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So I go to a T2 school and my grades came back much worse than expected putting me just south of 50 percent....It doesn't cost me anything to go to school. Being that my job options are limited is there any benefit to having a JD outside of law

Not really. You hear of a lot of non law firms recruiting at OCI? There's a reason for that. It tends to raise questions like "Why did you decide to go to law school if you didn't want to be a lawyer" and "are you sure this other profession is now what you want." Would you get a masters in foreign languages if you wanted to do something outside foreign languages? Would you get a masters in math if you wanted to write novels?

You can do anything you did before law school with a JD + practice as an attorney.

Extension_Cord wrote:You can do anything you did before law school with a JD + practice as an attorney.

I don't have first hand experience with this. However, I have heard that having a law degree makes it harder to find a job. People wonder why you aren't practicing, or they think you will leave as soon as you have a job. But I don't know if this is true. As you are going for free, maybe you can figure something out. Not sure what to advise you. I would at least stick out one more semester and think of your options. It seems like a complete waste to finish a degree you may never use, but at least you won't be going into debt.

Extension_Cord wrote:You can do anything you did before law school with a JD + practice as an attorney.

Except you're now wildly overqualified for the jobs you used to be a good candidate for, plus are now viewed as a possible flight risk. There's a reason some unemployed JDs leave the JD off their resume.

Policy-related jobs in DC or state capitals. Before I went to law school, I worked as a policy analyst at a consulting company, and my position was filled by a recent law graduate from a lower-ranked school. However, the pay wouldn't be great.... I earned $42,000.

LSATNightmares wrote:Policy-related jobs in DC or state capitals. Before I went to law school, I worked as a policy analyst at a consulting company, and my position was filled by a recent law graduate from a lower-ranked school. However, the pay wouldn't be great.... I earned $42,000.

Hate to bust everyones bubble, but most law graduates make 42,000 out of law school anyways.

A legal degree is a versatile degree that is valuable for a number of career paths post-law school. You don't need to be an attorney. The world is your oyster with a lawl degree.

A JD is useful in a lot of different business-related jobs. I don't think a lot of places actually see it as a flight risk b/c if you're not practicing, you prob didn't do too well in law school so you won't be getting hired by any top firms. Working outside of the legal field isn't gonna make you more attractive to biglaw. Fact is that you'll prob make more money outside of law than in it if you're in this situation anyway so flight risk is not something that should concern employers.

ran12 wrote: Fact is that you'll prob make more money outside of law than in it if you're in this situation anyway so flight risk is not something that should concern employers.

Yeah, but non-legal employers probably don't know that.

A lot of people who have a JD but fail the bar go into claims adjusting for insurance companies...

Awhile back, someone was here advocating the virtues of jobs in compliance.

I.P. Daly wrote:Awhile back, someone was here advocating the virtues of jobs in compliance.

A JD will not get you a job in compliance. You need several years worth of work experience in financial services to be even considered.

I can speak only from my own experience as a TTTT grad (Top 10%, LR) with an extensive, relevant, interesting military background and lots of previous accolades in my field. I ended up in a law job, but I looked extensively for a non-law job. I could never get in the door. Here is but one example of an email from a contact at a company

Dear lpecan,

I have fielded a couple of questions regarding the successful completion of your JD. One of which is "if a position were to work out here at COMPANY, would lpecan be likely to stay in it for the foreseeable future or would he eventually go somewhere else to practice law"

I got this over and over again. Non law employers just don't understand that you are more employable and will make more money and thus would prefer to return to your old field. Honestly, If I were you I'd try to get a part time job with an interestingish title, finish up your degree and leave it off your resume when you apply to non-law jobs. Otherwise, I think it is only useful at non-profits and in state government.

You can teach law school!