You're exactly right. I'm a New York legal recruiter and law school drop out. I didn't realize these things until after 1L, but I decided not to throw good money after bad.

I work with young attorneys every day that are struggling with these truths. It's really hard out there for a young lawyer without strong academic credentials or contacts in the industry. Many end up temping or working in crappy PI firms for 35K/year. When that Fannie Mae payment is $1200/months, it's unsustainable.

I am a first year attorney and I have to say that these myths are pretty much true. The advice given is decent for the average prospective law student. However, if you have a high undergraduate GPA just take the LSAT. It's not a big investment (costs like 100 bucks and only have to study a couple weeks), but if you do well enough to get into a top 15 or 20 lawschool not going could be your biggest mistake. Having just graduated from a top school and going through the whole process, I have a slight problem with the statement in the article saying that if you go to a top school and finish at the top of your class your "job prospects are likely to be strong." Biggest understatement ever. Not only will you have many offers, but they will be for jobs nearing 200k a year total comp. Not bad for a twenty something. enough to pay the loans and buy a new beamer. Now if you go to a top school and dont get near the top or go to a second tier and finish near the top (but not top 1% in which case you might join the overpaid paralegals in category 1) then the statement in the article is more accurate (strong but not fantastic prospects). If you don't fall into one of these categories, you will almost surely have trouble finding a good job. Ok, so the work isnt the most intellectually challenging, nor is it fun. But who cares, when your taking home 5 times what you would have made before you went to lawschool. You get to where nice clothes to work, you have a secretary, people treat you with respect instead of a like the 25 year old they would otherwise think was a punk, you get business cards to hand out to women (or men i guess) you meet at bars, and you get 4 weeks paid vacation. Plus, if you save enough money you could jump out of the game in about 10 years to pursue whatever interests you want. Thats my other problem with the article. Myth 1, is also overly broad. A JD goes along way in the business world, and just like the legal world the better the school the further it will go. Corporations go after JDs all the time and not just for the legal department. They become managers, bankers, and financial advisors. Like any other degree it is a signal of your productivity, determiniation, intellegence, and experience. Anyway, dont let haters like the author of this article get you down. Especially if you were successful in undergrad. Sky is truly the limit.

Do you also get spellcheck on your computer? I think you get to "wear" nice clothes, not "where" nice clothes. Geez, making $200K a year, I'd think you could buy one of those new fangled laptops with spellcheck. Don't underestimate the wisdom of the author. After all, you're (not your) only a 20 something.

Jake, where the heck are you getting "4 weeks paid vacation" from? As a law firm partner, I can tell you that the vacation days are there only in theory. If you can bill 2200+ hours and still manage to take 4 weeks off, more power to you. But if you're falling short, forget about taking any time off.

I was very interested in seeing what comments my post would generate. Just to be clear, there was some element of hyperbole in what I wrote. There are some very legitimate reasons to go to law school and I do believe that law can be a very fulfilling way to earn a living for some.

-Stephen Seckler

Be an engineer! Good paying engineering jobs are readily available with only a bachelor's degree and great paying jobs are easy to come by with a doctorate. Not only that, essentially all engineering doctoral programs will pay you to be a candidate. (Although forget about getting funding for a Master's unless it's from your employer.)
Anybody smart enough to get into a second-tier law school should be smart enough to get into engineering. And the current climate is such that even a B/C bachelor should be able to find a decent entry level position right after graduation. Couple that with the fact that most engineers wind up working in the positions desired by people subscribing to Myth #1… Spending 4 years and 30k on a engineering bachelor's degree at a state university sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

So, in summary (or more accurately, "my point is") being an engineer can readily satisfy 4 of your 5 myths.

Myth #1: Most engineers quickly switch over to managment careers.

Myth #2: Even mediocre engineers can get jobs, albeit not the best jobs. (Frightening prospect isn't it?)

Myth #3: Many engineers get certified as "Professional Engineers" which qualifies them to serve as Expert Witnesses in court cases. And based on what I've heard, being an Expert Witness is closer to being a TV lawyer than being an actual lawyer.

Myth #4: There really are no professions where you can help the helpless without taking a pay cut. If they could afford you, then they wouldn't need you.

Myth #5: Look around your room. I bet that everything you see was either made by craftsmen or by engineers. My university has a Textiles Engineering department that mostly specializes in composites and body armor. Why did they choose that field? They got sick of researching socks. Even the most mundane of products is made through the help of engineering teams. I'm sure you could find something of interest.

i'm an engineer and it makes me want to stab myself.

i've thought about becoming a lawyer, but reading this thread and researching it a bit more makes me think that i'll want to shoot myself if i were one.

so what other options are there?

how about goat herding? it's in my blood. my grandfather was an illiterate subsistence farmer in a third world country. i envy his life, it was the life of his ancestors now i'm on this treadmill to nowhere.

i don't think humanity has progressed, we just have more "things". i crave the simple life, free of modern distractions and the hustle and bustle of city life. it's a complete waste of time and energy.

okay, i'm just rambling now…

As I read it, a key point in Stephen's post and Penelope's yesterday on grad school is to make sure that you pursue higher education for the right reasons and go in with realistic expectations as to what you will gain and why you are going.

