I keep going back and forth on LS. So does that mean I should hold off? Forum

[Johann]

sounds like you are making decent money though. what ype of money you make?

[lillawyer2]

sounds like you are making decent money though. what ype of money you make?

Decent money is relative. I'm a recent grad. They pay me no more than 50k. I'll get 55k before the end of the year. It's good for me because I have no bills and I am saving, but in reality, if I want to move out and stuff this is not good. In my company, we have ranges for salaries. Moving up is slow for many people and the average pay is lower for someone who worked their way up as opposed to one who already established coming in from the outside. This company also pays low compared to most.

I guess to make it more visual:


Here I am. I started in 2014 and made $50k, yah! My first job. I got a raise! Woot I'm now at $55k.
2015 I moved up to a position as a jr. business analyst. They put me at $60k.
2016 I'm still a JBA they won't give me a high raise because I may infringe upon my superiors salary range so they piece me at $62k
2017 I may or may not get a raise. Not everyone gets raises regardless of how well I do.
2018 I got promoted again I'm just a BA now! They raised me to $65k.

Meanwhile if they need someone to be another BA and they have to hire outside, to be competitive to the actual market they offer more to the person they want. So this new person was probably making at least $70k and she is a competitive applicant, they want her so they offer her a salary pushing almost $80k.

You see what I mean? So we have new hires that are making way more than the people who spent their time at the company and worked up.

[Johann]

sounds like you are making decent money though. what ype of money you make?

Decent money is relative. I'm a recent grad. They pay me no more than 50k. I'll get 55k before the end of the year. It's good for me because I have no bills and I am saving, but in reality, if I want to move out and stuff this is not good. In my company, we have ranges for salaries. Moving up is slow for many people and the average pay is lower for someone who worked their way up as opposed to one who already established coming in from the outside. This company also pays low compared to most.

I guess to make it more visual:


Here I am. I started in 2014 and made $50k, yah! My first job. I got a raise! Woot I'm now at $55k.
2015 I moved up to a position as a jr. business analyst. They put me at $60k.
2016 I'm still a JBA they won't give me a high raise because I may infringe upon my superiors salary range so they piece me at $62k
2017 I may or may not get a raise. Not everyone gets raises regardless of how well I do.
2018 I got promoted again I'm just a BA now! They raised me to $65k.

Meanwhile if they need someone to be another BA and they have to hire outside, to be competitive to the actual market they offer more to the person they want. So this new person was probably making at least $70k and she is a competitive applicant, they want her so they offer her a salary pushing almost $80k.

You see what I mean? So we have new hires that are making way more than the people who spent their time at the company and worked up.

If other BAs make 70k and 80k though, you can see how you can easily turn your 65k in 2018 into 70-80k by 2019. If these jobs exist in small cities, I would definitely hold on to this. 80k in a low cost of living area with no loans > 200k in NYC with 200k in debt.

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

I would wait if I was you. It's definitely an advantage (for law school success, OCI, etc.) to be a little older when you go to law school. Also, many people dislike lawschool and by graduation (or within a couple years) decide they don't want to practice law. If you are going back and forth now it's not conclusive evidence but not the greatest sign.

[lillawyer2]

sounds like you are making decent money though. what ype of money you make?

Decent money is relative. I'm a recent grad. They pay me no more than 50k. I'll get 55k before the end of the year. It's good for me because I have no bills and I am saving, but in reality, if I want to move out and stuff this is not good. In my company, we have ranges for salaries. Moving up is slow for many people and the average pay is lower for someone who worked their way up as opposed to one who already established coming in from the outside. This company also pays low compared to most.

I guess to make it more visual:


Here I am. I started in 2014 and made $50k, yah! My first job. I got a raise! Woot I'm now at $55k.
2015 I moved up to a position as a jr. business analyst. They put me at $60k.
2016 I'm still a JBA they won't give me a high raise because I may infringe upon my superiors salary range so they piece me at $62k
2017 I may or may not get a raise. Not everyone gets raises regardless of how well I do.
2018 I got promoted again I'm just a BA now! They raised me to $65k.

Meanwhile if they need someone to be another BA and they have to hire outside, to be competitive to the actual market they offer more to the person they want. So this new person was probably making at least $70k and she is a competitive applicant, they want her so they offer her a salary pushing almost $80k.

