Studying for the BAR, huge DEBT, no JOB, WHAT DO DO?

[Ninja1]

You'd think so but a lot of people do it. It pays off more student loans. It depends on if you're in it to payoff the loans or to get an ego stroke when you look in the mirror. I knew a lot of E-4 with MBA or above. Its crazy but true. Its not for everyone though.

Best of luck man. I am just on the start of my legal training, so I cant tell you what its like once you've passed the bar, but you may want to consider private practice. Also, I can give you some experience. Join the National Guard or Reserve they will pay off a lot of your college debt if you enlist into a JAG unit as an officer. They will pay off even more if you sign up as an E-4 Specialist too. It would look good on a resume and remove a lot of that debt and help to defer the rest of it while in service. They may have changed the rules for new recruits in the last few years a bit but I am a military NCO so I tend to think that way. Its an idea to consider.

You would have to be beyond retarded to go into the military as an E-4 with the level of education a law school grad has.

I don't think going the officer route has as much to do with an "ego stroke" as it does with the fact that a 1st Lt. makes more in their first year than an E-4 makes after 30 years in service, and almost double what an E-4 makes in their first year. Big deal if they don't pay off as much of your debt, you'll make so much more money as an officer it won't be a problem to pay the difference. And if you join the military, I'm fairly certain you can get in on a federal loan forgiveness program. Not to mention the quality of life differences between officers and enlisted.

There's a reason I said "retards" and you said "MBAs".

[UnbiasedObserver]

Best of luck man. I am just on the start of my legal training, so I cant tell you what its like once you've passed the bar, but you may want to consider private practice. Also, I can give you some experience. Join the National Guard or Reserve they will pay off a lot of your college debt if you enlist into a JAG unit as an officer. They will pay off even more if you sign up as an E-4 Specialist too. It would look good on a resume and remove a lot of that debt and help to defer the rest of it while in service. They may have changed the rules for new recruits in the last few years a bit but I am a military NCO so I tend to think that way. Its an idea to consider.

lol

problem: OP has a great deal of debt with no job
 
solution: join private or public sector

problem solved.

Is this the actual, mythical man that is Bob Loblaw? 

[UnbiasedObserver]

Get a job.  What do you expect people to tell you?  Searching for a job sucks and it will probably be hard, but you do all the things you need to do to get a job - send out resumes, look for jobs, and NETWORK.  If you're from the area, you should know some lawyers.  Everyone knows lawyers or, at the very least, knows people who know lawyers.  Talk to these lawyers.  Ask them if they know of anyone who's hiring.  Ask them if they have any bright ideas about how you can get a job.  Go to where lawyers hang out (for example, bar association events) and talk to lawyers there.  It's really not rocket science, it just sucks.  You might not end up with the job you want either, but you'll end up with a job and that's a start.     

This is the credited response.  You need to go to bar association events and network NOW so you're not in a more dire situation.  If I were you, I'd be scared to know that I'm 150k in debt with no job and that I might have to take a job I hate just to pay off crushing debt.

OP, you were on law review!  You had legal jobs!  You're in a better situation than MANY people.  Take advantage of that and get working! 

[new2law]

You can say retards all day, some people with MBA's still did it. There's nothing wrong with the officer route either. I take it that you served as an officer? Which branch?

You'd think so but a lot of people do it. It pays off more student loans. It depends on if you're in it to payoff the loans or to get an ego stroke when you look in the mirror. I knew a lot of E-4 with MBA or above. Its crazy but true. Its not for everyone though.

Best of luck man. I am just on the start of my legal training, so I cant tell you what its like once you've passed the bar, but you may want to consider private practice. Also, I can give you some experience. Join the National Guard or Reserve they will pay off a lot of your college debt if you enlist into a JAG unit as an officer. They will pay off even more if you sign up as an E-4 Specialist too. It would look good on a resume and remove a lot of that debt and help to defer the rest of it while in service. They may have changed the rules for new recruits in the last few years a bit but I am a military NCO so I tend to think that way. Its an idea to consider.

You would have to be beyond retarded to go into the military as an E-4 with the level of education a law school grad has.