Most educational degrees are not automatic tickets to great jobs that will make you happy and pay you well — that's the point.

If you really want to be a lawyer and understand what the career actually is (not what it looks like on TV), that is a good reason to go to law school.

Also, as Jakie said, if you go to Law School (or Grad School or business school), go to a good school and study hard. Get a 4.0 average. Make sure you gain every possible advantage from the experience and expense.

But getting an MBA, LLB, Ph.D., MA, MSC, etc. because you can't figure out what to do with your life is usually a bad idea that will leave you in debt and greatly curtail your life and career options later on.

As someone who was steps from law school and decided at the 11th hour to back out and continue my career in a creative field, I haven't looked back and have had no regrets. These myths are hypothetical for me, but the financial risk just seemed to great for something I wasn't sure I would love. Great post, as always! Thanks!

Oldguy makes some great points (and he obviously speaks from experience.) While I agree with his basic premise–i.e. that law has become winner take all (and I would add that this is very similar to what is going on in our economy as a whole)–I don't think you have to be at a top 10 law school to "win." But if you enter a lower tier school, you better graduate near the top of your class if you want to be very marketable. –Stephen Seckler

I think some of the comments, make me think people have unfair expectation about what lawyers do, and didn't have a strong reason for wanting to pursue law. I want to attend law school, because I want to be a criminal defense attorney. I want to start off as a Public Defender then move on to private practice. I want to this because A.) I was in trouble with the law at one time, and a lawyer help keep me from going to prison, and jail. B.) I want to be able to do the same for others, because I believe everyone has to right to council. I don't expect to make a million dollars in law thats unfair. Also I'm smart enough not to buy into the hype of having to attend a T14 school. I say unless you want academia or corporate law T14 isn't necessary. Going to the instate law school where you can pay nearly the same as college tutiton is wise.

I am currently studying for the LSAT and hope to enter law school fall 2008. Why am I on this track? I earned my BA in English from Kenyon College, a liberal arts school, got into PR following graduation and feel an internal push toward a higher education. This internal push is strong enough for me to dedicate every non-working waking hour to test preparation, rewriting my personal statement and strategizing the application process.

Why? Because the prospect of distributing a press release for a 10 dollar cell phone at the age of 30 makes me want to puke. In addition, I do not want to be on my way to my PR desk, standing in an elevator full of lawyers and feel emotions of lamentation or regret. I can always return to PR and no one ever said, "ahh I wish I hadn't gone back to school," even if they are not using their current degree. If you are unsure if law school is the track for you, score high on the LSAT, get scholarship money, and don’t pay for your legal education. If you want to bail, you have the option. As mentioned before, make sure you are in the top 5% of your class.

-Mike

WOW! I am amaze at these comment in the back of my head I'm thinking people would be reall happy of going to law school, I guess not you guys have me taking a u-turn I think I should really think hard of going to law school.

Please tell me the person encouraging people to be engineers was being sarcastic. I finished my degree in engineering in 2003 and most of my classmates had only 1 job offer or no job offers. Most who took their 1 offer were miserable and hated the position. A friend of mine was unemployed for a year before excepting an internship that eventually turned into a full time position. Just because someone is smart enough to earn an A in English/History/PoliSci/Pre-law doesn't mean they can handle an engineering degree. Engineering is one of the most rigorous programs in college and often leads to burnout.

I realize its a 2 year old comment, but I'm going to concur with Lola. I too have an engineering degree (top 1/4 of the class from a top ten engineering school), I graduated roughly the same time as her and I spent my first year unemployed. So, yeah, if the economy is on fire a student with a B/C (2.5gpa?) could still get a pretty good job, but when there's a recession, that's not going to happen. I would say that engineering is less a winner take all profession than law, but there's still such a thing as an unemployable gpa and there's no shortage of engineers.

