Considering leaving consulting for law school. How common is it to leave consulting for a totally different career change?

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Law school is ultra boring and equally as demanding, what about that new career path is worth $150,000 in debt and 3 years to you?

likeupliftingsmarthelpful

C1: Legal area not outsourced is a hard statement for me to understand. Law firms are abundant and more and more use offshoring for cost arbitrage. Many tasks can be done offshore, and there are lots of members of US state bars in India. The legal profession is being disrupted the same way consulting was disrupted 15 years ago, all to say that P3 is right: this can’t be a purely financial decision as you’re unlikely to do as well as a lawyer as you are a consultant, but if that work turns you on, knock yourself out

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It is common to pivot to a new career after consulting. One of my best friends (met him in consulting) went to medical school and is now a surgeon. I know two lawyers as well

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I assumed c1 was sarcastic. Law and accounting are ripe for disruption.

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Go ahead and parade an H1 in front of a judge. See how well that works out.

likefunny

Yeah I know too many people who did consulting during their “gap year(s)”.. to study/prep applications/gain real world experience/etc. Not unusual. Just be very clear why you’re going to law school. It’s not all about money.

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I’m considering doing it for those reasons I mentioned, but also to save money, build professional relationships, gain client management experience...

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Have a locked-in reason of why you’re going and what you’re interested in pursuing. And go to a top school. Otherwise, it’s not worth it. (Former lawyer here)

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Smart move. Legal profession is still an area that isn't outsourced and unlikely to be. Do it now.

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Go to any town/city less than 100k. None of the big city garbage, and still make bank. #MAGA

uplifting

C1 I don't understand your comments, what do you mean try parading an H1 in front of a judge? Are you talking about the work visa? And why would the judge know or care about the employment authorization status of one of the attorneys in court? I am a non-American lawyer trained in the US, as are many of the friends I made in law school. This has never come up in court.
Aso the legal field is absolutely under threat of disruption. Have you not heard about all the changes to billing in the past 5-10 yrs because of pressure from clients? A lot of work that junior associates do are being replaced by technology developed by startups. I saw far more disruption in the legal field than I did I'm consulting.
OP - you have gotten some good advice here, but I want to reiterate: go to law school if you think you will actually enjoy practicing law. If not, the long hours and soul-sucking work will crush you. Personally, it was far less attractive work than consulting work for me and even longer hours. So think carefully about your reasons because law school is expensive and a cushy big law job is no longer guaranteed.

smart

Lawyer here- Agree with SC1. However, to answer your question, it’s quite common. People leave for all sorts of personal reasons

I transitioned into consulting because it is ten times less stressful than my other previous career. Needless to say be careful what you ask for but also do what is fulfilling to you 🙂

My friend did consulting as his "have fun, travel, make money" gap years before his real career (big law). While a lot of UGs go straight into law school, I think having spent a few years doing something as grinding as consulting can give you an advantageous maturity that will help in law school if it's the right path for you.

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