Law School should be approached with caution

[USC313]

The OP is absolutely correct. Many of the posters on this board are in denial (particularly Thelo--see above). If you want to get the real scoop on whether law school is a valuable investment, please see the following:

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_firms_express_growing_enthusiasm_for_contract_lawyers/
http://www.altmanweil.com/index.cfm/fa/r.resource_detail/oid/6ddd4b8a-88a3-44ef-85a1-5a9a7ce501ac/resource/New_Law_Firm_Survey_A_Consensus_on_Change.cfm
http://www.jdunderground.com
http://thirdtierreality.blogspot.com/

This was also big news in the legal world about a week ago:

http://balkin.blogspot.com/2010/06/wake-up-fellow-law-professors-to.html
http://legalblogwatch.typepad.com/legal_blog_watch/2010/06/law-professor-supports-scambloggers-calls-for-his-colleagues-to-wake-up-to-reality-.html

Please take the time to inform yourselves. There are countless others.

[cooleylawstudent]

anyother loser telling people its not worth it by listing the risks and forgeting to list the risks for everything else in it.

Life is dangerous, you might bruse your knee, booh-hoo get over it or stay in bed and rot.

The OP is absolutely correct. Many of the posters on this board are in denial (particularly Thelo--see above). If you want to get the real scoop on whether law school is a valuable investment, please see the following:

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_firms_express_growing_enthusiasm_for_contract_lawyers/
http://www.altmanweil.com/index.cfm/fa/r.resource_detail/oid/6ddd4b8a-88a3-44ef-85a1-5a9a7ce501ac/resource/New_Law_Firm_Survey_A_Consensus_on_Change.cfm
http://www.jdunderground.com
http://thirdtierreality.blogspot.com/

This was also big news in the legal world about a week ago:

http://balkin.blogspot.com/2010/06/wake-up-fellow-law-professors-to.html
http://legalblogwatch.typepad.com/legal_blog_watch/2010/06/law-professor-supports-scambloggers-calls-for-his-colleagues-to-wake-up-to-reality-.html

Please take the time to inform yourselves. There are countless others.

[bigs5068]

I know a teacher that got laid off and is struggling to find a job. I know people with people MBA's that struggled to find jobs. I know people with bachelor degrees and even know M.D.'s at my friends hospital that complain about all the debt they have. Believe it or not education is a risk and b.s. things like jdunderground don't take into consideration that a degree lasts your entire life and your life is longer than one year out of graduation.  You will not make a bunnies ton of money coming out of graduation you almost never do in any career path. You generally have to work in any profession for 10 years or so to actually make money and be good at your job. No school can teach you the realities of a profession they can give you the basic tools, but the only real way to  learn is by experience.  If you work for 10-15 years as a lawyer you will probably be making alright money. If you work 10-15 years as a cop again you will probably make money. If you work 15 years as a doctor you will start making money.  Accountant same thing. If you female dog and moan a year into every career choice and leave you will never learn anything and never have money.  It takes time to build a career it is not instant gratification people don't say oh you have a J.D. neat oh you have been working 20 years as a lawyer and won numerous cases that is impressive not a J.D. itself. The J.D. is the first baby step to building a legal career.

 Even Michael Jordan was a rookie once he was nothing special until about 10 years into his started winning winning championships. Lebron James 8 years in the league still no rings, because he is not experienced enough he chokes on the big stage. However, as his career progresses he gets farther and he will probalby learn how to handle the pressure probably but it will take him a few more years. Nobody expected him to win the championship as a rookie and he was paid far less as a rookie than he is now. Same thing with Kobe and every athlete and profession I mentioned above.

Luke Skywalker and even Anakin Skywalker started out as Padawans. I bet even Yoda had to be taught. You do not become a stud lawyer, doctor, accountant, anything right out of school or when you start doing something. You don't start at the top any profession you have to work your way up and far as I know even people who graduate top of their class Harvard start out as associates not partners.

[cooleylawstudent]

Bigs, trolls just like to post to scare people. That and crybabies who honestly believe if they scare people away that they'll somehow get better pay and jobs. "If I tell all the pretty girls to go home, I'll be the prettiest cow at the ball....."

