--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All students enter law school with a…" description: "\"All students enter law school with a certain amount of idealism and desire to serve the public, but after three years of brutal competition we care for..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/john-grisham-974_bigs_all-students-enter-law-school-with-a-cer_1615870.jpg" --- # All students enter law school with a certain amount of… ![“All students enter law school with a certain amount of idealism and desire to serve the public, but after three years of brutal competition we care for nothing but the right job with the right firm where we can make partner in seven years and earn big bucks.” quote by John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/john-grisham-974_bigs_all-students-enter-law-school-with-a-cer_1615870.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/john-grisham-974_bigs_all-students-enter-law-school-with-a-cer_1615870.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/john-grisham-974_bigs_all-students-enter-law-school-with-a-cer_1615870.jpg) > “All students enter law school with a certain amount of idealism and desire to serve the public, but after three years of brutal competition we care for nothing but the right job with the right firm where we can make partner in seven years and earn big bucks.” [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Law students start idealistic, but competition drives them toward profit and status, eroding public service motives. **In simple terms:** Idealism fades to profit focus. Key Takeaway Prioritize values over ambition. Themes career ethics ambition law Mood thoughtful motivational Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - law school counseling - career planning - ethics workshops Key Concepts human behavior corporate culture moral compromise Questions to Reflect On - How can law schools sustain idealism? - What safeguards protect public interest? A Different Perspective Not all lawyers become cynical; some stay service‑oriented. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brutal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brutal/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Competition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competition/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Idealism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idealism/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Law school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-school/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) ## Related quotes > [When you're doing everything right, and you're firm in life, everything comes easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-ramirez/when-you-re-doing-everything-right-and-you-re-firm-in-life-everything/) [Manny Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-ramirez/) > [Trust : years to earn minutes to break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/trust-years-to-earn-minutes-to-break/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [TRUST…?? Years to earn,,,SECONDS to break…@\_@](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silent/trust-years-to-earn-seconds-to-break/) Silent > [T R U S T . Years to earn, Seconds to break.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/t-r-u-s-t-years-to-earn-seconds-to-break/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [When we manage a restaurant, we start making money from the first day. When we own a place, it's often five years before we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-boulud/when-we-manage-a-restaurant-we-start-making-money-from-the-first-day/) [Daniel Boulud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-boulud/) > [Ken Heitz got drafted by the Bucks the same year I did. He went to their camp just for the experience, then dropped out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/ken-heitz-got-drafted-by-the-bucks-the-same-year-i-did-he-went-to/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [Keeping a guy in prison costs 50,000 bucks a year. Executing one costs a couple million.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/keeping-a-guy-in-prison-costs-50-000-bucks-a-year-executing-one-costs/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [She was pondering the option of law school, the great American baby-sitter for directionless postgrads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/she-was-pondering-the-option-of-law-school-the-great-american-baby/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [We learned after the first semester in law school that it's best never to discuss exams. If notes are compared afterwards, you become painfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/we-learned-after-the-first-semester-in-law-school-that-it-s-best/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“I can feel the competition here, very much like the first few weeks of law school when we were terribly concerned with each other's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/i-can-feel-the-competition-here-very-much-like-the-first-few-weeks-of/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [ “\[you’ll acquire\] A certain amount of cynicism. This business works on you. When you were in law school you had some noble idea what… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/you-ll-acquire-a-certain-amount-of-cynicism-this-business-works-on/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“She fell for the scam that easy federal money could make law school possible for everyone, and took the first bold steps that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/she-fell-for-the-scam-that-easy-federal-money-could-make-law-school/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“You mentioned law school," he said, and this grabbed her attention. They talked about it at length, with Jake careful not to make his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/you-mentioned-law-school-he-said-and-this-grabbed-her-attention-they/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“A major flaw in this defective system is that no LSAT score is too low to be admitted. These dipshit law schools will take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/a-major-flaw-in-this-defective-system-is-that-no-lsat-score-is-too/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“Like a snake creeping through the undergrowth, I sneak into the law school well past noon and hours after both of my scheduled classes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/like-a-snake-creeping-through-the-undergrowth-i-sneak-into-the-law/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) ## More by John Grisham > [“Do you read them? Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald?" "Only if I have to. I try to avoid old dead white men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/do-you-read-them-faulkner-hemingway-fitzgerald-only-if-i-have-to-i/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“Cuando duermes, engañas al sistema. El tiempo del sueño te pertenece a ti y no al Estado.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/cuando-duermes-enga-as-al-sistema-el-tiempo-del-sue-o-te-pertenece-a/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“The Senator did not know who owned the jet, nor had he ever met Mr. Trudeau, which in most cultures would seem odd since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/the-senator-did-not-know-who-owned-the-jet-nor-had-he-ever-met-mr/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“What kind of name is Siler-Spence? I mean, what's wrong with these women who use hyphens? What if her name was Skowinski and she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/what-kind-of-name-is-siler-spence-i-mean-what-s-wrong-with-these/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“In that case, the truck driver took the stand, swore to tell the truth, then lied for three hours. He said Gretchen crossed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/in-that-case-the-truck-driver-took-the-stand-swore-to-tell-the-truth/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [I'm being followed so much I'm causing traffic jams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/i-m-being-followed-so-much-i-m-causing-traffic-jams/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [Quite often I can be in a bookshop, standing beneath a great big picture of myself and paying for a book with a credit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/quite-often-i-can-be-in-a-bookshop-standing-beneath-a-great-big/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [Reading is by far the most successful pursuit of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/reading-is-by-far-the-most-successful-pursuit-of-happiness/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“We were invincible because we were eighteen and stupid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/we-were-invincible-because-we-were-eighteen-and-stupid/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“One good thing about jail is that it allows you to think a lot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/one-good-thing-about-jail-is-that-it-allows-you-to-think-a-lot/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [In my case, once you sell a lot of books and you are labeled a bestselling author, the serious critics are never gonna say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/in-my-case-once-you-sell-a-lot-of-books-and-you-are-labeled-a/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [Twenty years on, the books are still fun to write and I've still got lots of stories I want to tell, mainly about social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/twenty-years-on-the-books-are-still-fun-to-write-and-i-ve-still-got/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [Sometimes I can tackle an issue -homelessness, tobacco litigation, insurance fraud, the death penalty - and wrap a good story around it. These are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/sometimes-i-can-tackle-an-issue-homelessness-tobacco-litigation/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“So why do these guys hate your guts?” “Because they believe strip-mining is a good thing. It provides jobs, and there are few jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/so-why-do-these-guys-hate-your-guts-because-they-believe-strip-mining/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“In little pockets of conversation, old men were telling stories of ancient floods. Women were talking of about how much rain there'd been in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/in-little-pockets-of-conversation-old-men-were-telling-stories-of/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) [Explore all 316 John Grisham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "All students enter law school with a certain amount of idealism and desire to serve the public, but after three years of brutal competition we care for nothing but the right job with the right firm where we can make partner in seven years and earn big bucks.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Grisham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/all-students-enter-law-school-with-a-certain-amount-of-idealism-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bigs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/all-students-enter-law-school-with-a-certain-amount-of-idealism-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/john-grisham-974_bigs_all-students-enter-law-school-with-a-cer_1615870.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/john-grisham-974_bigs_all-students-enter-law-school-with-a-cer_1615870.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63e/john-grisham-974_bigs_all-students-enter-law-school-with-a-cer_1615870.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“All students enter law school with a certain amount of idealism and desire to serve the public, but after…” — John Grisham", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Grisham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "All students enter law school with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/all-students-enter-law-school-with-a-certain-amount-of-idealism-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/all-students-enter-law-school-with-a-certain-amount-of-idealism-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```