will say I have started the process towards this. For example, I am now fluent in French, and I started German this year, will pick up Spanish next year, and eventually learn Chinese. I say learn two other languages so that you're not pidgeon-holed into one area of the world.</p>
<p>Guys, the point is that you will NOT master a language to the point of native fluency, if you start this late; and it's unlikely it'll help you with LS admissions and/or practicing law -- not many reasonable people will trust you with documents in a language you don't fully master, the potential for chaos is immense.</p>
<p>shanntotheont,</p>
<p>And do you think that you could use French in a legal setting? Deal with torts? Intellectual property rights? Trade agreements?</p>
<p>Look, I may be fluent in Japanese, but I know for a fact that I could never provide the Japanese with the kind of counsel that they deserve in Japanese. If many native speakers struggle with the language ability necessary to be an attorney, very very few non-native speakers will ever have a chance to get there. Some will, no doubt. I had a professor in college who spoke Japanese as well as he spoke German as well as he spoke English. But he was a noted polyglot.</p>
<p>
[quote]
For example, I am now fluent in French, and I started German this year, will pick up Spanish next year, and eventually learn Chinese.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>No offense, but Spanish and French? That's good, but the learning curve for Spanish after learning French is way different from learning Chinese. It's not like you can gauge your ability to learn Chinese after learning Romance languages.</p>
<p>"That's good, but the learning curve for Spanish after learning French is way different from learning Chinese."</p>
<p>Even then, guys, it's not like ordering a taco -- really.</p>
<p>Wildflower,</p>
<p>To be fair though, there have been non-natives who have gone on the become fantastic assets to law and other similarly complex fields. I mean, I had professors in college who were non-natives yet spoke English with near 99% complete fluency. </p>
<p>But doing that with Japanese or Chinese? Very very very hard. It's not just the fact that the learning curves are so steep. It's the fact that unlike in Western languages, where it's a new word that you just look up in a dictionary, Chinese and Japanese REQUIRE you to learn new characters. I mean, it's bad enough for me to do political science research in Japanese. I can't imagine if I had to actually WRITE it.</p>
<p>I had three years of college Chinese, then studied in Taiwan for a year. (I didn't major in Chinese, although I had more credits in the subject than I did in my major.) I have a good ear for languages; when I converse in Chinese, my accent is good enough that native speakers are at times visibly startled. I work in-house for a multi-national corporation, and have had a lot of responsibility for our Asian concerns; I went to Asia six times last year.</p>
<p>That said, there is absolutely no way I would be competent to enter into an agreement in Chinese, or even to negotiate an English-language agreement in Chinese. It doesn't matter, particularly, as English is the international language of business. </p>
<p>Study Chinese if you're really drawn to it. Keep in mind, though, that it requires an enormous commitment of time. I have no doubt that my GPA would have been substantially higher had I chosen to earn those credits in more conventional subjects.</p>
<p>UCLAri is right: it's not simply a matter of learning a new alphabet. It's a matter of learning thousands of unique characters. And it's not like riding a bicycle: you forget most of them if you don't continue to devote a significant amount of time to review. I threw in the Chinese literacy towel years ago, personally.</p>
<p>
[quote]
UCLAri is right: it's not simply a matter of learning a new alphabet. It's a matter of learning thousands of unique characters. And it's not like riding a bicycle: you forget most of them if you don't continue to devote a significant amount of time to review. I threw in the Chinese literacy towel years ago, personally.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I'm still in the ring with Japanese, myself. I plan on going back to it in grad school, but man, it's tough. It feels like the more I study, the more I forget the ones I learned years ago. </p>
<p>By the way, I get told that my Chinese accent is good, but I'm so used to being flattered by the Ribenren that I never know whether or not to believe them. Granted, the Chinese are a bit more...well...brutally honest. </p>
<p>
[quote]
It doesn't matter, particularly, as English is the international language of business.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I keep telling everyone this, and I get told to shut up and quit being ethnocentric. Sigh.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I have no doubt that my GPA would have been substantially higher had I chosen to earn those credits in more conventional subjects.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Major GPA (poli sci) 3.8
