<p>I'm wondering what other careers law school is considered a good preparation for. Thanks in advance for your help.</p>
<p>I'm sure others will have all kinds of suggestions, but personally, I have found that if you don't want to practice law, don't go to law school. I have been a legal recruiter for over 20 years and I have dealt with very few people who felt that their law degree prepared them for things outside of law. They may have ended up switching into another career but not into things that a law degree mattered. I cannot tell you how many people over the years call to tell me how disappointed they are that they went to law school because someone told them not to worry because there are all kinds of things they could do - no one bothered to tell them what.</p>
<p>I agree with Cartera 200%. The only exceptions I would make are that (a) if your current employer tells you that they want you to have a legal education in order to be promited to a certain position, and is willing to fund that and (b) if you need a law degree for promotion, such as in certain law enforcement work or in the US Patent & Trademark Office.</p>
<p>Otherwise, do not go to law school if you are not aiming to practice law.</p>
<p>I would say that a law degree would prepare you well to be a Judge. Just throwing that out there.</p>
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I agree with Cartera 200%.
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<p>I would agree with Cartera 200 percent as well. And I will raise you another 200 percent for a total of 400 percent in agreement with Cartera45 on this one.</p>
<p>razorsharp - this may be a first!</p>
<p>cartera 45, you know what they say about great minds thinking alike -- they think alike at least, well, at least once every hundred years. :)</p>
<p>I have always found that many opportunities may present themselves to you through your work as an attorney, such as investment banking, private equity and business development. That said, I agree completely that going to law school because you want to have one of these opportunities is not a wise decision. Most of the opportunities I mentioned are presented to attorneys who have actually worked for several years (at a minimum) as attorneys, who work at big law firms and who have top credentials (on paper, at least). There is also an element of being in the right place at the right time (and working on deals that put you in contact with folks outside of the law who may want to have you join their team). </p>
<p>In any event, while many lawyers do end up working outside of the law in one area or another, going to law school with the goal of finding a job outside of law is not a good use of time or money.</p>
<p>I agree Sally - about opportunities presenting themselves. Unfortunately, I am working with several attorneys right now who left large firms for business adventures that are now on the brink. They want back into a firm now and don't want a pay cut. They are fairly senior, have "walk on water" credentials, but have no business and haven't really practiced for a number of years. They're in a tough place.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I have some former colleagues in the position you describe, cartera, and for many of them, it is not an easy nor a desirable place to be. That said, a partner without a significant, portable book of business who is either de-equitized, demoted or "let go" (none of which are unusual these days, as you know), may be in an even less advantageous position. </p>
<p>I know many lawyers who were lured by the temptation of millions of IPO and private equity dollars during the dot com boom, some of whom ended up incredibly wealthy (we're talking generational wealth, not just "pay-all-cash-for-a-candy-apple-red-Ferrari" kind of wealth), and most of whom ended up unemployed. I think that any professional needs to do a very carefully considered risk/reward calculation when making career moves, because miscalculations can be devastating. That said, I do believe that a talented lawyer with a proven track record in one area or the other, though there may be a pay cut involved, can always find a place for him or herself. </p>
<p>These career decisions are all about tolerance for risk. However, I think that the risk profile is changed in light of the changes in the implied promise of continued partnership that used to exist for law firm partners. You and I both know that law firm partnership is neither assured for a talented associate working his or her way up through the ranks, nor is there any continuing promise or sense of moral obligation on behalf of many law firm partnerships to keep a partner around. Perhaps the "riskier" business side jobs look a lot less like a gamble in light of the changes in nature of what law firm partnership means.</p>
<p>I was on the phone with a law school friend last weekend, who had left his BIGLAW firm after six years (and after having been "assured" that he was definitely on the partnership track, for whatever that statement is worth) to become an investment banker. He made oodles of money since then, bought a big house, a nice car, took great vacations, etc. He got laid off about a month ago, but he has no regrets. He is looking for a job now (both law firms and others), but he has the financial cushion to take his time and find the right opportunity. There is no question that his total compensation will be lower wherever he goes, but he has accepted that. </p>
<p>Perhaps the secret is to avoid the temptation to live to your means? If you never need every dollar of your compensation, then it allows you the flexibility to take a pay cut, if necessary, for a more interesting or more balanced opportunity (or to find a job at all if you lose yours). </p>
<p>Interesting topic! Thanks for the input, cartera.</p>
<p>I know several who have been recruited or are working for the CIA, FBI, ATF, etc... They love lawyers and CPA's.</p>
<p>what about politics?</p>
<p>There's no set path for politics, you can be a peanut farmer and become president. Law can certainly give you a leg up though by helping to build connections, you don't win if you don't have powerful connections.</p>
<p>Do many lawyers come in with the intention of politics?</p>
<p>Yes, but I'm not sure that it is necessarily a very good idea to do it just for politics. If you go to law school without the intention of practicing law, it's a waste of time and money, much to much of both to be a good investment for a hopeful politician. If you want to someday be a politician, but still thoroughly enjoy practicing law, then law school is the way to go. Not to discourage you but understand that politics is extremely competitive and there's no certain way to succeed, and odds are that you wont make it. Go to law school if you want to be a lawyer, if that leads you into a successful political career, all the better.</p>
<p>A lot of sports agents go to law school. Usually the only ones that don't go are the ones that were former athletes.</p>
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I'm wondering what other careers law school is considered a good preparation for. Thanks in advance for your help
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I have always found that many opportunities may present themselves to you through your work as an attorney, such as investment banking, private equity and business development. That said, I agree completely that going to law school because you want to have one of these opportunities is not a wise decision. Most of the opportunities I mentioned are presented to attorneys who have actually worked for several years (at a minimum) as attorneys, who work at big law firms and who have top credentials (on paper, at least). There is also an element of being in the right place at the right time (and working on deals that put you in contact with folks outside of the law who may want to have you join their team).</p>
<p>In any event, while many lawyers do end up working outside of the law in one area or another, going to law school with the goal of finding a job outside of law is not a good use of time or money.
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<p>In his autobiography, Robert Rubin freely admitted that when he went to law school - first HLS, dropping out, then finishing at YLS - he had no intention of working as a lawyer for long, but he just thought that a law degree would be useful for whatever he would end up doing with his life. Seemed to work out extremely well for him; after 2 years at Clearly Gottlieb, he became an associate at Goldman Sachs and within 5 years became general partner in what is clearly one of the most ridiculously fast promotion schedules in the history of investment banking. He eventually became Co-Chairman of GS before joining the Clinton Administration. </p>
<p>Now, we can argue about whether he was wise or not to do this, whether he took a crazy risk and just got lucky or whether he was actually being cunningly crazy like a fox. Personally, I suspect much of it has to do with the fact that this is YLS that we're talking about: the mere fact that you can get in, combined with the powerful Yale brand name serves as a powerful signal to the market. about one's capabilities and hence gives you tremendous career flexibility. I doubt that the same would be true if he had gone to some no-name, 4th tier law school.</p>
<p>I had previously been under the impression that being a sports agent was considered to be "practicing law." Is this not correct?</p>
<p>You don't need a law degree to practice law, it's just that 90% of sports agents have one.</p>
<p>Oops, I meant a law degree to be a sports agent.</p>