Is anyone NOT in it for the money?

[newtocali]

so not into the money, if i was i would go into ibanking (but i would hate that because its about money).

i want to international human rights law in the middle east. this is really my passion, and after researching different MA programs i realized i would rather just get the JD, its only one extra year.

im not so into this whole big law thing, and obviously i want to go to a great school but if it isnt t5 im not crying.

[epicac]

i want to international human rights law in the middle east. this is really my passion, and after researching different MA programs i realized i would rather just get the JD, its only one extra year.

Have you looked at Seton Hall's program in Zanzibar?  You don't have to go to SH to participate in it- it looks incredible, and you learn about the fight against human slavery.

[brianwithani]

Doing anything for the money seems like a bad idea.  Don't know who said it originally but my father used to always say, "Do what you love and you'll never WORK a day in your life." 

I cannot, I will not sell my soul a hundred hours a week doing scut work for some partner in a big law firm.  I'm too old for the grindhouse that is the life of a junior associate in BIG LAW.  With my former career in healthcare, I'm hoping to be able to contribute immediately.  We'll see.

[jammer]

If I was picking a career based on earnings potential, I would have picked something else besides law. It seems anything within the fields of math and science (computer programming, IT, engineering, anything in healthcare) can get bigger paydays. I wanted a career suited to my abilities. It's refreshing to see people choosing law based on their interest, not the (perceived) large payday.

[lightitup77]

I appreciated your post--I am not in it for the money either, am older with four teenagers, and don't want to work at a firm. I also have a bachelor's in nursing and a masters in organizational leadership; I know what I want to do but am not sure how to get there, quite. Like you, it has nothing to do with money, that is taken care of. But I am not so naive as to think I won't need money at all, ever, or that I can tolerate a perpetual drain. (I would at least like to pay back law school expenses with my income!)

Elaine

[brianwithani]

Elaine,

Check out TAANA on www.taana.org.  It's The American Association of Nurse Attorneys.  It's a great site for networking and the dues for law students are really reasonable.  I was a nurse for 13 years and someone on another site turned me on to TAANA.  Good luck with law school...and four teenagers...jeez, I think my one teenager is going to put me in the nut house.

Brian

[Ron]

Money? Bah. Happiness? Now you're talking!

I'm an older student (39) and I just completed my first year at LS. My school is a CBA-accredited school, but certainly not a high-ranking one. When I come out of school, I'm certain to make a little more than what I'm making now and that'll be nice, but I don't really expect to make 6 figures. If my wife and I can make our mortgage, pay off our debt, and save some money here and there, I'll be happy.

And here's something I've noticed: the only people that really care whether or not you went to a Tier 1 school are the folks that either a) went to one themselves or b) were turned down by one. I'd recommend not getting too wrapped up in that whole ranking race.

Focus on learning, being happy, and doing the best you can with what you have.

Good luck!

[Tracy T]

Please look at the information on the Equal  Justice Works website on the College Cost Reduction and Access Act.  It was made law in September and provides two things:
1) Income Based Repayment for all college/grad school graduates, which make your payments on loans affordable
2) Loan forgiveness after 10 years of public interest, prosecutor or PD work.

This is only for federal loans though, and you have to do the Income based Repayment to get the most out out of the loan forgiveness.  People no longer need to go to top schools with cadillac LRAP's to get a decent deal on loan repayment.  Check out this info now - before you pick a school based on advice from people here.

Right ?
http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/resource/ccraa

[dsetterl]

If I said it once I will say it before: I do it for the food at the clients expense. Ohhhh YEah. Also, office cake day.

[Susan B. Anthony]

Doing anything for the money seems like a bad idea.  Don't know who said it originally but my father used to always say, "Do what you love and you'll never WORK a day in your life." 

I cannot, I will not sell my soul a hundred hours a week doing scut work for some partner in a big law firm.  I'm too old for the grindhouse that is the life of a junior associate in BIG LAW.  With my former career in healthcare, I'm hoping to be able to contribute immediately.  We'll see.

You know what I find incredibly annoying?  The bolded.

There are plenty of reasons for choosing a career at a large firm that have little or nothing to do with money or prestige, even if I were to concede that those reasons are in some way problematic. And it is both insulting and wrong to suggest that such a choice involves selling one's soul. For some people, maybe, and for some firms, probably - but that's a very limited view of what life at a large firm can entail.

It is not necessary to insult someone else's career choice to justify your own.