<p><a href=“10”>quote</a> Being a lawyer changes you. You will see the world differently. You will watch the news differently. Your relationships with your family and others will be changed forever. You will see the world in shades of gray, instead of black and white. You will argue with family members and friends differently. You will be joining a secret club with magic passwords and clubhouses (courthouses).
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<p>LOL, my husband says I speak in outline - (a), (b) (i) (ii), (c), etc. I never hear myself doing that but I must.</p>
<p>I will say that I used to be a fairly decent creative lawyer and I can just write Lawyer now.</p>
<p>“If it’s in your blood, become a lawyer. Whether you go to a T20 or a 4T, your goal should be to never stop working towards the highest professional standards.”</p>
<p>I could not agree more! No one in my family is a lawyer, but I was hooked on Perry Mason. Went to college, graduated, got a job for four years as a paralegal (before there was really such a thing), went to law school (and paid for it myself), did great there (like all my friends who also had done something – anything – else bw college and ls), have worked in big firms and small firms in private practice. But most of my 30 yr career I have had the satisfaction of working in the judiciary. Big sacrifice on the pay scale, but it’s still a real pleasure to go to work every day knowing it’s your job to do the right thing. I am still challenged, educated, overwhelmed, and pleased by what I do, even if I may be only a cog in the big wheel of justice.</p>
<p>So think hard about why you want to go to law school. And what will make you happy when you’re done. And please, don’t just go because you can’t think of anything else to do!</p>
<p>I came into a BigLawFirm as a lateral with 3 years experience. I stayed there about 6 years. Every fall the newbies arrived, and by the next fall 30% of the previous years’ newbies were fired or left. ANd the attrition continued as they rose in seniority. Why? Well, BigLawFirms make money from newbies working their tails off. The newbies don’t get paid by the hour but BigLawFirm does. Newbies start out excited, but after a while get tired. But that was when the economy was robust. Now, BigLawFirms have been hiring but posttponing the start dates by months or upto a year.</p>
<p>Neonzeus’s post was … interesting. Some of it rings true IMHP, some not. Being a lawyer changes you. I remember taking Criminal Law in law school. Every time I saw a cop, I thought he was my pal. Then I took Criminal Procedure and I took a 180. Having gone to just a few days of law school, you will notice how much of the news involves law. I have met many T20, or whatever, lawyers. They put their pants on like the rest of us. Some are smart, some are not. Someone graduates from Hahvahd Law School at the bottom of the class. Also, I have met so many lawyers who just don’t get it --they’re smart, good degrees, but no common sense. Lawyers as the purveyors and guards of ethics – right. I have met more unethical people in this profession than on a used car lot. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen lawyers accusing their opponent of lying and cheating with no basis what so ever, and they were the liars and cheaters (the best defense is a good offense, and they were/are offensive). Sure we get “ethics” is law school and get it in continuing legal education, but I still don’t know how some of my bretheren can sleep at night. Being smart does not mean you’ll do well: John John Kennedy flunked the NY bar exam 3 times, and he was no dummy. In my law school editors of the Law Review (they earned those posts by their high grades as a first year law student) often flunked the bar, while those in the middle and bottom of the class passed on the first try. Maybe that was arrogance on their part, but maybe not. As far as going to court and arguing cases like Perry Mason, well, if you want that become a prosecutor or a public defender. You will be in court constantly. Civil lawyers, well not so much. Large civil cases take years to complete discovery (unlike what you see on TV) and, 80% of the time settle before trial due to the expenses and risks involved. When they do go to trial, don’t expect to do much as a starting lawyer, except passing up the exhibits. TV glamorizes every profession. It’s about 10% true, the rest is fluff. As far as the talk here and elsewhere on CC about taking out loans and big debts, unless you plan to flip burgers at MickeyD’s you are going to have to get some graduate education, which will cost money. The economy will change, maybe you’ll be lucky when you graduate and jobs will be a plenty. in the BigLawFirm I worked at, I saw the tides in almost all department, Real Estate, Bankruptcy, Litigation, Tax, … Just try to find something you like, and pursue it. Law or not Law. If you like what you do, you will be happy, and that’s what really counts.</p>
<p>S was flirting with the idea of law school but ultimately decided that FOR NOW he wants to work a while in a full-time job in his field he secured, after reading about many top 20 law school grads having great difficulty finding jobs. </p>
<p>D may also consider law school at some point, but is still in undergrad & trying to find her way.</p>
<p>I’m an attorney, as are many of our relatives. I have NOT encouraged either child to pursue law, tho I have no doubt they’d be good at it. I’ve seen way too much burn out from law and feel that folks that REALLY WANT it and all it entails don’t need my encouragement. It’s a tough and can be quite lonely road to law school & practicing law. The expense of law school is MUCH higher than it was when I attended back in the dark ages (with great merit awards).</p>
