Considering law over business school Forum

[justsomeguy91]

So to start off before I ask my question you should probably know a little more about me. I really enjoy my downtime. I go to the gym for about 12 hours a week and I spend much of my free time just thinking. I also enjoy occasionally travelling, going to restaurants with friends and bowling. I was a classic underachiever for most of secondary school, just acing the tests to pass while not doing assignments and skipping class. However in my last year I put in some effort and got into the best university in my country. I graduated top of class with my bachelor of science (honours) in economics. An investment bank recruited me and I've been working there as their top analyst for over a year now. The money is amazing and I've already paid off my debt from university but I hate the job. I work a minimum of 60 hours a week and have surpassed 80 several times. Many of the people I work with (clients and coworkers) are incredibly selfish and arrogant as well. The associates have no respect for the analysts, in spite of me receiving a significantly higher performance bonus than many of them. This isn't just my firm, I've heard similar and even worse complaints from others. So I am definitely going back to school for next September and I am considering getting my JD instead of my MBA.

By looking at a sample LSAT from 2007 I am pretty confident I should get a high enough mark to get into a top tier law school in the USA. International law would be something I am interested in both in private and public. I would appreciate any information from people who are attending or graduated from one of them relating to my questions.

How many hours a week do you spend working or studying?
How are your peers or coworkers personality wise?
If your undergrad was more math based how did you find the transition to law?
If you were working in a business/economics/finance field before, how was the change?
What is the compensation structure like? How much do you receive for your field of practice?

I'd honestly just like to hear anything you can tell me. I've always had law as a possible career path in mind. Once I entered university though, I focused entirely on investment banking and private equity. It would be nice to have some work life balance and to work in a career where someone who is my superior has respect for me if I am performing well.

[baal hadad]

If u hate banking

Ur gonna hate law

[CincinnatusND]

It would be nice to have some work life balance and to work in a career where someone who is my superior has respect for me if I am performing well.

In the unlikely case that this isn't a flame: this is not the career path you are looking for.

[justsomeguy91]

In the unlikely case that this isn't a flame: this is not the career path you are looking for.

Well from what I have read lawyers tend to work 50 hours a week and get weekends off. That is 10 less than I do now regularly and I usually work at least one weekend a month. Also if I were to continue on my path, I'm looking at another 5 to 8 years until I could maybe become a director. The associates in IB work just as much as the analysts which is probably why they are dicks to us.

EDIT:

Should also mention the corporate lawyers that my firm hires for contracts are impossible to get a hold of after 5 pm, even in the middle of a deal.

[Lacepiece23]

Complete flame. Nice try.

[anyriotgirl]

In the unlikely case that this isn't a flame: this is not the career path you are looking for.

Well from what I have read lawyers tend to work 50 hours a week and get weekends off. That is 10 less than I do now regularly and I usually work at least one weekend a month. Also if I were to continue on my path, I'm looking at another 5 to 8 years until I could maybe become a director. The associates in IB work just as much as the analysts which is probably why they are dicks to us.

EDIT:

Should also mention the corporate lawyers that my firm hires for contracts are impossible to get a hold of after 5 pm, even in the middle of a deal.

what firm

I want to bid there

[yomisterd]

Clearly British, so maybe London firms are much more lax than American firms? No idea.

Sounds like the entrepreneur path is the path for you. Go join a start up or something, dood.

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

It would be nice to have some work life balance and to work in a career where someone who is my superior has respect for me if I am performing well.

In the unlikely case that this isn't a flame: this is not the career path you are looking for.

lol