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To explain my perspective, practising attorney, 18 years. Four as an associate in a 100+ top regional firm, 14 as inhouse attorney in tow companies in the health care area.
Law is a tough field now, and you need to think hard about why you want to puruse it. If it is for financial reward, it's a big risk if you don't graduate from a top 15 school. Evien then, it isn't a given.
But if you graduate from a decent school (say, top 40 or better) and reslly WANT to be a lawyer, I don't want to dissuade you. But you should really want to do legal work. Enjoy the detail-orientation that is required, the research, the justifying and standing by your recommendation. If research bores you, you don't enjoy rational argumentation, etc. really think about your choice, Because, honestly, those are the fun parts. The rest of being an attonrey, in my experience, are ancillary. You have to stand up to clients, be principled and take unpopular opinions, It isn't always easy. But if you aren't motivated by money you are less liley to be disappointed pursuing these goals.
Just reaky think about it. In some ways I wish I could go back and do something else. It can eat you up quickly if you don't get enjoymoent out of the very nature of it.
I am currently a 18 year old freshman community college student going into his second semester of college. I am majoring in Business Administration with a focus in Finance. My plan was to finish community college, transfer to a four year school most likely near by home, do a couple of finance internships in the summer, graduate and become a financial analyst. i also plan to see if i can work as a finance analyst during the daytime while attending law school during the afternoon and nighttime. my dream is to become an attorney to work for a law firm that represents clients for civil and criminal cases, start off as an associate and work my way up to becoming a partner of the firm.
i know this sounds stupid but i got inspired from reading about Thurgood Marshall, Willie E Gary, Johnnie Cochran, also seeing Uncle Phil from the fresh prince and William from girlfriends. i know there is more to Law then just being in court, i know it's a lot of paper work and reading. i actually heard that in law school you will be reading constantly.
i'm just a young small town kid with a dream, if you guys have any advice or words of wisdom to give me then by all means tell me.
Short version: you have no idea whether or not you want to be a lawyer. Do really well in school if you want to set yourself up for the option to become a lawyer. After you graduate from college, become a paralegal or legal assistant for 1-2 years before deciding if you actually want to be a lawyer. If you do, then go to law school full time. Go to a top 6 law school, a regional flagship, or another tier one school on a near full scholarship.
Posters are highlighting the challenges of a legal career because it is a tough market. And unlikely to dramatically improve in the near future. Good lawyers specialize. The representations of lawyers you have seen is very different from the reality of the industry for most.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth
OP, your dreams seem to be all over the place, if you don't mind my saying so. Are you good with numbers? Do you enjoy math? The financial analyst thing makes good sense. It's odd to combine it with law, though, if you're not interested in law that relates to investing. A friend of mine actually started his own firm that deals exclusively with investment law, though; it's doable. And needless to say, it's a lucrative field in the law, which not all of them are. You could get a few years' experience as a financial analyst or stockbroker, then go back to law school with financial svcs law as your interest. With law, it's about picking the right niche. Criminal lawyers are a dime a dozen. Fin svcs lawyers are not.
How have you been doing in college so far?
Most 18 year olds have dreams that are unfocused. Very few legal paths are particularly lucrative in comparison to comparable non-legal careers. But excellent lawyers, including in criminal practice, have high value. Of course, they are the 1% of lawyers.
I am also considering studying law if somebody would fund me and tell me where to go.
Going to school via home is not the answer for most people. You need to know people and you need to journey outside the home. If your really serious you would study other lawyers and there motives. Not every lawyer/governor is a clean person. They are only acting. In fact acting is very close to studying law.
Business law is studied by CEO to protect themselves. Especially when they make decision making processes. I believe a couple of our presidents studied Law as well. Those board members all know the law because they want to do big things with business that otherwise would be illegal. They do it to benefit themselves.
In my area I see tons of lawyers for all kinds of things involving regular peoples problems. You have to remember this is a job like any other job and while it might pay well it is also a passion. Meaning you might be able to make the rent and you might be able to afford a luxury on your house.
Lawyers is basically studying acting. You have to look the part in order to get things done. You could be a character lawyer who defends one specific kind of victim.
You can not stay home and become a big time lawyer. If you want to stay home you might as well run for office in your local state, or town.
Community college automatically shows your at a bad start. Because it does matter where you go from there, If you could go to a big time law school with real players (think of sports games but in terms of current history ) I would go school. You have to know your tactics, clients, and be a people person.
Again you have to have passion. Also you do not need ( at least in most instances ) to be considered a graduate to practice law. You can speak for people/ short-hand who do not know the law. As with accounting and law they have exams and different rules concerning different states.
