re: How tough is law school?

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Most of my friends with law degrees work in some other field and regret wasting the time, effort and money of going to law school.

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Let me guess.....you are a plant operator for Shell...........?

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If you're going to school on full scholarship would you still not recommend it?

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No.

If you're good enough to get a full ride, then you're probably good enough to land a solid job somewhere. Use the three years to establish yourself in a career and make some money. You can always go back to get a degree later if you still really want to be an attorney, but you'll actually have money and work experience instead in your pocket now.

If the full-ride is the primary driving impetus behind attending law school, you're making a short-term decision that you could very likely regret once you've started to practice.

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Please explain what isn't true. I'll be happy to disabuse you of your mistakenness.

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Okay. Let's start here:

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The only lawyers who leave law school making six-plus figures are those working at big firms ("biglaw"),

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This depends on what you consider "biglaw". Are we talking AmLaw 100 or are we talking firms with over 200 or so attorneys? When I think of "biglaw" I think of Baker Botts, V&E, Latham Watkins, etc. First year associates there are making well over $100K. But, you also have plenty of other firms that are not biglaw that start their associates at or right under $100K. I'm talking about the Taylor Porters, Kean Millers, Jones Walkers, Stone Pigmans, and Phelps Dunbars just to name a few.

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and the vast majority (probably 85-90%) of those graduated from one of the elite top-14 schools.

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Again, this depends on your definition of biglaw. That percentage is probably pretty close for Baker Botts, V&E, and Latham Watkins, but that's not even close to being the case at a Jones Walker or Kean Miller.

If you graduate in the top 10% of your class at LSU or Tulane you will have an opportunity to make $100K your first year out. If you graduate in the top 5% you have a really good chance to get on with a "biglaw" firm in Houston or Dallas (or DC for Tulane) out of law school.

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If you aren't going to a top-14 school (with the exceptions of Vanderbilt, Texas, UCLA and USC), I wouldn't waste my time, even with a big scholarship, unless you don't mind making 60k for life (but then you'll never be an OT baller).

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I'm guessing that you are exaggerating here. There are plenty of people that are not graduating from those schools each year that are making much more than 60K to start, much less their whole life.

Alexander Shunnarah has a net worth of over 150 million dollars.

I doubt that is even the case somewhere like Baker Botts. It is at places like Wachtell.

As for big law and 6 figure starting salaries, in decent markets plenty of medium and even small law firms pay 6 figure salaries. It just depends.

One of the best paying firms for associates in Atlanta presently has like 25-30 attorneys. It's not even a boutique firm.

The bottom line is that you should only go to law school if you REALLY, REALLY want to be a lawyer. Like its the one thing that you think would make you happy in this world. If you're just doing it to try it out, don't waste your time (even with a scholarship) or money.

And if you do go to law school, dedicate your life to law school the first semester. If you get in the top 20% first semester, you get your foot in the door with the big firms for clerkships and set the foundation for a job if you do good work. Its very, very difficult to get the same opportunity if you finish outside that range and work your way back in the second or third year.

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If you aren't going to a top-14 school (with the exceptions of Vanderbilt, Texas, UCLA and USC), I wouldn't waste my time, even with a big scholarship, unless you don't mind making 60k for life (but then you'll never be an OT baller).
I'm guessing that you are exaggerating here. There are plenty of people that are not graduating from those schools each year that are making much more than 60K to start, much less their whole life.

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Yea, the Houston market is stronger than some but I know of more young attorneys (<5 years practicing) making over $100K than under $100K, and literally zero that are making $60K or less (and that is including people who are doing landman work). And not one of them went to a top school...mainly LSU, UH and South Texas.

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When do all the engineers show up to tell everyone how it's not as hard as an engineering degree?

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Chem Engr with a law degree - undergraduate CHE much tougher than law school.

It sucks.