What is so attractive about teaching law? Forum

[Flanker1067]

For those of you who say you want to teach (seems to be alot), what is the draw? Obviously teaching is an awesome job, it just seems that teaching law is ultra competitive and mostly goes to YHS grads(and few at that). Wouldn't you be better off getting a PHD in something else? Seems to me it would be less work (no doubt still alot) and less competitive for jobs. Just inquiring, and feel free to discuss amongst yourselves your own personal motives for wanting to teach law.

[Borhas]

people want the prestige of going to a fancy law school without actually becoming a lawyer

[RVP11]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for very little work

[Oban]

prob the best job. six figures for 5 hours of work a week. You make the students do most of the teaching.

[Flanker1067]

Ahh how much do they make? Doesn't it end up being a really hard job with the research involved and such anyways?

[Unemployed]

Average (median?) tenured prof at Harvard makes 250k (excluding benefits). Outside the elite schools, that number is betwen 140-170k.

[General Tso]

aren't young law professors under the same amount of publish as in other fields? i hardly think its "5 hours of work per week," at least for those lacking tenure

[Flanker1067]

Average (median?) tenured prof at Harvard makes 250k (excluding benefits). Outside the elite schools, that number is betwen 140-170k.

Holy shit, I didn't know it was that much. Now I get it. As for ^^^, I agree that 5 hours a week is clearly impossible.

[thesealocust]

edit: never mind

[Unemployed]

http://www.saltlaw.org/userfiles/SALT%2 ... 7-2008.pdf

Allow me to amend - these are median numbers, and it does get as low as 120k in some schools, and these figures are only for "full" professors.

But yeah, a full prof at Cooley makes 150k.

[Connelly]

On top of good salaries, money can be made on the side. Factor in book deals, consultations, mediations, etc, and compensation can be increased above the listed salaries.

[Reinhardt]

Man, 170k to prof in Hawaii. That'd be the life.

[lawduder]

also, some people like to teach

[thesealocust]

edit: never mind

[VincentChase]

The Ph.D. thing can be dangerous. There are far, far, far more people with Ph.D.'s than there are positions, especially tenure track positions. And what do you do with a philosophy doctorate or literature doctorate other than teach? At least if you don't crack legal academia, you still have a professional degree with some utility. That's not the case with a Ph.D.

[lawman335]

Ya now a days most of the people join fancy law college without knowing the fact that they have joined the law school to become a lawyer............

[Kohinoor]

skrilla. Base salary and enhanced prestige leads to increased royalties from books plus commissions for speaking engagements plus enchanced ability to lateral into either arbitration or professional expert witness.

[Snooker]

Legal Academia is not a real job. That's the big draw. You do all this intellectual exploration into topics of zero social value, then teach for four hours a week. You get paid, depending on the school, around 100k when you start and around 200k on tenure. In the real world, an average academic would start at 160k and do it for a few years, fail to make partner, and make 100k. Going into academia about doubles their long-term salary prospects.

Being a lawyer, you must actually produce value for your clients. That is tremendously more demanding. it's not hard to see why many people would prefer to be legal academics.

[Snooker]

prob the best job. six figures for 5 hours of work a week. You make the students do most of the teaching.

I was really shocked entering law school at just how much law professors fight tooth and nail to do as little work as possible. One small example - at our school, it is completely impermissible on most memo assignments to get outside feedback about how to improve your work. In undergrad, our professors would ask students to come to them for help on improving their writing. Another example, professors seem to love to schedule their office hours during periods when everyone in the section has class, or during the 1-hour lunch break.

Law professors get 2 months to grade exams... A law professor with a class of 25 students, and no other classes, nonetheless still took 2 months to grade exams.

The worst thing is that law professors know they are bilking law students for all this cash and basically do not give a fuck. Several law deans have basically come out and said this.

[UFMatt]

Reasons being a law professor is perceived as attractive (in no particular order):

a. Prestige
b. Salary
c. Job Security
d. Quality of Life

[apper123]

prob the best job. six figures for 5 hours of work a week. You make the students do most of the teaching.

One small example - at our school, it is completely impermissible on most memo assignments to get outside feedback about how to improve your work.

This probably has absolutely nothing to do with lightening professor workloads. Do you see why?

[VincentChase]

I've really liked all my professors.

[annapavlova]

What about teaching at a schmancy high school? Since my SO will be bringing in the dough as well, it seems like a good option for a time when I need a break/actually have to raise children/would like the summers off, etc. I've heard a J.D. can get you into a high school teaching government, con law, etc. at some good prep schools - has anybody else heard this rumor, or have any input about whether it is reliable?

[Aberzombie1892]

Nevermind

[cherryalamode]

What about teaching at a schmancy high school? Since my SO will be bringing in the dough as well, it seems like a good option for a time when I need a break/actually have to raise children/would like the summers off, etc. I've heard a J.D. can get you into a high school teaching government, con law, etc. at some good prep schools - has anybody else heard this rumor, or have any input about whether it is reliable?

I don't know but I sure would like to! I'm wondering the same thing...