31.6% of employed "lawyers" wasted their time in law school Forum

[Renzo]

I know someone already posted a thread about this article about the lost class of 2010. But, the article buried the really shocking info, it seems to me.

According to the NALP data, only 68.4% of last year's law school graduates (that provided data) took jobs that required a JD.

This is far more telling than the number employed. It basically means that a 1/3 of all law school graduates either a) couldn't legal jobs of any sort, or b) made more money doing something non-legal and said "forget it."

[Black-Blue]

NALP should've wrote that those 31.6% are working in investment banks, consulting, hedge funds, etc., as they were too good to be lawyers.

[NYC Law]

lol law

[Bumi]

NALP should've wrote that those 31.6% are working in investment banks, consulting, hedge funds, etc., as they were too good to be lawyers.

Sure.

[Mickey Quicknumbers]

NALP should've wrote that those 31.6% are working in investment banks, consulting, hedge funds, etc., as they were too good to be lawyers.

Or, you know, their old jobs, or insurance sales, or bank tellers.

Nobody's getting hired to do BBB or hedge funds because of their JD, which is to say, law school would still be a waste of time for them.

[thecilent]

NALP should've wrote that those 31.6% are working in investment banks, consulting, hedge funds, etc., as they were too good to be lawyers.

Notsureifsrs.. But no.

[Borhas]

better #'s than I would have thought

[sanetruth]

better #'s than I would have thought

seriously. especially when you consider that the vast majority of people on TLS think that only 6.5% of law schools are worth paying sticker for and maybe only 25% are worth going to at all.

By those numbers wouldn't TLS expect closer to 75% of lawyers to say they aren't using or couldn't use their law degree?

[NYC Law]

It could be worse... Just look at B school employment rates.

[nphsbuckeye]

It could be worse... Just look at B school employment rates.

Business school would be kind of interesting in regard to employment rates because most people don't need MBAs. If you attend a really good b-school that would be advantageous, but it seems like many people attend b-school for the hell of it. IDK.

[Bumi]

better #'s than I would have thought

seriously. especially when you consider that the vast majority of people on TLS think that only 6.5% of law schools are worth paying sticker for and maybe only 25% are worth going to at all.

By those numbers wouldn't TLS expect closer to 75% of lawyers to say they aren't using or couldn't use their law degree?

That's not what this number means. There's a difference between a lawyer saying "i have a job that requires a JD" and "knowing what I know now, going to law school was a good career move."

How many of the 68.4% are contract attorneys making hourly wages? How many are making less per year than they paid for one year of COA to law school?

[NotMyRealName09]

Well, 31.6% of law students were in the 31.6 percentile or lower....

[blsingindisguise]

1) Being in a JD-required job =/= being in a job that pays decently or leads to a good career

2) Class of 2011 is probably going to be worse

[Capitol A]

Strictly anecdotal, I know, but I know a JD who is the director of risk management at a major health care facility. She has worked in risk management ever since graduating from law school. I'm pretty sure she went to a T2, but that's somewhat irrelavant because she went to law school knowing she wanted to be a risk manager.
Anyway, the point is that risk management does not require a JD. Most of the people working in risk at hospitals are nurses or social workers, but that doesn't mean that a JD isn't a tremendous benefit in this type of position. The person who I am referring to thinks that she is making great use of her JD, she makes good money, and is a big benefit to her empolyer because she is able to make well educated decision about the way to address the complicated issues that arise without consulting the actual legal department anywhere near as much as a non-JD risk manger would have to.

[NYC Law]

Strictly anecdotal, I know, but I know a JD who is the director of risk management at a major health care facility. She has worked in risk management ever since graduating from law school. I'm pretty sure she went to a T2, but that's somewhat irrelavant because she went to law school knowing she wanted to be a risk manager.

[Capitol A]

Strictly anecdotal, I know, but I know a JD who is the director of risk management at a major health care facility. She has worked in risk management ever since graduating from law school. I'm pretty sure she went to a T2, but that's somewhat irrelavant because she went to law school knowing she wanted to be a risk manager.

Not sure I get your point.

[f*** UVa]

Strictly anecdotal, I know, but I know a JD who is the director of risk management at a major health care facility. She has worked in risk management ever since graduating from law school. I'm pretty sure she went to a T2, but that's somewhat irrelavant because she went to law school knowing she wanted to be a risk manager.

Typical TLS 0L wisdom

[Mickey Quicknumbers]

Strictly anecdotal, I know, but I know a JD who is the director of risk management at a major health care facility. She has worked in risk management ever since graduating from law school. I'm pretty sure she went to a T2, but that's somewhat irrelavant because she went to law school knowing she wanted to be a risk manager.

Typical TLS 0L wisdom

...You're a 0L

[f*** UVa]

Oooohhh you're "quick." I don't go spouting bs regarding subjects I know nothing about.

[Mickey Quicknumbers]

Oooohhh you're "quick." I don't go spouting bs regarding subjects I know nothing about.

Right, well, nobody was giving any "wisdom" about anything so your response was completely incomprehensible. Aside from that, it's a little funny to see a 0L tearing down another 0L on a subforum for law school students. Either way, judging by your first 15 posts, you're an incredibly unlikable person, and you'll probably insult me in some pathetic fashion, so i'll just let this one go.

[3ThrowAway99]

31.6% of employed "lawyers" wasted their time in law school....


I know someone already posted a thread about this article about the lost class of 2010. But, the article buried the really shocking info, it seems to me.

According to the NALP data, only 68.4% of last year's law school graduates (that provided data) took jobs that required a JD.

This is far more telling than the number employed. It basically means that a 1/3 of all law school graduates either a) couldn't legal jobs of any sort, or b) made more money doing something non-legal and said "forget it."

Assuming that every graduated law student who didn't take a job requiring a JD necessarily wasted their time seems like a pretty big stretch to me. I personally feel committed to completing law school, but I am starting to think I will be most interested in a career path other than straighforward legal practice. Some people self-select out of traditional lawyer jobs (and choose alternative paths not necessarily requiring a JD), although I also think that market pressures force others out. To some extent market pressure and self-selection probably interact and work together in some situations. But I definitely don't think that all people who go to law school and end up not practicing in a traditional legal job (nor practicing law at all in some cases) necessarily regret law school or necessarily wasted their time by attending. Although it is anathema on here, law school can serve as an effective springboard for business and other careers.

But the outlook for legal jobs indeed remains pretty grim.

[SOCRATiC]

Looks like pursuing a law degree is like pursuing a career in fine arts.

[FantasticMrFox]

Looks like pursuing a law degree is like pursuing a career in fine arts.

No...it's not THAT bad besides, in fine arts, hard work rarely trumps genius

[Renzo]

. Although it is anathema on here, law school can serve as an effective springboard for business and other careers.

Consider me in the anathema club. Any job or business that you "spring" into from law school could have been had by a more direct route. You get (good, desirable) non-law jobs in spite of a JD, not because of one.

[theturkeyisfat]

here's my situation:

i slacked off in UG, telling myself i'd make up for it by doing well on the lsat, going to a good law school and kicking ass there. so my job prospects straight out of UG are... meh.. but that was the plan. but now i have a chance to distinguish myself.

god i hope this works out.