Jack, thank you for putting some stats to what I have been saying all along. The law profession is very cutthroat and prestige-oriented, from the cradle (law school admissions) to the grave (making partner). The legal profession is saturated due to everyone thinking they can do it too, and many lesser ranked schools perpetuate this problem. There's no such thing as the "hobby of law". It's either a profession or its not. If someone, for reasons I could never understand, wants to take up law as a hobby, don't go to law school. For one, you are taking up a spot reserved for some other zealot that wanted to be a lawyer since he/she was 11 for a career because you were "curious". Second, any hobby that requires you to incur ~$100,000 debt with little or no return, and requires you to pay it back in 10 years is a BAD idea. Third, law can be quite boring sometimes. Many of those that have dreamed of being a lawyer all their lives find it difficult to wade through some of the subject matter. It's not for the faint of heart and not for those with a passing interest. If theres someone out there that wants to learn the law for fun, self-study. Buy some E&E's, hornbooks, casebooks, whatever. Knock yourself out. Save $99,000 and three years of stress.If law is your dream, then those stats should be a wake up call. That's a lot of debt to take on for uncertain prospects. When investing in yourself, you need to think like an economist. There is an enormous opportunity cost associated with attending law school. Not only are you spending money like mad on education, you are giving up three years salary in whatever profession you are in or could gain employment in. That's another $150,000 or more down the drain. Suddenly, law school doesn't look so good. Are you in that 1%? Are you so naive as to think you will be the one to beat all odds and be that one guy that "makes it" from your school? Is this job worth $250,000 or more to you? Assuming you can get a lower paying job, do you want to be a slave working at $11/hour trying to pay back your loans for the next 10 years? These are just a few of the questions a person should ask themselves before throwing themselves down the slippery slope.If all you can attend is an online law school or any non ABA approved school, forget it. This has been discussed ad nauseum, no need to rehash. If all you can attend is a T3/T4, think long and hard before committing yourself. Know what you are getting yourself into and be honest with yourself. Consider waiting a year and retaking the LSAT or even waiting three years for your score to be erased and start fresh. Above this, just concentrate on getting into the best school that you can get into to maximize your chances at making it in a difficult field. Think long and hard before committing yourself.
There's no such thing as the "hobby of law". It's either a profession or its not. If someone, for reasons I could never understand, wants to take up law as a hobby, don't go to law school.
If all you can attend is a T3/T4, think long and hard before committing yourself. Know what you are getting yourself into and be honest with yourself. Consider waiting a year and retaking the LSAT or even waiting three years for your score to be erased and start fresh. Above this, just concentrate on getting into the best school that you can get into to maximize your chances at making it in a difficult field. Think long and hard before committing yourself.
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Topic: My prediction: Online law schools will EVENTUALLY be recognized (Read 16926 times)
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