[bigs5068]

What does trolls mean?  I don't understand what means on internet places. 

It is just all these blogs it really is our generation we all think we are special and nobody else is to blame it can't possibly be my fault that I didn't get into Harvard or get 100k a year job it must be someone elses fault. There is one common theme that JD underground and all the other sites listed have in common the people writing on them never take one ounce of accountability.   

A perfect example at my school about a person who will probably be writing how about how bad GGU is in the future. At my internship a person ended up quitting at the beginning and I said hey somebody quit and they might want somebody else. They said that would be great so I asked the supervisor if they would interview my friend and they said sure. So I told her to send in a resume, but she never did it. She still is saying it is not fair that I can't a find job etc and I ask has she applied anywhere the answer is no and I gave her a chance to get something that pays no less and not one ounce of effort on her part. She could be at Harvard and act the same way and get the same results. It just aggravates the f**k out of me when people take no responsibility for themselves at all.

[the white rabbit]

Bigs, trolls just like to post to scare people. That and crybabies who honestly believe if they scare people away that they'll somehow get better pay and jobs. "If I tell all the pretty girls to go home, I'll be the prettiest cow at the ball....."

LOL.  I think the market is a little too big for anyone to actually move the pay scale by encouraging people to stay out.

I don't remember what the OP said exactly, but I don't see anything wrong with the title.  Caution's healthy.

[Bryan Goldberg]

Hi,

I thought I expressed myself clearly.  Oh well, let me try it again.

Representing yourself is dangerous because you are personally involved.  It is important to be dispassionate when analyzing the facts and applying the law.  That doesn't mean that I don't monitor the progress of the case by reviewing the pleadings, attending the hearings and checking the relevant common and/or statutory law. 

Therefore, I would say that not representing myself does not mean, at least to me, that my law degree is wasted.

I'm happy with the balance in my life. 
 
Bryan

[bigs5068]

Law school should be approached with caution there is no question about that. Anytime you are spending a 100k on something you should really think about it, but if you choose to do something take some accountability for your decision.  Everybody points the finger at somebody else in every aspect of life constantly and it is just so annoying. 

If you go to a tier 3/4 school you are going to have work harder than somebody at Harvard to get a job and you should know that.  If you are the type of person that goes to GGU, Chapman, Cooley, FIU etc and thinks that people are going to come knocking on your door then you got another thing  coming. You will be the one having to go knocking on doors and if you sit around bi***ing about how people are not lined up to hand you jobs  you will form a website like JDunderground.  If you go to those schools and put real effort in while in school by doing well academically, joining clinics, doing internships, etc to learn how the real world works and then after you graduate put in a lot of real work to find a job it will probably work out. If you finish in the middle of the curve at a tier 4, study abroad your 1L, do nothing your 2L, nothing your 3L graduate and send out 3 resumes and say it is not fair well then you are going to be unemployed.  You would probably get the same result at highly ranked schools if you took that course of action  over 3 years.

[cooleylawstudent]

I didnt say they were smart.

Bigs, trolls just like to post to scare people. That and crybabies who honestly believe if they scare people away that they'll somehow get better pay and jobs. "If I tell all the pretty girls to go home, I'll be the prettiest cow at the ball....."

LOL.  I think the market is a little too big for anyone to actually move the pay scale by encouraging people to stay out.

I don't remember what the OP said exactly, but I don't see anything wrong with the title.  Caution's healthy.

[cooleylawstudent]

I get you man. Why get a JD at all then, why not just an MBA or DBA? Wouldnt that've made more sense?

Hi,

I thought I expressed myself clearly.  Oh well, let me try it again.

Representing yourself is dangerous because you are personally involved.  It is important to be dispassionate when analyzing the facts and applying the law.  That doesn't mean that I don't monitor the progress of the case by reviewing the pleadings, attending the hearings and checking the relevant common and/or statutory law. 

Therefore, I would say that not representing myself does not mean, at least to me, that my law degree is wasted.

I'm happy with the balance in my life. 
 
Bryan