How many new law students know how bad the market is? Forum

[thatsnotmyname]

I was watching a piece on CBS News about how tough it is for college graduates to find jobs these days (link, if you want to watch it: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id= ... photovideo). It was all about how they can't find jobs that they want and have $20K in student debt and the usual stuff. One of the featured students was a Fordham graduate with a History degree. She will be attending Pace University School of Law next year in order to improve her job prospects.

I don't meant to sound like a JDU troll or anything but I seriously began to wonder if she actually knew what her job prospects out of Pace Law would be or whether she just thought JD = lawyer = well paying job. She didn't seem interested in law but thought that law school would be a good way to ride out the recession. I wonder what percentage of students entering law schools realize what their prospects really are... I'm sure some people in law school can comment on how the attitudes of students at their law school changed from the beginning of 1L. What percentage of entering law school students do you think are aware of how bad the market is right now for lawyers?

[ram jam]

The market is bad for most professions right now and will be well into the future. You simply have to decide, which bad market is the one for me. Unless you own a copyright to an efficient means of removing oil from oceans and waterways or you have a shot at getting elected into congress you will be in want of a job. The fear of not finding a job post J.D. is not greater than the fear of not finding a job pre J.D. for most people. If this was the opposite, very few people would bother going to LS. Plus, now we have IBR, so if you get a law degree and don't get a good paying job, you only have to pay [Salary-Poverty Level($15,000)]*15%], after 25 years it is forgiven. A special shout out to all the hard working, tax paying Americans who will subsidize a significant portion of our fine legal education!

[crazycanuck]

The market is bad for most professions right now and will be well into the future. You simply have to decide, which bad market is the one for me. Unless you own a copyright to an efficient means of removing oil from oceans and waterways or you have a shot at getting elected into congress you will be in want of a job. The fear of not finding a job post J.D. is not greater than the fear of not finding a job pre J.D. for most people. If this was the opposite, very few people would bother going to LS. Plus, now we have IBR, so if you get a law degree and don't get a good paying job, you only have to pay [Salary-Poverty Level($15,000)]*15%], after 25 years it is forgiven. A special shout out to all the hard working, tax paying Americans who will subsidize a significant portion of our fine legal education!

25 years is a long fucking time to live in the gutters because of a decision you made in your twenties.

[Rock Chalk]

.

[AsylumPB]

Everyone here knows how bad the market is right now, but we all still our various reasons for wanting to attend law school. I have been out of UD for three years and am convinced that my BS is worthless in the "real world". The company I am working for has had a promotion and hiring freeze for the past two years and I don't see that changing anytime in the near future. I could start over at a new company, but with the market the way it is, I will be stuck in an entry-level type job that anyone that made it past the eighth grade could do. I believe that a JD will allow me the OPPORTUNITY (not promise) of a better life for myself and my family. I am taking a risk with the debt, but IBR will help with that. Even if I do end up in shit law, I will still be making more than I currently do, with the opportunity for advancement.

[gdane]

I think a lot of people have Asylum's mindset. Me included. The idea is that while a JD is not a guaranteed road to riches, you have more opportunities with one than without. My Political Science degree is useless and I regret not majoring in something more useful. More so than anything in my case its a desire to do something that interests me. Working in retail for 5 years I've come to experience what its like working someplace you hate. The possibility of working as an attorney excites me. Doesnt matter if its Biglaw or whatnot.

To answer the question, I do see that the market is bad, but being an eternal optomist I feel that it will improve in the next 3 years. However, I believe that the majority of student just dont realize that a JD is not the way to riches. Movies and the media have conditioned us to believe that being a lawyer means you'll be rich and successful. The belief is that a lawyer is a professional and thus will have more security than the cashier at CVS. On here we all know thats not necessarily true, but most people still feel a JD gives them a little bit more hope for a good future.

[Leeroy Jenkins]

When people can't find jobs, they go to school. It's basic economics.