The original post by Devils Advocate suggested people consider engineering as an alternative to law. Degreewise, obviously, the two aren't alternatives as you can't go straight from highschool to law school and you can do undergrad engineering and then go to law school. Careerwise the two are alternatives so I'll focus on that. I would agree for the most part that somebody who gets into a second tier law school could graduate from an engineering program somewhere – there's a lot of engineering schools. Recognize though that we're talking about well rounded students here. Engineering school is very math and science intensive so people that aren't good at those things wouldn't last a week though maybe their writing is great and they're very logical and studious so they'd do well in law school. I guess for someone who could do well in either (probably pretty few people), engineering is a reasonable alternative to law school. Engineering is easier to get into and doesn't require a pre-engineering degree, but you're spending your undergrad years writing code, studying, and spending all nighters in a lab, and as the majority of engineering students drop out, most people aren't prepared for that lifestyle at that point in their lives. As I said earlier, engineering is less a winner take all profession, and what that really means is that even the absolute geniuses will never make all that much money unless they start their own company or somehow work their way up the management chain. So in that respect, law is a more rewarding profession. I mean there is no company paying the best engineers 160K right out of school like you have in law. As far as the average grad though, moneywise the lawyer probably still comes out ahead. And anyone smart enough to be able to do engineering and law (regardless of if they actually do both) is certainly an above average engineer or lawyer. Also, lawyers don't have to deal with foreign competition as much as decent english is kind of a prereq to their work. That's definitely not the case in engineering. I guess what I'd like to say is that in summary, engineering is an OK profession, but you could do a lot better and most people would be much better off in law.

It's interesting to read the many responses, especially from those who've had the experience of attending law school, as well of those who actually had the experience of working in the field of law. But I'm a little disappointed by the negativity displayed in these comments.

Most statements made involve selfish reasons for becoming a lawyer. From my understanding, making money is the bonus of pursuing a career in the field of law, but an important factor missing in many of these statements is passion. It doesn't matter what you choose to do for a living, as long as the person finds that its work is sacred to him or her.

Why do doctors put themselves through a rigorous education process? Yes, they want to earn more money than the average Joe, but they need to develop a passion for trying to help others, and perhaps even save a few lives.

Furthermore, it is my understanding that becoming a lawyer is much more than a fast-track highway to make a lot of money, becoming a lawyer is wanting to become a civil servant. Whether it is achieved by putting criminals in jail, keeping the innocent out of jail, or simply helping others seek amicable resolutions to their problems, becoming a lawyer ultimately involves serving others.

I know this forum represents the view of a small percentage of those working in the legal field, but I would like to hear the comments of those lawyer's who consider themselves civil servants, those who help uphold our democratic system, as well of those protecting our American way of life (our freedom). Afterall, if individuals are discouraged from attending law school, who will protect the rights of our children and grandchildren?

Just a thought,
Peter
* * *** * * * * *
Peter, I think a lot of people would agree with you about what, ideally, law school should be about. The problem is that law school loans, plus living expenses do not add up to the salary for the kind of lawyer you're talking about. So to live the life you are suggesting you would either have to be
a. independently wealthy
b. have a high-income spouse

Penelope

Peter, I would figure that the vast majority of people who flock to the net in the pursuit of a meta-perspective on a legal career do so because either (a) prospective law students, hence lacking any real knowledge of the field or (b) disgruntled legal professionals looking for support or validation of their unpleasant situations. This isn't to say that everyone who posts a blog about law hates it, and possibly the pedagogically minded would be attracted to an entry such as this, but it seems reasonable that those who really loved the law would be doing it instead of writing about doing it.

For my part, I'm a recent college graduate considering law school, and at the internet world's markedly negative portrayal of the legal profession, I'm concerned. It's actually between grad school in mathematics or law school for me; but, I want human contact. Being a professor would certainly afford me such a possibility. But, I could also become a law professor later on down the line (though I do hear that only upper tier really make it). I feel to some degree that law would afford me the ability to really reach out and effect people, to get to know them and make things better. That does, though, sound a lot like a public interest lawyer, and not an hours-billing corporate type bound by chain to the call of his clients. Then again, being a professor would force me to speak and speak and speak and get to know my students.

I think the big change between 35 years ago and now is the inflation in tuition. I don't blame you for sucking up all the education you could, but the merit of education is not what is being argued here, it is the benefit weighted against the expense.

Here's an article from 1990 claiming that the rate of inflation for the last ten years ( http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ404087&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ404087 ) will outpace the rate of general inflation. That trend has not stopped in that period, meaning for almost 30 years tuition rates have inflated faster than overall inflation.

Given that pay for professionals has deflated over that same period of time and that more professionals are in the job pool than 30 years ago it shouldn't be hard to understand the frustrating position that young professionals are in and that it is only compounded by this talk of 'the good old days'.

