Top Law Schools

Some prospective law students may be encouraged by articles like this:

http://www.slate.com/articles/business/ ... rious.html

It's a great time to buy low! Cheap penny stocks offer nothing but upside!

As any investor knows, just because the stock is low doesn't mean it's a bargain. A lot of stocks are low because their value sucks and there's a significant risk that you'll lose everything. There's a fine line sometimes between buying low and trying to catch a falling knife.

The reality is that even by Weismann's statistics, job prospects for the class of 2017 are bleak. 26k law graduates get full-time lawyer jobs, and soon there will be only 36K graduates! But the majority of those 26k lawyer jobs pay between nothing and $50k/year. And you can't service law school debt with that kind of salary. And a good proportion of those that do get Biglaw will be cast off into the foray of doc review and temp work, or doing DUI defense. I got a speeding ticket once rushing to my 2L summer internship, and found a Biglaw cast-off to get my ticket reduced to a non-moving "excessive vehicle noise" violation. Just ask this T14 graduate and former Biglaw attorney turned doc reviewer:

--LinkRemoved--

Or, you can miss out on a legal job entirely like areyouinsane, and suffer through years of humiliating, spirit-crushing abuse as a contract attorney, which is one of the only options available to you if you miss out on a job through OCI (if your school even has OCI):

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... &start=100

Calling it legal "education" is a bridge too far. You're in for a 3-year hazing ritual that doubles as a pyramid scheme to keep law schools reeling in student loan cash. And if you come out on top of that pyramid, you get to enter the next pyramid that is Biglaw...where you are forced to keep working grueling hours at a firm that is highly leveraged for the sole purpose of keeping PPP high, and where your chances of making partner are slim to none, and your chances of making it past 5 years (best-case scenario for paying off sticker debt) are under 40%.

But it's not too late to withdraw and find something more productive to do with your next 10 years. If you can't go to a top-tier law school for close to $100k in total debt, or you can't get a full scholarship elsewhere, you should seriously consider withdrawing.

I realize that this may be beating a dead horse on here, but again, there's far to many 0Ls on here new to the forum asking whether they should go to some TTT with a generous "25% scholarship." If this is your best option, please, for the love of god, stay the hell away.

This should be stickied

I've never understood the idea that because fewer people are going this is a good time to attend.

Think why it is that people are fleeing law for other careers.

There are too few jobs and school is too expensive.

NYSprague wrote:I've never understood the idea that because fewer people are going this is a good time to attend.

Think why it is that people are fleeing law for other careers.

There are too few jobs and school is too expensive.

Almost all the associates I used to work with (as a paralegal) at a mid-sized firm were actively looking for jobs in other industries. It's not even that they're badly compensated by normal standards. They just can't service their absurd debt, hate the work, want more stability and work-life balance. This is one of the "bar-passage required" jobs that is considered a good outcome for most students outside the T14. This job would certainly beat doc review, traffic ticket work, or unemployment. The fact that there might be enough of these jobs out there for students doesn't mean its a good idea to go.

Yeah I have been debating about whether to actually go or just live in my parents basement forever. It's a tough choice.

Chriz wrote:Yeah I have been debating about whether to actually go or just live in my parents basement forever. It's a tough choice.

180 for those of us with shitty undergrad majors.

It's like, risk going and being SOL if you don't get a job, and don't go and know you won't get a non-McDonalds job the rest of your life

.

The Dark Shepard wrote:

Chriz wrote:Yeah I have been debating about whether to actually go or just live in my parents basement forever. It's a tough choice.

180 for those of us with shitty undergrad majors.

It's like, risk going and being SOL if you don't get a job, and don't go and know you won't get a non-McDonalds job the rest of your life

How are law and mcdonalds the only two jobs you could possibly get?

NYSprague wrote:

The Dark Shepard wrote:

Chriz wrote:Yeah I have been debating about whether to actually go or just live in my parents basement forever. It's a tough choice.

180 for those of us with shitty undergrad majors.

It's like, risk going and being SOL if you don't get a job, and don't go and know you won't get a non-McDonalds job the rest of your life

How are law and mcdonalds the only two jobs you could possibly get?

Small Town, USA. I am sure there are more fast food places in the bigger cities.

^^^
So what do you expect you will do with your law degree?

NYSprague wrote:^^^
So what do you expect you will do with your law degree?

And what happens if law school goes wrong?

Bikeflip wrote:

NYSprague wrote:^^^
So what do you expect you will do with your law degree?

And what happens if law school goes wrong?

You live in your parents basement AND you have 100k+ of debt.