Again it is a passion and if you should go for it' may you break a leg..
I am also considering studying law if somebody would fund me and tell me where to go.
Going to school via home is not the answer for most people. You need to know people and you need to journey outside the home. If your really serious you would study other lawyers and there motives. Not every lawyer/governor is a clean person. They are only acting. In fact acting is very close to studying law.
Business law is studied by CEO to protect themselves. Especially when they make decision making processes. I believe a couple of our presidents studied Law as well. Those board members all know the law because they want to do big things with business that otherwise would be illegal. They do it to benefit themselves.
In my area I see tons of lawyers for all kinds of things involving regular peoples problems. You have to remember this is a job like any other job and while it might pay well it is also a passion. Meaning you might be able to make the rent and you might be able to afford a luxury on your house.
Lawyers is basically studying acting. You have to look the part in order to get things done. You could be a character lawyer who defends one specific kind of victim.
You can not stay home and become a big time lawyer. If you want to stay home you might as well run for office in your local state, or town.
Community college automatically shows your at a bad start. Because it does matter where you go from there, If you could go to a big time law school with real players (think of sports games but in terms of current history ) I would go school. You have to know your tactics, clients, and be a people person.
Again you have to have passion. Also you do not need ( at least in most instances ) to be considered a graduate to practice law. You can speak for people/ short-hand who do not know the law. As with accounting and law they have exams and different rules concerning different states.
Again it is a passion and if you should go for it' may you break a leg..
None of this makes any sense, and in several cases, is flatly wrong.
None of this makes any sense, and in several cases, is flatly wrong.
My sentiment exactly. Except I would say most of it is flat out wrong and in several other cases makes no sense.
If you want to be a lawyer you need to:
Excel at marketing. Sell used cars for a few years. If you are great at it, you may do well at marketing.
Have business contacts or other connections to get clients with big money. (Representing the little guy is BS. They cannot pay you.)
Write well and clearly convey a point. (Oh Oh).
Excel at both logical and analytical reasoning.
Have a lot of confidence.
Everything else depends on what area of practice you go into. A tax lawyer does not need to be a good speaker or be personable for example (unless they go into tax litigation).
I have virtually zero need to be good at "acting" or "presentation." In fact, I regularly wear shorts and a tee shirt to work. My practice is all corporate work and rarely involves meetings with clients. I couldn't even tell you where the nearest courtroom is. And I'm often engaged by C-level people who don't know the law, don't want to study it, and want me to tell them what it is.
$180,000 of Law School debt so you can be considered for $35,000 per year positions is not a good way to start your adult years.
But then, some of your inspirational examples are so 'out of left field' that I suspect this entire post may be only an a prank.
FWIW: Two adult children who have law degrees. They were lucky in that their total expenses when they graduated a decade ago were only half what I posted above. They are employed in fields that require the knowledge they gained in Law School, both members of 2 or more State Bars, both earn slightly over $100K annually, but neither are lawyers in the traditional sense. All their Law School friends who accepted traditional lawyer positions were making, and maybe still are, only $35K per year.
As my youngest child said to me this weekend, "Of the five people I know (read as immediate friends) who have law degrees, only two are lawyers. And only one of those makes enough money to support himself."
$180,000 of Law School debt so you can be considered for $35,000 per year positions is not a good way to start your adult years.
But then, some of your inspirational examples are so 'out of left field' that I suspect this entire post may be only an a prank.
FWIW: Two adult children who have law degrees. They were lucky in that their total expenses when they graduated a decade ago were only half what I posted above. They are employed in fields that require the knowledge they gained in Law School, both members of 2 or more State Bars, both earn slightly over $100K annually, but neither are lawyers in the traditional sense. All their Law School friends who accepted traditional lawyer positions were making, and maybe still are, only $35K per year.
As my youngest child said to me this weekend, "Of the five people I know (read as immediate friends) who have law degrees, only two are lawyers. And only one of those makes enough money to support himself."
That's the difference between a good law school and a bad law school. At my school, slightly more than 10% of the class came out earning the standard starting salary for big law at the time- $160k. Another 50% or so of the class earned something around $70k, then the rest of the class struggled to breach $50k.
At a better school than the one I went to, nearly half the class can get the $160k (I think it's 170 or 180 now). But consider this- my school was in the top 25 in the country; if you go to a school ranked lower than mine, the odds get close to zero of earning more than $100k after graduation unless you're the valedictorian.
It's a big risk, but those who know they will do well will have no problem... as long as they do as well in school as they think they will.
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