- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
From a financial perspective:
Posted on 9/20/10 at 4:48 pm
Posted on 9/20/10 at 4:48 pm
Persuade me to either become a lawyer or not.
I will graduate within 1 year with an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice. I'm sure all of you know what careers I can pursue with such a degree. Is it worth while in the long run to go to school another 3 years to become a lawyer. I keep adding the costs in my head and that is really holding me back.
I will graduate within 1 year with an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice. I'm sure all of you know what careers I can pursue with such a degree. Is it worth while in the long run to go to school another 3 years to become a lawyer. I keep adding the costs in my head and that is really holding me back.
9
Posted on 9/20/10 at 5:11 pm to GeauxGamble
In my high school class (2001), 10 people went on to become lawyers. Last I heard, none of them were making good money as a lawyer. There are way to many lawyers right now.
Posted on 9/20/10 at 5:49 pm to GeauxGamble
I imagine bankruptcy law would be a good choice right now. Especially in NY.
Generally speaking, there are a ton of overworked, underpaid lawyers.
Generally speaking, there are a ton of overworked, underpaid lawyers.
Posted on 9/20/10 at 7:21 pm to Bob Sacamano
I would attend law school at LSU. I imagine with tuition/books it will cost around $60,000-$75,000. I know, I know, unheard of, but what if I attended Southern? I would be a minority there. Would the cost be a factor or would attending such a low-ranked law school affect my job search?
Posted on 9/20/10 at 7:31 pm to GeauxGamble
You could always go to law school and not practice law. The analytical skills you'll pick up are second to none and will certainly serve you well in the business world.
Posted on 9/20/10 at 7:56 pm to GeauxGamble
So are you planning a career in law enforcement or what?
Posted on 9/20/10 at 8:05 pm to GeauxGamble
quote:
but what if I attended Southern?
You would be surprised at how many lawyers in BR Graduated from Southern, and you might not be a minority (in the law school anyway)
Posted on 9/20/10 at 8:22 pm to GeauxGamble
I would only do it if you could get a scholarship or do the Southern program part-time, so you don't give up too much money while doing it.
I would say that only half of the people who go to law school should actually go to law school. The majority of people who go to law school have no clue what they are getting into from a stress and quality of life perspective, and that's assuming they get a job practicing law which is no longer a given in this market. Your "big" firms in Baton Rouge are only hiring 1-2 new attorneys in each class, because there is such a glut of laterals and very little growth in most areas of practice. Small firms are hit or miss and tend to hire based on networking.
Going on a scholarship or part-time allows you to gain the knowledge but still not rack up debt while potentially not advancing your career. Go talk to an attorney who's been practicing in an area that you think you would be interested in practicing in. Whatever you do, don't go in blind.
I would say that only half of the people who go to law school should actually go to law school. The majority of people who go to law school have no clue what they are getting into from a stress and quality of life perspective, and that's assuming they get a job practicing law which is no longer a given in this market. Your "big" firms in Baton Rouge are only hiring 1-2 new attorneys in each class, because there is such a glut of laterals and very little growth in most areas of practice. Small firms are hit or miss and tend to hire based on networking.
Going on a scholarship or part-time allows you to gain the knowledge but still not rack up debt while potentially not advancing your career. Go talk to an attorney who's been practicing in an area that you think you would be interested in practicing in. Whatever you do, don't go in blind.
Posted on 9/21/10 at 10:29 am to GeauxGamble
quote:
I would attend law school at LSU. I imagine with tuition/books it will cost around $60,000-$75,000. I know, I know, unheard of, but what if I attended Southern? I would be a minority there. Would the cost be a factor or would attending such a low-ranked law school affect my job search?
Several things come to mind when reading this post:
1) 60-70k is a drop in the bucket when compared to other law programs. I have friends that will be in debt for 125K while graduating from Tier 2 schools. If you're going to go to a tier 1 school, then be prepared to have debt of 150K+. Which brings me to my next point.
2) Where you go depends on where you want to end up. Going to SU limits you're effective range of employment to the surrounding areas.Which is fine if you want to stay in South LA, but it will amount to a hill of beans when applying to jobs in CA, NY, TX, etc. If you want to move, LSU would be a better choice.
3) Despite what some might say, going to a better school is a smarter move, albeit more expensive. Yes the old adage "it's not what you know, but who" is true to a certain extent; going to a better school (tier 1 instead of tier 2) increases your options.
just my 2 cents.
