Putting Your Hobby to Good Use

If Leo Wolpert tells you he's not in law school for the money, you believe him. Very few 2L students can say that they have a "back-up plan" that could be more lucrative in one night than a whole year at a top firm.

Last Wednesday, ESPN reported that the former poker pro-turned UVA law student won $652,682 in the heads-up world championship poker tournament in Vegas. The baby-faced 26-year old spent two years after college playing professionally before deciding to take his honed skills to the courtroom. If he can read a jury as well as his poker opponents, he should have no problem in a courtroom showdown.

This got us thinking about other sin-taxed hobbies that might transition well into the legal profession should you decide to go straight.

• Wine tasting. Your acute memory of mundane details, in addition to your constant desire to share your knowledge with anyone in earshot, will fare well when recounting cases from decades ago and enlightening the jury as to why they should care.
• Drug dealing. Your entrepreneurial spirit and charisma, combined with blatant disregard for public well-being could help get the country's most dangerous offenders off scott-free. Plus, you probably already know legal loopholes and your Miranda rights by heart. Study break!
• Cigar aficionado. Once you become a successful lawyer, you will wear sharp suits, have a six-figure salary and get to say "I'm a lawyer" at your high school reunion. And, much like the expert wine taster, your attention to subtle differences between cigars will help you focus on the details during long hours of legal research. Keep up with the smoking. You will no longer have to search for excuses to celebrate your awesomeness.

-Posted by Megan Cassidy