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Son is a year away from graduating, and I have a question about going back to school

episodic

episodic

Lifer
I always said that when my son graduated, I was going to go to law school. Sadly, I'll never be able to go to 'Harvard' figuratively speaking, so we are talking an average state law school, possibly even night school.

I graduated my undergrad back in '01 with a 3.8 average, so I know I could get in.

My question stems from the economy. I'd have to loan my way through. I still owe several thousand from my Master's degree I currently have. I understand things are pretty bad legal field wise.

My pursuit of the legal field comes from the desire to 'work for myself'. I'd want to start a small general practice and just see what I made of it.

Am I dreaming? Or realistically would I end up broke and in debt.
 
So, you had a child when you were 10? Or your son just graduated from kindergarten? Or you went to college late?
 
What's your objective to learn law? Are you trying to do a career shift? From the general observation of my colleagues who all finished and got their bar (very recently), it looks like a crappy position to enter unless you are looking for debt or have a good connection base. There is also this word going around the grapevine that they're hiring recent grads for cheaper to knock out the vets.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos053.htm

Employment, 2008: 759,200
Projected Employment, 2018: 857,700
Change: +13%
 
Why the F would you want to go to law school or become a lawyer, and incur more loans for your trouble?

Don't F-ing do it.

The law is full of stupid assholes.

MotionMan
 
What is your undergrad/masters in? Why go to law school now if your kid is graduating now it seems a little late for that, There is probably something out there that would be more practical and probably more enjoyable for you to do.
 
Farmer said:
So, you had a child when you were 10? Or your son just graduated from kindergarten? Or you went to college late?
Click to expand...

18 when he was born and I graduated late (worked went part time). So I'll be in my late 30's. Thanks for asking.
 
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gaidensensei said:
What's your objective to learn law? Are you trying to do a career shift? From the general observation of my colleagues who all finished and got their bar (very recently), it looks like a crappy position to enter unless you are looking for debt or have a good connection base. There is also this word going around the grapevine that they're hiring recent grads for cheaper to knock out the vets.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos053.htm

Employment, 2008: 759,200
Projected Employment, 2018: 857,700
Change: +13%
Click to expand...

Yea career shift. I enjoy research, writing, arguing, etc. I scored well on LSATS way back when but decided it was too hard to go while raising young child at the time.

I don't want to do the corporate lawyer thing. I'd be happy with a moderate income (enough to pay off loans, keep a decent place, be fed, and have a few dollars in my pocket). No aspirations of wealth or grandeur. I would really just want to open my own practice and do what interested me / would pay the bills, etc. (a little of both).
 
MotionMan said:
Why the F would you want to go to law school or become a lawyer, and incur more loans for your trouble?

Don't F-ing do it.

The law is full of stupid assholes.

MotionMan
Click to expand...

I respect your opinion. I'm curious - is your reaction due to the current economic climate? If it were mid 90's would your reaction be the same? I'm just curious if your negative reaction stems from the profession itself or the fact that I would likely go broke and be penniless afterwards.
 
Start thinking about what type of law you're interested in and do some basic research
about their potential employment opportunities. Give some local law schools a call and see what they offer and what they cost.

Dave
 
Contact the state law school and find out what the salary range for lawyers are and the projected local demand. % of students vs % working in the field.
Then figure out how much additional loans will be needed to cover tuition and supplies.
Again, the school should be able to get those #s for you.

Add in the cost of your existing loans to the projected loans and divide by 30.

30 being the estimated number of years that you will have working to pay off the debt.

Now determine a salary that is the general average or mean (which ever is lower); while you may be good, you have no way of knowing if you are a little fish or big fish in the pond.

Can you live on that salary and pay the yearly loan amount?
Can you fall back to another type of work if the legal beagle fails and be able to make those payments.

Chasing dreams is fun; paying for the dreams is a different story.
 
If you really like the law, I guess it could be good for you, but I've worked with a number of law students and lawyers (in a law library and legal firm), and they are almost universally unhappy people. It's a hard lifestyle, regardless of any money or prestige associated with it, and working with other people who are miserable will most likely make you miserable as well. That, and being in the business of conflict resolution (which is really what an attorney is), all your interactions with people happen when they are at their worst emotionally, whether it's depressed, angry, scared or what have you. People don't tend to be happy during divorce, or a lawsuit, or a criminal trial, or any of the other conflicts that lawyers end up involved in.
 
I went to law school primarily for the same reasons as the OP; autonomy. Truthfully it's a big transition from law school to practice let alone going solo. I know more than a few who have tried it and failed. I'm close to going on my own but I've been out of school for over 5 years. You will need a large bank account, large malpractice coverage, a fantastic network, or extremely large balls to hang your own shingle straight out of law school
 
Sigh. Thanks for the reality check. Just sucks that my 'dream' for 15 years is basically a no go due to the stupid economy. My luck as usual. My bank account isn't large, my network is 'not' fantastic and my law school couldn't be a 1st tier one. So I guess I'll just keep trudging. . .
 
I think you can do it, there's nothing putting you down for pursuing law. It's just the reality seems like the odds are against you to become moderately successful. Everyone in my graduating class who has done law, none of them right now are doing very well and have incurred debt.

Something is wrong with the USA or the way the world is working. The only realistic solution is to go where the money is right now.
 
episodic said:
Sigh. Thanks for the reality check. Just sucks that my 'dream' for 15 years is basically a no go due to the stupid economy. My luck as usual. My bank account isn't large, my network is 'not' fantastic and my law school couldn't be a 1st tier one. So I guess I'll just keep trudging. . .
Click to expand...

It's not the economy. Going to law school is just not a good idea.

MotionMan
 
episodic said:
Sigh. Thanks for the reality check. Just sucks that my 'dream' for 15 years is basically a no go due to the stupid economy. My luck as usual. My bank account isn't large, my network is 'not' fantastic and my law school couldn't be a 1st tier one. So I guess I'll just keep trudging. . .
Click to expand...

It is the supply/demand curve that is out of whack.

Law schools are pumping out more students that the law system can absorb.

Nothing says you can not go back to school; just do not take out loans to do so. One or two classes at a time at night school when you can afford to pay for the course.

Given time; you can become a lawyer and pursue the dream, just without all the debt.
 
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