You see what I mean? So we have new hires that are making way more than the people who spent their time at the company and worked up.

If other BAs make 70k and 80k though, you can see how you can easily turn your 65k in 2018 into 70-80k by 2019. If these jobs exist in small cities, I would definitely hold on to this. 80k in a low cost of living area with no loans > 200k in NYC with 200k in debt.

Yes, however these people are 28 and up. They slowly got up there in money. Also you may not be accounting for debt that these people may have from UG loans. So imagine first starting off at $50 and paying a $30k loan, it is horrible and there are no billable hours you can up and many public accounting firms don't have OT. Also your raise and bonus are subjected to a boss that may feel you don't need one this year when hell who is he to think that. I remember the CFO actually said that one time.The thing that lawyers and doctors have that other careers don't is an insurance policy, in short, if shit hits they fan they have the ability to have a side practice or hustle. They can say fuck this shit and open shop somewhere else. If it works or not, well that isn't the point.

Now, if someone attends at top ls at 23, and graduates at 26 and lands a big law job that pays them $100k+ or even $90k that puts them ahead of most people in the above configuration who just worked up slowly. Yes the hours are terrible and its all around terrible, but so is finance and a lot of the time people are working late as well and have to respond to emails way into the night and fix budgets and fix problems when they rather spend time with their kids.

[lillawyer2]

I would wait if I was you. It's definitely an advantage (for law school success, OCI, etc.) to be a little older when you go to law school. Also, many people dislike lawschool and by graduation (or within a couple years) decide they don't want to practice law. If you are going back and forth now it's not conclusive evidence but not the greatest sign.

To be older or to have experience? If the latter, what sorts of experience?

What do they do, if they decide not to practice law?

Also, I really want to be a lawyer, but I'm concerned about the test and about wasting time, but I apparently seem to think time isn't on my side at 22.

I just feel it probably would be easier to move up, but in reality it isn't because its a slow process and I'm not doing something I like rather I'm trying to take the easy way to what I hope gets me $$. Instead of working to get what I want and investing into myself.

[84651846190]

The only reason to go to law school is if you really want to be a lawyer. If you have any doubts whatsoever, do not go.

[lillawyer2]

The only reason to go to law school is if you really want to be a lawyer. If you have any doubts whatsoever, do not go.

Nope, I have no doubts on that. I just do not like the fact I may have leave work and making $ although only a little bit of $. It's a stupid reason and I think the devil is on my back type of thing to discourage me

[pancakes3]

Sorry, OP, what's your GPA/LSAT again?

[Cogburn87]

What do they do, if they decide not to practice law?

Food truck owner/operator and self-published sci-fi writer are the two outcomes i've seen that i'm most jealous of

[lillawyer2]

What do they do, if they decide not to practice law?

Food truck owner/operator and self-published sci-fi writer are the two outcomes i've seen that i'm most jealous of

However could it also be that they wouldn't not have found their passion and alternate careers of they didn't go through the ls experience? Sometimes own thing has to happen in order for others to see their calling

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

The only reason to go to law school is if you really want to be a lawyer. If you have any doubts whatsoever, do not go.

Nope, I have no doubts on that. I just do not like the fact I may have leave work and making $ although only a little bit of $. It's a stupid reason and I think the devil is on my back type of thing to discourage me

What is this based on? If it is based on tv/movies then not to be rude but it's worthless. If it's based on working as a paralegal or a close family member talking to you in a huge amount of detail of their day to day as a lawyer then that is different.

I think graduating from law school at age 27-29 is probably ideal (I am older than this). K-JD people tend to have a harder time with OCI because they do not have the work experience and then an employer is paying someone who is not really a mature adult.

[star fox]

I'm unnecessarily freaking out.

Bingo

I feel at 22, I should on some sort of career path.

You can go to LS when you're 24 or 25 and it's nbd. In fact, it looks better because you have substantive real world experience.

[Cogburn87]

What do they do, if they decide not to practice law?

Food truck owner/operator and self-published sci-fi writer are the two outcomes i've seen that i'm most jealous of

However could it also be that they wouldn't not have found their passion and alternate careers of they didn't go through the ls experience? Sometimes own thing has to happen in order for others to see their calling

No I'm pretty sure you don't need a law degree to realize that law sucks ass and selling tacos is better