How to Decide Whether to Go to Law School

Law School: To go or not to go? It's a tough choice which is made all the more difficult by widespread misconceptions about almost every aspect of the process. This eHow will show you how to make the right choice for you.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Determine which schools you are likely to get into based upon your grades and scores. A top school means top job opportunities and choices. Bottom schools may place you at the bottom of an empty barrel. Middle ranked schools need to be investigated very closely. Ask yourself honestly how you would feel if you were still looking for work six months or more after graduation. Ask yourself what you would do if you went to law school, passed the bar, and could not make a living practicing law that was sufficient to support a family.

2. Do you have any special skill that set you apart? Some skills/circumstances that may make a difference include: foreign language; a degree in science/computer science; accounting; a medical field; contacts certain to bring in clients; extensive/relevant work experience; being a member of a community that needs legal services; and/or minority status. Special skills are not necessary to get into law school, but they are key to getting to work thereafter.

3. Do not go to law school if you are "clueless" about what you want after graduation. Talk to working lawyers about what they do. Ask them about starting salaries, where they went to school, their class rank, and what special skills/contacts they had before starting. Be open minded. Some areas that sound dull are actually rather interesting. Other areas sound glamorous are really rather dull. Lawyers love to talk. If you can't get a few lawyers to talk to you about themselves, you don't belong in law school. Volunteer experiences/internships are often much less helpful than frank conversation. Working as a paralegal will provide a real inside view.

4. Get hold of some video/audio lectures on first year law school topics such as Civil Procedure, Torts, Contracts, and Criminal Law. Purchase a used set of these online. These lectures are not like those given in law school, but they will help you determine if law school subjects interest to you. If you enjoy Civil Procedure, then law school may be a great academic fit. If you like Torts and/or Contracts, then you are like most law students. If the only subject you can stand is Criminal Law, then you will have a rough time staying awake at law school most of the time. If you can't stand any of it, don't go to law school.

5. Consider your lifestyle now as well as how you want to live in the future. Consider whether you want to balance a high stress career situation with a family. Many legal careers are high stress, but most are not top income. This means that your family may end up in a high stress situation with both you and your loved one working full time to support yourselves and/or your children. Most law firms are small businesses with less than thirty lawyers. For every big firm lawyer making big pay there are many others at small firms that work long hours with difficult people for middle of the road pay. These small firms are not obligated to offer any of the many benefits that come with standard corporate jobs. In addition, small firms are often under the tight control of a few partners who may feel that basic workplace edicate does not apply to them. This is all easier to manage if you are single without children.

6. Be aware of the following: First, law school statistics on post-graduate salaries can be highly deceptive (especially if the school includes results from only those graduates that filled out survey forms and/or those that got jobs). Some schools collect data from employed graduates and deliberately do not hunt down unemployed students to get their data (even if this is most of the class). Second, do not believe that there is always work to be had helping poor people for little money. These positions can be exteremely hard/nearly impossible to get especially in, and near, major cities (where volunteers are often rejected). If you are interested in public service, find out if you will have what it takes to actually get hired before committing to law school. Usually, this involves one or more of the following: a foreign lanaguage, minority status, experience with the population to be served, a top law school with good grades, knowing someone, AND a willingness to move/drive and work for pennuts. Third, do not believe that your law degree will make you a better candidate for an entry level non-law position. Generally, people don't like lawyers, don't want to pay extra for law degrees, and will have a hard time seeing the "value added" by your degree. Fourth, all lawyers do not make good money. Many struggle, can't find work, and can't make it in solo practice. Many leave the law, because they just can't get a solid start. There is a sharp (non negotiable) drop off between good money and no money. Fifth, remember that special skills/circumstances can make a big difference.

Tips & Warnings

• Working in a law firm after college is a great way to sort out whether law school is right for you. Without a law degree you can walk through many doors, as a paralegal, which will be nailed shut once you get that degree. Once inside as a paralegal you can get to know people, develop skills in a practice area, and try to network your way into a post-law school position. Of course, the key here is to make sure that you can "get into" a law school that is consistent with the operative hiring criteria.
• A gift for gab, a great personal presence, a great writing sample, a willingness to work hard for less or for free, and a deep desire to help others are not "special skills." These lovely qualities standing alone won't get you hired anywhere.