Should I, a Teacher, Go to Law School? Forum

[PLATONiC]

After lurking on TLS and JDU for some time, I've been getting seconds thoughts (every once in a while, of course, because I really wanna go to UVA) about going to Law School.

If I stay in my home country as I am now, I'll be able to net about $45,000/year after taxes; this is a conservative assessment. The per capita income for South Korea is around $25,000ish, whereas in the United States, it's at about $45,000ish. So making about $45,000 a year after taxes (paying minimal taxes and practicing severe tax evasion... so much easier to pull off in this country) is actually a pretty decent living. What's more is that I already have a house inherited from my parents, and have a fully functional car. I'll actually be able to save up about $35,000 to $40,000 a year if I live the way I do right now.

The only problem is that I dislike what I'm doing, because it is definitely not challenging. A little "mind-numbing" as well; I've been hired by the government to lead a public interest English learning program, and have gathered a significant "book of business," for the lack of a better term, for tutoring ($32+/hour). The one thing that I do appreciate about this job is the stability of having a government job, and the promise of having a readily accessible stream of clients to tutor.

If what I really want is to have a stimulating and yet a safe job, would I be better off going to law school? Or should I try to discover the "stimulating aspects" of my current job by saving up and trying to make it as some kind of real estate investor in the long run???

So much for Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen, & Katz.

[PLATONiC]

I also want to lay out the opportunity cost:

Three years of Law School: $200,000
Three Years of Income: $140,000

I'll be losing about $350,000...

[badwithpseudonyms]

Work until you have saved enough money to pay most of your way through law school. (I don't know the in's and out's of getting a loan as an international student. I'm assuming you're not eligible for federal loans.) If, at that point, you still want to go to law school, go. If, on the other hand, you'd rather take that giant golden egg you're sitting on and invest in some property and live out a comfortable life in South Korea, do that. I'd pick the definitely safer, better-sounding, latter. But that's just me. I'm going to law school ITE because I'm out of better options. What's your excuse?

[ggocat]

I also want to lay out the opportunity cost:

Three years of Law School: $200,000
Three Years of Income: $140,000

I'll be losing about $350,000...

Plus interest on law school loans (loss) and interest on investments of income (gain).

[shutterbug]

Sounds like you want to be a lawyer a LOT more than you are admitting in this thread. Go to law school. Practice your ass off for the LSAT, and stop worrying about these paltry opportunity cost sums. Stop thinking about the money so much.

[PLATONiC]

Work until you have saved enough money to pay most of your way through law school. (I don't know the in's and out's of getting a loan as an international student. I'm assuming you're not eligible for federal loans.) If, at that point, you still want to go to law school, go. If, on the other hand, you'd rather take that giant golden egg you're sitting on and invest in some property and live out a comfortable life in South Korea, do that. I'd pick the definitely safer, better-sounding, latter. But that's just me. I'm going to law school ITE because I'm out of better options. What's your excuse?

The brighter side of the former option is the fact that America is just a much better place to live. I love Cheese Burgers. Aside from that, there are certain ideological aspects of the U.S. that I take to heart; I dislike the South Korean culture of collectivism and intolerance, and hate the fact that air condition costs so much to run. If I can get a shot at Biglaw in the U.S., that'd be great, but I seriously wouldn't mind bringing home around $75,000; I'd be ecstatic, actually if that ever happened to me.

I don't know if it's really a "giant golden egg" that I'm currently sitting in... that's not how I feel, but...

[miamiman]

The opportunity cost argument is weak: you have a liberal arts degree that you're using to teach english abroad -- in a job you don't even like. My advice: 1) assess how badly you want to be an attorney 2) assess your law school options after you get in 3) and make a reasonable cost-benefit analysis.

[09042014]

I also want to lay out the opportunity cost:

Three years of Law School: $200,000
Three Years of Income: $140,000

I'll be losing about $350,000...

How much of that 140K would you spend on cost of living, or frivolous shit?

That being said, wait and see is the answer. You sure you are going to like being a laywer?

[miamiman]

I also want to lay out the opportunity cost:

Three years of Law School: $200,000
Three Years of Income: $140,000

I'll be losing about $350,000...

How much of that 140K would you spend on cost of living, or frivolous shit?

That being said, wait and see is the answer. You sure you are going to like being a laywer?

you going to enjoy being a patent prosecutor?

[PLATONiC]

Sounds like you want to be a lawyer a LOT more than you are admitting in this thread. Go to law school. Practice your ass off for the LSAT, and stop worrying about these paltry opportunity cost sums. Stop thinking about the money so much.

There are some very personal reasons as to why I want to be a lawyer, which have a lot to do with my personal ideals.. I really, really want to be a lawyer, but the reality is that adults pay bills, and I can't rely on my personal ambitions/inclinations to keep things afloat in the future.

[09042014]

I also want to lay out the opportunity cost:

Three years of Law School: $200,000
Three Years of Income: $140,000

I'll be losing about $350,000...

How much of that 140K would you spend on cost of living, or frivolous shit?

