<p>
[quote]
“Avoid this overpriced sewer pit as if your life depended on it,” writes the anonymous author of the blog Third Tier Reality — a reference to the second-to-bottom tier of the U.S. News rankings — in a typically scatological review. “Unless, of course, you think that you will be better off with $110k-$190k in NON-DISCHARGEABLE debt for a degree that qualifies you to wait tables at the Battery Park Bar and Lounge.”
[/quote]
</p>
<p>This is why you only go to T4 Law Schools and build connections while you’re there. hahaha </p>
<p>I read all seven pages of that article but here’s a sparknote version for people who don’t have time:</p>
<p>If you get under a 165 in the LSAT and/or your GPA is under 3.7, do not pursue a law degree. With very minor, if any exceptions.</p>
<p>I hope you were being sarcastic about the t4 thing. Im pretty sure getting a JD from Cornell, Michigan, Virginia, Georgetown, Penn etc. would make networking and getting hired a breeze</p>
<p>I dont know how you can accumulate that much debt going to a lower tier law school, since you would most likely be going in state and not paying anywhere close enough to get in debt of 100,000k plus</p>
<p>Also, take articles like this with a grain of salt. I could find similar articles for ANY major and have heard it all. If you have aspirations go for them. If you don’t then go be an accounting major</p>
<p>^^ I have a friend who graduated from Harvard Law with good GPA and internship at a Big Law firm. His full-time offer got yanked amid the downtown and he is now working for peanuts at a small legal assistance shop.</p>
<p>Even a JD from Harvard, Yale, Columbia, etc. does not guarantee you anything. In fact, all of my friends who graduated from law school, that I’ve counted on facebook, are all unemployed or looking for work that isn’t at a hole-in-the-wall legal services firm.</p>
<p>Hello everyone. My name is Pawnmaster. Let me first say this is a really cool site. Anyway, speaking of law school what are the chances of anyone landing a really good job as a lawyer in the next few years upon graduating law school?</p>
<p>Getting an associate position at a Big Law firm would be considered a “really good job” by universally all law school students. Chances of getting said position is less than 1%.</p>
<p>Less than 1% wow! O.K. now that is scary. Now you take a guy like me who will be graduating soon, is considering attending a 4 tier law school (by the way is that a good tier number or bad?) G.P.A.: lets say 3.0 no higher than 3.2., Lsat score: 140 region or lower; after attending law school for all three years and taking into consideration the economic downturn is it likely that I’m going to find a well paying job to help pay off the nightmare loans, keep a roof over my head, have kids and prevent me and my wife from one day filing for divorce?</p>
<p>Is the $70,000-$80,000 a year pay for some lawyers still a reality or is this just wishful thinking?</p>
<p>pawnmaster. don’t waste your money on a tier 4 law school. 4th tier is not good; especially not if you want to get a job in the legal sector. read the article. at this point most law schools are just trying to suck people out of their money. you’re going to rack up a crapload of debt and won’t even get a job in the legal sector that can help you pay it off.</p>
<p>LOL at UKclassof13’s comments. Have you seen GULC’s OCI results? Go to xoxo so they can put you into shape. </p>
<p>And ditto to krazyk’s comments. HLS had a weak OCI last year, provided it is getting better. The only law school that can come close to guaranteeing employment is YLS.</p>
<p>Oh my gosh. That is a very sobering article. I’m going to have DS read it. He’s just entering undergrad (Fall 2011), but he swears he wants to be a lawyer. I kind of encourage him to consider becoming a teacher (NC has amazing scholarshoip money for would-be teachers), but he’s convinced law pays a lot better, blah blah blah. I don’t know about that. I’ve heard about midwestern and northeastern teachers making six figures – and teachers are actually NEEDED right now.</p>
<p>Thanks for the link!!!</p>
<p>Advise him against law school. Even if he chooses against teaching, go with an engineering/math UG degree—far more employable than a soft BA w/ a JD.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Teachers may be “needed,” but there are also a ton of applicants for jobs: <a href=“Teaching Candidates Aplenty, but the Jobs Are Few - The New York Times”>Teaching Candidates Aplenty, but the Jobs Are Few - The New York Times; And the ones making six figures are almost always going to be senior teachers in suburban districts, or administrators.</p>
