I am currently a undergrad student double majoring in political science and English in order to increase my chances of getting into a law school. However, as I started studying for the LSATs, I realized that my chances of getting a job has shrunk recently in the few years. Nursing and computer engineering has been seeing a greater future with just their undergrad degrees. This begs the question: what could I do with a political science and English BA other than to go to a law school? What are the chances of finding an administrative governmental job with just these two BAs vs getting a JD (because I have seen people get denied from jobs because they were “over qualified.”) Would it be better to get PhD in political science than to get a JD? What is people’s perspectives on the job growth for those graduating from law schools, as it has recently been really bleak.
What law school do you think you will get into? If it’s a top one, then the answer about the desirability of a JD will vary.
You can find an entry-level administrative job with just a B.A. degree; for most “office” work employers want responsible, punctual people with basic computer and problem-solving skills – the fact that someone earned a college degree (in any major) is usually good evidence of these qualities. There actually tend to be a lot of such entry-level administrative jobs in large law firms in big legal markets – law firms are business themselves and require a lot of administrative resources to operate. Universities, hospitals, and government entities are also very large employers of administrative personnel. Don’t go to law school in less you want to absolutely HAVE to be a lawyer. If you want to be an administrative professional, starting an entry-level position and working for a few years is much more valuable than a J.D. or Ph.D., and you’ll be income positive. If you would like to continue your education after undergrad, there are programs you can explore like M.P.A. or M.P.P., though like all professional degree programs they are tailored towards people with at least a few years of work experience.
Outlook of employment with a J.D. varies wildly based on the school, as HappyAlumnus mentioned.
Well, with my grades, I don’t think I will be able to t go to the top tier ones, and I also want to take advantage of the in=state benefits. Lets say something like SUNY Buffalo or Albany, what are the chances of finding a job with them? Also, as you were saying, going to a law school doesn’t allow anything else? I personally want to be a someone who works in the bureaucracy, but find political science majors to be too common for it. This would decrease my chance of getting a job. That’s why I was thinking more about getting a law degree.
Take a look at some M.P.A. (Master’s of Public Administration) degree programs. They basically amount “government bureaucrat school.” Law school does not cultivate any administrative or public policy skills, aside from legal procedural skills and limited legislative analysis. A decent M.P.A. will be at least as good as a SUNY J.D., but will cost a fraction of the price, and you’ll likely be able to intern at some point with actual bureaucrats (whereas in law school your closest proximity will be perhaps working for government lawyers – there’s a big difference).