Law school or become a cop?? Forum

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lukebyalibi

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Law school or become a cop??

Post by lukebyalibi » Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:30 pm

I am almost done with undergrad and need to decide if I should settle for a cop job, or attend law school? Both have obvious pros and cons, but what would be the best decision?

p.s. not going to get into anything spectacular law school wise, nothing worse then TT

09042014

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by 09042014 » Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:31 pm

lukebyalibi wrote:I am almost done with undergrad and need to decide if I should settle for a cop job, or attend law school? Both have obvious pros and cons, but what would be the best decision?

p.s. not going to get into anything spectacular law school wise, nothing worse then TT
Cop unless you can get T13, or T1 for free.

socraticmethodman

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by socraticmethodman » Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:35 pm

Do you even want to go to law school?

lukebyalibi

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by lukebyalibi » Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:39 pm

Yeah I really do want to attend law school. It is a question that has been popping into my head ever since I returned to college after 5 long years removed from high school. I just hate the idea of debt and all the doom and gloom surrounding the legal profession right now. Like most people contemplating the decision, I am just not sure if the risk is worth it

CanadianWolf

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by CanadianWolf » Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:40 pm

Go for the money---become a cop.

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Ziva

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by Ziva » Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:45 pm

You don't seem to want Big Law or anything flashy, so I'd say get an LSAT score that will secure you a school with strong regional placement and a large scholarship.
Otherwise go for cop.

bartleby

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by bartleby » Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:47 pm

in b4 "i am the law"

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SemperLegal

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by SemperLegal » Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:48 pm

lukebyalibi wrote:I am almost done with undergrad and need to decide if I should settle for a cop job, or attend law school? Both have obvious pros and cons, but what would be the best decision?

p.s. not going to get into anything spectacular law school wise, nothing worse then TT

Cop if you live north of VA (where they make 6-figures in five years) and can get it. Otherwise law school.

lukebyalibi

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by lukebyalibi » Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:51 pm

Yeah I don't want big law at all, I mean if I landed T14 I probably would make a dash for the cash ya know, I have a 3.9 GPA so I need to do rather well on the LSAT for that to happen. I would be totally fine doing public interest type work, pay is not a huge factor for sure. I do not mind moving for school and then settling down wherever I would end up because, in all likely hood I am going to have to move to become a cop anyway.

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Bartlebee06

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by Bartlebee06 » Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:54 pm

lukebyalibi wrote:Yeah I really do want to attend law school. It is a question that has been popping into my head ever since I returned to college after 5 long years removed from high school. I just hate the idea of debt and all the doom and gloom surrounding the legal profession right now. Like most people contemplating the decision, I am just not sure if the risk is worth it


Both fields are saturated as are most job markets these days. Its purely were your heart is. Its not like you will be able to go right out of college and get right into a police dept. I work with several UG grads who were crim j majors and for over a year now most of them have been stuck working a security job and testing in consortium hoping to get a few positions with hundreds vying for it. The point is nothing is going to be easy. Find out where your passion is before deciding so you dont have any regrets.

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Knock

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by Knock » Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:55 pm

One of these professions gets to carry a gun. I think you know what the right decision is here.

lukebyalibi

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by lukebyalibi » Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:58 pm

That is very solid advice, I have been on a few eligibility lists for LE jobs and it is very frustrating with so many applicants and few jobs. I still have some time to decide and I hate having regrets, and I feel that I will regret not attending law school! PISSSSS!!! Guess I just made my decision! ha

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OutCold

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by OutCold » Wed Apr 13, 2011 10:33 pm

lukebyalibi wrote:Yeah I don't want big law at all, I mean if I landed T14 I probably would make a dash for the cash ya know, I have a 3.9 GPA so I need to do rather well on the LSAT for that to happen. I would be totally fine doing public interest type work, pay is not a huge factor for sure. I do not mind moving for school and then settling down wherever I would end up because, in all likely hood I am going to have to move to become a cop anyway.
A 3.9 puts you in a really great position for the T14 and for scholarships in the rest of the T1. You could probably crack GTown and Cornell with a 167-168.