Reading the comments from people of experience and looking to get some direction in life with this struggle of higher education, like, passion, and realities of life i.e., debt and $$ to pay bills, my own experience is the following:

Higher education certainly helps in understanding any situation much better.
Higher education gives an approach to identify and define a situation with more clarity, less fog.
higher educaton certainly excell the individual and prepares for harnessing an opertunity. It does not guarentee each and every opertunity.
Passion is good, but it gives in when $$ do not walk your way.
Each person shold get the best possible formal education, but be ready to learn real education in life. It is the life education that drives success and formal education may help.
the Law of winner takes it all, is a natural law because who wants second best. But, then again every situation is unique except the mundane daily grind. Therefore, prepare yourself in any profession for daily grind for majority and the top of pyramid for some and the rest in between.
Regarding $$, and happiness in life and formal education, they all are mutually exclusive. One does not depend on other. It is your journey, you endure and enjoy as you go, no warenties.

Great article. I have 2 comments:

1) Lawyers are second only to Dentists in overall job dissatisfaction.

2) We only have to look at our Vice President (who I voted for) to see that you've been given sound advice. He got average grades in law school, but he's doing fine as he married very very well.

I'm one of those people that got into law school because he didn't know what else to do with his degree (communications). Law seemed a natural fit since I excel at writing and public speaking. However, as I sit here a 1L in his first semester, at a failry expensive private school, I don't know if I've made the right decision. I have no passion for the law, and don't really see myself as an attorney. I don't like the lack of free time that attorneys apparently deal with, and I can't think of an area of law that especially lights my fire. Right now, the classes are boring, stressful, and an overall grind. This is a Tier 3 school that is very well known in the state, and most graduates get jobs. But I'm concerend about what my grades will be like, and if I even wish to become a lawyer. All of this effort and money for something that doesn't really seem to interest me makes no sense, but a lack of alternative options will keep me here at least until the semester.

Hello. I am answering a question in an application that asks: "What is your biggest regret in your life"? So I did what any good procrastinator does… I started trolling the net to see if anyone else out there has said my words and my story better than I can. And, low and behold, here it is. So, following the footsteps of the aforementioned good procrastinators, I decided to sign up with digg so I could respond. Here goes… I am 40. I graduated from an accredited by mediocre law school (home to Judge Wapner, Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden) in 1993. I took the bar and passed it the first time because I was only going to take it once. I hated law school from the 1st day of orientation but I went because as a kid in my early 20s, I thought I would make my dad "proud". It was a MISERABLE 3 1/2 years. Yes, time goes by so fast anyway and I have this education now and it was cheaper in the early 90s than what these poor kids are paying now. And I did have one very cool job… I worked in Entertainment Law in Los Angeles, but that wasn't entirely due to my degree. It was because I had lot of contacts and interned at 4 major entertainment companies. But the industry changed and I got bored and circumstances changed. Since then, I went on inactive status and am really happy that I am not practicing law (but not happy paying my loans), however, dealing with incessant questions of "what's wrong with you? If you were still a lawyer, you'd be making tons of money!" can get annoying. And my dad? Looking back at the end of his life now he says that his impetus for going to law school @ 40 was all about making money. To that end, he accomplished his goals, but he did many shaddy things that he now has to live with. My belabored point is: DO NOT GO TO LAW SCHOOL IF YOUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SOMEBODY ELSE HAPPY!

About 90-95% of lawyers would agree with this article.

Every lawyer that I spoke with before I went to lawschool told me not to go. I, of course, dismissed their pessimissm and thought I was different.

Now, 3 years after law school I advise anyone considering law school not to do so.

Alas, most do not heed the warning and go anyway.

If one must go to law school, go to a top 14 school and graduate in at least the top 20% (10% is better) or you will be screwed (I didn't and I am).

I agree with those who have said the assertion that "don't go to law school if you don't get in to a top 10 school" is ridiculous.

This is simple supply and demand. There are MANY legal markets in the country that simply do not have a T10/T14 school in the city or even in proximity to the area (i.e. Miami, San Diego, Indianapolis, Phoenix) so law firms in these areas will draw from local schools quite a bit. There simply aren't enough lawyers graduating from the very top schools to fill all the openings in all the markets.

I think if you have a good idea of the location and area of law you would like to work in, you can do the appropriate research to determine how the job climate is for you, specifically. Certainly going blindly into law (or any grad program) is not a good idea at all. But there are MANY employment opportunities out there for those who know how to look.

Clarification on #3 above – it should read:

Probably. As in yes, this is probably a myth.

"As one of those who has gone to lawschool, I disagree that the advice ” “don’t go to law school if you don’t get in to a top 10 school” is ridiculous.” I wish I had listened to it, or even heard it when I graduated 10 years ago."

Once again, that is a ridiculous assertion to make. It is unfortuneate that you hate your career as a lawyer, many lawyers feel just like you do, but some of the comments on the board seem more like personal venting than intelligent, thoughtful advice. The laws of supply and demand mean that if people followed the advice of "don't go to law school unless its a top 10 school" entire cities and towns throughout our country would not have a single lawyer!