I don't think going the officer route has as much to do with an "ego stroke" as it does with the fact that a 1st Lt. makes more in their first year than an E-4 makes after 30 years in service, and almost double what an E-4 makes in their first year. Big deal if they don't pay off as much of your debt, you'll make so much more money as an officer it won't be a problem to pay the difference. And if you join the military, I'm fairly certain you can get in on a federal loan forgiveness program. Not to mention the quality of life differences between officers and enlisted.

There's a reason I said "retards" and you said "MBAs".

[christianlawyer09]

You can say retards all day, some people with MBA's still did it. There's nothing wrong with the officer route either. I take it that you served as an officer? Which branch?

Yes, but if they got their MBAs from Troy University, Capella, American Military U.,ect., then their degrees don't really mean much.  You're using "MBA" to imply that these people are well-educated and well-credential and are still choosing to enlist instead of becoming officers.  But MBA programs are everywhere and anyone who wants to sign up can get into at least 1.  Thus, these people of whom wou speak, it's fair to say, are probably not representative of the best and brightest our country has to offer.   

[new2law]

Watch it jackass what did you score on the ASVAB anyways? It had better be a 99 with that attitude. Even if they did have what you consider "lesser" degrees the military reconises schools like AMU. A lot of soldiers are too busy saveing your pompus ass to sit down at harvard. As a result they use DANTES, online courses, or whatever they can to get their degree. As for picking to go enlisted, if what difference does it make what the private sector would think of their degree? If the Army says you can be an officer with it, then you can. If that person then chooses to go enlisted instead it has nothing to do with the degree but a personal choice. Besides online schools get you less in debt to begin with, so it decreases your odds of needing to go down the enlisted path. Most of the guys in AIT that I knew with degrees got them from state schools. Not that it matters though. Do you get it now? You could be an A student at harvard or a C student at AMU, you still get the same rank on your ACU when you swear in.


Yes, but if they got their MBAs from Troy University, Capella, American Military U.,ect., then their degrees don't really mean much.  You're using "MBA" to imply that these people are well-educated and well-credential and are still choosing to enlist instead of becoming officers.  But MBA programs are everywhere and anyone who wants to sign up can get into at least 1.  Thus, these people of whom wou speak, it's fair to say, are probably not representative of the best and brightest our country has to offer.   
[/quote]

[Matthies]

Get a job.  What do you expect people to tell you?  Searching for a job sucks and it will probably be hard, but you do all the things you need to do to get a job - send out resumes, look for jobs, and NETWORK.  If you're from the area, you should know some lawyers.  Everyone knows lawyers or, at the very least, knows people who know lawyers.  Talk to these lawyers.  Ask them if they know of anyone who's hiring.  Ask them if they have any bright ideas about how you can get a job.  Go to where lawyers hang out (for example, bar association events) and talk to lawyers there.  It's really not rocket science, it just sucks.  You might not end up with the job you want either, but you'll end up with a job and that's a start.     

Best advice here, but entails more work that bitching about not having a job and how hard it is to get one.

[LSDSL]

Best advice here, but entails more work that bitching about not having a job and how hard it is to get one.
[/quote]



Thanks for your advice, buddy.  That really added a derth of information to the conversation.  Over 5,000 posts, huh?  Derrrrrr

[Matthies]

Best advice here, but entails more work that bitching about not having a job and how hard it is to get one.

Thanks for your advice, buddy.  That really added a derth of information to the conversation.  Over 5,000 posts, huh?  Derrrrrr
[/quote]

Yep, and if you look back trhough them you would find a bunch of good advice for people in your situation tht I have posted (saying the same things everytime) for the last 5 years. Try it. Or just start athread and ask what should I do rather than look around for what others have done.

Try this one http://www.lawschooldiscussion.org/prelaw/index.php/topic,4020306.msg5345642.html#msg5345642 and this one http://www.lawschooldiscussion.org/prelaw/index.php/topic,4020463.msg5345274.html#msg5345274

[LSDSL]

Ohhh I didn't realize you were the LSD police.  Next time I want to post something, I'll be sure to check with you first.