| Topic Name: |
Why I DIDN'T choose law school |
| Message Name: |
I'd Like to Add... |
| Date Posted: |
10/03/2002 |
| In Reply To: |
During my last year of college, I told several professors (all who had law degrees) I wanted to go to law school. They ALL said, ??Fine, but you really should work in a law firm for a year or two first and see if its really what you want to do. Many people who go straight to law school out of college have no idea what they are in for when they graduate.?? Now, a few years later, I realize that was the BEST advice I got while in college!
And now, after having seen what the practice of law is really like, I??ve decided not to go to law school. Here are some reasons why:
First, I realized early on that most lawyers wish they had chosen another occupation. The level of job dissatisfaction is quite high among lawyers. Unfortunately, many who want to can??t leave the profession because of student loans that eat up 25%+ of their take-home pay.
Second, if you don??t graduate in the top 25% of your class (and by default 75% of you won??t), jobs are SCARCE! Even once-plentiful temp jobs are hard to come by these days. It is important to remember that currently the law schools are pumping out FAR more grads than there are jobs for those grads.
Third, unless you??re one of the few who get a BIGLAW job, the pay really isn??t that great, and certainly not what it used to be. Most lawyers I know make between $50K-75K, which after taxes and student loan payments is more like $30-50K. And remember??that is for working anywhere from 50-80 hours/week!
Fourth, the work is, quite frankly, tedious and boring. 90% of all legal work is unsatisfying and glorified paper-pushing. Unfortunately, they don??t usually tell you that in law school. You find out only after you have $100k invested in your education.
Now, I don??t mean to sound too negative. After all, some lawyers really do love their jobs, and some people fulfill lifetime dreams when they attach that ??ESQ?? to their name. But seriously, for those of you reading this that are thinking about law school, please let me pass on the advice that was passed on to me: ??If you REALLY want to go to law school, work in a law firm FIRST for a year or two.?? If you decide that its for you, great. You??ll have legal experience under your belt that will make law school all the more easy. And if you decide, like I have, that being a lawyer isn??t quite as great as most people think, you??ll have saved yourself big $$$, 3 years, and your sanity.
|
| Message: |
In addition what you've mentioned digeridoo, I'd also like to make a simple observation. Today it seems to me that most people are concerned with the salaries they can potentially earn from their jobs rather than the SATISFACTION they will get from their duties. You can never truly excel at anything you do not enjoy; So if you're only contemplating going to law school for the fancy title, you need to look into your motives more before making your decision.
Furthermore, let's imagine that we are fortunate enough to earn 150+K/yr as a lawyer, does this necessarily mean that we will be happy or fulfilled? No. I work for an accounting firm and hold a well-coveted position. However, I have made the decision to leave my field because I find the duties to be unsatisfying and a chore. All I'm trying to say people is this: Look for what will make you HAPPY. If you truly want to be a lawyer then the salary won't matter. Similarly you could earn a great salary and gripe perpetually about your occupation. Just my thoughts everyone. Good luck!
|
|
