Hey 0Ls! Prove to me that law school is a wise investment. Forum

[Locke N. Lawded]

I know a lot of you sat for the LSAT only yesterday, and you are all still freaking out and worried about your scores. But are you worried about what will happen once you are "lucky" enough to be admitted into the/a school of your choice?

Have you really done the research? Have you looked beyond the echo chamber of TLS? Have you gone to sources other than the ABA, the law school, or NALP? (You even know what NALP is?)

Upon what information are you basing your decision to take the plunge despite all the information out there that law school is no longer a safe bet?

Feel free to vent your spleen on me, but I really am interested in finding out what is going through your mind as you see thousands upon thousands of new lawyers flooding into the legal industry with no way for the market to absorb them, and no way to discharge the crippling debt most of you will have to undertake to finance this endeavor.

[romothesavior]

I know a lot of you sat for the LSAT only yesterday, and you are all still freaking out and worried about your scores. But are you worried about what will happen once you are "lucky" enough to be admitted into the/a school of your choice?

Have you really done the research? Have you looked beyond the echo chamber of TLS? Have you gone to sources other than the ABA, the law school, or NALP? (You even know what NALP is?)

Upon what information are you basing your decision to take the plunge despite all the information out there that law school is no longer a safe bet?

Feel free to vent your spleen on me, but I really am interested in finding out what is going through your mind as you see thousands upon thousands of new lawyers flooding into the legal industry with no way for the market to absorb them, and no way to discharge the crippling debt most of you will have to undertake to finance this endeavor.

Have always wanted to be a lawyer, have always wanted to live in St. Louis. Got a 2/3 scholarship to Wash U. Would like, but am not set on, biglaw.

Go away.

[bk1]

Subtle, yet shameless plugging of legal blogs. I'm surprised you didn't link your own.

[d34d9823]

Fuck off

[miamiman]

Lol. You suck bro.

[romothesavior]

I liked TLS before it was xoxo.

[Cupidity]

[mallard]

Not to support the OP, I've just been gone awhile - are there any threads on TLS that comprehensively discuss the costs and benefits of law school?

[miamiman]

I liked TLS before it was xoxo.

*jobless ttt grad whines* *wishes he wasn't a pathetic beta with no hope of a legal career* *projects his failings upon hoards of 0Ls*

[romothesavior]

I liked TLS before it was xoxo.

*jobless ttt grad whines* *wishes he wasn't a pathetic beta with no hope of a legal career* *projects his failings upon hoards of 0Ls*

You and me in three years? (scurries over to BP)

[98234872348]

I liked TLS before it was xoxo.

*jobless ttt grad whines* *wishes he wasn't a pathetic beta with no hope of a legal career* *projects his failings upon hoards of 0Ls*

The only difference between this guy and the jobless T14 grads is that they're too embarrassed to whine. You realize how bad the economy is, right?

[06132010]

Not to support the OP, I've just been gone awhile - are there any threads on TLS that comprehensively discuss the costs and benefits of law school?

just anecdotal nonsense.

[ze2151]

going for free. love the faculty, love the location, love my chances to do what i want when i'm done. so i think i'll just stick with the plan if that's alright.

[xyzzzzzzzz]

.

[Mr. Pablo]

Have you really done the research? Have you looked beyond the echo chamber of TLS? Have you gone to sources other than the ABA, the law school, or NALP? (You even know what NALP is?)

What TLS are you reading if you regard this forum as a site where people aren't constantly bringing up the bad economy? Stop already. We know. No one cares what you say. No one will ever care what you say. You say it badly, and in such a way as to make people disregard you. You are not saying anything new, or novel, or unheard of. You are a giant asshat.

[keg411]

Not to support the OP, I've just been gone awhile - are there any threads on TLS that comprehensively discuss the costs and benefits of law school?

I know there was a debt calculator thread but I don't know what happened to it. It pretty much helped me clarify my own decision. I do remember another thread that argued about what "opportunity costs" were as well, but there really isn't any type of hard standard or any magic way of putting all of the information together because everyone's situations are way too dramatically different.

Whether or not law school is a wise investment depends way too much on the individual and his or her own circumstances (and what the actual outcome would be if said person chose NOT to go). Also, how we evaluate others' decisions isn't always accurate either (because pretty much everyone wears blinders to their own circumstances)... what one person could consider "good choice!" another would consider "horrid choice!" and then the outcome would only be known in the scope of Monday Morning Quarterbacking.

My basic point is that people are going to rationalize their own choices no matter what (whether to go to law school or choose something else). For some it will pan out, for others it won't. And no one really knows which side of the coin they are going to end up on.