That being said, wait and see is the answer. You sure you are going to like being a laywer?

you going to enjoy being a patent prosecutor?

No but I don't like work no matter what. I think I might enjoy patent lit, or IP transactional, but who the fuck knows.

[miamiman]

I also want to lay out the opportunity cost:

Three years of Law School: $200,000
Three Years of Income: $140,000

I'll be losing about $350,000...

How much of that 140K would you spend on cost of living, or frivolous shit?

That being said, wait and see is the answer. You sure you are going to like being a laywer?

you going to enjoy being a patent prosecutor?

No but I don't like work no matter what. I think I might enjoy patent lit, or IP transactional, but who the fuck knows.

tcr

[PLATONiC]

I also want to lay out the opportunity cost:

Three years of Law School: $200,000
Three Years of Income: $140,000

I'll be losing about $350,000...

How much of that 140K would you spend on cost of living, or frivolous shit?

That being said, wait and see is the answer. You sure you are going to like being a laywer?

You raise a valid point. But you have to consider the fact that I don't have to pay rent; just a little bit of property taxes. Also, I get lunch from my workplace for free every weekday, and it costs $4 to get a decent meal in South Korea. You also have to consider the fact that the $45,000 is somewhat of an understatement, since I can technically make more than that if I really wanted.

When it comes to potential frivolous spending, I'm still wearing the short-sleeved Abercrombie & Fitch polo shirt that I bought in the clearance sale during winter from five years ago.

[Scallywaggums]

1) Tell yourself you're 100% set on law school
2) Study for and do your best at the LSAT
3) Reconsider #1 based on your realistic best-case-scenario with an admissions cycle
4) If you still like the idea, apply and see what happens
5) Re-evaluate after you know where you could go for how much.

Edit: Miamiman already beat me to it & said pretty much the same thing. So yeah, +1 to his response.

[PLATONiC]

The opportunity cost argument is weak: you have a liberal arts degree that you're using to teach english abroad -- in a job you don't even like. My advice: 1) assess how badly you want to be an attorney 2) assess your law school options after you get in 3) and make a reasonable cost-benefit analysis.

I'm touched how you know of my undergraduate background. I feel so connected with you miamiman; I honestly want to know what you look like in real person.

1) Tell yourself you're 100% set on law school
2) Study for and do your best at the LSAT
3) Reconsider #1 based on your realistic best-case-scenario with an admissions cycle
4) If you still like the idea, apply and see what happens
5) Re-evaluate after you know where you could go for how much.

I understand what you mean here; as for now, I'm assuming that I won't be getting the 170s for the LSAT that I'll be taking next Sunday (probably high 160s), and that I'll be attending somewhere in the T20s (i.e. WUSTL, Vandy, etc.), although I'd love to go to UVA.... t.t. Just trying to draw out a conservative assessment of the direction I'm heading. I'll certainly re-evaluate things as I go, but I really need some reassurance in my head for now as well...

[09042014]

I also want to lay out the opportunity cost:

Three years of Law School: $200,000
Three Years of Income: $140,000

I'll be losing about $350,000...

How much of that 140K would you spend on cost of living, or frivolous shit?

That being said, wait and see is the answer. You sure you are going to like being a laywer?

You raise a valid point. But you have to consider the fact that I don't have to pay rent; just a little bit of property taxes. Also, I get lunch from my workplace for free every weekday, and it costs $4 to get a decent meal in South Korea. You also have to consider the fact that the $45,000 is somewhat of an understatement, since I can technically make more than that if I really wanted.

When it comes to potential frivolous spending, I'm still wearing the short-sleeved Abercrombie & Fitch polo shirt that I bought in the clearance sale during winter from five years ago.

Work three years, apply to law school with 100K in the bank, with a much better economy.

I assume you have a dogshit GPA based on your thread about EDing to UVA? With that work experience and a high LSAT, northwestern will take you no doubt.

[miamiman]

The opportunity cost argument is weak: you have a liberal arts degree that you're using to teach english abroad -- in a job you don't even like. My advice: 1) assess how badly you want to be an attorney 2) assess your law school options after you get in 3) and make a reasonable cost-benefit analysis.

I'm touched how you know of my undergraduate background. I feel so connected with you miamiman; I honestly want to know what you look like in real person.

kinda like my domo tar.

[pugalicious]

.

[PLATONiC]

Work three years, apply to law school with 100K in the bank, with a much better economy.

I assume you have a dogshit GPA based on your thread about EDing to UVA? With that work experience and a high LSAT, northwestern will take you no doubt.

I do have a dogshit GPA (3.4), but the thing is that I'm attracted to things that somewhat resemble my ideals, and UVA seems to have a different vibe of collegiality; this might be based on my ignorance of the school too, but I'm really attracted to the "ethos" mentioned by Dean Trujillo that explains how more than half of its alumni give back to the institution.

The thing about my work experience is that it's not an actual technical career, so I'm pretty sure that they'd discount it as frivolous work experience. Anybody can teach English in Korea; I was just fortunate enough to have obtained a better position than my Caucasian counterparts in this country.

