1. Why did you decide to go to law school and do you feel like it was worth the time/money?

2. Am I, a 32 y/o CPA, crazy for considering law school? I am considering it because of the potential high pay and because I need a challenge. But I feel like I’m being delusional.

“I need a challenge” and “the potential high pay” are not good reasons to go to law school. Consider going to law school if you want to be a lawyer. But you can find a more challenging and higher paying job doing what you already do, without incurring $100k+ of student debt and losing out on 3 years of wages. You’re dissatisfied with where you are now, but you’re not looking where you’re likely to find salvation; many, many lawyers are also dissatisfied with their jobs.

Only big law really pays obscene amounts of money, and since law school grades on a curve, a significant portion of each graduating class are GUARANTEED to not get good enough grades to get one of those jobs. And (the more important point), most big law jobs OWN your life. It is seriously more work than most people in your life will even understand. So yea, you can make good money, but you better be ready for what you’re signing up for if you’re really going into law for the money. A firms profitability is based on how many hours you bill, not necessarily how good your work is. So the profession is structured to require you to give all your time to succeed. There are better high paying careers in my opinion. I only did it because I had no other option.

You are. High pay as a 35 year old, first year is going to be elusive.

1) I thought law was a good tool to effect change and got a full ride at a top law school. 10 years later, I like my job and think it was worth it. But I am also TIRED and so glad the part where I had to pay my dues and work insane hours (for some insane people) to get to the sustainable place I am now is behind me, and I do not think I could not do it over again now at 36. Being debt free is also a pretty significant part of it being worth it for me.
2) Yes, it sounds like you might be being a little delusional. Law school does not pay off like you are hoping for the vast majority of people, who end up stuck in jobs they hate that don’t pay all that well, and it doesn’t seem like you have a particularly clear understanding of what you want to do and why, which may make it more difficult for you to make it into a career you really love.

Idk anyone that would choose to go into law again if given the chance to have a "do-over." I am 22 years out and still chipping away at $20k of remaining debt from law school. Also, I have never missed or skipped a payment. Don't do it!

I went to law school because I loved law. I was a paralegal, and it was the only way to move up the salary scale.

You can definitely go to law school later in life, but it is not great money for the work, and the lifestyle can be unhinged. I have definitely pulled 250-300 hour months (accounted for in 0.1 hr increments and excluding meal and bathroom breaks). Also, the greatest challenge in practice is dealing with people, not the academic challenge of arguing the law. So this is not a career where I consider my mental muscles to be well used on a regular basis.

I had 2 YOE in public accounting (tax) as a CPA before I transitioned into becoming a transactional attorney. As others have said, your experience will not be a huge asset to most firms, though I will say having the ability to read financial statements/understand basic financial concepts did provide an initial advantage (albeit small). IMO the opportunity cost of going to law school is not worth it, especially at your age given that your current pay will almost certainly equal or exceed your starting pay out of law school unless you have the opportunity to join biglaw (which is unlikely for the majority of students not at the top of their class or at a top law school). Feel free to DM if you would like to discuss further.

THANK YOU all for responding! I read every single response and they were all so helpful. My biggest takeaway from this thread is that I will not be a lawyer in this lifetime 😔

1. I went to law school because I always wanted to be a lawyer. A lot of things about the work appealed to me. I like reading and research. I also loved that I'd be in a role that would require me to learn for the rest of my life and that I'd be in a position to help people during one of the most stressful things that they'd ever experience. I was also frustrated in my post-college career (loss prevention). I wasn't feeling mentally challenged and I hated my boss.

2. You're not crazy for wanting to go to law school. You're also not too old to go. BUT I think you're wrong about the potential high pay. It's hard to get a high-paying job right out of law school if you don't go to the right school, want to live in the right part of the country, or have the right connections. To go to the right schools, you'd need to quit your job and go to school full-time so you lose out in three years of income and experience while incurring debt (assuming you don't get a full ride). Competition for well-paying summer internships is fierce and, if you're a first-generation law student, it's going to be hard to navigate without guidance.

You also need to consider the trade-offs. In my experience, the compensation packages that firms offer vary widely. Health insurance premiums are higher (if the firm even offers insurance), you aren't guaranteed access to a retirement fund, and the firm isn't guaranteed to pay for your membership in professional organizations or even for conferences. Work-life balance can be difficult to find/achieve, if that's something you value. I've also been frustrated to learn how hard it is to find a good boss or someone who actually wants to teach you how to be a lawyer once you graduate. In my experience, it's very much a sink or swim situation and it's very frustrating to navigate.

Deciding on Law School is an expensive proposition.

One person I knew in first year decided to quit after mathematically calculating that his index would no longer be in the top 10 of the graduating class--and he had a 3.4 gpa!!
He stayed in his then-current career track and remained rather successful.
I stuck through medicre grades while working full-time+ in another challenging field.

Ironically, at one point HE interviewed ME, because he stayed in his successful track.

My point is that in addition to the money/financial aspects, there are current career sacrifices such as lost opportunities for advancement due to study obligations.

Of course it's your own decision, and I don't regret mine, because it's a truly great education--not a guarantee of a lucrative career, however !

