Why did Henry James leave Harvard Law School without becoming a lawyer?

When Henry James enrolled at Harvard Law School at the age of 19, he did not pursue a legal career because his interests lay elsewhere. Rather than focusing on his legal studies, he dedicated his time to reading literature, specifically the works of Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve, Honoré de Balzac, and Nathaniel Hawthorne.1

His commitment to writing soon took precedence; he published his first story anonymously just two years later, followed by book reviews in the North American Review. This early focus on literary pursuits led him to become one of the most skillful short story writers of his time and a central figure in the era of American realism.1