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Is law school worth it
Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:12 pm
by MtnGinger
Looking for advice and I know that I'm the only one who can make the decision but I'd like to hear if anyone had similar experiences and how they did. Yes, we all know that law school is a risk, it's not what it used to be in terms of employment. I had my heart set on law school and gained admission to many top schools and ultimately decided on one with a great scholarship but across the country. Then things got serious with my fiance.
To keep it fairly short the school was generous enough to let me defer to get our marriage settled and I got to keep my scholarship. I don't regret making that commitment to the school because I know if I go to law school that's the only one I would attend, it has great job prospects and help for students and I got very close to full tuition. My fiance is older and now I'm worried about the 3 years of law school. I want to adopt and you can't so that during law school because we will be taking out loans for some of the living expenses. I have a clear idea of the career path I want, I'm not going into this just hoping for the best. I also realize things change and so can my career goals, but I want to clerk and the go government with hopes of being a judge in our small town later in life. These aren't easy goals but I want a steady career with stable hours I could care less about high pay I just want to help people and make decent living for my up coming family.
I've heard how miserable law school is on marriages, especially new ones and this is where my worry is coming from. Is my career path too set in stone to justify putting my family in a bad situation and a situation that effectively puts our dreams of adding to the family on hold? I have a job now but the pay is horrible and my fiance is a LEO so he makes nothing. Where we live is hit hard with a certain industry being shut down and although my degree and job is in a stable field growth here will be slow. I don't think I can help my community or have the life I want staying in this field but I'm getting scared to jump into law school now and want your advice if anyone has faced a similar problem.
Sorry it's so long.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:21 pm
by Leonardo DiCaprio
dude i went back and forth on LS for years before actually committing. it's absolutely not worth it. but these threads are usually pointless. you won't listen. people told me it would suck. i didn't listen either.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:24 pm
by sopranorleone
No
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:28 pm
by landshoes
it sucks but honestly, doesn't sound like you have many other options
here's the other thing: you can prioritize your marriage in this abstract way if you are loaded, but if you're broke and suffering from it, well...maybe you need to prioritize money a little bit more
also you can certainly adopt while in law school. you can get increases in loans for dependent expenses. if you could afford it right now with your shitty job I would bet you could afford it during law school.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:30 pm
by landshoes
also if you have shitty pay and a shitty job now, how were you going to afford adoption again? how were you going to give your kid a decent life?
I don't know why you think you're necessarily putting your family in a shitty position by going to law school, compared to where you are now.
are you from a conservative background (or is your husband) where you're prone to see any inconvenience caused by a woman's career as OMG TERRIBLE THE WORST TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE? Because if this were your husband's career, I'd bed $10000 dollars you'd be jumping on the next plane to law school.
in summary: law school kinda blows, but your reasons for not going are bad
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:35 pm
by landshoes
also, I don't know how to say this in a nice way, but if you are younger and he's older and you've only been together for, say, less than 2 years, and you're already putting your plans on hold for him...I strongly suggest that you consider that this is not a healthy situation where you're making good choices. I'm not trying to criticize, I just want you to open your mind to the possibility that this is not a great situation for you. Not for you as a married couple, but for you as an individual.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 12:14 am
by whats an updog
how much debt will you have upon graduation? if it's a T14 school and you have less than 100k including COL, i'd say you should absolutely do it. you only live once, and if your only other option is staying in your small town, i may be biased, but that seems like a death knell to me. also, if your fiance is willing to go with you, law school is not that bad on marriages. don't know where you've heard that, but if your relationship is at all healthy and your partner simply knows its going to be a big (though not insurmountable) time commitment, without making you feel guilty about it, then there should not be a problem.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 12:19 am
by A. Nony Mouse
I went to law school married. I'm a lawyer now, still married. Law school isn't going to fuck up a strong relationship. If law school breaks you up, you weren't going to last anyway.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 3:04 am
by jbagelboy
Leonardo DiCaprio wrote:it's absolutely not worth it.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 6:40 am
by Hutz_and_Goodman
It was worth it for me.
Graduated with no debt (full ride + living stipend), got a big law job in nyc. In my previous career I made $40k so even when I'm forced out of big law I'll still have a salary increase.
ps I am married and started LS married. My perspective on law school and relationships is the same as long distance relationships: both are a really good thing for the relationship. The reason is that if you cannot survive long distance, stress, disappointment, etc. then you are just wasting time in the relationship, and the best thing is to break up, stop wasting time, and move on.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 11:35 am
by zot1
A. Nony Mouse wrote:I went to law school married. I'm a lawyer now, still married. Law school isn't going to fuck up a strong relationship. If law school breaks you up, you weren't going to last anyway.