CPAs have IMHO a great accomplishment, and possibly a better career track than some attorneys.

The challenge is there, and potential high pay--but remember what my colleague did, and he was arguably wise to do what he did in his case.
Maybe not much of a help with this answer, but all true.

There is a LinkedIn article on this very topic
"So you want to be a Lawyer"...
...which discusses some of the many decision factors and what else to expect--with the disclaimer, of course, that it is not "legal advice".

PS - There were two Law professors who would FAIL any student for ANY misspellings or punctuation errors!!

That was devastating to the gpa/index of three people I knew during that time period of considerable commitment.

1. My parents told me I should go to law school because I argued a lot and they also told me I was their “retirement plan.” So I needed to go into something that would pay well and I couldn’t think of an alternative.

Honestly, though, if I weren’t so concerned about income and I could go back, I’d explore other careers. I have $200k in student debt I will likely never pay off and it makes me feel trapped to stay in this career.

I felt pushed into it for the money and was disappointed by the wages after I finished - my first lawyer job paid only $10k/year more than I was already making as a paralegal, which was a huge slap in the face.

2. I’d research average attorney salaries in your area and look at job postings to get an idea of how much more you might make than as a CPA, because in my experience a lot of times the pay is comparable. For example, it took me 6 years as a lawyer to hit six figures, I’m an 8 year attorney now and make around $165k.

I’d only consider law school if I were you if you can get enough scholarships or you make enough to pay the entire tuition. The market is kind of saturated and you probably don’t want to be saddled with that much debt.

As an alternative, I would suggest maybe looking into getting certified in business valuations or a similar accounting specialty if you’re not already - I work with a lot of business valuators and their billable rates are comparable to mine.

Not in this economy

No. I make good money now 8 years in but started off at $45k a year. And the only reason I feel like it’s paid off is because I went without incurring debt.

1. I went to law school because I was 28 yr old, had a 6 month old son, did not know what I wanted to do with my life as a career, and decided that I might as well be an attorney so I could provide financially for my family. I had never thought of being an attorney at any point in time before then.

2. I love being an attorney and it was totally worth it for me personally. I feel like I went to law school for the wrong reason but was meant to be one. I love interacting with clients and the work is challenging and rewarding. Starting solo and building my own practice- the money has never been what you get from a top 10 firm but my work/life balance is amazing.

I’m also a CPA and had a few years of experience when I went to law school at 26 years old. I can’t imagine engaging in the competitive law school grind for marks, the competitive job search, and the big law grind at this age (I’m 33 years old). The student loans themselves can be financially crushing. I don’t think you should do it because you want a challenge. You should do it because you can see yourself loving that kind of work or doing it for a long time. A lot of people are not used to the long hours and you might not have much of a life… depends what you envision for your life. I want a chill life with financial freedom and security. Doing all that at my age knowing what I know now would be incomprehensible. But we are different people so you might enjoy it.

I graduated from law school in 1999 at age 40. It was my 3rd career but I truly felt like I had found my calling. I attended a school with a lot of alternative students - many of whom had other careers. I clerked for an appellate court my first year out, was hired at a small firm in year 2, made partner in 2 years, left that firm after 4 years and started my own firm where I could have more autonomy and take on the cases I was passionate about. I practiced civil litigation and employment law - often taking on some of the largest firms in the country. I loved it! I retired very comfortably in 2015. I think your life experiences and CPA experience will make you an even better lawyer than someone who goes to law school right after undergrad.

I make good money. I absolutely hate my job and, in turn, most of my life. I have zero desire to do what I’m doing now in 3-5 years. In fact I’d go crazy if I still am. The good news is AI is absolutely going to wreck havoc on the traditional law firm revenue model so most of us will probably be out of jobs or working part time anyways.

To recap, don’t recommend it!

I’m sorry but you are being delusional. The salary distribution for lawyers is bimodal. The high salaries you’re thinking of come primarily from biglaw firms. To get a job like that you will need top grades or a top school. Add in that you’d be at least 36 at graduation and you’re not going to get one of those jobs. Age discrimination is very real, no one will tell you it’s why you’ve been passed over, but some of the junior partners will be younger than you and won’t want to hire you.

1. I was working as a personal injury paralegal and figured, i'm doing 90% of these dude's jobs so why not get paid for it.
2. No. I went at night and the environment was wonderful, with plenty of folks older than you. In my market, at least at the time, there was more scholarship money available for night students (some schools want to offer night programs but struggle to maintain enough enrollment, which can translate to $) which makes it a much lower risk proposition. I disagree with others that say needing a challenge is a bad reason. It changed my view of myself in a very positive way and I am a better thinker than I was before.

Have you taken a practice LSAT test? If you get very high scores, and could get school paid for or get into a top 15 school, then I absolutely think this could be worthwhile! If this is something you really are passionate about, I wouldn’t let negative attitudes on fishbowl discourage you! I love being a lawyer (but did go to a top school so had many options — I acknowledge that it’s a terrible idea to take on six-figure debt if you’re at a school where finding a good job will be difficult).