Roy:

My advice to you before embarking upon law school would be to research your job prospects. The last thing you want to do is to spend several years in school plus another going through the bar exam process only to find out that the degree did not enhance your position within the VA. Specifically, seek out lawyers who are practicing in this area of law and ask them about your marketability. Virtually all of the lawyers that I know, myself included, would be more than happy to talk with someone in your position.

On a positive note, based upon my law school experience the most successful people were the ones who approached law school maturely and with a plan. Knowing what you want can eliminate much of the pressure that goes hand-in-hand with the whole enterprise.

Good luck.

You people are pathetic, seriously. Life is not that bad, the reason you are all so unhappy is that you are a bunch of whiners. I wouldn't hire you either. Suck it up start anywhere and then work your way to the top. As a graduate of a bottom of the ranks law school, I started my own firm, making only 24,000 a year and paying 15,000 of that back to loans the first year–yea can you say american express. I pressed onward and although I am by no means rich, I am debt free and doing just fine. Stop whining and go to work!! If you were too stupid to get in to a T14 then work hard and make up for it.

"IT'S ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE"

I have a feeling that the woman who wrote this "5 Myths" article is a rather unpleasant being. While I understand why many young (and "old") attorneys may agree with this article, I do not.

My legal career started six years ago, at the age of 21, when I took my seat in Property I to learn all about Ghen v. Rich. I will not give the name of the school I attended, but as far as I know it's considered a Tier 3 law school. So let me first give you a minute to comprehendthat. Okay, have you collected yourself? Good. Moving right along.

At the end of my first year my grades were very average, so average in fact that my rank number WAS the median! So right now, based on this article and several of the following comments, it appears that at this point it would have been a better decision for me to walk away and open up a Quiznos. Well article writer woman–I chose to forge ahead.

I interviewed for about eight to nine jobs my first summer, none paid very well, but I didn't mind because I just wanted some experience. Well, none picked me up. Yeah, that wasn't awesome. So I decided to email all of those people that I had interviewed with to see if they had any spots I could fill. Luckily, the day after sending out that email, I got responses from two of the employers offering me a position for the summer. I took the one I thought would give me the best experience–it didn't pay, so I applied for a grant and work study and low and behold, I survived my post 1L summer. Shocking, I know.

During my second and third years, my grades continually improved, I even managed to get the top grade in three of my classes. However, I never made law review, but guess what, I was still able to publish my law review article–and not in my school's journal, but in a "Top 50" law review. All it took was four months of research, three months of writing, fifty or so revisions, the red ink of three professors, and $200 bucks in postage to do it! But it was worth it–I was published.

Additionally, I was able to snag a slightly better job b/t my 2nd and 3rd year because of the connections (or what I call friendships)that I made during my first summer. So I spent my second summer working at the central courthouse of the city in which my school is based. I decided to take full advantage of my access around the court by studying case files, attending hearings, and asking many, many, many questions. I got to know the court clerks as well as the staff attorneys. I also made it a point to smile, say thank you, and to ask a question only once.

One day, the clerks invited me out to lunch, so I went along, thinking that it would just be me and the ladies. Well, five minutes later I found out that other court personnel were coming too: the judges. Now, most law students would probably be thrilled about this…yeah, well I'm not "most law students." I wanted to run in the other direction and cry.

Well for better or worse there I was. Little Tier 3 law student crawling in the back of the Honorable ________ ____________'s modest, yet impeccably clean Ford Explorer. I cannot remember exactly what happened in the car ride or what was said at lunch. All that is left in my memory of that afternoon is a Ruby Tuesday's and a discussion about the movie "Dodgeball."

I have to get going to work, so I'm going to cut to the chase: That email I sent getting me my first job led to my second job, which led to lunch, which led to my first job as a judicial clerk in state court, which led to my current position as an associate at a widely respected firm (not a brand name firm, but reputable firm nonetheless.)

So that's my point. The odds were against me–I don't deny that. However, I knew that ultimately, I had full control over my career. So I did what I needed to do: I worked 25 hour weeks during my final two semesters, I pocketed 600 pro bono hours while in law school, and I never once thought that I was entitled to anything.

So as you can see, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed and I'm not the most eloquent writer. I'm just an awkward dude that works hard, plays fair, says his Ps&Qs, and wears mismatched socks. So say what you want about Tier 1s, being in the top 10%, and law review. Some of it's true, but most of it's crap. My school didn't determine my future, I did. It's not just about brains, and drive, and work ethic–it's also about attitude. So yes, I went to a Tier 3, and no, I was not in the top 10% of my class–yet I sit here today financially stable, happy in my professional and personal life, and looking forward to what's ahead. Why? Because my momma didn't raise no fool.

