Four things I wasted my money on in law school

When you’re in law school, struggling to get by on a part-time job while purchasing textbooks that often cost at least $300 each, every dollar counts. While law school might seem like the place to go “all out” financially, you’re basically shooting yourself in the foot long-term: there’s nothing worse than getting your first “adult” job and being unable to treat yourself because you are too focused paying off the credit card you used during law school with 21% interest. Not that I know that from experience or anything…

Below are four things I wasted my money on in law school, and like they say: caveat emptor.

#1 – The newest version of a textbook.

Every semester, book lists get more and more expensive. For some professors, not only do you need to purchase a textbook, but also supplemental guidebooks/code books as well. These books can add up quickly; the average costs of books per semester, in my case, was at least $800! Take this advice with a grain of salt: you do not need to buy the latest version of the textbook, which often costs significantly more than the previous one. For the most part, the material is the same, and if the book is missing a recent case or legal principle, you can always ask to borrow a classmate’s book for the reading. That being said, the one area you might run into trouble is if the book has gone through a significant overhaul between the two versions; in some cases, the formatting, page numbers, and general organization of the book may be completely different—spend some time comparing the two versions before buying.

#2 – Food.

I was pretty good in this area: I packed my lunch (and sometimes dinner) and only stopped in at our school’s café for an emergency cup of coffee or one of their loaded baked potatoes. But I noticed that many of my classmates purchased all their food from the café, got Doordash (yes, I’m serious), or purchased drive-thru food to bring to class. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but the person who sat behind me in Civil Procedure brought in a fast-food breakfast every day—and I mean every. single. day. He could afford to do that because his father owns a popular law firm, but for the rest of us without that kind of financial support, buying fast food daily is just stupid. It’s bad for your body and bad for your wallet, and you’re going to need both of those things to pass the bar exam and be a successful lawyer.

#3 – A high-tech laptop.

Repeat after me: you do not need an expensive laptop to be successful in law school. Honestly, you don’t. You don’t need a MacBook Air, Alienware, or anything other than a simple, down-to-earth piece of tech. The only reason to consider a MacBook Air is because you can type messages to other Apple users during class, and that can be quite distracting. All you need your computer to do is run Google Drive (or some other cloud storage device), Microsoft Word, the internet, and maybe Microsoft PowerPoint. It should have a webcam and microphone for online classes and that’s it. There’s no need for a supercharged $1,000 laptop that can edit film or do bitcoin mining—all you’ll be doing is reading cases and writing notes. No need to get fancy.

#4 – A briefcase.

When I was first accepted to an externship with my state’s Supreme Court, I freaked out. I needed new clothes! And a new hair cut! And a briefcase! I was about to be surrounded by some of the top legal minds in the state—I certainly couldn’t show up with my Michael Kors tote and be considered a professional. So searched and searched online until I finally found it: a real leather messenger briefcase with the option to have my initials engraved on the side in gold. Perfect. First of all, I spent way too much money on it, and second, I haven’t touched the thing in years—it’s been in the back of my closet since my externship was completed. Sure, I have a beautiful bag that looks like something Atticus Finch would carry, but I’m not even a litigator. Save your money and buy a regular briefcase if you feel you need one, but a nice tote bag will work just as well.

Take my advice: law school isn’t a competition of who has (or will make) the most money. It’s not a financial free-for-all where the student who has the nicest watch gets the highest grades. It’s a serious, grueling, emotionally taxing three years of studying—don’t borrow on your future just to look good in the present. There will be plenty of that when it comes to paying off student loans.