Is it worth it to go to Whittier?

[Haynes7]

 Many people say that it is not worth it to attend a 4th tier school period.  I have been accepted to Whittier with a nice little scholarship.  I have not been able to find a job since I graduated from college and I am flat broke.  My feeling is that things cannot possibly get worse for me.  I have heard a lot of complaining from people that they are forced to take low paying jobs after law school.  I would rather work like a dog for peanuts then continue being unemployed and facing homelessness.  Should I go to law school?  What possible consequences could I face from attending a 4th tier school?

[bigs5068]

I go to a 4th tier school and it's fine.  There is a lot of b.s. stuff about tier 4 schools, but it is not true. Going to Whittier is not going to result in having the red carpet rolled out for you, but very few schools have people waiting with contracts in hand at graduation.  As you are realizing right now a degree whether it be a B.A., M.D., Masters, J.D. whatever does not mean all that much.  The real world is a lot colder than school is and getting a job is HARD.

Go to law school if you want to be a lawyer and you will have a skill, which is something and you can get a job.  Particularly, if you show a talent for the law by i.e. ranking in the top 10%, writing for a journal, god knows what it could be but something of value.  There is the possibility you could end up in the same boat you are in now just in more debt, so there is risk going to law school.

However, any B.S. you hear about tier 4's  bent on ruining your life are not true.  They do not kick out %25 of the class, people do get jobs, and bottom line is you learn the same things at any ABA school. My first year at my tier 4 has been awesome and I got a few summer job offers already and so have a lot of people. There are a few people that don't have anything lined up and that is the way it goes.

So bottom line is Whittier is not Harvard and I assume you knew that, but any ABA school is fine and if you put the work in there is a good chance everything will work. However, no matter what you do there is always a risk it won't work out.

[cu014628]

My best friend graduated from Whittier ... got a few offers and decided to work as a DA for a bit, now doing criminal defense.  He has only good things to say about his experience there (outside of "law school will make you miserable") ... Good group of people there.

[john4040]

Many people say that it is not worth it to attend a 4th tier school period.  I have been accepted to Whittier with a nice little scholarship.  I have not been able to find a job since I graduated from college and I am flat broke.  My feeling is that things cannot possibly get worse for me.  I have heard a lot of complaining from people that they are forced to take low paying jobs after law school.  I would rather work like a dog for peanuts then continue being unemployed and facing homelessness.  Should I go to law school?  What possible consequences could I face from attending a 4th tier school?

When you consider Bigs' advice, please keep in mind that he is talking about T4s getting summer jobs (not full-time attorney positions).  Finding a full-time position in the legal field from a tier 4 is extremely difficult.  Also, Bigs' quote that "very few schools have people waiting with contracts in hand at graduation" should be revised to state: "very few T2, T3, and T4 schools have people waiting with contracts in hand at graduation."

With that said, your quote: "My feeling is that things cannot possibly get worse for me" is ABSOLUTELY WRONG!  You will accumulate more debt during law school than you would have otherwise had if you had not attended.  Also, it is possible that you will earn the same amount as you would have earned had you not gone to law school.  It is also likely that you may be unemployed at the end of law school. I hope you have a good scholarship, because you'll need it.  Tier 4s are notorious for placing rigorous stipulations on their scholarships.  You might want to check into this as well before committing to law school.

[Haynes7]

Thanks very much for your honest advise.  I would really like to work as a PD.  Do you think this is possible? 

[bigs5068]

Yes it is possible to work as a public defender from Whittier if you go to law school and pass the bar you become a lawyer and any ABA school from Harvard-Whittier will teach you the skills to pass the bar .  To the John guys quote I am well aware that I am a 1L with only summer jobs, but I know plenty of 3L's/Graduates now with actual jobs lined up and there are also 3L's/Graduates now that don't. However, even Harvard has unemployed graduates and ones that didn't pass the bar.  Law school for the most part is what you make of it. However, I will reveal the shocking information that yes a J.D. from UCLA will open more doors than a J.D.  from Whittier.  The simple answer to the OP's question of whether you CAN get employed as a P.D. from Whittier is YES you CAN. There is no guarantee, but good luck finding any guaranteed employment in any field. If being a PD is what you want to do go to law school in the area you want to be a PD. End of story.

[cooleylawstudent]

Being a PD is an honorable profession, but not exactly hard to get. Basicly just pass the bar and not be a serial killer, and you'll get it. Seriously its not even worth a bead of sweat. They need you FAR more than you need them, just remember that.

[sonofapickle]

Listening to the people in this thread will only set your goals so low you would never amount to be a good lawyer.

Firstly, going to a 4th tier school is similar of going to a community college for law school.

Secondly, becoming a PD is not an honorable profession, but rather a profession that says, "he obviously didn't cut it." Why do you think when people hear public defender, they roll their eyes? Public defenders are just the bottom of the barrel. If people could afford a lawyer, they would not opt for some public defender. It is rather dishonorable. People who believe it is honorable see themselves as public defenders, or are already public defenders. Public defenders are the welfare checks of law.

[cooleylawstudent]

so if its so low on your pole then why wouldnt the lower school grads end up in it?

Longwinded fetus story latter, yes he thinks it'll work. 

Listening to the people in this thread will only set your goals so low you would never amount to be a good lawyer.

Firstly, going to a 4th tier school is similar of going to a community college for law school.

Secondly, becoming a PD is not an honorable profession, but rather a profession that says, "he obviously didn't cut it." Why do you think when people hear public defender, they roll their eyes? Public defenders are just the bottom of the barrel. If people could afford a lawyer, they would not opt for some public defender. It is rather dishonorable. People who believe it is honorable see themselves as public defenders, or are already public defenders. Public defenders are the welfare checks of law.

[john4040]

Secondly, becoming a PD is not an honorable profession, but rather a profession that says, "he obviously didn't cut it." Why do you think when people hear public defender, they roll their eyes? Public defenders are just the bottom of the barrel. If people could afford a lawyer, they would not opt for some public defender. It is rather dishonorable. People who believe it is honorable see themselves as public defenders, or are already public defenders. Public defenders are the welfare checks of law.

ROFLMAO, you couldn't be more wrong.  I can guarantee you that the Federal Public Defender at my Court can open up a serious can of litigation whoop-ass on just about all of the Biglaw attorneys I have seen practice here.  These public defenders are often Ex-US Assistant Attorneys who litigate cases DAILY.  They do it because they love the work and appreciate the challenge.

Your quote reminds me of a layperson's (ignorant) perception of a Federal Judicial Law Clerk or an attorney for the Federal Government:

"Lawclerk... isn't that some kind of person that files documents for the court?"

"Attorney for the US... why would anyone want a government job?  Those guys don't even work and they get the 'bottom of the barrel' over there."