There are other options besides fast food, retail, and bad start ups for grads with silly degrees... Law isn't the only one but it is (probably) the most expensive and most likely to horribly backfire.

crazycanuck wrote:

Bikeflip wrote:

NYSprague wrote:^^^
So what do you expect you will do with your law degree?

And what happens if law school goes wrong?

You live in your parents basement AND you have 100k+ of debt.

There are other options besides fast food, retail, and bad start ups for grads with silly degrees... Law isn't the only one but it is (probably) the most expensive and most likely to horribly backfire.

Hold on bro. We grads can't answer each other's questions. TCR is to just ask harder follow up questions.

Bikeflip wrote:

crazycanuck wrote:

Bikeflip wrote:

NYSprague wrote:^^^
So what do you expect you will do with your law degree?

And what happens if law school goes wrong?

You live in your parents basement AND you have 100k+ of debt.

There are other options besides fast food, retail, and bad start ups for grads with silly degrees... Law isn't the only one but it is (probably) the most expensive and most likely to horribly backfire.

Hold on bro. We grads can't answer each other's questions. TCR is to just ask harder follow up questions.

Well damn I fucked it up.

Yes or No

Really want to be a lawyer + Shitty UG Major (and not great UG in general) + T14 with no debt = good idea?

My opinion is Yes but I'd be curious to hear the opinions of all the "DONT GO TO LS" folks

JimH52 wrote:Yes or No

Really want to be a lawyer + Shitty UG Major (and not great UG in general) + T14 with no debt = good idea?

My opinion is Yes but I'd be curious to hear the opinions of all the "DONT GO TO LS" folks

Yes.

Not many people get through law school with no debt unless they have family money. Even full scholarship students end up with cost of living loans.

Idk, I have contemplated suicide a lot and I figure law school is a better option than that. If things aren't working out 3L drive off a bridge and everyone will be sad because your life was just about to begin and you had such a bright future and the world was in your hands.

JCougar wrote: But it's not too late to withdraw and find something more productive to do with your next 10 years. If you can't go to a top-tier law school for close to $100k in total debt, or you can't get a full scholarship elsewhere, you should seriously consider withdrawing.

I realize that this may be beating a dead horse on here, but again, there's far to many 0Ls on here new to the forum asking whether they should go to some TTT with a generous "25% scholarship." If this is your best option, please, for the love of god, stay the hell away.

THIS.

This thread is so negative. Put in the work in your LSAT, then when you get to law school put in the work to stay in the top 1/3rd. While your in law school be very open minded, make as many contacts as possible, and just work your ass off. There's a job out there for that type of person. I guarantee it.

It always weirds me out when people talk about law school like they HAVE to go. It's not a religious obligation or something. It's a professional school. It can be a good or a bad investment. For many/most people at many/most schools, it's a bad one. If your numbers/financial situation don't line up to make it a good investment, just don't do it. It's not hard.

.

I've always hated the notion that law school is only for smart people. I know for damn sure I'm not very smart lol. It sounds cheesy, but I'll take a good work ethic over intelligence anyday. I've read enough stories on here of people raising their score almost 30 points to believe that. If you WANT to go to law school, but aren't scoring high enough to get into the school of your choice, you aren't working smart enough and retaining the information you are learning. If you struggle with LG's and can't figure them out, there is a way. I promise you. Its not an impossible concept.

While I agree that law school may not be for the people who can only get into TTT law schools, that is more of an indication of them not working hard enough then an indication that its just not for them. If they really wanted to get in and make it worthwhile, they'd work for it.

Chriz wrote:Idk, I have contemplated suicide a lot and I figure law school is a better option than that. If things aren't working out 3L drive off a bridge and everyone will be sad because your life was just about to begin and you had such a bright future and the world was in your hands.

Law school is not the place to go if you're depressed. Take the loan money, move, find another job and drop out.

choward014 wrote:I've always hated the notion that law school is only for smart people. I know for damn sure I'm not very smart lol. It sounds cheesy, but I'll take a good work ethic over intelligence anyday. I've read enough stories on here of people raising their score almost 30 points to believe that. If you WANT to go to law school, but aren't scoring high enough to get into the school of your choice, you aren't working smart enough and retaining the information you are learning. If you struggle with LG's and can't figure them out, there is a way. I promise you. Its not an impossible concept.

While I agree that law school may not be for the people who can only get into TTT law schools, that is more of an indication of them not working hard enough then an indication that its just not for them. If they really wanted to get in and make it worthwhile, they'd work for it.

Were you born between the years of 1946-1964 by any chance?

jk148706 wrote:

choward014 wrote:I guarantee it.

Oh, you guarantee it??


Phew