ETA: If you wanna know what it's like to be a lawyer in this environment read this there are a lot of articles on this site dedicated to what being a lawyer is like now.
LINK
This post was edited on 9/21/10 at 10:37 am
Posted on 9/21/10 at 11:06 am to GeauxGamble
quote:The name of the school on your Diploma is very very important in law.
Would the cost be a factor or would attending such a low-ranked law school affect my job search?
Choosing Southern over LSU to save a couple of bucks would not be bright.
Tulane > LSU though not as much as you'd think and maybe, maybe not worth the extra $75K to attend.
Even so, a Tulane diploma might open doors that an LSU would not, and it doesn't take a big difference to make up that amount of money over the course of an upper end career.
LSU Law runs $14-$15K per year .... $43-$44K to graduate. Maybe $50K all in?
An attorney with 10+ years under his belt makes ~ $190K in Louisiana LINK
A detective makes ~ $52K LINK
Lawyer jokes aside, and other than personal injury there's a ton of respect and merit in the field.
If you're up to the challenge, I'd choose law in a heartbeat. I'd also probably find a way to pay tuition for the best law school I could get in.
JM2¢
This post was edited on 9/21/10 at 11:11 am
Posted on 9/21/10 at 11:18 am to GeauxGamble
This question reminds me of an article discussed on here before. The example is doctor vs delivery man, but it is worth a read for a person in your situation.
LINK
LINK
Posted on 9/21/10 at 12:18 pm to jmtigers
Take the next year to study for the LSAT and guage how you do on it. If you hit 165/66, you will get serious scholarship money from higher ranked Tier 1 schools. I would not go into major debt for law school. It will be a huge gamble on your part. I went for a year, hated it, and quit. Best decision on my life.
Posted on 9/21/10 at 1:17 pm to NC_Tigah
A lot of attorneys quit practicing before reaching 10 years. Don't go by the 190k stat. I can assure you that few attorneys in La make that amount at any point during their career. The ones who do work at big firms they generally hire law review or order of the coif folks. Don't go to law school based on salary stats.
As far as which school to go to, that's not as important as doing well in law school. Go to a school where you want to practice and graduate order of the coif. Then, the rank of the school won't matter much.
As far as which school to go to, that's not as important as doing well in law school. Go to a school where you want to practice and graduate order of the coif. Then, the rank of the school won't matter much.
Posted on 9/21/10 at 2:03 pm to GeauxGamble
The FBI typically recruits lawyers and accountants. If you are looking to join the FBI (it pays pretty decently), law school may be a good choice for you.
Posted on 9/21/10 at 2:16 pm to BrandNew
quote:
I can assure you that few attorneys in La make that amount at any point during their career.
Based on what?
quote:We'll just have to disagree there.
As far as which school to go to, that's not as important
Posted on 9/21/10 at 2:23 pm to GeauxGamble
quote:
Persuade me to either become a lawyer or not.
I don't know a single lawyer who is happy being a lawyer.
Posted on 9/21/10 at 2:30 pm to Bob Sacamano
quote:I have a great desire to experience the inverse of this once I graduate. :getsbaggiesreadytosellcrack:
overworked, underpaid
Posted on 9/21/10 at 3:11 pm to NC_Tigah
I may have been overstating the by saying few attorneys make 190k plus in La but once you factor in the number of people who go to law school and either give up practicing or go into public practice, only a small minority of people who went to law school make that kind of a salary. The ones who do make that salary generally make personal sacrifices to attain it. That is why I don't advise making a decision on that factor.
Outside of the top 10 or so schools, location and grades are more significant than school ranking.
Outside of the top 10 or so schools, location and grades are more significant than school ranking.
Posted on 9/21/10 at 3:11 pm to Tiger JJ
quote:meh.
I don't know a single lawyer who is happy being a lawyer.
In fact, I'm not sure I know any who aren't.
But those I know (and there are many) are both successful and get paid very well.
Maybe that skews it?
Posted on 9/21/10 at 3:24 pm to NC_Tigah
quote:
In fact, I'm not sure I know any who aren't.
But those I know (and there are many) are both successful and get paid very well.
Maybe that skews it?
My answer was given inclusive of money. Every atty I know doesn't want to be an atty anymore (a lot of them are of the "I'll milk this for a few more years because the money is just too good" variety). I've just never observed it to be anything other than soul-crushing.
Page 1 of 2
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News