<p>The Florida Bar News has a Letter to the Editor:</p>
<p>"Wages for new or young lawyers (given the cost and duration of legal education) are generally pathetic and sometimes downright laughable. Factoring in actual hours worked, it's even more depressing"</p>
<p>I have no idea why someone would want to become a lawyer. I am probably missing some information, but it seems a little depressing. Work insane hours, a lot of them hate their job. You do it all so one day you’ll have a chance at making partner? I’m sure thats not the whole story I just want to get a prospective lawyer’s views… But then again everyone wants different things which makes the world go round… im just curious not trying to offend… Also im sure there are specific types of law that can be very interesting and cool… but for the basic route in the class law firm… thats my question…</p>
<p>
In some sense, the same reason people buy lottery tickets. You don’t know if you’re going to win or not, and you understand the odds are long, but for those that win the payoff is big. Salaries in law have two peaks; most people don’t make all that much (if they even find work directly involved in law), but some get offers at the top firms and cash in when they hit partner. People tend to underestimate risk and identify themselves with the lawyers that win big, not the larger number that end up with lots of debt and not a lot of prospects. Add in people who see the end of college coming up and have no real idea of what they will do for a living, postponing that decision for 3 more years along with the possibility of a huge payoff turns it into a compelling thought…</p>
<p>Ya but you have to literally work insane hours for years… all for the possibility of making a great salary? I think that’s insane… From what I’ve seen most people who don’t know what there doing or are very conservative people go to law school. Although I completely understand that some people go knowing what the want to do and could go into some pretty interesting fields with law…</p>
<p>Even if you do get a job at a top firm, you will work 70 hours a week, 7 days a week.</p>
<p>It is very unlikely you will make partner. In fact, you probably won’t even come close.</p>
<p>Then, you will soon find yourself begging for a job at a lousy 15 man law firm, and still work 7 days a week. And your job will always be in serious jeopardy, because that law firm will be getting tons of resumes every day from super-qualified people who have either been fired at the big firms, or see that things are heading in that direction.</p>
<p>Also, what a lot of people don’t know is that if you don’t become a partner, there are few jobs for attorneys after age 35 or so. Most employment ads ask for either 1-3 years of experience, or 3-5.</p>
<p>I could go on for hours on this subject. My views are not based only on my own experiences, but also that of a myriad of friends and co-workers, many with super top credentials. </p>
<p>There have previously been posts on CC calling law schools a “scam”. Another about a girl who was working as a stripper because she couldn’t find a job as a lawyer. Another about people who are applying for paralegal jobs and hiding the fact that they actually have law degrees. </p>
<p>I was given this advice 30 years ago, but pooh poohed it. Many of you will do so as well, but consider yourselves warned. </p>
<p>When I posted such messages before, I would even get nasty responses, often from parents whose kids are going to law school, who don’t want to hear the truth.</p>
<p>If you are smart enough to get into a law school, you are smart enough to be a success in some other field.</p>
<p>“I have no idea why someone would want to become a lawyer.”</p>
<p>Because they believe they will enjoy the work.</p>
<p>I’m trying very hard to believe that, anyway. The rational part of my brain knows that just isn’t true. I’m sure the two reasons most choose the profession are money and prestige, which is the same reason many go to med school or business school. They think it will make them rich and powerful.</p>
<p>Exactly… What work do people think they will enjoy? Reading through hundreds of papers to highlight every time a case or name is mentioned… not that thats what they do but a lot of the paralegals and new comers do crap work like that… Also the stage of med school for rich and powerful is waaayyy over… Yes, they will make a good living. Rich and powerful highly unlikely unless your a top plastic surgeon, or your at the top of really good paying fields. Forget how hard it is to get there… past med schools and all that… once you do get that specialty… think how hard it is to then get to the top of the field… your talking single percents…