All my love,
A Loud and Proud Tier 3er

I agree with with you, Loud and Proud Tier 3er. I happened to graduate from a very respected law school, within the top 25 schools in the country (would that bbe Tier 1)? As you can tell, I never cared too much about that stuff. My husband, however, graduated from a Tier 3 or 4, whatever you want to call it.

After my 1L year, I was lingering below the 50% mark of our class. I was told by career services that a paid internship was unobtainable. But, I networked and I got one. I got pregnant my 3L year and yes, I faced massive, massive discrimination, but the law firm where I worked for 20 hours a week agreed to hire me. In addition, I "worked" at the law school's civil clinic, doing mostly family law stuff.

My husband, who graduated from the "other" law school in the area, has also done quite well working for himself. We live in a rural area which is not glamorous, and I actually left the firm which offered to give me a job so that I could work at a more flexible public interest job. But, we're doing okay, we like our jobs, we find them challenging, and we're still able to be good parents. In addition, b/c I work at a public interest job, I'm participating in a loan repayment program.

The bottom line is have some courage, get out and networ, work your hardest at your internships, and don't just sit on your ass and expect career services to feed you a 100k a year job. You might have to work for yourself for a while. You might have to take a "dirty" job as a prosecutor, a public defender, or a legal aid lawyer. Or, you might have to live in the middle of nowhere. And for those of you griping about law school debt, I wore ugly clothes and ate crappy food during law school, but I'm glad of it now. Also, just go to a public school. In most of the Southeast, at least, there are plenty of dirt cheap public schools. And yes, people from these schools do get jobs. Law school is what you make of it and so is the practice of law. If you want to succeed, you have to have a will to suceed.

That was a freakin' hiarious response. I appreciate the wit and zeal of that post. I am a 2L at a tier 4 and I am proud too. Rock on.

I agree with Steve about the author of this article (although it seems that SHE is actually a HE…). Just because a certain number of people may be able to identify with the situations above does NOT mean that everyone is going to have a bad experience. There ARE many people that have the ability AND the drive to do it – and do it well. Coming across something like this might be enough to discourage them from pursuing their dreams, and anyone who argues that that is acceptable is despicable. Personally, I have always been able to achieve the things that I have truly wanted – and it ISN'T because I'm privileged. In fact, I'm far from – I'm currently working full time and attending school full time (still an undergrad). It's difficult, but it's what I want to do. I'm only 20 years old, and I while I don't claim to know much about law, I HAVE learned many things about life in the past few years. It isn't just about money. It isn't even about any one thing in particular; it's about each person's character, drive, and ability – COLLECTIVELY. We've all heard the saying, "Where there's a will, there's a way." I know that I can do something if I truly want to. I have my priorities in order. The people who DON'T are the ones who won't cut it. End of story.

Annie – one thing to do is ditch Political Science and major in something you like. Tons of Poly Sci majors go into law, too many in fact – study something that really excites you (you can get into law school with a music degree, math degree, arts degree etc. or maybe you should really work for a year or two before you get back into school) or something that excites you enough and also produces a salary (teaching, etc.). Poly Sci is NOT a pre-req to law school.

I love this topic! I've been working a non-legal job (where I'm the only lawyer) since I graduated from law school.

After a year in school, I realized that I didn't want to do traditional legal practice, so I embraced that decision and ran with it. Time I could've spent wandering through the OCI process (which many ambivalent students did by default) was instead spent volunteering, interning, and networking with non-lawyers. This made it easy for me to find a non-legal job after graduation. However, I did submit a few resumes to non-legal jobs where I didn't know the employer very well, and received basically no callbacks. This is why it's especially key to network — you want to make sure that people understand that you're not just "lost" and that this is actually part of your career plan.

I think this is extra-challenging for young JDs because the legal community is so insular. New JDs come out of law school with basically no new skills other than legal skills. Sure, we learn how to think more clearly and be analytical, which is great, but those skills are way too abstract to get you a specific job.

I think most people really respect a law degree. A person who has relevant skills *AND* a JD is going to be a compelling candidate for many non-legal jobs that technically require a different graduate degree. However, having a JD is never going to trump the fact that you have no experience or relevant skills in a particular field.

I'm a fourth year engineering student who is simply burnt out. I never cared for being an engineer, but only did it for pragmatic reasons. I have come to the conclusion that unless I develop a new found love for it, I'm don't think I'm ever going to make much of an engineer. Sure the pay might be okay and the work not too stressful, but I feel as if I could've made something of myself in another field like law. The idea of having to go to graduate school of engineering makes me want to puke. It has gotten to the point where I can't go a day without feeling trapped and regret. How can I go to graduate school with that attitude. I spend all my days and nights studying studying in a well-ranked science school, have a low GPA to show for it (3.0), and feel as if I'm missing out on better opportunities.

