<p>Sorry this is so long, but any insight would be GREATLY appreciated. </p>
<p>For several years through high school/beginning of college I wanted to do "business," i.e. investment banking, finance, something to do with stocks, "working on Wall Street," etc. </p>
<p>But through reading about/exploring this field (although I realize it's a very broad one), I've come to the conclusion that if you want to succeed in this field called "business," you either have to be very outgoing, aggressive, and definitely a people-person, or you have to be amazing at math. Because doesn't "business" boil down to working with people and/or numbers?</p>
<p>Unfortunately I have neither of the two qualities stated above, which is where law school comes in. Whenever I read something about law school, there's always something that says "do you like to read and write?" And yes, I do, much more than I have ever liked math/science. I don't mind sitting at a desk and doing research, as long as it's intellectually stimulating, and when I picture being a lawyer (not a trial lawyer), that's generally what I see. And I guess I would prefer that over working at an investment bank, where if you're not aggressive enough you'll get pushed over.</p>
<p>Then again, I obviously have no idea what being a lawyer is like. I suppose things like networking and relationships with people and dealing with clients exist in the law career and can be just as stressful as working in "business." </p>
<p>So back to the title...is it silly for me to want to go to law school based on this notion that it's totally different from "business"? I'm a sophomore in college now and have a little while to decide what the heck I want to do, but really it's not that much time, and it's definitely stressing me out.</p>
<p>Law school requires analytical thinking, often found in the sciences and mathematics. Law school itself is very rigorous, and you must pass a bar exam to be able to actually practice. </p>
<p>There are many types of "business", so I would encourage you to look at all your options.</p>
<p>The business world is big and diverse enough to include people with a wide variety of personalities, and a wide range of aptitudes.</p>
<p>When you're a sophomore in college, it may feel like you only have a little time to make up your mind about career goals, but that's not really the case. You can continue to explore after your graduate. It's not at all uncommon for law students to have taken some time between college and the start of law school; it's virtually mandatory for business school students.</p>
<p>One possible career path that's often overlooked is accounting. Most of the accountants I know are bright, somewhat introverted people who spend their days solving intellectually stimulating problems that don't require a great deal of math.</p>
<p>You'd face the same issue as a lawyer, so I really wouldn't recommend it.</p>
<p>as someone said above, accounting <em>may</em> fit (if you can work on the math)</p>
<p>or perhaps Research/compliance at a financial services firm? For research, you may need to do some math, but it's not as demanding as something like Sales & Trading. Look into Research at the major banks and see if that's something you would like</p>
<p>Going to law school is not the answer if you're simply not a "people person" and don't like numbers. Working at a law firm is just like working at a company. The only difference is, the actual work you're doing is practicing law rather than doing something non-law-related. Learning how to interact effectively with people is important no matter whether you're an entrepreneur, a banker, a lawyer, or a businessman of any type. Figure out what you enjoy doing and do that.</p>
<p>If you're working for the government as a lawyer, which is what a large percentage of lawyers actually end up doing when they get burned out from law firms, the work is a lot of quiet desk work- like you said, reading and writing. It's a common misconception that you have to be this aggressive, outgoing person to be a lawyer, because most people picture lawyers in only a courtroom context.</p>
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If you're working for the government as a lawyer, which is what a large percentage of lawyers actually end up doing when they get burned out from law firms
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<p>It is simply not true that most lawyers work for the government after feeling burned out from their law firm work. On what are you basing this statement?</p>
<p>Many legal jobs working for the government are quite desirable and challenging to obtain. I don't know that you will find many burned out lawyers working that hard to find a highly competitive position, nor is this the path that most lawyers take. Some do, yes. Most lawyers who begin their careers working for law firms following any number of paths, including working for the same or other law firms.</p>
<p>According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics file I once downloaded, of the 760,672 salaried attorneys in the US (2006 figures), 119,286 were government employees (31,443 for the federal government, and 87,843 for state and local governments).</p>
<p>The total number of attorneys cited above excludes sole practitioners, who aren't salaried. (In California, at least, sole practitioners make up about 40% of the bar.)</p>