20something profile: Mike

My name is Mike, and I am a native of Northern New Jersey. In the fall of 2010, I graduated from the University of Tampa. I graduated in 3.5 years; my major was Criminology. While enrolled in college, I participated in internships with the State Attorney’s Office of Hillsborough County, Florida; the Fort Lee, NJ Police Department; and the Mahwah, NJ Police Department.

These internships definitely were the foundation for my interest and passion with respect to criminal law. I initially endeavored to join law enforcement; yet, after massive consideration, I decided to pursue law because I felt that law had more opportunities and experiences to offer than law enforcement.

In the fall of 2010, I took the LSAT twice. This test was arduous and extraneous to law, but the exam was mandatory. (Despite having a high GPA, standardized tests were never my strength.) Still, I was ecstatic to begin law school in the fall of 2011 at Jacksonville’s Florida Coastal School of Law.

My first semester was definitely the most innovative and challenging point of my life so far. At first, the profuse amount of court cases, statutes, essays, and arguments I was assigned were difficult to keep up with. But as the months passed, repetition of these assignments ultimately facilitated my law school experience. I went from going out sporadically, due to such large workloads, to balancing my work and enjoyment activities.

As I enter my second year of law school, I am taking fewer required classes; I am able to select specific courses I wish to study. I plan to enroll in mostly criminal law classes. Eventually, I will take the Florida Bar; it is considered to be one of the three most challenging tests for law in this country. Although this test is long, difficult, and crammed, I aspire to succeed after much studying.

Upon law school graduation, I would like to start off working for the State Attorney’s Office. In order to witness as much of this country’s criminal justice system as possible, I would prefer to work in both prosecution and defense roles, prior to going into private practice. Hopefully, I will be able to find a job in the South Florida Metropolitan Area, although I will take whatever I can find.

This economy has definitely been very restricting to most individuals. Jobs are scarce and often require the utmost experience. Money is often a motivation; yet, this economy adds more obstacles in the search of lucrative careers. Law has been comprised of attorneys who once had financial success and powerful voices. Currently, though, many lawyers have been struggling to find jobs.

 I have applied to several jobs for the summer; however, it is nearly impossible to locate a job that requires a college education. Since the jobs that require the highest education are often taken first, only minimal jobs remain. Thus, I continue this summer to search for a temporary job. Also, I am only in New Jersey for short periods of time; therefore, I am at an extreme disadvantage in my job search.

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