Business you clearly have the most potential money wise, but that doesn’t mean its easier in the slightest than the others to get there.</p>
<p>“I have no idea why someone would want to become a lawyer.”</p>
<p>Personally, I can tell you law is my absolute passion in life. I wouldn’t be happy doing anything else short of training horses/doing lessons for kids and that takes an unbelievable investment with no guarantee you’ll actually be able to keep your head above the water. Everything in life is a risk. I’ve been on my school’s mock trial team for two years and cannot get enough of it. I can’t realistically expect that being a real lawyer would be quite as much fun, but oh my gosh do I love getting up and doing a cross exam. Some people were just born to command a court room. </p>
<p>And wages are definitely highly dependent on where you decide to specialize. Of course if you do something like public defending, and this is probably the most sad, you typically end up being paid a lot less than other fields, and it’s not just as a young lawyer. On the other hand, you become an established entertainment lawyer, and you’re probably sitting pretty.</p>
<p>Who needs partner when you’re going to start your own law firm? ;)</p>
<p>Haha o gosh- JE!!! Thats NOT WHAT LAW IS!!!. Thats called a prosecutor… there are actually very few of those and most people don’t do that… most people who go into law end up at a desk the rest of their career.</p>
<p>Excuse me, but you’re wrong. Not only the prosecution does cross exams, defense does as well. Nor are cross exams only given in criminal cases, but civil as well, again by both the plaintiff and defendant’s representatives. Mock trial is a competition format, remember that. </p>
<p>The implication was that I like trial law, which is the only law I’d ever find myself wrapped up in.</p>
<p>Nah im not wrong- most people do not go into that type of law.</p>
<p>^ 2 different accounts?</p>
<p>I think you missed what I was talking about.
This:
“Thats NOT WHAT LAW IS!!!. Thats called a prosecutor…”</p>
<p>Is completely false. </p>
<p>Why does it matter if “most” people don’t go into that type of law? “Most” people don’t go into corporate law. “Most” people don’t go into entertainment law. “Most” people don’t go into family law. So what exactly does it prove? </p>
<p>How is it any less valid for the point that the writer in OP’s post is trying to make, or my thoughts on it for that matter?</p>
<p>You go off asking why people would ever want to be a lawyer (a subject you quite honestly appear to know little about) then when I give you my opinion on the matter you dismiss it because “most people do not go into that type of law”? </p>
<p>How silly.</p>
<p>JE i wish what you said was 100% true… but i think that even for prosecutors and defense lawyers most of the cases are settled and only a small percentage of cases go in front of a jury or judge. Once again, this is for the MAJORITy that practice law</p>
<p>OP set out the bait for discussion and here we are…</p>
<p>my dads a lawyer and he just got home like ten minutes ago after working all day 8-10 is a long day</p>
<p>It is but perks hopefully come with hard work.</p>
<p>What about the lawyers that do will and estate? They seem to have fancy office and charge $5000+ a pop.</p>
<p>I honestly think this kind of post is discouraging to kids who are looking at colleges, and perhaps want to be a lawyer sometime in their future. I am an Engineer and there are times when we do work 60-70 hrs/week (and NO overtime). Talk to all the young Engineers/Computer scientists in some of the companies. They are working long hours as well and weekends. The truth of the matter is, any professional career needs hard work and time commitment. My friend who is a lawyer specializes in corporate law, has a wonderful job and loves it. A few others I know, are relatively successful as well. Then there are the criminal defense lawyers who go all out. We need lawyers as we need Engineers and Doctors. If you are good and willing to work at it, you can be successful. There are risks in any field, especially with the economy being the way it is these days.</p>
<p>@ JEquestrian: I am glad that there are people like you going into law. My passion is medicine, but whenever I tell people I want to go to med school, they usually just assume I’m in it for the money or the respect. I can’t really blame them for thinking that, either. Most go in to these professions for money or because it’s a “respectable” job. It’s kind of disappointing to me when I hear about someone who spends that much time in school and ends up hating their job.</p>