Oil & Gas Law Forum

[Tboyce]

I'm graduating Friday with a degree in chemical engineering from LSU, and I want to end up doing oil & gas law. Halliburton offered me a job in Odessa, TX as a frac/acid specialist. The pay isn't very good and I'd prefer to just head straight to law school, but knowledge of the field could be helpful, I'm just not sure how necessary it is. Should I take the job for the experience for a year and a half then head to law school or will going to UT Austin law school be enough to get into the oil & gas legal field?

[foregetaboutdre]

I'm graduating Friday with a degree in chemical engineering from LSU, and I want to end up doing oil & gas law. Halliburton offered me a job in Odessa, TX as a frac/acid specialist. The pay isn't very good and I'd prefer to just head straight to law school, but knowledge of the field could be helpful, I'm just not sure how necessary it is. Should I take the job for the experience for a year and a half then head to law school or will going to UT Austin law school be enough to get into the oil & gas legal field?

I'd take the job and hold off for a little bit. IIRC the Oil and Gas practice isn't doing so hot. Also a couple years doing Oil and Gas IMO looks a lot better than jut a degree in ChemE. Just my thoughts.

[mcmand]

It's unclear from your post whether you have a strong LSAT score in hand already. Even if you did, you would be getting your applications turned in later in the cycle and putting yourself at a disadvantage. Take the job and focus on getting your application materials and LSAT score together over the next several months. That will give you time to research your options and maximize the best outcomes.

It's never a good idea to rush into law school, which your post is all but saying you want to do. Slow down and make sure you have everything in order.

[Nebby]

Knowledge of the field is helpful but not necessary. Oil and gas law is primarily transactional and regulatory. Why are you interested in it? Why do you want to be a lawyer?

[kalvano]

You should take the job and get a break in between undergrad and law school. Sorry its in Odessa.

[Barack O'Drama]

Also interested in oil and gas law

I don't want to hijack the thread, but does anyone have any experience working for an oil and gas company? Does one usually start off at a big firm that does oil and gas law and then go in-house?

[Tboyce]

It's unclear from your post whether you have a strong LSAT score in hand already. Even if you did, you would be getting your applications turned in later in the cycle and putting yourself at a disadvantage. Take the job and focus on getting your application materials and LSAT score together over the next several months. That will give you time to research your options and maximize the best outcomes.

It's never a good idea to rush into law school, which your post is all but saying you want to do. Slow down and make sure you have everything in order.

I scored a 171 on the LSAT and am finalizing my applications right now, but does applying later in the cycle hurt my chances of scholarship money?

[Nebby]

Also interested in oil and gas law

I don't want to hijack the thread, but does anyone have any experience working for an oil and gas company? Does one usually start off at a big firm that does oil and gas law and then go in-house?

Yes. O&G companies do not hire entry-level

[Tboyce]

Also interested in oil and gas law

I don't want to hijack the thread, but does anyone have any experience working for an oil and gas company? Does one usually start off at a big firm that does oil and gas law and then go in-house?

Yes. O&G companies do not hire entry-level

So would a year and a half of field experience really make any difference in the long run trying to get a job in house?

[Barack O'Drama]

Also interested in oil and gas law

I don't want to hijack the thread, but does anyone have any experience working for an oil and gas company? Does one usually start off at a big firm that does oil and gas law and then go in-house?

Yes. O&G companies do not hire entry-level

Ahh, that's what I figured. May have to re-think somethings then wrt my future in O&G.

Thanks for the help Nebs

[Nebby]

Also interested in oil and gas law

I don't want to hijack the thread, but does anyone have any experience working for an oil and gas company? Does one usually start off at a big firm that does oil and gas law and then go in-house?

Yes. O&G companies do not hire entry-level

So would a year and a half of field experience really make any difference in the long run trying to get a job in house?

No, not much difference. The work you'd do would have very little import to your work as an attorney. It'd show interest in the field, but that could likewise be shown through your coursework, which I assume was related to the O&G sphere.

[A. Nony Mouse]

However, work experience almost always makes you better at applying for and doing well in future jobs.

[mcmand]

However, work experience almost always makes you better at applying for and doing well in future jobs.

Second this. That extra year of work experience is worth its weight in avoiding the pitfalls that most people have when first entering the professional workforce. Better to be more prepared and get started on the right foot when you have your first legal job.

Just wait OP, try out that job. You'll enjoy making some money in the meantime.

[sev]

However, work experience almost always makes you better at applying for and doing well in future jobs.

Second this. That extra year of work experience is worth its weight in avoiding the pitfalls that most people have when first entering the professional workforce. Better to be more prepared and get started on the right foot when you have your first legal job.

I'd temper this by saying it depends on what the job is--oilfield jobs can be really hit or miss. Driving alone out in the sticks 6 days a week probably won't really help one enter the professional workforce.

(But it might be worthwhile experience nonetheless.)

[1glasspiano]

I worked in oil and gas at Halliburton before going to law school. I would personally be very wary of accepting a job title from Halliburton that did not have "engineer" or "professional" in the title. "Specialist," etc. are pretty bad for someone with an engineering degree to start out with. It kind of pigeon-holes you. You aren't even doing real engineering as a field "engineer," and real engineers will know that if you give them your resume, and that's bad enough. Field engineers are more like technical consultants than they are like engineers (who design original systems).

[pancakes3]

It's unclear from your post whether you have a strong LSAT score in hand already. Even if you did, you would be getting your applications turned in later in the cycle and putting yourself at a disadvantage. Take the job and focus on getting your application materials and LSAT score together over the next several months. That will give you time to research your options and maximize the best outcomes.

It's never a good idea to rush into law school, which your post is all but saying you want to do. Slow down and make sure you have everything in order.

I scored a 171 on the LSAT and am finalizing my applications right now, but does applying later in the cycle hurt my chances of scholarship money?

yes. once a school nears/fills its quota for incoming students while maintaining their median LSAT/GPA requirements, they don't have incentive to offer you scholarship money, even if you do have good stats.

i don't think mid-january is too late to apply per se, but it's certainly not early