[Scallywaggums]

...the LSAT that I'll be taking next Sunday...

Didn't realize you were about to take it... good luck!

[09042014]

Work three years, apply to law school with 100K in the bank, with a much better economy.

I assume you have a dogshit GPA based on your thread about EDing to UVA? With that work experience and a high LSAT, northwestern will take you no doubt.

I do have a dogshit GPA (3.4), but the thing is that I'm attracted to things that somewhat resemble my ideals, and UVA seems to have a different vibe of collegiality; this might be based on my ignorance of the school too, but I'm really attracted to the "ethos" mentioned by Dean Trujillo that explains how more than half of its alumni give back to the institution.

The thing about my work experience is that it's not an actual technical career, so I'm pretty sure that they'd discount it as frivolous work experience. Anybody can teach English in Korea; I was just fortunate enough to have obtained a better position than my Caucasian counterparts in this country.

Well with a 3.4 you can get into all of the T14 minus HYSCCB with a high enough LSAT. Northwestern counts anything, but you don't really need them.

[xyzzzzzzzz]

.

[PLATONiC]

In conclusion, I, a teacher, shouldn't go to law school. ... Unless I really wanna be a lawyer...

[chicagolaw2013]

After lurking on TLS and JDU for some time, I've been getting seconds thoughts (every once in a while, of course, because I really wanna go to UVA) about going to Law School.

If I stay in my home country as I am now, I'll be able to net about $45,000/year after taxes; this is a conservative assessment. The per capita income for South Korea is around $25,000ish, whereas in the United States, it's at about $45,000ish. So making about $45,000 a year after taxes (paying minimal taxes and practicing severe tax evasion... so much easier to pull off in this country) is actually a pretty decent living. What's more is that I already have a house inherited from my parents, and have a fully functional car. I'll actually be able to save up about $35,000 to $40,000 a year if I live the way I do right now.

The only problem is that I dislike what I'm doing, because it is definitely not challenging. A little "mind-numbing" as well; I've been hired by the government to lead a public interest English learning program, and have gathered a significant "book of business," for the lack of a better term, for tutoring ($32+/hour). The one thing that I do appreciate about this job is the stability of having a government job, and the promise of having a readily accessible stream of clients to tutor.

If what I really want is to have a stimulating and yet a safe job, would I be better off going to law school? Or should I try to discover the "stimulating aspects" of my current job by saving up and trying to make it as some kind of real estate investor in the long run???

Good luck with the LSAT and all, and I really think you'll have the numbers to get into a great school if you decide to go, but the bolded stopped me in my tracks. Teachers in SK are paid SO WELL, given what you've posted about the per capita average...can you tell our country to hurry the hell up and do the same please? I made more than my sister at my first sales job after college than she made in her 10th year of teaching...just appalling.

[PLATONiC]

After lurking on TLS and JDU for some time, I've been getting seconds thoughts (every once in a while, of course, because I really wanna go to UVA) about going to Law School.

If I stay in my home country as I am now, I'll be able to net about $45,000/year after taxes; this is a conservative assessment. The per capita income for South Korea is around $25,000ish, whereas in the United States, it's at about $45,000ish. So making about $45,000 a year after taxes (paying minimal taxes and practicing severe tax evasion... so much easier to pull off in this country) is actually a pretty decent living. What's more is that I already have a house inherited from my parents, and have a fully functional car. I'll actually be able to save up about $35,000 to $40,000 a year if I live the way I do right now.

The only problem is that I dislike what I'm doing, because it is definitely not challenging. A little "mind-numbing" as well; I've been hired by the government to lead a public interest English learning program, and have gathered a significant "book of business," for the lack of a better term, for tutoring ($32+/hour). The one thing that I do appreciate about this job is the stability of having a government job, and the promise of having a readily accessible stream of clients to tutor.

If what I really want is to have a stimulating and yet a safe job, would I be better off going to law school? Or should I try to discover the "stimulating aspects" of my current job by saving up and trying to make it as some kind of real estate investor in the long run???

Good luck with the LSAT and all, and I really think you'll have the numbers to get into a great school if you decide to go, but the bolded stopped me in my tracks. Teachers in SK are paid SO WELL, given what you've posted about the per capita average...can you tell our country to hurry the hell up and do the same please? I made more than my sister at my first sales job after college than she made in her 10th year of teaching...just appalling.

Teachers are NOT paid well in South Korea. I am in an exceptional position that I was able to obtain by pulling some strings as well. I generate most of my money from private tutoring; the city-wide English program that I lead has been a bottomless source of clients for me. Everyone is mesmerized by my supposed "competence."

My income likens that have a solo practice for a lawyer; I sell my services to people and the official job that I have functions as a marketing device (just like how solo practitioners join various associations to market their practices to potential clients).

EDIT:

Teachers are usually paid about $12,000-$20,000 a year in South Korea. I've demonstrated very high competence in a relatively "technical" subject, and I cater to those who aren't interested in improving their academic career, but to improve upon the soft-skills (English happens to be one of them) required by the presumably "global" society that we live in.