Proposal: We stop accepting the flame that 0Ls will do PI Forum

[sd5289]

Ben doesn't speak absolute truth, but he's really onto something. It is fantastic that so many people want to do PI, and I applaud them for it. But why legal PI? Is that really the most effective way to help people?

I haven't read through the rest of this thread yet, which clearly exploded from the last time I looked at it, but I think this is THE question PI-oriented people should ask themselves over and over again (I know I certainly did for a couple of years actually). They should also have a specific answer beyond "helping people." By specific, I mean what concrete, tangible type of work will you be doing that requires a JD? You could, say, have a real passion for assisting victims of trafficking obtain status in the U.S. Perhaps you're even interested in making sure they get through the process of adjusting their status to LPR or even naturalizing as a citizen. Well okay then, you'll clearly need the JD in order to get into the nonprofit organization that represents clients in T Visa proceedings. That's one example of a specific answer to the above question.

Unfortunately, it seems like people hardly ever provide an answer as specific as that.

[skers]

Ben doesn't speak absolute truth, but he's really onto something. It is fantastic that so many people want to do PI, and I applaud them for it. But why legal PI? Is that really the most effective way to help people?

I haven't read through the rest of this thread yet, which clearly exploded from the last time I looked at it, but I think this is THE question PI-oriented people should ask themselves over and over again (I know I certainly did for a couple of years actually). They should also have a specific answer beyond "helping people." By specific, I mean what concrete, tangible type of work will you be doing that requires a JD? You could, say, have a real passion for assisting victims of trafficking obtain status in the U.S. Perhaps you're even interested in making sure they get through the process of adjusting their status to LPR or even naturalizing as a citizen. Well okay then, you'll clearly need the JD in order to get into the nonprofit organization that represents clients in T Visa proceedings. That's one example of a specific answer to the above question.

Unfortunately, it seems like people hardly ever provide an answer as specific as that.

I think the answer is no one wants to go down on a social worker.

[TIKITEMBO]

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[flem]

You think David Segal or his editors are economists!?!?!?

These guys have a communication or journalism degree and that's it. They then take what other people say, without knowing the theory behind the subject, and piece it together. If you read a newspaper on a daily basis you will know exactly what I'm talking about.

You're completely delusional on this issue. It would be a completely different if we were talking about The Economist, The Financial Times, Moodys, etc... (The opinion pages of the WSJ don't count either.) They have top-notch economists on staff who can sort through the garbage and look at the big picture.

P.S. If you look through the forum you will see I wasn't disagreeing with everything from the article. Only more outlandish statements.

Full disclosure: I didn't read that article. Or even look at it.

But I'm willing to bet it's still more reliable than your hopelessly optimistic opinion.

[sd5289]

I think the answer is no one wants to go down on a social worker.

[kapital98]

I think the answer is no one wants to go down on a social worker.

Yes!

On a more serious note: Many people who say they want to do PI have no experience. I don't think we should shun them because they don't know specifically what they want to do. Otherwise this would close off a lot of potential applicants.

But, yes, your point is well taken.

[09042014]

Can someone explain what y'all are talking about when you refer to 'good PI' gigs that want biglaw experience? In the nonprofit legal world we don't seem to have any interest in biglaw experience. Only the old people worked at biglaw first, and they made the jump years ago.

Are y'all talking about government? Private civil rights firms? Srsly curious---I need start building my self-justification for selling out and doing OCI.

It probably depends on what the nonprofit does and how radical it is. If it's just litigation, big law paying for the training costs is probably a great thing of the nonprofit. If it's small criminal stuff or family law stuff then big law experience is irrelevant.

I'm interning for a dood who was a V5 partner for his career and he just got great position at a top notch enviro nonprofit in the last couple of years.