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Hey guys I need some general career advice. I’m an undergraduate that just completed sophomore year and I’m majoring in political science. I always figured I would go to law school, but now the legal market is worrying me. Right now I’m leaning towards studying hard for the LSAT next june, but then most likely sitting on my score to work for a year or two. I feel like being in the real world and holding down a steady job for a while will better prepare me for the demands of law school and possibly firm life.

I really need some advice about what kind of work to look for after I graduate. I know that with only a Poli Sci degree it’s going to be hard to find good work in the private sector, especially these days. But I’m also wondering if minoring in business would help my marketability at all.

I just want to hear some stories from people that didn’t go straight to law school, and what kind of work they found after graduation(preferably from those w/ liberal arts degrees).

A. don't take the LSAT till after school. you'll probably do better because you'll probably have more time to study.
B. get whatever job you feel like. the school won't really care that much, they just like seeing solid work experience.

you are 5 years away from completing law school..... relax

Best advice: DO NOT GO TO LAW SCHOOL.

This was awhile ago, but I went into human resources at a pretty big company after college. My degree is in philosophy with a minor in ethics and theology. I started out as an intern making $10 an hour and worked my way into a real position. The pay was around $30k a year at the time. I'd probably be making around $50k - $60k a year now, little debt, and working from 9-5. Not sure how the job market is now for recent college graduates. I'm happy that I did it, but HR wasn't for me. Wasn't... adversarial enough. Didn't have enough of an "eat what you kill" type flavor. You show up, you do your job, you get lunch, you go home. That's it.

Have you considered taking a shot in politics? One of the guys at my firm did politics after college and in law school. He took a government staff position with the mayor and now runs a major PAC in the city, in addition to his government relations work at my firm. Minoring in business will help any career. Not just for job prospects but simply for living your life.

Look, here is some good advice. Don't just go to law school because you think it's the only option -- it's not. A JD can sometimes limit your options, believe it or not. People say it's the "universal degree" but it's not -- an MBA is. A law degree qualifies you for legal jobs and some government compliance jobs. The people who use it flexibly usually did something else before law school.

Go to law school if you know you want to be a lawyer. I don't mean you've watched Law and Order and it seems totally sweet, I mean you have worked in some type of legal capacity and you understand what lawyers do. The deadlines, the other lawyers, the business management, the billing, the slow paying clients, rainmaking, long hours, stress, uncertainty, etc. Unless you have a full scholarship, you can't undue the lawyer career path. There aren't a lot of jobs for recent legal graduates -- the market is probably better for recent college graduates. There are a lot of miserable lawyers who want to get out of this field but can't. I had a very established lawyer try and kill himself on me this year because he was just sick of it all (including sick of me). There are way too many lawyers who just went into the profession because they thought it was the only option and now they're miserable, but have no way out.

This isn't to dissuade you -- I like law and I'm happy I went into it. I enjoy knowing how the world works, being able to help my friends and family, the exhilaration, networking opportunities, and doors that it has opened. However, there is a lot of baggage that comes with it that you have to deal with. You can make money in law, but you'll fight for every penny.

What is with the infiltration of UGs on this site, especially here?!?!?!

Go to UG, do well in classes, enjoy some parties and get trashed, and frickin' relax. Jaysus.

Thanks for the advice AJRESQ. I actually do really like politics and I'm currently doing an internship in DC(albeit unpaid w/ a housing stipend). I'd like to work up here after I graduate, but I'm just trying to hedge my bets in case I can't find something.There are already lots of hiring freezes at different agencies, non profits, etc. up here and it will most likely get worse as the deficits are reined in.

I also agree that law degrees aren't as flexible as people make them out to be. My plan if I do go to law school is to get nearly a full ride but I know that will require lots of hard work on LSAT prep to complement my good GPA.