<p>Over the past year, I have been a mental wreck. I am trying to decide if law school is the best option for me. I have approximately 13 years of Human Resource experience and have worked and flourished in roles and arenas such as labor and employment law, union negotiations, and wage and hour issues. My concern, is this. I presently make a GREAT living of six figures (115k), but have found that my desire lends itself to maybe one day become in-house counsel for a corporation. DO I HAVE to attend and pay an exuberant amount of money to attend law school and gain a degree (JD) for something that law school won't even cover (employment law)?</p>
<p>Is there another option? I have also researched and found that an accredited ABA law school offers a MSL (master of science in law) with a concentration in Employment Law. Would this be the more feasible and financially secure way to go, instead of earning a JD? Could I still work in the legal department of a corporation and give counsel, but maybe not represent in the courtroom? </p>
<p>In total honesty, I have NO interest of stepping into anyone's courtroom but am really passionate about compliance, ethics, and federal state/policies as it relates to employment law. I just need advice on if a law degree makes sense (dollars and cents as well as the stress on personal time, investment, etc.).</p>
<p>Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.</p>
<p>One of the reasons lawyer income has declined over the years is because some of the work that was formerly done by lawyers in a corporate setting is now done by people who are not lawyers. HR departments are a prime example.</p>
<p>I would recommend against doing anything that would lead you to give up your day job. You seem to be on a pretty good career trajectory without a J.D.</p>
<p>You have already established serious credentials as an HR professional; I wouldn’t recommend that you go into debt for a law degree, or a new degree program designed for people who aren’t going to practice law.</p>
<p>I agree with Graybeard. </p>
<p>Our Fortune 500 has several paralegals in that area of law, earning less than half of your current income. We’ve cut back on in-house employment counsel, who rely heavily on paralegals and outside counsel. Of course, every company will handle this differently. Look at your own company, and how it handles the HR legal work. How large is the employment and labor group? How often does it hire attorneys?</p>
<p>I’ve provided support to the HR group at various times in my career, and I think this might be a case of “the grass is always greener.” HR people go to Legal with thorny issues that seem very complex and interesting, when Legal appears to have a lot of power. From the Legal side, we often don’t get to be involved in decision-making or policy decisions until something thorny comes up…before then, the in-house lawyers are just employees with a need-to-know like everyone else, and the interesting work is being done by the HR group. (And whether it’s HR or Legal, the ultimate decision power often resides with Sr. Management and the groups that hold the purse strings.)</p>
<p>If you can make a case for continuing your education and benefiting from the tuition reimbursement program, you could try to get a J.D. in a night-school program while continuing your relationship with your existing employer. Would your company’s HR attorneys recommend a J.D.? I bet they’ll tell you to stay on your current career track.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the above comments, suggestions. I did indeed reach out to our corporate attorney (Labor/Relations) and his response was the same. The time, effort, and sheer cost is NOT worth it. Basically he stated that he wanted to be an attorney and ended up in corporate… He really wanted to practice law. I think I’ll look into getting some additional certifications - CCEP, SPRHM, etc… those would also be reimbursed by the company, and would leave me debt free.</p>
<p>again, thanks to everyone</p>