Minor GPA (Japanese) 3.5</p>
<p>:p</p>
<p>"I keep telling everyone this, and I get told to shut up and quit being ethnocentric. Sigh."</p>
<p>Yeah, but it's true; they are the ones that need to deal with it. (Note that I said "diplomatic language" in my post, when referring to French.) </p>
<p>"I have no doubt that my GPA would have been substantially higher had I chosen to earn those credits in more conventional subjects."</p>
<p>Oh man, I am still debating whether I should give ancient Greek a try this fall, or not. That comment is not helping:).</p>
<p>"To be fair though, there have been non-natives who have gone on the become fantastic assets to law and other similarly complex fields." </p>
<p>Of course, even basic knowledge of any given language will be an asset. All you would need is some common sense and people-reading skills, along with a translator:). I've seen deals closed that way (both parties stared intensely at each other the whole time, though -- that was a bit uncomfy:D).</p>
<p>"I mean, I had professors in college who were non-natives yet spoke English with near 99% complete fluency."</p>
<p>True, but professors speaking a foreign language are not risking much; If one doesn't really understand a professor, one simply reads the book or asks a TA. As a lawyer trying to practice in a foreign language, however, one would be risking quite a bit. For instance, just imagine having to take the LSAT in that foreign language; in fact, now that I think of it, that should be the standard of profiency needed. I doubt most people would want to take the LSAT in Spanish, French, and of course definitely not in an Asian language.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Oh man, I am still debating whether I should give ancient Greek a try this fall, or not. That comment is not helping
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Just give it to old "college try." Hyuk hyuk.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Yeah, but it's true; they are the ones that need to deal with it. (Note that I said "diplomatic language" in my post, when referring to French.)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You just hate other cultures. That's what I get told. :p</p>
<p>
[quote]
True, but professors speaking a foreign language are not risking much; If one doesn't really understand a professor, one simply reads the book or asks a TA.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>True. But two men that come to mind would've had no problem taking and doing well on the LSAT. These two men, though not natives, were pheonomenal speakers. Native nuances, understanding of contemporary slang, the ability to fluently and swiftly switch between two languages.</p>
<p>Granted, both of them grew up in truly multi-lingual communities (one in Switzerland, the other in China (speaking both Cantonese and Mandarin.)</p>
<p>Unless you're taught from early on to learn languages like that, however, you're probably pretty much screwed at this point.</p>
<p>^Right, I don't think the professors are in the same situation, as most educated people in non-English-speaking countries are still taught English at a very intensively level from an early age. And the professors have presumably spent years living in an English-speaking country as well.</p>
<p>Oh, that's why I mentioned the caveat of "both grew up in multi-lingual communities." :p</p>
<p>But yeah, it's pretty much a done deal at this point, trying to learn Chinese or Japanese. I mean, I'm not some dunce, and I work hard at it, but I would say that I have at least another 2 or 3 years left before I can even hope to comfortably read a newspaper in Japanese.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
Major GPA (poli sci) 3.8
Minor GPA (Japanese) 3.5
[/QUOTE]
Heh, that's exactly the opposite of me!</p>
<p>Major GPA: Computer Science, 3.6
Minor GPA: Japanese Language, 3.85
(Almost minored in Math, with a 3.92)</p>
<p>Sadly, my overall GPA is closer to my major GPA, since I ended up taking a lot of CS courses. More than was required for graduation. :(</p>
<p>cslaw,</p>
<p>I took an 8 unit intenseive summer course at ICU in Tokyo, and I sorta got a B. That killed my GPA. I mean, I wouldn't have traded the experience for anything, but I do wish I had spent fewer nights in Shinjuku at bars and more of them studying my kanji...</p>
<p>Shou ga nai! Tanoshikatta!</p>
<p>ほんとうにしょうがないですよね。いまものほんですんでいますか？</p>
<p>Argh, too much hiragana...</p>
<p>質問は今「日本に住んでいるか」だか？ それだったら、今も日本に住んでいる。 だけど、佐賀県（さがけん）に住んで、小さい肥前という町で働いている。 田舎が嫌いよね。 </p>
<p>多き都市で生まれて、やっぱり田舎の生活はあまり好きじゃないんだ。</p>
<p>しょうがない。</p>
<p>:p</p>
<p>oh please. :)</p>
<p>What? Inaka blows, man.</p>
<p>There's an effin' rice paddy across from my driveway. It smells funny.</p>
<p>The bugs! They're ginormous!</p>