Top Law Schools

http://www.law.harvard.edu/current/care ... tivee.html

This page on Harvard's website has some really interesting alternatives, for example working at a think tank or as Foreign Service Officer. Many of these positions obviously more likely would apply to those who want to work in public interest.

These jobs don't require law degrees, but having a law degree could definitely give you a competitive edge. I know a few people with law degrees who do not do traditional legal work, but use their skills for other purposes.

I just want to know if you all would ever consider working in a non traditional field. I imagine with the rough employment prospects it has at least crossed some of your minds.

take it from me, the ombudsman market is a slaughterhouse

timeandspace11 wrote:http://www.law.harvard.edu/current/care ... tivee.html

This page on Harvard's website has some really interesting alternatives, for example working at a think tank or as Foreign Service Officer. Many of these positions obviously more likely would apply to those who want to work in public interest.

These jobs don't require law degrees, but having a law degree could definitely give you a competitive edge. I know a few people with law degrees who do not do traditional legal work, but use their skills for other purposes.

I just want to know if you all would ever consider working in a non traditional field. I imagine with the rough employment prospects it has at least crossed some of your minds.

You generally need to fail the FSO exam 2-3 times before you even stand a chance of passing. Plus, they expect a minimal level of foreign language skills. I knew a law student who did it. He also had served in the army in the middle east for awhile before law school. The security clearance and language skills he got there helped him much more than the J.D.

The other jobs listed on the page are generally as laughable

Investigator/Criminal Investigator: Show me your criminal justice degree or law enforcement experience, plus maybe a CFE.

Environmental Protection Specialist: I want to see you bachelors in enviro engg or masters in enviro science.

Chief of Staff: I hope you did a lot of campaign work in 2008 and have been moonlighting during law school on the Hill.

Civil Rights Investigator: I'm pretty sure they aren't hiring these if they weren't hiring anyone for the civil rights DOJ honors slots.

Financial Enforcement Specialist: Ok, let's see you CPA or CFA + CFE.

Foreign Affairs Specialist: Again, language skills and security clearance.

Customs Inspector: Be ready to move to the middle of nowhere because that's where they're hiring.

Ethics Program Specialist: Have you interned at OSC/OGE/OPR? Like 10 people a year have and they're at the head of the line.

Law Librarian: Sure, with an MLS.

If it isn't clear. A law degree will not give you an edge for these jobs.

LawIdiot86 wrote:Investigator/Criminal Investigator: Show me your criminal justice degree or law enforcement experience, plus maybe a CFE.

you don't need a degree:

Private Detective for Hire, specializing in missing persons and domestic issues. I’m not licensed, but maybe I’m someone who can help you.

from what I can tell, its really hard to ever be a lawyer after doing an untraditional job. I thought about how cool it would be to do the foreign service for a few years post law school and then return to the usa be a lawyer, unfortunately it doesn't work that way.

I think most people would rather do that if they could rather than doing doc review or something. There is nothing wrong with taking a non-law job but usually there is just a better path than getting a JD if that is your goal.

Jobs (other than "lawyer") where a JD is a benefit may exist, but they are exceedingly rare. Any alternative career path you might take was almost certainly available via a shorter, less expensive route than a JD.

LawIdiot86 wrote:

timeandspace11 wrote:http://www.law.harvard.edu/current/care ... tivee.html

This page on Harvard's website has some really interesting alternatives, for example working at a think tank or as Foreign Service Officer. Many of these positions obviously more likely would apply to those who want to work in public interest.

These jobs don't require law degrees, but having a law degree could definitely give you a competitive edge. I know a few people with law degrees who do not do traditional legal work, but use their skills for other purposes.

I just want to know if you all would ever consider working in a non traditional field. I imagine with the rough employment prospects it has at least crossed some of your minds.

You generally need to fail the FSO exam 2-3 times before you even stand a chance of passing. Plus, they expect a minimal level of foreign language skills. I knew a law student who did it. He also had served in the army in the middle east for awhile before law school. The security clearance and language skills he got there helped him much more than the J.D.

The other jobs listed on the page are generally as laughable

Investigator/Criminal Investigator: Show me your criminal justice degree or law enforcement experience, plus maybe a CFE.

Environmental Protection Specialist: I want to see you bachelors in enviro engg or masters in enviro science.

Chief of Staff: I hope you did a lot of campaign work in 2008 and have been moonlighting during law school on the Hill.

Civil Rights Investigator: I'm pretty sure they aren't hiring these if they weren't hiring anyone for the civil rights DOJ honors slots.

Financial Enforcement Specialist: Ok, let's see you CPA or CFA + CFE.

Foreign Affairs Specialist: Again, language skills and security clearance.

Customs Inspector: Be ready to move to the middle of nowhere because that's where they're hiring.

Ethics Program Specialist: Have you interned at OSC/OGE/OPR? Like 10 people a year have and they're at the head of the line.

Law Librarian: Sure, with an MLS.

If it isn't clear. A law degree will not give you an edge for these jobs.

LOL, that is precisely what I was thinking, with todays degree inflation you need a masters to do a job that will never require that level of thinking. A bachelor's in business administration use to be for the guys in mid level management, now an mba is used as an entry level degree practically unless its from a very high ranked school.