Do NOT go to law school (a sincere warning)

[cooleylawstudent]

the army one is http://www.acpol.army.mil

To answer you're other question, yes being a lawyer is the best way to be a better lawyer. There are alternatives, but the best way to be a good runner is to run, period. If it snows outside, try to jog in place untill you get a thaw.

better to be deliver pizza than be homeless and better to be a paralegal than deliver pizza. People just get a bug up their butt and refuse to do what they need to do vs what they want to do. You see that in all carrier fields too. I know a lot of laid off manual labor workers who REFUSE govt grants to go back to school for free to learn new trades. People get stubborn, people get stupid. People fail.

Remember a lawyer who works as a legal secretary is still a licensed lawyer passing time untill something  better comes up, a legal secretary who skipped lawschool can only say "yes I'd love that lawyer job....give me 3 years to get ready.. "

[the white rabbit]

Remember a lawyer who works as a legal secretary is still a licensed lawyer passing time untill something  better comes up, a legal secretary who skipped lawschool can only say "yes I'd love that lawyer job....give me 3 years to get ready.. "

My point was that passing time until something better comes up doesn't seem all that promising given the fact that when that something better does come up, the legal secretary who is also a lawyer will probably be competing with lawyers who have been working as lawyers.  At best, it will be a hard slog upward.

[cooleylawstudent]

No question there, its just better than the "I can't find work, if its not perfect in every way I won't try"  attitude that many seem to get.
Plus the paid legal secretary who is a licensed lawyer can still do free legal clinic as a lawyer for the resume on the side if needed to boost the actual lawyer work on resume alongside the paying job in a law realted field.
 That being said, join civilian JAG if you need to be a lawyer with steady(albeit relatively modest) pay. I bet most employers that weren't draft doggers would find it impressive. Many probally don't even know that there is civilian JAG.

Remember a lawyer who works as a legal secretary is still a licensed lawyer passing time untill something  better comes up, a legal secretary who skipped lawschool can only say "yes I'd love that lawyer job....give me 3 years to get ready.. "

My point was that passing time until something better comes up doesn't seem all that promising given the fact that when that something better does come up, the legal secretary who is also a lawyer will probably be competing with lawyers who have been working as lawyers.  At best, it will be a hard slog upward.

[nealric]

How? Pretty damn easy actually, I asked. They'll hire you while you're still in lawschool and pay you're lawschool for you if you know for a fact it's what you want. You have to pass some simple tests(like the asvab) but I took that back in my enlisted days, and a drunken chimp with down syndrom can get at least a passing score on it.

I suppose a recruiter told you that  

JAG is actually very difficult to get- regardless of what they told you- as are effectively all the positions you posted. Government jobs like that get hundreds of resumes for every open slot. If it was that simple, I guarantee people wouldn't be whining. Biglaw was never a likely prospect for most law students. Besides, nobody is "holding out" for 160k. In the current economy, if you don't have a biglaw job at graduation your chances of finding one as your first post-grad job are effectively 0- most people understand that.

My characterization is accurate. If you calculate expected returns using the phony law school statistics, you will probably find law school to be a good investment. If you calculate the expected returns using the true statistics, you will probably find law school to be a bad investment. My personal opinion is that law school is a bad investment unless you have exceptional grades, are well-connected, or go to HYS (Harvard, Yale, or Stanford). YOU might have achieved a great return on your investment with average or slightly-above average grades and coming from a working class household. That's good, and I applaud you for it. But decisions about whether to go to law school should be made with a cool head.

I agree and am fully aware that the salary stats are misleading. But our differences are a matter of perspective and attitude- I think we agree on the facts.

[cooleylawstudent]

I forget which username it was, but that was the exact figure he was crying about that his schools was "normally" supposed to get in a good economy. I speak, first as a veteran and second hell yeah talked to a recruiter. They're job is to sign you up. Period. It's really not that  hard. Those who can't make it in the real world(or those who just want to kill people) join the army, I as many lawstudents, know that from haveing my boots on the ground. How long were you enlisted?

