Top Law Schools

Crowing wrote:There was no way in hell I was going to continue and do a PhD. I absolutely loathe academia.

Crowing wrote:There was no way in hell I was going to continue and do a PhD. I absolutely loathe academia.

Desert Fox wrote:I left cause I'm an idiot.

But don't do "science." It's just as flame as liberal arts is.

Hipster but Athletic wrote:I work with a ton of Ph.D's in a program in which I help them commercialize their inventions. Very few seem too interested in continuing on in the companies we will help them to establish around their technologies, let alone "science" in general. A few of these guys who get more chatty after a few drinks ask me about law --they're keenly aware of their marketability in IP, their earnings potential, the ability to promote social justice or facilitate technology proliferation on a wider scale. These fellows almost invariably have 3.9+ UPGAs and as such, I encourage them to study hard for the LSAT and work as paras or Examiners before committing to law school. I also encourage them to get full rides. This seems to me to be a truly smart career path, and much better than working as a third-rate data analyst at a med company that doesn't know your name.

One of the major reasons I left engineering for law is because of the environment around co-workers. In my experience, people from technical backgrounds tend to be less social and more introverted. This makes it insanely difficult to work in certain fields.

alkaseltzer wrote:This is exactly why I left engineering. Personally, I think the really high salaries in patent law are possible because of the supply-demand curve. What makes patent law stable is the natural "selection". IMO It's very different from med/dental/healthcare programs. These healthcare programs intentionally restrict the number of admitted students so doctors can earn $$ due to supply-demand. Patent law, on the other hand doesn't really need this restriction. Its supply is naturally restricted. If you are a solid engineer, chances are you are likely to be introverted. If you are introverted, chances are you won't like law / business. Also, don't forget many of these engineers are international students, without native English tongue which makes it difficult for them to break into law.

Leo wrote:I am switching from engineering to law with 4 years experience in industry. I realized that I was getting pigeon-holed and would likely end up as one of those guys stuck in middle management at the same company for 40 years. So instead of making a lateral move, which is difficult to do without taking a pay cut, I decided to go back to school. I considered B school but remembered I really dislike people who blabber about synergy all day and don't actually work. Considering, on the other hand, the shortage of patent attorneys and their outstanding compensation, law school seemed like the obvious choice.

All that being said, not sure I would go the reverse route. Engineering school is pretty damn hard, and it'll take you another 4 years (maybe 3 if you're really ambitious). After all that, a good outcome is a 5 figure job. That is, unless you decide to go into academia (have fun with that). You could also try to get an associates (2-yr) degree instead of a bachelors, but then you're really talking about no money, like <50k/yr. I can't imagine trying to service law school loans and engineering school loans on that salary.

yost wrote:

Leo wrote:I am switching from engineering to law with 4 years experience in industry. I realized that I was getting pigeon-holed and would likely end up as one of those guys stuck in middle management at the same company for 40 years. So instead of making a lateral move, which is difficult to do without taking a pay cut, I decided to go back to school. I considered B school but remembered I really dislike people who blabber about synergy all day and don't actually work. Considering, on the other hand, the shortage of patent attorneys and their outstanding compensation, law school seemed like the obvious choice.

All that being said, not sure I would go the reverse route. Engineering school is pretty damn hard, and it'll take you another 4 years (maybe 3 if you're really ambitious). After all that, a good outcome is a 5 figure job. That is, unless you decide to go into academia (have fun with that). You could also try to get an associates (2-yr) degree instead of a bachelors, but then you're really talking about no money, like <50k/yr. I can't imagine trying to service law school loans and engineering school loans on that salary.

Pretty much this. Also, most engineers with bachelor's degrees do pretty mind-numbing work. Data analysis, testing, etc. I would rather be compensated at $160K per year than $80K per year if I have to be doing mind-numbing work.

yost wrote:Pretty much this. Also, most engineers with bachelor's degrees do pretty mind-numbing work. Data analysis, testing, etc. I would rather be compensated at $160K per year than $80K per year if I have to be doing mind-numbing work.

rayiner wrote:I'm too much of an asshole for engineering. Don't play video games. Didn't like only working with dudes.