Top Law Schools

Is there an up to date version of this?:

http://www.ilrg.com/schools/analysis/

Yes, basically with IBR, the most you are out is ~13%./y. That is with assuming a market salary 160k position. The lower the starting salary, the lower that percentage will go, down to a salary of ~21k/y, where it will be 0%. Obviously having less loans overall would also lower these percentages.

Spoiler - it's probably not worth it.

wow UGA cost under $3,000 a year

look at the UC's - $8500-9000

No T2 private law school J.D. is worth paying sticker. Part-time 4 year programs are a little less dismal because of the reduction in opportunity cost. The ideal would be a nice scholarship to a PT program in a city with a low cost of living but I don't know if such a beast even exists.

Twenty-five years ago, state university law schools were cheap enough that going did make financial sense. (Disclaimer: That's what I did.) I suppose it might still make sense but you need to evaluate it on a case-by-case basis.

There's just no getting away from the numbers. Assume $120,000 in private school tuition for three years plus, say, lost income of $35,000 per year...$225,000 for a J.D. and the prospect of a starting salary of, say, $50,000...it just isn't worth it.

But ROI isn't the only gauge. If it were, Californian wanna-be lawyers would all do 4 year clerkships with Judges and attorneys and qualify for the Bar that way. Or at least earn correspondence degrees for $15-25,000. But they don't; the VAST majority of new California lawyers earned their degrees in ABA approved, full time programs.

General Tso wrote:wow UGA cost under $3,000 a year

look at the UC's - $8500-9000

only off by about 40,000

BeautifulSW wrote:No T2 private law school J.D. is worth paying sticker. Part-time 4 year programs are a little less dismal because of the reduction in opportunity cost. The ideal would be a nice scholarship to a PT program in a city with a low cost of living but I don't know if such a beast even exists.

Twenty-five years ago, state university law schools were cheap enough that going did make financial sense. (Disclaimer: That's what I did.) I suppose it might still make sense but you need to evaluate it on a case-by-case basis.

There's just no getting away from the numbers. Assume $120,000 in private school tuition for three years plus, say, lost income of $35,000 per year...$225,000 for a J.D. and the prospect of a starting salary of, say, $50,000...it just isn't worth it.

But ROI isn't the only gauge. If it were, Californian wanna-be lawyers would all do 4 year clerkships with Judges and attorneys and qualify for the Bar that way. Or at least earn correspondence degrees for $15-25,000. But they don't; the VAST majority of new California lawyers earned their degrees in ABA approved, full time programs.

This, specifically the part about it not being worth it, is false, especially if you have no other lucrative career skills. At $50k/y, with IBR, you're paying back about $4k/y. You're still doing better than working for $35k/y. All this is moot if you don't finish law school or don't pass the bar though.

rockstar4488 wrote: This, specifically the part about it not being worth it, is false, especially if you have no other lucrative career skills. At $50k/y, with IBR, you're paying back about $4k/y. You're still doing better than working for $35k/y. All this is moot if you don't finish law school or don't pass the bar though.

If you want to compare 50k to 35k, you have to include the 105k lost wages into the equation. Also 3 years of seniority will net some levels of raises, maybe even a promotion to a position/title that pays closer to 50k, without the debt and lost wages.

IBR, as wonderful as it may be and assuming Congress is willing to continue subsidizing overpriced law school tuition, does not address the three years of lost income. I stick by my comment.

Lulz at "3 years of lost income" or, the even better one: "opportunity cost."

People that point to these things typically fall under one of two categories:

1. They are naive UG's that have never had a real job;
2. They had a great job and many years of WE pre ITE OR majored in something like engineering.


To those of you in group 1: You have no idea the hell that is finding some kind of data entry, small time job and working for 5 years to "climb the ladder" under incompetent micro managing middle management loser type bosses. All of this while earning a gigantic salary of < 30k and then "working your way up" to 40k after a few years of this hell, all with the prospect of becoming that horrific, incompetent micro-managing middle manager.

Have fun with that. I'll take an interesting career that values critical thinking and autonomy.

A'nold wrote:I'll take an interesting career that values critical thinking and autonomy.

So, you've decided to drop out of law school?

dominkay wrote:

A'nold wrote:I'll take an interesting career that values critical thinking and autonomy.

So, you've decided to drop out of law school?

Speaking of that, I am actually a half hour away from wrapping up my 1L internship. Law is a great field. Trust me, I've tried many.

So have I tried many. Naval officer, merchant mariner, even a short stint in broadcasting. But for the last 25 years, I've been a lawyer. No private T2 school is worth sticker.

IBR, as wonderful as it may be and assuming Congress is willing to continue subsidizing overpriced law school tuition, does not address the three years of lost income. I stick by my comment.

All "lost" income is supplanted by cost of living loans, which are included in the full price IBR scenario that I mentioned above.

A'nold wrote:Law is a great field.

This may be the first time this has ever been said on the internet.