How? Pretty damn easy actually, I asked. They'll hire you while you're still in lawschool and pay you're lawschool for you if you know for a fact it's what you want. You have to pass some simple tests(like the asvab) but I took that back in my enlisted days, and a drunken chimp with down syndrom can get at least a passing score on it.

I suppose a recruiter told you that  

JAG is actually very difficult to get- regardless of what they told you- as are effectively all the positions you posted. Government jobs like that get hundreds of resumes for every open slot. If it was that simple, I guarantee people wouldn't be whining. Biglaw was never a likely prospect for most law students. Besides, nobody is "holding out" for 160k. In the current economy, if you don't have a biglaw job at graduation your chances of finding one as your first post-grad job are effectively 0- most people understand that.

My characterization is accurate. If you calculate expected returns using the phony law school statistics, you will probably find law school to be a good investment. If you calculate the expected returns using the true statistics, you will probably find law school to be a bad investment. My personal opinion is that law school is a bad investment unless you have exceptional grades, are well-connected, or go to HYS (Harvard, Yale, or Stanford). YOU might have achieved a great return on your investment with average or slightly-above average grades and coming from a working class household. That's good, and I applaud you for it. But decisions about whether to go to law school should be made with a cool head.

I agree and am fully aware that the salary stats are misleading. But our differences are a matter of perspective and attitude- I think we agree on the facts.

[cooleylawstudent]

Unless your a Felon or an invalid the service can take you. If you're a coward, that's what the civie corps are for.
Just one idea that is there but people don't want. That's all. And hell yeah, people would be still whineing if they were super-easy to get into. People feel it's there civic duty to do so. My God, 5 figures a year.....Razors,I need razors......

[TheCause]

Unless your a Felon or an invalid the service can take you. If you're a coward, that's what the civie corps are for.
Just one idea that is there but people don't want. That's all. And hell yeah, people would be still whineing if they were super-easy to get into. People feel it's there civic duty to do so. My God, 5 figures a year.....Razors,I need razors......

Joining the military is a possibility for almost everyone, getting a job with JAG is not.
I know plenty of really qualified candidates who were rejected by JAG.
If you get accepted in to JAG, you graduate the modified basic training as a Lieutenant, you get a great bonus, and the loan forgiveness is amazing.  As a result, you have way more applicants than positions.

[nealric]

Unless your a Felon or an invalid the service can take you.

Right- as enlisted. I was talking about JAG. Sure, I suppose you could enlist in the army after law school- but why did you go to law school then?

[lawrookie]

why were they rejected?

Unless your a Felon or an invalid the service can take you. If you're a coward, that's what the civie corps are for.
Just one idea that is there but people don't want. That's all. And hell yeah, people would be still whineing if they were super-easy to get into. People feel it's there civic duty to do so. My God, 5 figures a year.....Razors,I need razors......

Joining the military is a possibility for almost everyone, getting a job with JAG is not.
I know plenty of really qualified candidates who were rejected by JAG.
If you get accepted in to JAG, you graduate the modified basic training as a Lieutenant, you get a great bonus, and the loan forgiveness is amazing.  As a result, you have way more applicants than positions.

[IAmMultipleBooks]

why were they rejected?

Unless your a Felon or an invalid the service can take you. If you're a coward, that's what the civie corps are for.
Just one idea that is there but people don't want. That's all. And hell yeah, people would be still whineing if they were super-easy to get into. People feel it's there civic duty to do so. My God, 5 figures a year.....Razors,I need razors......

Joining the military is a possibility for almost everyone, getting a job with JAG is not.
I know plenty of really qualified candidates who were rejected by JAG.
If you get accepted in to JAG, you graduate the modified basic training as a Lieutenant, you get a great bonus, and the loan forgiveness is amazing.  As a result, you have way more applicants than positions.

Too many qualified applicants, not enough openings. The story of the legal profession.