This.
Couples who break up during law school were not meant to be together in the first place.
My wife and I went through hell financially and emotionally when I was in law school because it takes a lot from you. Right now, I have a job I love and make enough money that we both live comfortably in a nice house. Yes, the marriage survived.
But, I will caution that I got lucky to get a post-grad job and I'm mindful of this every living minute. Just as well I could have ended up living with my in-laws and working at Starbucks and although I'm sure my marriage would have survived that too, I think we would have still been very miserable.
So go into knowing that you could end up ahead or not. Work your ass off. Understand it's only three years of your entire life. And for what it's worth, it goes by so damn quick.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 1:30 pm
by MtnGinger
Thanks, most of your comments are helpful. I had heard you couldn't foster or adopt if you weren't financially stable and while that's a loose term it meant not living off loans. I'm hoping to end up with less than 30k in debt if I can get a decent paying summer job I think I could end up with probably 10k or less since my husband could afford to pay our rent and utilities I'd have to take out maybe 8-15k the first year to cover a small amount of tuition and then some spending money. And I'm going just outside t14.
My current employment isn't pushing us to live off food stamps or anything but it isn't what I want. I could look into moving to a city in a year or so and get a higher pay job but I truly want to use law to help people. My worry is I know I don't want biglaw at all which means I could do all this and get no job, be forced back to my old career, or maybe have a chance of getting the type of career I want. Those uncertainties scare me. I did long distance with my fiance while I finished up college 4 hours away from him and it sucked but it was worth it, but I don't wanna do it again or worse live together and still feel long distance.
And to the comments about him holding me back. He was the one who actually bought us tickets to visit this law school and supported me to meet all deadlines. He was ready to go this year but I am conservative and didn't want to rush into marriage and didn't wan to have to worry about finding separate housing. He's all in and I'm lucky for that but just like he's worried about my needs I'm worried about his and don't want to do something that could hurt both of us if it doesn't work out.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 2:14 pm
by silenttimer
I can't speak for satisfaction, etc., but I can provide a bit of perspective from a financial standpoint:
I graduated 5 years ago, and my income over the past 5 years was 6 times the debt that I took out during law school. Pretty good ROI.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 2:22 pm
by RaceJudicata
A. Nony Mouse wrote:I went to law school married. I'm a lawyer now, still married. Law school isn't going to fuck up a strong relationship. If law school breaks you up, you weren't going to last anyway.
Amen. As others have said, if the relationship can't handle law school, then it aint gonna last.
Sure, going through finals/waiting on grades and OCI sucks and there will be days where your SO hates you, but if he/she is committed (and you are humble enough to admit that you aren't being your best self), he/she will understand these relatively minor (and temporary) disappointments.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 2:37 pm
by hillz
I feel like this a really personal decision, but I just want to echo the comments about being married. My husband and I have taken turns being in school while the other person works & supports. It can be challenging at times, but if your relationship is strong, then being married can be a big benefit in school because you'll have stability and a built-in support system.
It sounds like you feel good about your school, have a good scholarship, and perhaps don't have many other prospects. If that's the case, it doesn't seem like a bad idea to go ahead and get started. Three years isn't a super long time and you should still have time to adopt.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 2:50 pm
by kcdc1
Law school puts zero strain whatsoever on my marriage. The amount of work required to do well in law school is grossly exaggerated. Just skip the mid-day socializing and get your reading done between classes, and you'll be done by 5 every day. The one exception is exams -- you'll be busy for 2-3 weeks per semester.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 2:54 pm
by pancakes3
This is largely a financial decision so I think you're going to have to be a little bit more generous with the details of your current job/salary, exactly which school you're looking out that's "just outside T-14" (and if that's proximate to the small town you want to return to) and as always - LSAT/GPA/Loans/CoA
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 2:55 pm
by dabigchina
kcdc1 wrote:Law school puts zero strain whatsoever on my marriage. The amount of work required to do well in law school is grossly exaggerated. Just skip the mid-day socializing and get your reading done between classes, and you'll be done by 5 every day. The one exception is exams -- you'll be busy for 2-3 weeks per semester.
this. the actual work is not that bad. its mostly the financial strain that push people over the edge. if you value having a prestigious job over financial security for a few years, then go for it. otherwise, it sounds like your financial goals are very modest and should be attainable in whatever field you are in right now.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 3:00 pm
by anon180
100% Honest Answer..........Do this formula to find out.
