Why You Should Go To Law School Forum

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PDaddy

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Re: Why You Should Go To Law School

Post by PDaddy » Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:43 am

j2d3 wrote:I am not worried about the job market after law school, because abstract cyclical phenomena don't dictate my personal decisions. I guess I'm lucky in that I already have a career that pays quite well, and I'll only be expanding my opportunities within my field by getting a JD. I'll probably also get another advanced degree in CS. In any case, I'm going back to school because I love being in school. The only part I'm not going to like is these maniacal people desperate to get the highest GPA at any cost so they can score their coveted "biglaw" jobs.

I don't get this mentality... but it's evident all over these boards. First of all, these $160K jobs - the "biglaw" jobs they want to land - these jobs aren't even that amazing in terms of salary... considering what you have to do to get them. You can get a job in TV production that pays better without any degree - not even a bachelors is required. Learn final cut. It's a way easier path to "riches." Or you could be a shooter on a reality TV show and bring in $800/day plus per diem, plus travel expenses... I know a makeup artists who charge $2000/day. You could also, like me, figure out how to program computers. You don't need school for that... everything you need is right in front of you... I taught myself (almost) everything I know about programming, and I made $2500/week - for a 35 hour (or so) week - every week for 3 years - doing IT / web production for a network TV show. It was obscene how easy my job was. Teaching myself several computer languages and working as a sysadmin obviously took time and effort, but I was making money the whole way through. It was all "on-the-job training." I never built up massive debt, and the jobs I ended up with were cushy, high paying, flexible, and easy. These aren't things I've heard about working in biglaw...

Anyway - you're never going to *really* make money (in the grand scheme of things) working a salary job for someone else... yet all these supposedly smart kids are practically killing each other for a chance at middle class salary jobs. Seems like most applicants to top law schools are well brain washed.

That said, having a legal education is worth something! A JD can be a great asset for an entrepreneur, and if you want to be an entrepreneur and *really* make money - you can't be afraid of a little debt. You've got to risk money to make money, and it's always best to risk someone else's. Happily, the government is more than willing to let you borrow your way through law school.

I hope this economy does successfully dissuade the kind of people who are attracted to law school because they want "high paying" salary jobs in "big law." These people seem exceedingly boring, immature, and douche-y. I'd prefer to be in school with intellectually curious, innovative people whose interests are interdisciplinary and who aspire to more than joining the great frat party in the sky(scrapers).
Finally...someone who can think for himself. I am sick of hearing people talk about job prospects as if that run's their lives. People can make their own thing happen if they have any guts and creativity. I gave this same diatribe on LSD last year. Stop thinking "job" and start thinking "owner", "president", and "CEO".

Create! I will say, the BigLaw route isn't a bad one at all. One can make great contacts, get good experience, travel and brainstorm about one's future, all while making $125+ for 3-5 years...not a bad way to go at all. But we must think beyond that.

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