Job vs 2nd tier law school

[easylv]

I have a job that pays me about $90,000/year. A lot of times i hate the job though there are times i feel better about it. I've been interested in getting a law degree as i thought it'd give me more opportunities, so i applied to a bunch of schools and got accepted to temple with a scholarship covering about half the tuition last year. I had to choose between the job and school at that time, and i couldn't decide so i deferred the admission for a year. And now i have to make a decision again. Part of me wants to go to school while i can but i'm also worried i might be worse off coming out of law school than now. What would you do?

[Kabuo]

No one here is going to advise you to leave a 90k a year job to go to Temple. If you're set on law school, use the numerous resources on here, get your LSAT up to 171+, and ED to UVA or NW. Otherwise you're leaving lots of money on the table and potentially dooming yourself to a job you hate more than your current one.

[concurrent fork]

You will probably come out of law school making less money and working more hours than you are now. Not to mention opportunity cost + 3yrs tuition.

[Bill Cosby]

No one here is going to advise you to leave a 90k a year job to go to Temple. If you're set on law school, use the numerous resources on here, get your LSAT up to 171+, and ED to UVA or NW. Otherwise you're leaving lots of money on the table and potentially dooming yourself to a job you hate more than your current one.

TITCR. If you can't land in a top program, you're much better off staying with your current job.

[CanadianWolf]

Why do you hate your job ?

[OGR3]

Why do you hate your job ?

I really hope OP says poor work/life balance.

[danquayle]

The only way you should consider law school is if you're doing a part time program. $90k is a lot. Certainly some lawyers make more than this upon graduation. But most don't. Given the lost wages and the cost of attendance, I think you'd be foolish to go full time.

Have you also considered an MBA? Part time... of course. But an MBA values what is obviously success and experience from a prior career. Law school really doesn't.

What metro are you in?

[CurbYourEnthusiasm]

OP, if law school really means that much to you, then I would advise attending part-time. With your salary, and a part-time program (especially if you can get a scholly and are living on the cheap) you can graduate with minimal to no debt depending on tuition rates, how much you can save toward school, etc. This is exactly what I plan on doing, although my salary isn't as good as yours haha. Just something to consider.

If you don't do that though, then yea I agree with everyone else, stay at your current job.

[rman1201]

I have a job that pays me about $90,000/year. A lot of times i hate the job though there are times i feel better about it. I've been interested in getting a law degree as i thought it'd give me more opportunities, so i applied to a bunch of schools and got accepted to temple with a scholarship covering about half the tuition last year. I had to choose between the job and school at that time, and i couldn't decide so i deferred the admission for a year. And now i have to make a decision again. Part of me wants to go to school while i can but i'm also worried i might will be worse off coming out of law school than now. What would you do?

FTFY.

If you really hate your job and want to be a lawyer, hold on to your job for a little bit longer and save up enough to pay for tuition without taking out loans. You'd also have to acknowledge the fact there's a 90% chance you won't end up making as much as you previously were.

[Malcolm8X]

$90K?!?!

If you end up going to law school, let me know what you do and where, so I can apply for your vacancy and drop this whole law school idea.

[fragged]

I'm in the same spot as you, making very close to what you make.

It really depends on the context of your $90,000 salary. If you have tremendous upward mobility in your career and can see your value increasing well over 6 figures, that is a different story than if you work in a non-growth industry where $90,000 is your ceiling.

It really comes down to what you want to do. Personally I'm just burned out on my career, and if someone offered me $150k I wouldn't take it. I know it may be hard for some people to believe that, but then again a lot of TLS'ers haven't been working in the same career for 12 years like I have.

[XxSpyKEx]

I think this is one of the first threads I've seen with a poll at 100% on one option with over 35 votes. There's typically at least a few idiots that vote on something stupid, but here even those people voted for the job

[General Tso]

No one here is going to advise you to leave a 90k a year job to go to Temple.

[romothesavior]

If you want to spend three years and a bunch of money to wind up in a job you hate even more that pays you 1/2 of your current salary, then definitely go to law school.

