I will make this quick, i'm female, 27, minority -- I need some expertise on the issue, i have 3 questions. I graduated in May with a BA in communications. I have an AA in Journalism - to be honest neither degree has been that fruitful for me especially living in the NJ/NY area where everyone seems to have advanced degrees. I've decided conventional news is NOT for me, but law school might be! It's a huge investment - I don't want yet a 3rd degree and no prospects. My undergrad GPA was close to a 3.2 I'm looking at Rutgers law school in newark.
3 q's: I've been told if ur not going to do litigation and go to a top school it's a waste of time esp. to practice in the NJ/NYC area, any truth to this? will law school help or hurt me at this point? can I use a law degree in other areas or it's only good for private practice, etc.
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** basically i'm asking if a law degree will open any more doors for me or not? Yes, of course it will; and you can get a job at a law firm or even open your own practice. There are other jobs for attorneys, but what you should do first is research some law firms and get their feedback and also some law schools...talk to the professors and see if they can help you with job placement. I worked at a publishing company for the legal profession and this girl sittiing next to me (also your age and a minority) got her law degree in criminal justice and after she passed the bar she opened her own practice. Depends. Yes, an advance degree does make you more interesting in your profession. BUT unless you really, really want to be a lawyer do not waste your time or money in law school.
The American Bar Assoc did a survey and found that in the US the average salary for an attorney is $40,000. Those 6-figure attorneys you hear about are working 7 days a week 18 hour days. They are the top of the class from the top law schools. They MUST bill 2,000 plus hours a year to clients, which is really tough to also have a life. The rest of the lawyers struggle along having problems like getting cleints or just getting a job. There are way too many licensed lawyers in the US, for example in Illinois we have over 12,000 licensed attorneys, most of them my competition in Chicago.
Law school is horrid. It is 3 very long years of hazing by some nasty people. Law school does NOT teach the 'how to's', it teaches the theory of law. You may be able to get one or two classes that actually deal with reality or get to work in the schools clinic ----- if you have great grades. Other than that you will probably graduate law school without even knowing where the courthouse is or how to file a simple motion.
Once your graduate law school you will need to take the 2 day bar exam and hope you pass. Only then can you start practicing law and learning the how to's. After you become a licensed lawyer you get to deal with the public's terrible opinion of lawyers. You hear insulting lawyer jokes from family, you spouses boss, etc. The public, who believes that what they see on TV is gospel, will accuse you of having too much money, being ruthless, being mean, representing killers because you like them, and causing a crises in the insurance industry. Clients will not pay because "You lawyers have too much money" and your bar association will ask you to do work for free. It is not a great profession, you will get zero respect, and not great money.
So, unless you realy want to be a lawyer and are willing to put up with the schools, the low salary, the public disrespect and all the other issues, do not pick law school.
Get your MBA, with a background in communications and journalism you could be quite an asset to a corporation or at a company that does video training. |