[mallard]

Right, nobody can tell anyone else how to weigh the different factors and concerns, but we can definitely outline to other people what they will be.

[Dr. Strangelove]

It's different for each person.
You need to ask yourself why you're going to law school and look at the costs and benefits of doing so.
If the costs outweigh the benefits, don't go to law school.
If the benefits outweigh the costs, go to law school.
You need to be honest with yourself on this matter- you should admit your weaknesses. (e.g: You're a humanities major who can't get a job anywhere and have to go to law school or you're a mathematical genius who has the verbal skills of a giraffe.)

[megaTTTron]

I liked TLS before it was xoxo.

respect.

[keg411]

Right, nobody can tell anyone else how to weigh the different factors and concerns, but we can definitely outline to other people what they will be.

And people do that plenty (see: Choosing a Law School forum). But again, everyone has a different perspective on the different factors and concerns as well, so it all ends up in a vacuum and people pick and choose who/what they want to believe. OTOH, the thinking that BigLaw is the only way for the cost-benefit to be worth it is just as short-sighted and naive. I didn't even know that BigLaw existed until like 2 years ago and I've known lawyers literally my entire life (and yes, I actually mean literally no matter where you think life begins ).

[mallard]

Right, nobody can tell anyone else how to weigh the different factors and concerns, but we can definitely outline to other people what they will be.

And people do that plenty (see: Choosing a Law School forum). But again, everyone has a different perspective on the different factors and concerns as well, so it all ends up in a vacuum and people pick and choose who/what they want to believe. OTOH, the thinking that BigLaw is the only way for the cost-benefit to be worth it is just as short-sighted and naive. I didn't even know that BigLaw existed until like 2 years ago and I've known lawyers literally my entire life (and yes, I actually mean literally no matter where you think life begins ).

The funny part is that many, perhaps even most, people who get biglaw don't even enjoy it. I don't think it's wrong to figure people should have some sort of plan before going to law school. Those of us who didn't really have anything concrete planned tend to have a worse time of it.

[rdcws000]

The first flaw in all the doomsday stuff is that it assumes the legal profession is unique. The economy is horrible and any job is hard to get. Even the top 3 growing industries since 2006 (Government, Education, and Health Care) are very tough to break into right now, with the possible exception of skilled nurses.

I know firsthand from many teachers and recent graduates that a public school job is very tough to find right now because of the influx of professionals from other failing industries falling back on teaching.

The long and short of it is that we are in a world of crap. Everyone, not just law students. I predict the crap will go on fro some time, but it will improve eventually. Should we all stop living, eat cheetos, and watch Law and Order until then?

The second flaw in all the doomsday talk, is that it assumes all potential law students are investors, speculating on a massive ROI within 5 years. I know there are some who want to go to law school only because they want to be rich, and they should seriously examine themselves right now, but many approach law school for different reasons.

Some have decent careers now and believe they can attend law school PT and cut the usual debt in half simply by working. These people also are thinking realistically about <100k per year jobs, or even <60k per year jobs when they graduate. Some actually want to be lawyers!!!

I think everyone should give it some thought, but the idea that lawyers are the only ones suffering through paltry employment prospects is just not very well supported.

[PKSebben]

.

[keg411]

Right, nobody can tell anyone else how to weigh the different factors and concerns, but we can definitely outline to other people what they will be.

And people do that plenty (see: Choosing a Law School forum). But again, everyone has a different perspective on the different factors and concerns as well, so it all ends up in a vacuum and people pick and choose who/what they want to believe. OTOH, the thinking that BigLaw is the only way for the cost-benefit to be worth it is just as short-sighted and naive. I didn't even know that BigLaw existed until like 2 years ago and I've known lawyers literally my entire life (and yes, I actually mean literally no matter where you think life begins ).

The funny part is that many, perhaps even most, people who get biglaw don't even enjoy it. I don't think it's wrong to figure people should have some sort of plan before going to law school. Those of us who didn't really have anything concrete planned tend to have a worse time of it.

Agree with that 100%. But I'm a "planner" by nature, so I guess I don't really understand how anyone could do anything without a plan. I also know that sometimes even the best laid plans end up being epic fails .

[bk1]

The only difference between this guy and the jobless T14 grads is that they're too embarrassed to whine. You realize how bad the economy is, right?

This guy acts like TLS is a bastion of optimism that is all "NYC to 190" all the time. If it were, then he might be founded. But it's not. While TLS may not be as pessimistic as JDU, people here clearly understand and tell others that things are not all sunshine, puppies, and chocolate chip cookies.