Should I consider Law School right now? Forum

[albo23]

I'm an undergrad right now at Wayne State U. (Detroit, MI) with a ~3.83 LSAC GPA though 67 credits double majoring in Finance and Accounting. I have to admit I have kind of lost interest in both fields but I'm too far in to change my mind, not to mention the Detroit-area job prospects have slowed in availability and starting salaries have dropped.

I have always had Law School on the back of my mind but I never wanted to give it too much thought until I established a good GPA as it was always T14 or bust in my mind. Now that I have created a good foundation for my GPA I feel as if my opportunities have grown and now I'm looking into Law School.

Of course I haven't taken the LSAT yet, but I did score a 30 on the ACT, I don't think that is indicative of much though .

So my question is, do you recommend I stay on my path, work a job in Finance/Acctng for 5+ years and then get an MBA?
Or is it wise, with my statistics, to entertain a shot at the T14 Law Schools?

EDIT: I have not researched LS in about 3-4 years, I know the job prospects have turned for the worse but jobs all across Detroit have also declined. I would like to exit the State but with a degree at Wayne St., my opportunities are constrained.

[Bronck]

All you've really identified for us is that you've begun to lose interest in Finance & Accounting. This obviously points against staying on that path (but it's not exactly dispositive either).

It obviously doesn't hurt to study for and take the LSAT. Once you get a score, you can more sensibly evaluate your choices.

[empyreanrrv]

All you've really identified for us is that you've begun to lose interest in Finance & Accounting. This obviously points against staying on that path (but it's not exactly dispositive either).

It obviously doesn't hurt to study for and take the LSAT. Once you get a score, you can more sensibly evaluate your choices.

+1 -- get a score first and then weigh your options. If you don't do as well as you hoped, you can always study up, gain some work experience, and reevaluate. There's no rush on law school, and it shouldn't be a default option because you've become disillusioned with your current path.

[albo23]

Thank you for the suggestions! How much has LS changed in the past 3-4 years? Say I nab a 170 on the LSAT, would I be able to break into the T14, if so, how high? I took a look at some of the LS calculators but I'm not sure of their reliability.

[Mick Haller]

I'd do accounting and not think twice about it. That's one of the few reliable paths to a 60-80k job.

The legal market is so bad that you'll probably end up taking something you don't really want too.

[empyreanrrv]

Your best resource for seeing how you'll fare is based on data from http://www.lawschoolnumbers.com. http://www.mylsn.info is another website that helps organize that data.

To get a really basic idea-- take a look at this https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... nUnc#gid=1

Ideally you'll want to be at or above either the GPA or LSAT median. Keep in mind that the LSAT medians will probably drop after this cycle as well.

[heythatslife]

If you want to go to law school, keep up that GPA and take the LSAT after solid preparation. Your GPA as it stands now is good enough for any school, but no one can really tell what your chances are until you get your LSAT score.

But to answer your question, this is what your chances would look like IF you get a 170: http://myLSN.info/urshe1

[albo23]

I notice a negative vibe around LS in general on this forums and a bad stigma about job opportunities after graduation. How true is all of this within the T14? I'm scanning through some of the upper-level schools on the LSAT Score Reports website and they have some good employment rates. I linked to UofM's stats and a graduate in the 50th percentile earns a whopping $145,000 yearly. Am I being misled somewhere?

[empyreanrrv]

Of the 182 reported salaries, the median is $145,000. All this would mean is that at least 25% of the class needs biglaw jobs, which I'm sure Michigan is able to provide.

NLJ has Michigan's biglaw placement at 32%, which I'm sure is low and does not count other favorable outcomes. http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNL ... 0119125618

Law School Transparency has their large firm score as 34%, which is also pretty low. 2011 was also an awful year. I think ITE Mich will be placing 40-45% of their class in biglaw positions. So yes, 145,000 is possible at a median salary, though probably it would be lower. Whether a ~60% chance to be able to pay off loans if you decide to go at sticker is an entirely different matter.

[Rahviveh]

I notice a negative vibe around LS in general on this forums and a bad stigma about job opportunities after graduation. How true is all of this within the T14? I'm scanning through some of the upper-level schools on the LSAT Score Reports website and they have some good employment rates. I linked to UofM's stats and a graduate in the 50th percentile earns a whopping $145,000 yearly. Am I being misled somewhere?

You picked the wrong school, for some reason Michigan has the most shockingly bad salary reporting rates in the T14

[cinephile]

keep in mind that all stats are just of those who respond to the surveys, and those tend to be the winners of the law school game. also, plenty of people respond without salary info, which messes up the median salary.

[Mick Haller]

I notice a negative vibe around LS in general on this forums and a bad stigma about job opportunities after graduation. How true is all of this within the T14? I'm scanning through some of the upper-level schools on the LSAT Score Reports website and they have some good employment rates. I linked to UofM's stats and a graduate in the 50th percentile earns a whopping $145,000 yearly. Am I being misled somewhere?

Top 14 is good. If you can get 170+ go for it.

[Gunnar Stahl]

I'm a 0L and not as knowledgable as most posters here, but I'd say work at getting a 170, work a few years, and If you like working in finance/accounting after those few years, stay at it and get an MBA, but if not then try to get into Michigan. If you go to Michigan, you'd be in a pretty good position to nab the quasi biglaw in Detroit; (I'm assuming you're from the area since you're at Wayne).

This thread has more information:
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=163682

[albo23]

I'm a 0L and not as knowledgable as most posters here, but I'd say work at getting a 170, work a few years, and If you like working in finance/accounting after those few years, stay at it and get an MBA, but if not then try to get into Michigan. If you go to Michigan, you'd be in a pretty good position to nab the quasi biglaw in Detroit; (I'm assuming you're from the area since you're at Wayne).

This thread has more information:
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=163682

Excellent link dude. It seems as if native Detroiters, especially UM Law grads, have a major upper hand in the Detroit market.

[somewhatwayward]

keep in mind that all stats are just of those who respond to the surveys, and those tend to be the winners of the law school game. also, plenty of people respond without salary info, which messes up the median salary.

And schools are allowed to fill in the data of people who don't respond....well, guess what? It is much easier to track down big law grads since big firms have websites and it is easy to find the salaries at big firms online so you can bet your bottom dollar that every single person making 100K+ is being reported. At the same time, it is difficult to track down unemployed grads or people working at radio shack...no one puts them or their salary online, and of course schools have no incentive to try to find them.

[albo23]

Ok I think I will take the LSAT next summer and see what I get and make a decision from there. I'm hijacking my own thread here but.. my Winter semester will end April 29 next year. With that in mind, should I take the June test or the October test?

[Rahviveh]

Ok I think I will take the LSAT next summer and see what I get and make a decision from there. I'm hijacking my own thread here but.. my Winter semester will end April 29 next year. With that in mind, should I take the June test or the October test?

October. Focus on school right now and spend the summer on LSAT prep