<p>When in doubt, I’d definitely recommend working for public interest law firms as volunteer or close to minimum wage. They always need messengers and other help at law firms. You can also take a course or two for paralegals at your local community college (or perhaps some business law courses at local U) to get a taste of some of what you might cover in law school.</p>
<p>FWIW, I actually enjoyed law school very much & some aspects of practicing law. I still don’t think it’s a good fit for many, many people.</p>
<p>You know, the content of this thread is very similar to the “should I go to medical school?” thread. </p>
<p>My Primary Care doctor is part of the only medical practice in town … he just turned 40 and is working three jobs trying to put away some money for his children’s college educations. He too, feels trapped and beaten down by “the system.”</p>
<p>It’ll keep me out of credit card debt…you can’t spend money on frivolous crap if you’re in the office when the stores are open and you’re too tired to go online when they’re not…</p>
<p>The other day, I was at a lunch following a funeral of an attorney who had smoked heavily (died of lung cancer at 71). One of the women at the table said that the smartest thing she ever did was come back to go to public U law school so she could graduate w/o debt compared to many of her friends who preferred to go to “prestiguous” law schools & graduate with heavy debt. She went on to practice trial law for 7 years and has now switched to be ethics counsel for an international company in Silicon Valley. She has not found it to be a detriment that she chose NOT to attend “big name” law school and incur debt for her career.</p>
<p>I also went to a public U law school & graduated with virtually no debt (I had enough money in my savings account to pay off the debt when I graduated from undergrad & law school). I STRONGLY feel I kept myself free to have many options by my choice of a low-priced law school (which happens to be in the top 30 in the nation under most polls). It did allow me the freedom to stop out of law to raise my family, work part time, and now switch to starting & running a non-profit pubic health organization.</p>
<p>I know another person who had the option of a private law school with significant merit aid or at public in-state law school living at home, where she planned to return to practice. She opted for the in-state public where she excelled and is working at a top firm in-state and has recently bought a lovely house with her husband, who also attended in-state U law school (& is working in the public sector for much less $, but gaining experience). They could NOT have even considered purchasing a home if they had crushing debt incurred in college & law school. Her hubby did incur some debt but MUCH less than if he had attended any other law school.</p>
<p>I have been a practicing lawyer for well over 20 years. There are many different types of law and law firms. I have worked for a huge national law firm, a small to medium sized firm, and now for the government. Your experience will vary greatly depending upon the type of job, the size of firm, area of practice within the firm, etc. A Deputy District Attorney’s daily life is vastly different from a young lawyer at a large firm. So, before you clerk, or shadow any lawyer, I would put some thought into what type of law and practice you are interested.</p>
<p>When everything is so iffy in the economy right now (with the exception of health care) I think it frees people to follow their passions.</p>
<p>So, if I’m reading this thread correctly, don’t go to law school as a practical choice – go because it’s your passion and there is nothing else that excites you in the same way.</p>
<p>On those terms, and because my D is going to attend a very reasonable school in her chosen field, public law, I fully support her decision.</p>
<p>mythmom,
I totally agree with you. Those people who have a passion for a job will definitely find jobs in any type of economy, whether it is law or something else.</p>
<p>yeah I read that yahoo article too. The problem is that while a lot of american students know a professional degree is a good way to secure a good living, a lot don’t want to put in the time necessary for med school/engineering. Now I’m not saying law school isn’t hard work, but relative to other professional schools, its easier. Its important for young american students like us to consider a major that is both practical and enjoyable.</p>
<p>Interesting thread. D took her first LSAT prep class today. She will very likely take a year or two off to work, but this is the perfect time in her life for the prep & test. Paying for law school would require a lot of borrowing on her part, and she wants to make sure it’s something she truly wants/needs to do before she commits to it. In the meantime, she is looking forward to working rather than school, for awhile. She has one more year of undergrad, during which she will have to try to get a job (not easy in this economy). She has been reading the stories of young lawyers with huge debt & no job, so she is approaching it carefully …</p>
<p>Jobs are not plentiful in biglaw now, biglaw is shedding jobs, reevaluating pricing and cutting compensation. Biglaw in general has also only hired grads of top schools and has had very limited opportunities for others.</p>