I think I'm uninterested in going to law school, but I'm not sure what else to do? Forum

[shohreh]

The more I think about it, law school is not really for me. I'm only interested in the public sector, and my dream job would probably be in the U.S. Department of State or with the United Nations. I like foreign policy--particularly dealing with the Middle East.

I used to believe in this myth that the J.D. was a versatile degree, but I no longer believe this. It is for the practice of law. I want(ed) to go to a T14 school for the "versatility" of the J.D., to learn about legislation, the alumni connections, and because that I thought that was the standard way into politics. I don't think it would be worth the money and commitment, especially thinking about how I would be taking classes in things I don't care about like torts.

There are a lot of other degrees catered to studying International Affairs and programs like the MPP but they don't have much value, imho. Even from the so-called elite schools. The employment outcomes look bleak. I'm not sure what to do. It seems impossible to get these sort of jobs I want out of undergrad. Any ideas? I'm confused.

BTW: I strongly apologize to moderators if this board is inappropriate for my topic. This is my first time on TLS.

[mcmand]

Not a mod but I don't think this is irrelevant. In fact I think it's great. Finally someone we don't have to convince that law school isnt a good idea for many people!

I don't know enough about the fields you're interested in to give detailed advice, but the default advice for any new career is to start meeting people who are in the field and doing what you want to do. They can give you advice on how to get to where they are. People usually are happy to talk about themselves, so start sending emails and networking.

[maybeman]

Have you looked into taking the foreign service exam and working for the state department? There are also some IR fellowships that pay for grad school if you commit yourself to 3 or more years in the state department (if IRC). Definitely worth checking them out

ETA here's one: http://www.twc.edu/thomas-r-pickering-f ... ip-program

[edcat]

The more I think about it, law school is not really for me. I'm only interested in the public sector, and my dream job would probably be in the U.S. Department of State or with the United Nations. I like foreign policy--particularly dealing with the Middle East.

I used to believe in this myth that the J.D. was a versatile degree, but I no longer believe this. It is for the practice of law. I want(ed) to go to a T14 school for the "versatility" of the J.D., to learn about legislation, the alumni connections, and because that I thought that was the standard way into politics. I don't think it would be worth the money and commitment, especially thinking about how I would be taking classes in things I don't care about like torts.

There are a lot of other degrees catered to studying International Affairs and programs like the MPP but they don't have much value, imho. Even from the so-called elite schools. The employment outcomes look bleak. I'm not sure what to do. It seems impossible to get these sort of jobs I want out of undergrad. Any ideas? I'm confused.

BTW: I strongly apologize to moderators if this board is inappropriate for my topic. This is my first time on TLS.

I would recommend applying to some positions that you think you can get right now and then taking a couple years to study either Arabic or Farsi. Additionally , I would recommend studying for the foreign services officers exam with the same intensity that the more dedicated among us do for the LSAT. I'm not sure precisely how the current administration's cuts to the dtate department have altered foreign service officer hiring, but I am sure it is down. That means that if Trump is beaten by either a primary or general election opponent in 2020 or decides not to run for reelection then there will be a lot of spots to fill. So if I were you I would try to find an interim job(preferably not in partisan politics) that will build some sort of skill, study an in demand language like Arabic or Pharsi for the next few years, and then apply to be a foreign service officer in early 2021 regardless of who is in office then. If it's someone other than Trump, then hiring will probably increase around then, but if it is still Trump, 4 more years would be a long time to wait and at least by then the cuts to the state department staff will probably be somewhat stabilized.

This is a link to the practice foreign service officer exam
https://careers.state.gov/survey/FSOT-C ... repare.php.
It includes some good advice on how to prepare. Additionally, don't go down this path if there are any demons lying in your past. There is a risk they will find out when they try to get you a security clearance.