-Did you have a STEM Undergrad? If yes, don't go.
-Do you have a family full of lawyer with contacts? If no, don't go.
-Do you THINK you'll "like" law? Irrelevant.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 3:02 pm
by rpupkin
jbagelboy wrote:Leonardo DiCaprio wrote:it's absolutely not worth it.
TLS absolutism at its best. It's not enough to write "it's usually not worth it" or "I don't think it would be worth it in your circumstances." Instead, law school is ABSOLUTELY, NEVER worth it. Can't people allow for the possibility that, in some circumstances, law school is worth it for those who want to be lawyers?
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 3:03 pm
by rpupkin
anon180 wrote:
Do you have a family full of lawyer with contacts? If no, don't go.
This is nonsense.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 3:14 pm
by Hutz_and_Goodman
"Do you THINK you'll like the law?" is very relevant, provided that you do research (read law school textbooks, sit in on a law school classes, talk to as many lawyers practicing different types of law as you can, read legal opinions online, read TLS, etc.). It is definitely possible to be wrong: you thought you would like law, and you don't. But if you do this research and the legal profession does not seem appealing then it's simple: don't go. Almost everyone who goes to law school does no research and their understanding of what it means to be a lawyer is based largely on popular representations in TV/film or maybe from sitting on a jury. It is crazy to enter any profession without doing a lot of research, thinking about your skill set and person preferences.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 3:16 pm
by jingosaur
+10000 on law school will not ruin your relationship if it is a strong relationship. 2L and 3L are basically a part-time job unless you get really involved with extracurricular stuff. 1L is pretty much like a full time job, but there is a lot of social pressure if you want to make a lot of law school friends. Finals time sucks, but once again, if your relationship can't handle 2-3 weeks of limited interaction, it's probably not going to work long term.
And from what I've seen, almost all summer jobs don't pay well so don't count on getting lucrative summer jobs unless you snag a Biglaw SA. You're outside the T14 so this isn't necessarily guaranteed. I assume you're going to one of UCLA, USC, or GW. Theses schools are good at the debt level you'll be out, but just keep in mind that you need to still do well to find a job that pays a living wage. I know quite a few people who didn't do great at GW and ended up taking a year or two to find something that paid more than whatever those shitty fellowships pay.
Also, these schools can get kind of gunnery so if you can't function is a somewhat cut-throat atmosphere, don't go.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 4:10 pm
by zot1
MtnGinger wrote:Thanks, most of your comments are helpful. I had heard you couldn't foster or adopt if you weren't financially stable and while that's a loose term it meant not living off loans. I'm hoping to end up with less than 30k in debt if I can get a decent paying summer job I think I could end up with probably 10k or less since my husband could afford to pay our rent and utilities I'd have to take out maybe 8-15k the first year to cover a small amount of tuition and then some spending money. And I'm going just outside t14.
My current employment isn't pushing us to live off food stamps or anything but it isn't what I want. I could look into moving to a city in a year or so and get a higher pay job but I truly want to use law to help people. My worry is I know I don't want biglaw at all which means I could do all this and get no job, be forced back to my old career, or maybe have a chance of getting the type of career I want. Those uncertainties scare me. I did long distance with my fiance while I finished up college 4 hours away from him and it sucked but it was worth it, but I don't wanna do it again or worse live together and still feel long distance.
And to the comments about him holding me back. He was the one who actually bought us tickets to visit this law school and supported me to meet all deadlines. He was ready to go this year but I am conservative and didn't want to rush into marriage and didn't wan to have to worry about finding separate housing. He's all in and I'm lucky for that but just like he's worried about my needs I'm worried about his and don't want to do something that could hurt both of us if it doesn't work out.
Helping people with the law doesn't usually mean being lucrative in law. So this should be your first consideration right now. Would you be able to take the job when you're only offer is in a field you have zero interest in (this assumes you get an offer to begin with)? Because it is my personal experience that most people who go to law school do not end up with the job they wanted; at least not at first. I did, but again, it was all luck.
As to the other comments re law school being worth it, it was for me for reasons I already mentioned. But also, I just really enjoy what I do... Although I have a shit ton of debt, I still don't regret doing what I did. After all, just four years ago I was miserable and poor working in customer service.
Re: Is law school worth it
Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2015 4:55 pm
by anon180
The rehashed opinions of those in lsat prep............
