Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
$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.
This is true. Not only would he be over 100K in debt, but would also lose 3 years of a salary by being in school, as most people cannot work full time while they are in law school.
In many cases, the person may not even earn a real salary starting out. They may wind up in one of those "unpaid internships" that could continue on indefinitely.
Job opportunities for lawyers get worse with each passing year, as more new law schools open up and continually pour more law graduates out into society. Law schools are a profitable venture for universities; they don't cost as much to own and operate as a medical school does, they just need a building and a law library. And they can always find lots of people to apply and attend, people who will pay anything, and take out massive loans in order to attend.
Community college automatically shows your at a bad start. ..
To me, this comment implies that community college students are academically inferior, and this is not true. Most people attend community college for a while because they simply can't afford a major university. So they take their basics at a community college instead.
When I graduated from high school in the 1980s, students who were academically behind were often encouraged to go to a community college, but nowadays things have changed. There are many gifted and brilliant students at all kinds of colleges.
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).
Many Top 100 law firms in large legal markets (NY, Philly, Chicago, Boston, DC, SF, LA, etc.) have followed Cravath's footsteps and raised salaries for associates in 2016. A first year now starts at 185k, with an associate in his/her terminal year (7th or 8th) making over 300k/year. Also, lockstep bonus didn't decrease despite increases in base salary. If you happen to be at a Top 100 firm with a lockstep bonus structure, a first year right out of law school, without any practical legal skills and without regard for productivity (as long as the bare minimum of billable hours is met), will pull in about 200k plus benefits. That is pretty good for a 25 year old. Fast forward to the 7th or 8th year associate, he/she is making 300k+ base and 100k bonus in a lockstep system. That's 400k+ for someone in his/her mid-30s and that is a comfortable income, even more than some senior counsels make in the same firms.
To the OP, you are still very young. You have many career options to consider, but you still have a lot of time to figure out your path. The financial and legal markets will be different a few years from now. Revisit this question after you've developed a more substantial record of academic performance and life/work experience. For now, I suggest you focus on getting good grades, developing a time management routine, and taking full advantage of the extracurricular work and life experiences that are available to you, wherever you may be.
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.
If you have the grades and the $ to get into a TOP school, do it. If not, do something else. If you graduate at the top of your class from Harvard Law, you are set for life. If you graduate at the top of your class from Mom and Pop's State School of Law...not so much.
]If you have the grades and the $ to get into a TOP school, do it[/b]. If not, do something else. If you graduate at the top of your class from Harvard Law, you are set for life. If you graduate at the top of your class from Mom and Pop's State School of Law...not so much.
In sum. It's not hopeless for everyone, only for mediocre students in mediocre schools.
The OP needs to focus on his BA program, and do very well there. He can worry about the rest later, after he sees how his undergrad performance stacks up. In 4 years, he may no longer be interested in law, anyway.
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.
I have practiced law for 32 going on 33 years and the career choice to become a lawyer was one of the best decisions I ever made.
There are some things you need to get through your head though if you choose this career path:
1. Working for a big law firm is not only a difficult goal to achieve, if you do achieve it probably is not worth the 80 hour work weeks, 2400 billable hours per year, the drudgery, and the boredom. Finally, you probably won't make partner even if you do all that.
2. The best path to success for a new lawyer is probably solo practice. I did it after three years of working for the state attorney general and a small law firm. I never missed a meal. I never had my car repossessed. Solo practice is a good option for someone who wants to work for himself. I did not go to a top 10 law school and I did not graduate in the top 10% of my class.
3. You probably won't have a steady income. Some years you will do very, very well. Other years your income may be more limited. The real question is how you do over periods of three years or five years.
4. Always be in a position where you can turn cases down. Not all clients are worth having. Some are a real headache. Some others don't tell the truth. Your intuition will usually tell you who these sorts are, but you have to be willing to listen.
5. Law can be an interesting, exciting way to earn a living. How many people can really say they live by their wits? It is truly the way I have supported my family for years. I earn a living because my clients have learned that I can consistently come up with ideas that will solve their problems. This has been an enormous source of satisfaction to me over the years.
6. Understand not everyone succeeds in the legal profession. There are people who are not cut out for it. I know school teachers and contractors who earned a law degree and chose not to practice. Its not always just a question of intelligence either. Sometimes what makes one a successful lawyer is more a function of drive, courage, and imagination.
All I will say is there is nothing wrong with your dreams or ideas at all. The question is: Do you want to be a lawyer badly enough? If the answer is yes, than ignore the naysayers and go for it.
Apologies for my typos, except for practising, which is a result of my British parentage.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