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BlueDiamond

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by BlueDiamond » Wed Apr 13, 2011 10:40 pm

become a cop
falsely arrest people
let me be their defense attorney
profit
kickbacks
repeat

chicubs88

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by chicubs88 » Wed Apr 13, 2011 10:49 pm

Becoming a cop right now is not easy. With budget woes at local, state, and the federal levels there are not a lot of openings. I know several individuals who are trying to become cops/fireman and are struggling. Military experience is huge for getting a job, both because of the experience and preferential hiring practices. Also, i find the notion that you will have a 6 figure income in 5 years hard to believe. I live in Illinois and i know that higher ranking officers within the state police make 6 figures, but that is after years of experience within the state police and whatever city or county level experience they needed to be considered for a state job.

tittsburghfeelers

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by tittsburghfeelers » Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:18 pm

chicubs88 wrote:Becoming a cop right now is not easy. With budget woes at local, state, and the federal levels there are not a lot of openings. I know several individuals who are trying to become cops/fireman and are struggling. Military experience is huge for getting a job, both because of the experience and preferential hiring practices. Also, i find the notion that you will have a 6 figure income in 5 years hard to believe. I live in Illinois and i know that higher ranking officers within the state police make 6 figures, but that is after years of experience within the state police and whatever city or county level experience they needed to be considered for a state job.
I agree. I don't know how much cops make outside of IL, but I know quite a few cops and I doubt any of them (even state cops) make six figures from their salaries. However, I know alot of cops supplement their income by doing other things(legal of course). For example, I know a couple cops that have a side business in real estate. They either flip houses or they build spec houses and sell them for a quick profit.

lukebyalibi

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by lukebyalibi » Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:38 pm

A few friends of mine are cops, and they make about 80k a year starting after overtime is all said and done. That being said, I am not sure if that is even worth it considering all the bull that cops have to go through on a daily basis! Not that a job in legal field would be a cakewalk by any means. I realize a 167+ on the lsat puts me in the ranges of some decent schools, I just don't want to get my hopes up since I do not have any idea how to gauge how well, or how poorly I would perform on the test.

I plan on taking the OCT LSAT, so I have all summer to study. I should be able to put in about 25-30 hours a week and I am going to get a schedule from LSAT blog to help planning this out. If I do not receive my desired score then I will just study more and retake in Dec. I need a 159 or higher to get a shot at my state school which places very well here, and also will help me keep costs down if I decide to attend

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Sandro

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by Sandro » Thu Apr 14, 2011 12:38 am

Go to law school for free and then be a cop, then when you arrest people you can give them your card for an attorney.

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AreJay711

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by AreJay711 » Thu Apr 14, 2011 12:40 am

Knock wrote:One of these professions gets to carry a gun. I think you know what the right decision is here.
This.

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Grizz

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by Grizz » Thu Apr 14, 2011 12:41 am

Become a fucking drug dealer you pussy

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Stringer Bell

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by Stringer Bell » Thu Apr 14, 2011 12:44 am

Desert Fox wrote: Cop unless you can get T13, or T1 for free.
TCR here.

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UnamSanctam

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by UnamSanctam » Thu Apr 14, 2011 1:03 am

tittsburghfeelers wrote:
chicubs88 wrote:Becoming a cop right now is not easy. With budget woes at local, state, and the federal levels there are not a lot of openings. I know several individuals who are trying to become cops/fireman and are struggling. Military experience is huge for getting a job, both because of the experience and preferential hiring practices. Also, i find the notion that you will have a 6 figure income in 5 years hard to believe. I live in Illinois and i know that higher ranking officers within the state police make 6 figures, but that is after years of experience within the state police and whatever city or county level experience they needed to be considered for a state job.
I agree. I don't know how much cops make outside of IL, but I know quite a few cops and I doubt any of them (even state cops) make six figures from their salaries. However, I know alot of cops supplement their income by doing other things(legal of course). For example, I know a couple cops that have a side business in real estate. They either flip houses or they build spec houses and sell them for a quick profit.
TITCR. Both of my parents, two of my uncles, and a cousin are cops. My mother is a (newly) retired state cop who never made six figures even after promotions, my dad didn't even being second-in-command, my uncle didn't being police chief. Cops don't generally make six figs.

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SemperLegal

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by SemperLegal » Thu Apr 14, 2011 3:35 am

Thats why I said be north of VA,

--LinkRemoved--

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 73466.html

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/0 ... ighes.html

Keep in mind overtime is extremely easy to get in large cities (plus moonlighting) and most get a 10% LE bonus. NJ and many NY Cops top out in five years.

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MrKappus

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by MrKappus » Thu Apr 14, 2011 3:38 am

This is kind of like asking "Should I be a physicist specializing in fluid dynamics, or a plumber?"

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Re: Law school or become a cop??

Post by witorres89 » Thu Apr 14, 2011 3:52 am

rad law wrote:Become a fucking drug dealer you pussy
cops deals drugs too http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/roots6.1.1.html

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

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