<p>well, at least since Shakespeare but probably a lot longer, lawyers don’t get the benefit of the doubt. we used to hate surgeons before there was anesthesia and antiseptics, but I don’t see lawyers recovering anytime soon from their status in the public eye as people who can make the weaker argument seem stronger. More importantly, right now there is a glut of lawyers and no hope of change in that situation in the foreseeable future. As each school year brings tens of thousands more lawyers onto the scene, the situation certainly doesn’t get better. It also appears that the dream of acquiring partner status is fading for most lawyers, as are the outrageous salaries of the nineties and early 2000s. You can hope that a law degree from a prestigious law school will make a difference, but it may not. There are plenty of recent ivy-grad lawyers walking their dogs each afternoon and wondering how they’re going to get out of school loans so they can buy a house and send kids to college. My advice based on what I know of the legal profession from reading, talking to lawyers, advising students about law school, etc., is that if you’re going to go to law school you’ll be much better off if someone else pays for it. I think it’s clear where I stand on the decision you have to make, but that’s totally irrelevant. It’s all about you, OP, who you are, what you want, and how you respond to hurdles and misfortune. </p>