Is going for International Law-Human Rights a ridiculous decision if I don't want to be a Lawyer?

Graduate School Law School
1

I have not been able to find sufficient information regarding this, let’s call it an issue, I’m facing. I am currently about to graduate from a very well known university in Iran (the University of Tehran). My undergraduate major is Mathematics. I used to really strongly hate it, and rightfully so. I was depressed, dealing with a huge loss in my life, and was forced to study something I didn’t want to. I have changed a lot since I chose this major. Back then, all I cared about was the prestige a college major’s name had. “Electronics Engineering”! Wow, only the best of the best study that.

Right now, all I care about is doing something that I care about. So far in my undergraduate studies, I have enjoyed a few classes more than the others. Obviously, none of these are math related. I got a 100% in English, which I knew I would, a 90% in Sociology and another 100% in Population and Family studies. I also got a 100% on the research I did for Economy class, but I didn’t really like Economy. (Despite getting 88% on the final score). What did all of these classes have in common? Research opportunities, about things I actually cared about.

I love a class in which you get to discuss ideas and give lectures/presentations about your own opinions and watch others do the same and then discuss their ideas. This is the setting I work best at, and none of my Math classes provided such thing. They were basically the professor writing a theorem and a proof and explaining it. Something I had no desire to listen to. There were a couple of classes that I enjoyed, and funnily enough, the professors asked the students to join in on solving the problems. Those I actually liked as well.

Now, I don’t really see myself as a lawyer. I’m passionate about Human Rights. This is something that’s too close to home for me, living in a developing religious country and seeing people’s basic rights being overlook on so many occasions. The career path I have always wanted to pursue is Film. Becoming a writer, director, actress. And I think a degree in law is going to help me with that, as well as giving me a better world view. If someone told me I could never study Human Rights, I’d still get a few books and read them on my own to gain knowledge.

The reason I’m thinking of an education, and especially abroad, is because I would like to use my knowledge in different settings. I want to know about the world and people’s problems. Not just limiting myself to my neighborhood. Speaking of which, I’m extremely good at learning languages and already speak about 3 (French is killing me, though) but I am willing to put in the work if necessary, or even unnecessary. Just the idea of having a degree that is going to help me around the world, and help people around the world is amazing to me.

So, my fellow Graduate school applicants, am I doing the right thing pursuing this?

2

Then don’t apply to law school.

No, no it will not. (hint: look into film school.)

3

Bluebayou’s short-but-to-the-point response is 100% correct. US law schools are incredibly expensive. There are too many lawyers, and many are having a hard time finding jobs. Human rights lawyers aren’t exactly a hot commodity. (Business contracts, taxes, intellectual property - more so.)

Few professions require having more contacts, connections and hands-on experience than the film industry. Going to law school isn’t going to give you any of these.

By the way, your English is excellent.

4

I agree with all of the above. Law school is

  1. expensive (although I went to a state school, because I wasn’t interested in the big firm jobs),
  2. hard - harder than you think, no matter how hard you think it is, and
  3. utterly useless to most people who don’t want to be lawyers.

I never understood the people who were there to do something else - do people go to nursing school who don’t want to be nurses? Although I do understand the people who don’t figure that out until after they enroll.

My first year, we were doing our Moot Court project, and my partner and I were in the library (we used those then!), and I was dashing around, tossing books on the table, telling him, “Here’s one! Read this case!”

He looked up at me with the saddest eyes I have ever seen, and said, “You actually like this, don’t you.” It wasn’t a question, it was an accusation.

Later that week he packed in the middle of the night and left school.

Don’t be that guy.