<p>After reading that article I believe the circumstances surrounding US NEWS ranking and schools pandering/manipulating stats will never be resolved. Also every student looking at law school should take a hard look at their reasoning. Am I going to school because I’m convinced I’ll be awarded a 150,000 salary afterwards?? Am I chasing prestige?? Or am after an education and degree that allow me to benefit the world around me?? or do I only wish to benefit myself???</p>
<p>USN could solve part of the problem by making the denominator “all graduates” rather than “all the graduates we can find.” That’s absurdly easy for USN to do.</p>
<p>That would still leave two problems. (1) Temporary employment or under-employment. (2) Kids who think they’ll win the lottery even with honestly reported numbers.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Thought you’d enjoy this.</p>
<p>I would say going into law school is worth it if you can get into a respectable school, doesnt even have to be t14. Going to the big public school in your state can help you get a local job but I doubt it will hold much water outside of the area (I know a degree from UK or UL wouldn’t mean much outside of the commonwealth)</p>
<p>That’s not to say you will not make good money. I know several lawyers with JD’s from non top 50 schools who make 6 figures, some even over 200,000 a year. Granted this is with 20 plus years of experience</p>
<p>But if you have a passion for law the money is there. I would work on improving that LSAT and trying to get into a more respectable instituion. Don’t believe everything you read on this site, Collegeconfidential tends to be more pessimistic than realistic</p>
<p>All this bad news about law school is causing me to seriously reconsider even going… I read the article. All I can say is “BUMMER.”</p>
<p>Being a lawyer has been my dream for a very long time; but now I’m wondering if the dream is even worth pursuing now if the downside is extreme debt and slim chances finding a job in my chosen field of law.</p>
<p>This is really discouraging news. Maybe now I should consider just making lots of money and instead become an accountant or try to become an I-banker.</p>
<p>It’s not the goal I had in mind but these jobs pay well and provide a secure financial future.</p>
<p>Don’t think like that. I can pull up an article saying why getting a degree in ANY major is bad. There are hundreds of articles saying that Ph. D’s, MBA’s, JDs, etc. are all a waste of time and money. Hell I can even find you articles saying that going to college is a waste of money. They are all opinions from people that don’t matter.</p>
<p>It is the people that don’t listen to the nay sayers and do what they want that live truly successful and happy lives. Trust me you do not want to be an Accountant if it isn’t your true calling. Sure it is the typical “safe” major but if it isn’t for you then do not pursue it.</p>
<p>You have to realize something about this website. The people here are STUPID. The consensus here is that if your degree (not just law, anything) doesn’t come from a top 10 Ivy League school and you aren’t in the top 10 percent graduating then you are F’d.</p>
<p>Which of course, is nonsense. What major cities are near you? Do you think lawyers that work in Dayton, Columbus, Tuscon, etc. all have degrees from the t14? Not at all. Despite what the people on this board say you can go to a non-elite law school, get a year after graduation, and make 6 figure salaries by the time you are in your mid 30s</p>
<p>Now I am not candy coating this. There is a surplus of lawyers in America and the economic climate is still brutal. Thankfully you have a couple of years until graduation to worry about that. It also might not be worth getting a JD if you cant get into either the big state university or a top 50 law school unless you can serious scholarship money from a lesser school</p>
<p>this website is good for many things but reasonable college advice is not one of them. Do what you feel is best for your future and if you work hard everything will be fine</p>
<p>The real problem is not that lawyers can’t find jobs, although admittedly that’s what most folks talk about.</p>
<p>The real problem is that law school is freaking expensive. You end up in a lot of debt – so THEN, if you can’t find a really high-paying job, you turn out in trouble.</p>
<p>Talk about a Catch 22…</p>
<p>Ohio Supreme Court Denies Law License for Grad with $170,000 in Student Loans</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>[Link</a> to article](<a href=“Ohio Supreme Court Denies Law License for Grad with $170,000 in Student Loans - ABC News”>Ohio Supreme Court Denies Law License for Grad with $170,000 in Student Loans - ABC News)</p>