[Fred_McGriff]

Alright... who voted for school!

[Patriot1208]

I'm all for changing your life and careers if you are unhappy but you need to be smart about it. Make sure law is what you want and get into a school that will site m allow you to likely make at least a comparable salary.

[haus]

Is there something inherent about your current career that becoming a lawyer would make you unable to do the work that you currently do?

What are your future prospects on your current career path (consider possible pay, job satisfaction, job availability)? Use this information to inform you decision.

Consider not only the cost of school, but the cost of opportunity. If you leave your current career for three years you are looking at ~$270k that you will not earn. That is a significant junk of change, and one that will take a long time to overcome, even if you land a job that pays very well, if money is your major concern you need to consider this carefully.

Currently my salary is over 100k (has been for years). I am considering pursuing a JD, but I am focusing my search almost exclusively on PT programs. Bright side for me is that were I live there are quite a few such programs. Even keeping the salary associated with my current career, the expense of earning another degree is considerable (not to mention the notion of several years of limited sleep and free time that goes hand and hand with working full time and taking on challenging academic work).

In the end, it does not matter what anyone other then you thinks about this decision. Either way, I wish you the best of luck going forward.

[mimi82]

I understand ur ordeal. I actually came to this forum to post something similar. I'm 28 and make about 65k a year. I love my job and want to stay in the same type of work (human trafficking) but in a prosecuting criminals position. I've been told by friends who went to law school that there are way more opportunities available to fulltime students rather than part time students. Such as externships, and clinics. And everyone says those are very important in recruitment for a legal position. But honestly I can't go back to being broke. No way no how. And on top of that I want to buy a house and after I get out of school I won't even be able to get an FHA loan because I will have so much debt and will be in repayment. I'm going to try to buy one while in school because my undergrad loans will be in deferment (gotta work the system). And with this economy there are waaayyyy too many out of work lawyers out there. Sure if I got accepted into Harvard, Stanford, Yale I would quit working in a heart beat. But no I got into Tier 2 and Tier 3 schools so I feel much more safe going part time.

So this is my plan...at least as of today. I'm still constantly brainstorming. I'm going to stay in my current position. Start school in the fall as a part time student. Next summer I will try to take a leave of absense for an externship/internship somewhere. And then the following semester work on getting some sort of coop position within the federal gov't (I'm in DC). And since I have numerous contacts I will network like hell to get something close to what I'm making now. If I get a coop position then I still get my legal experience, still make my money, and possibly participate in a clinic.
I hope this helps you out. Goodluck!!!

[Kabuo]

I understand ur ordeal. I actually came to this forum to post something similar. I'm 28 and make about 65k a year. I love my job and want to stay in the same type of work (human trafficking) but in a prosecuting criminals position.

I can't be the only one who thought this guy was, you know, IN human trafficking for a whole paragraph or two, right?

[MTal]

I think the results of the poll say more about TLS than it does about the OP.

[OGR3]

I think the results of the poll say more about TLS than it does about the OP.

I would think the results would make you quite happy MTal.

[mimi82]

I understand ur ordeal. I actually came to this forum to post something similar. I'm 28 and make about 65k a year. I love my job and want to stay in the same type of work (human trafficking) but in a prosecuting criminals position.

I can't be the only one who thought this guy was, you know, IN human trafficking for a whole paragraph or two, right?

Oh wow that didn't come out right...LOL I mean Research human trafficking.

Besides I'd be really bad at my job if I was only making 65k in human trafficking.

[Kabuo]

Oh wow that didn't come out right...LOL I mean Research human trafficking.

Besides I'd be really bad at my job if I was only making 65k in human trafficking.

Lol, I figured you meant something like that, for the reason you said and also since it seemed like a weird thing to be talking about on this forum.

[mpj_3050]

Job.

Most jobs suck ass so just find something to keep you happy outside of work.

[whuts4lunch]

Is the 90K consistent? Is there room for upward mobility? Will a JD be useful in your field in the event you decide to return to your current industry?