Frankly I find law to be a more intellectually challenging field than engineering. I think that something along the lines of international law would be interesting, or even patent law given my science background and the law of science majors in law. I'm also considering doing something along the lines of working in the foreign service or some type of international job. I honestly don't know what I want to do. I need to figure it out.

I guess my question is given my low GPA, can I still get into a decent law school. I mean I've heard people say that its easier for an engineering major to get into law school given the intensity of their major. If that's true, what does my GPA translate to for someone from a field such as political science.

I'm also wondering if I should even consider law school. I mean I know in the long run I'd like it more than engineering, unless I could get through grad school, which I seriously doubt I can. In the short run it might be difficult, a high stress job with little pay.

For those of you who think that I shouldn't consider law school if I can't handle grad school, trust me I can. Given my abilities, I know I can make a better law student than engineering student.

Speaking purely on an admissions standpoint, forget your GPA, focus on your LSAT. Your points on GPA are somewhat correct in that it is easier to get into a decent law school GPA wise with a hard major as opposed to a soft major but the largest factor in admissions decisions is the LSAT. If you are able to score a 170 (taking your GPA into consideration), you may be able to get into a top 30. But hey, ppl do transfer ::shrugs::

I wish I had read this in college but I don't know that it would have made a difference. I am a creative type A person with a borderline personality disorder i.e. every other person at my law school. Needless to say, 99% of the people I still talk to have serious doubts about their choice to be a lawyer. The soul-crushing debt doesn't help. But then neither does the ridiculous hours you can work on a normal basis or the overwhelming fear of failure that such close proximity to other insane people can generate.

I agree with all the advice from the post and would add that going to a top ranked school is very important. If you step outside the top fifteen schools you need to be in the top 10% of your class. Or have a darn good story. While there are a lot of markets wihout top tier schools, there are a lot of top tier students in every market. Especially right now.

As a final note, I wonder if the unhappy people in law would just be unhappy people in yet another field. I must admit that I am not happy. But I can't think of a profession that would make me "happy". I think some people just don't get that kind of satisfaction from a job.

Dear Seeking Advice,

First, don't go into law for "career stability", get a job with the federal government if you want stability. Sometimes it is easier to get a job in the fed gov w/out a law degree.
In addition,as a practicing attorney, who worked for Biglaw until the mortgage market crash, and is now unemployed, I don't see a whole lot of stability in this field. Even without the layoff, the typical career path for an attorney in Biglaw is work your butt off for five years until you make partner. If you work your butt off for five years and don't make partner, you're out of the firm, and left to either find another firm, find government work, or start your own firm. I will add that most law firm consider you "damaged goods" if you didn't make partner at your old firm.

Second, whether you go to a T3 or T1 school depends on what you want to do and how comfortable with debt you are. I went to a T4 school, with a full ride, and got a fancy appellate clerkship right after. Then to big law. I wanted to do international work (impossible in the midwest). The market crashed and now I can't even find a secretary job b/c of my law degree. BUT, I am ever grateful that I'm not paying much in student loans. Conversely, I also know a lot of T1 law grads, one of whom clerked with me, who are temping as document review attorneys ($25 hr, no benefits), working as sales folks at Westlaw, or are unemployed. I have many friends whose monthly loan payments are $900 or more.

Here's what you know: you know that T1 doesn't guarantee you a job, only better chances at getting a job. You also know that going to T3 doesn't guarantee you a job, but it does guarantee you less debt. I'd go the T3 route if I were you.

HaHa–Sorry I didn't include that Michael. She wears a 5 1/2. I don't know about him. I'll have to get back to you on that. Have a great day.

This is blog is full of negative Nancy's. I completed my undergrad degree at a school that is not even ranked, but had plenty of job offers upon graduation. I graduated from a California State University, and my first job paid $54K–this was in 2005. Not much, but I knew folks who graduated from "competitive" universities that were making less than I was, and some of those grads couldn't even find work! I also knew people who graduated from the same school as myself, and still, till this day, blame their financial situation on the lack of recognition that our university receives. The difference between myself and them? I'm positive, not lazy, and I apply myself. I, myself am thinking about law school, and I think I can possibly get into a top 20 school, but even if I don't, I know that I WILL find a job that pays well…PERIOD.

Life is what you make of it, as is education. Don't be a loser. Hustle, apply yourself, and stay positive. Don't let people pass their failures onto you. I think blogs like this attract people with second thoughts, or lawyers that are unhappy/bored. Lawyers actually doing something with their careers are much too busy to waste their time reading negative comments.

That's my two cents.

Good luck!

Perception is more important than truth.

