So is law school worth it or not?

[CTGuy]

Originally Posted by zbromer

People tend to get so wrapped up in these numbers games. Best grades, best LSAT, best law school, best firm. *******. Work hard and find something you enjoy. For some people working 80 hours a week doing doc review and making a lot of money makes them happy. For others working as a public defender making 40 grand makes them happy. Going to a top-20 school and working it some fancy firm is not the be-all of existence for lawyers. Find out what's right for you, and don't stress so much about all this.

You are so totally correct. The other thing is that the lawyers and students discussing this tend to have a very specific, risk averse personality. They want to tell you and know themselves that they have it all wrapped up when they get out of school and are guaranteed the money. The reality is-- they most likely will make quite a bit, but there are plenty of people who get out of school and struggle a little, but end up taking the risks that make them exponentially more successful than there BigLaw counterparts.

 

[samblau]

Originally Posted by CTGuy

You are so totally correct. The other thing is that the lawyers and students discussing this tend to have a very specific, risk averse personality. They want to tell you and know themselves that they have it all wrapped up when they get out of school and are guaranteed the money. The reality is-- they most likely will make quite a bit, but there are plenty of people who get out of school and struggle a little, but end up taking the risks that make them exponentially more successful than there BigLaw counterparts.

Risk must be taken in regard to the potential reward. It is true that lawyers with experience can do quite well and that only a very few jobs will permanently exclude people without top 10 educations etc. There are now 200 US Law School with ABA Certification and each year sets a new record for the number of people who both take and pass the bar. The cost of law school has wildly surpassed the rate of inflation whereas entry level salries have remained stagnant for years and competition is more fierce than ever. Even if the above is true, that success will come with time. the fact is that loans require students to shoot for the stars and sell their souls to BigLaw. Based on full tution costs more than half of all recent graduates can expect net earnings of less than most paralegals at NY firms working less hours and with 3 more years of earnings and experience. IMHO that is not a good risk to take. This can of course be counteracted by working and going to school part time and/or going to a school that offers you more scholarship money. Education is an investment and like all investments due diligence must be done. The few general rules I would subscribe to are: 1. Pay for top 14 if nesc. 2. do not go anywhere outside of the top 50 unless its free.severly reduced 3. Unless a school is more than 10 slots ahead take whichever offers you more money 4. shamelessly pit them against one another 5. bust your ass on the LSAT for as long as it takes to break 165 (as someone who missed this bythismuch I strongly suggest this. I am familiar with admissions procedures, the LSAT DOES matter that much, even moreso at lower ranked schools). The decision is not one to be made lightly. Weigh all of your options, speak to current students and alumni and if possible try and secure a job ASAP.

 

[Mentos]

Originally Posted by CTGuy

You are so totally correct. The other thing is that the lawyers and students discussing this tend to have a very specific, risk averse personality. They want to tell you and know themselves that they have it all wrapped up when they get out of school and are guaranteed the money. The reality is-- they most likely will make quite a bit, but there are plenty of people who get out of school and struggle a little, but end up taking the risks that make them exponentially more successful than there BigLaw counterparts.

This is all true so far as it goes, but a lot of people who imagine themselves, for example, working for the ACLU will find such positions very difficult to get unless they go to a big-name law school, and if they do go to a big-name school, they'll almost certainly have a lot of debt. Public defender positions can be easier to get, though many, such as PDS in DC, are far, far tougher to get than biglaw gigs.

However bullshit the legal profession hierarchies may be, I don't think that anyone should ignore them when deciding whether to pay the exorbitant cost of law school.

 

[lee_44106]

Top GPA/LSAT scores may not get you into a top 20 school, but it at least will merit you a consideration. The same cannot be said of extracurricular activities in the absence of top grades/numbers.

Another thing, there will always be examples of people who succeed in a non-traditional way. Look at Johnny Cochran: from a no name school and end up doing pretty well. My only point is that on average, graduating from a top school will lead to more success, all things being equal.

Why incurr all that debt and go to a mid-tier school and come out making less than a paralegal? Does being able to say "I am lawyer" instead of "I'm a paralegal" worth that much?

 

[injung]

I would say it depends on your personality, but it's definitely true that there is a clear distinction between the "laywers" and "everyone else" at my firm. It's not blatant nor is the company trying to create some kind of elitist tiered system, but it's definitely there nonetheless.

Besides I want an office with a window view one of these days =)