Employment prospects in TN? Forum

[LowImpulseControl]

I'm considering law school at the University of Tennessee. From what I've read, however (mostly on law.reddit.com), job prospects for law graduates are terrible. So before taking on 6 figures of debt to train for a career, I want to make sure I have a pretty good chance at finding employment afterward. I have no interest in biglaw, and no family/friend law office I can step into. Ideally I'd like to stay in TN, but I'd be open to relocation if I need to. Hopefully a recent UT Law grad will see this and can offer some recent first-hand info, but recent experience job hunting from other locations is welcome as well. Thanks

[BigZuck]

If you take on 6 figures of debt, how do you plan on paying it off? What realistic job can you get from that school that will allow you to pay off that level of debt?

[zot1]

1. Actually search this thread for "University of Tennessee student/grad answering questions" in case there is someone available to do that already.

2. Why are you certain that you will be taking on a 6 figure debt? What's your LSAT/GPA?

3. If not interested in big law and have no connections in the law, that generally leaves you with small firms (not great pay in TN-I'm assuming), government (competitive), and public interest (competitive and low pay regardless of location), and in-house (very rare for recent grads). The responsible way to approach your career would be to look at the debt you would take on versus your ability to pay it. However, I strongly believe that if you want to be an attorney regardless of debt, then you should do it. The problem is that a lot of people think they want to be an attorney. Then they realize it is a very awful profession. But once you're so deep in debt, you just can't get out.

[LowImpulseControl]

2. Why are you certain that you will be taking on a 6 figure debt? What's your LSAT/GPA?

That's assuming I pay sticker price. I'd be non-traditional as I'm 28, but my undergrad gpa was pretty abysmal - around 2.6 iirc. Haven't taken the lsat but I'm confident I could get 170 with proper studying; I've been reading about it pretty heavily and taken a couple of the old tests and done very well. I haven't read much about their scholarship requirements since I figured I kind of shot myself in the foot with the gpa and I don't have any softs.

I strongly believe that if you want to be an attorney regardless of debt, then you should do it.

That's the thing - I'm almost positive I would enjoy it. I got Llewllyn's The Bramble Bush for Christmas and it really made me think I missed my calling. I've even enjoyed studying for the lsat, and unlike my ug studies, I feel like law is something I would not only be good at, but enjoy.

The problem is that a lot of people think they want to be an attorney. Then they realize it is a very awful profession. But once you're so deep in debt, you just can't get out.

Therein lies my hesitation. From what everyone on r/law says (mostly already attorneys, relatively few students there), the lsat is nothing like law school, and law school is nothing like the actual practice of law. But there's also the probability that many of the attorneys who hang out on a law forum are doing so because they don't have a job they truly enjoy, so it's likely not a representative sample.

Anyway, I feel like I'm rambling and I'm sure you get the idea. I'd be perfectly happy making $50 or $60k, and I think I'd be able to manage the debt at that salary. I just want to make sure that's a realistic, and probable, possibility.

[LowImpulseControl]

So I spent about 2 hours last night reading through this thread about debt. I'm now almost certain I won't go to law school. I mean even in state with a modest scholarship I'm still looking at over $100k in debt by the time I graduate. Even if I got a job for $60k and paid it off in 10 years, I'd be in my mid forties before I had an effective salary over about $30k. It's a real shame our country practically disincentivizes its citizens from pursuing higher education. I know I would enjoy law school and I'm pretty sure I'd be a good lawyer and enjoy the work, but going to law school is, as I see it anyway, a horrible investment. From a purely financial standpoint I'd be better off taking out a loan for $100k and going to Vegas and putting it all on red - even if I lost I could declare bankruptcy and it would more or less go away. With the job market for lawyers what it is, you're literally betting years of your life and hundreds of thousands of potential income that you will eventually be better off for having gone to law school, which is by no means certain. I'm sure you all already know all this; just thought I'd update the thread given that I've pretty well decided it's not a good idea.

[zot1]

Let me tell you about me and maybe it would help.

I graduated with tons of debt and (as of right now) I'll be paying it for the next ten years. I got a government job. I'm extremely lucky to have any kind of job after graduation and I recognize every day. Even with my debt, my lifestyle prior to undergrad to know is MUCH better. I am happy and have a job I love. I am respected (well, I think).

But as I've said on TLS before, I recognize I'm incredibly lucky. In a way, I took a gamble and pay off. I know people with less debt than me who are struggling right now because they haven't found a job or are only working part-time right now.

Knowing what I know now and particularly understanding the immensity of my debt, I would still do it all over again because I'm doing something I enjoy and getting paid handsomely for it. But there lies the big problem with law school right now, your odds of getting a job postgrad are not as good as they used to be.

I hope you can figure out what you want to do. Good luck!