But hear me out. My story:
I graduated from The University of Michigan, Dearborn in 2007.
with a B.A. in Journalism, 3.3 GPA.
I was an editor at a local alternative weekly (think The Village Voice) for about a year
until I was laid off - with the Detroit economy in shambles and all.
I was a great asset to this publication (they still wanted to me write for them, just couldn't pay me my salary [a big 20 k a yr - which I was happy with, because I was doing what I loved, and understood that I was starting out]. Most of my other colleagues subsequently left or were laid off/fired (very shady "Publisher" who might be facing legal action soon). And this is a position I had to fight for to make sure I had a journalism gig coming out of college. In my journalism program and classes, I was probably what you could call a "star" - being published in a paper already and working as a an editor during my last semester of college.
After being laid off, I started a temp assignment at a staffing company, and then was laid off again in 2009 when the economy got really bad. Now, I'm working in a high-end optical shop and have health insurance benefits and am making pretty much the same amount of money when I was an editor. I like it. I'm doing well there but want a real career and not a "job."
I still am doing some freelance writing (which is hardly enough to ever pay rent). I've contributed to a colleague's blog. I did a big cover story/interview with Eminem and Dr. Dre when Em came out with his "comeback" album last year (for the paper I was formally employed at - literally the publisher called me and said he wanted me to do it and had everything set up for me).
My latest writing gig is a column that will be nationally syndicated through a wire service (so I can now call myself a nationally syndicated columnist!). As a journalist, I mostly write about music and pop culture - but as far as writing goes I'm very talented and have taken to doing some pr/marketing writing for my current employer and am confident that my writing talents stretch far behind album reviews - from academia to news. I know I can do it. The problem is, the opportunities have been non-existent.
Are you still with me?
Okay, well how does law school come up? It was suggested to me (by a significant other) because I can utilize my talents as a writer and market myself. I've considered going back to school for nursing or to get a Masters in writing/communications/journalism so I may teach. But after my experiences in journalism and investing time and money in education, I'm very hesitant about going back to school for anything because I don't want to get burned again by a career that will leave me in the poor house or unemployed. I have days when I'm very depressed about not being on the right career path because I do feel that I've done the right things and worked hard.
But what attracts me about law school is the sense of purpose, the public service aspect, fighting for what's right
and the notion that a lucrative career is attainable and that I can be compensated for my writing talents - and I know that some of this is cliche but why wouldn't you want to enter a field if not to get the most out of it?
So I started studying for the LSAT. My early scores with little prep are in the mid 140s, I need to improve vastly. I'm confident that I can get my LSAT score to the 160 range or even higher if I work hard enough - which I'm willing to do. I'm on a six-month study plan and have bought the Logic Games Bible (I do well on the reading, its the logic stuff that kills me) and am taking the practice tests.
I believe that I can improve enough on the LSAT to get into a t14 or other top 100. But then last night I started reading some of the horror stories about the over-saturated law market and how law grads can't find jobs and how earnings don't justify a big pile of debt. I'm starting to think that I should only go to law school if I can land a scholarship somewhere. Otherwise, I think I might be devastated when I graduate with a pile of debt and no job prospects. Unless of course, I graduated at the top of my class, but that is not a guarantee. I will work as hard as I can but I can't predict the future.
I'm young enough (24) that I have time to pursue a Masters (or a new career). I just don't want to make any mistakes. I want the odds to be in my favor for job prospects and decent salary. It seems like law school might not be that way. I might be better off looking back into nursing, a masters degree or seeing where optical takes me.
What do you all think?
Thanks for reading.
