Should I leave Law School?

[dontknowwheretogo]

ok, I'm a student at T10, grades are below median (top 65%).  I could leave and make $90,000 (have a job offer in hand) returning to my former career.  Many students below median at my school are not getting any offers.  Should I just leave now and cut my losses?  I think about this every day. 

I realize that I took a gamble in coming to Law School, and it looks like that gamble may end up being a loosing one.  I figure that if I can't get a decent paying job, then it doesn't really make financial sense to continue.  Let me know what you think. 

[jacy85]

If you went to law school because you really want to be a lawyer, and that dream/goal was worth leaving a well-paying stable career, then if I were you, I'd probably be incline to stay.  If you leave, and this really is what you want to do with your life, you may regret the (hopefully) short term problems of finding a job.  You T10 diploma carries a lot of weight, and will help you get a job sooner or later, provided you really network, use your alumni network effectively, and be willing to be flexible in what type of job you're looking for.

If you went to law school only because you saw it as a cash cow and a quick way to get rich after you graduated, then I would leave.  While a J.D. may have at one point been a sure-fire way to make a huge salary within a few years of graduating, those jobs are now scarcer, the competition for them fiercer, and those of us that do have them are either concerned about losing those jobs in the near future OR simply wish we could afford to do something we'd enjoy more.

[Thistle]

can you transfer to the part time division? 

[Miss P]

Hm.  How many T10s have PT divisions?

Christ, you're obnoxious.

OP, I agree with Jacy.  It's really about whether you want to be a lawyer; you'll find a way if this is something that really excites you, even if you don't get the perfect job right away.

Have you looked into whether you can suspend your studies and return to school if you find you miss it?  If your administration is generally flexible or accommodating, this might be a good way to hedge your bets.  You will get the security of your old job and pay down some debt whole leaving open the possibility of finishing up and becoming a lawyer in a few years when the market will be more open. I haven't heard of anyone doing this except in the case of a family emergency, but it seems at least theoretically possible.

[Miss P]

How is that obnoxious? I don't know. I'd think maybe NYU?

Oh, my apologies. I misread your statement.  I don't believe any T10 law schools have part-time programs and I read your post as making that point sarcastically.  I am sorry.

[Big Time Lawyer]

dontknowwheretogo, a few questions:

1. What year are you in law school?  If you are a 1L and are bummed out about not getting a biglaw SA position, then maybe you should wait until 2L Fall OCI, when the large-scale biglaw hiring occurs.  On the other hand, if you are a 2L, hinging your bets on 3L direct-entry hiring may not be such a good idea.

2. What do you mean by "took a gamble" in going to law school?  Were you specifically looking for a biglaw job, or would you be "okay" with a higher-end mid-size position that pays 80-100k?

3. Did you want to be a lawyer before coming to law school?  Do you still want to be a lawyer (keep in mind that law school is not reflective of actual practice, especially the transactional side)?  If so, why?  Is it just for the biglaw salary or for the office environment?

If you really don't like law, then being a biglaw associate will be a very unhappy time for you.  I agree with everything in Jacy's post.  I especially like her comment about "simply wish[ing] we could afford to do something we'd enjoy more."  It's amazing how law school and working in biglaw can change one's view of what's "affordable."

[jacy85]

If you really don't like law, then being a biglaw associate will be a very unhappy time for you.  I agree with everything in Jacy's post.  I especially like her comment about "simply wish[ing] we could afford to do something we'd enjoy more."  It's amazing how law school and working in biglaw can change one's view of what's "affordable."

This is true for some, but my views haven't changed.  My husband and I still live in our small house and drive Hondas.  My personal version of the "golden handcuffs" takes the form of $1300/month loan payments.  I wish it was otherwise, because at least then I'd have some awesome stuff in exchange for my hard work.  Instead, I'm just paying down debt, which isn't nearly as exciting.