I've been a lawyer for 20 years and I think this is an excellent cautionary article. Many, many lawyers have rather humdrum or difficult jobs making far less money than people imagine. Yes, of course, if you go to a top-20 law school and graduate in the top part of your class — or if you go to Harvard Yale or Stanford, period — you will have great prospects. But you have lots of career anyway or you wouldn't have been accepted.

I hate to see so many kids (forgive me, I'm 52) coming out of middling or worse law schools with anywhere from 50 to 100k in loan debt and job prospects that do not remotely jusstify that kind of baggage. Choices like that can limit your options for decades. I would not go to law school again – and I had a top 2 percent LSAT score.

Hey Meagan -

Bittersweet here again. If you really have your heart set on law school, do some research first to make sure you know what your are getting into. Start to frequent legal websites like "Tom the Temp" and "JDUnderground" and you can get a feel for what a lot of the profession is like.

If you are serious about becoming a lawyer, I would HIGHLY recommend that you work for a year as a paralegal or legal assistant. It is nothing like it is portrayed on tv. It can be tedious and mind numbing, or it can be interesting and ground breaking. Given my comments above, I bet you can guess what the majority of my work has been.

No one should tell you what you should do – you have to decide that for yourself. Just make certain that you realize exactly what your are getting into. Talk to attorneys in the fields your are interested in. See if you can shadow them. See if they would do it over if they were given the chance. Look and see if they are content with the choices that they made. Ask them what they think of the idea of going to law school now, given the time and amount of money you would need to borrow. Make sure you are going in with your eyes open.

And marrying well wouldn't hurt either. :)

Good luck.

Bittersweet, your overcaffeinated post (read any style book on !!!s) ignores the fact that the points listed in the article as "Five Myths About Law School" are by and large accurate. Yes if you go to a Top Ten school or do law review at a top-quartile school, you should have a wide array of choice legal jobs, many of them prestigious and lucrative ones. But many people end up disappointed.

Meagan, you say your heart is set on law school — I wouldn't dream of trying to talk anyone out of it. Some people love being lawyers. As far as your options of law schools go, there are plenty of resources to tell you how many applicants got into a particular school with a given LSAT and GPA. No sane person would apply to U of Chicago (or any single top school) as their only choice.

You also mention "family law." Much of that work is done by solo or small practices, is not the least bit glamorous, and can be downright ugly — proving which parent doesn't deserve to have the kid. (Often both parents, it turns out.)

Whatever you do, good luck. Career choices are hard in this country. What I hate to see is so many young people going to law school and incurring mortgage-size debt without even considering their options. For far too many graduates, law school becomes the default choice in a society that does a lousy job of helping people choose careers. There is a private law school in my hometown that ranked in the bottom quartile of the US News surveys. Its graduates averaged over $100,000 per year in loan debt several years back — I'm sure that has grown. I have little doubt that many of those grads might have made different choices if they knew law school was often not the Magic Carpet to Career Fulfillment many believe it to be.

Overcaffeinated? I'm just saying that she should make her decision herself with full information. I have no intention of dismissing the original author's comments. I still stand by the comments that I made above on 2/2/08 which agreed with the original poster. My follow up comment was to Meagan (and others like her), that have their hearts set on law school and won't listen to the naysayers. And I wholeheartedly put myself in that category. So many think "Oh, So-and-so is just bitter. That can't/won't happen to me." And then it happens to a whole lot of them anyway.

If people take the time to really get into the profession, they have a better chance of learning for themselves than if naysayers just try to scare them away.

Far be it from me to crush somebody's dream. But a reality check can be really useful before all the eggs are put in one basket.

You may be right about a US Law degree as let's face it anyone can obtain one of those. I have \ real LLB from the Uk and never intended to be a Lawyer. I am a Comercial Director in a large utility company and my LLB proved invaluable in not only obtaining the job but also in doing it so well.

In addition to this I rescently successfully sued a company which caused me injury and but for my knowledge of 'the eggshell theory' in Tort I would not now have 250k in my bank account. My so called Lawyer was prepared to accept a reduced award on the basis that the Defendant did not know about my pre existing medical problem… God save us from idiot Lawyers!

Stop misleading people.

If you know people waiting to hire you upon passing the bar, go to law school. If you think law might be the best road to clear 100k per year from an oak-and-leather office with support staff, please turn off the TV.

I sold my PI practice last year after four years in business. Why? Liability. In my opinion, people in general are scoping out anyone making a good living, looking for ways to scam them out of money. I've seen it within and without the ranks of lawyers. As this economy deepens, people will get more desperate and will do more desperate things to earn 'free' money. Law in the West has become a game of survival… and the predators are also the game.

If you have another option, where you know people who want to work with you in whatever field, consider it equally with law. Unless you can sell ice to an Eskimo, law really is about who you know, your pedigree and how much you are willing to stretch the truth.