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Has anyone received band progression mail ?
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Anyone marry their law school sweetheart?
Where my fellow government attorneys at?
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It only makes sense if 1) you’re so insanely passionate about it you’re fine with living a lower middle class life or 2) you’re always top of your class/extremely bright and you’re ok with working very hard (ie can make it in big law)
I feel like so many people just do it because it seems like an ok job that makes great money but in reality there’s really only great money for the top cut of law students
So 50% of lawyers are making below $144, that’s not enough for a comfortable life in a HCOL city. I guess it’s fine in other towns though. Also you have to factor in that they probably have to pay off student debt so the amount of expendable income is even lower than that
- Take the LSAT as early as possible and apply as early as possible to maximize your chances of admissions and scholarship funding.
- If you have a specific goal in mind (Big Law, Federal Clerkship, etc.) Make sure you go to a school where that's a reasonable if not typical outcome.
- Understand that for every multi-millionaire hot-shot Attorney there are probably 40 who are comfortably upper middle class, 50 who are getting by, and 9 who are going hungry.
Not an attorney, but I’ve gone through this same thought process. I’ve spoken to a lot of attorneys about their experiences and decided, for myself, not to go. I haven’t regretted it.
As someone currently in big law, I know what the expected hours, salary, and WLB are for attorneys. But WLB and time with family are my main priority. Since I make six figures as a paralegal, my attorney salary wouldn’t be enough of an increase to justify the 3 years lost wages + student loans UNLESS I went into big law, which I know I don’t want.
Bottom line is, work out your biggest priorities (not only now but 10 years from now - I.e., will you have/want kids, will you want to move out of a big city, etc) and see if that helps narrow down your options.
Can I ask what field of law you’re in?
Rising Star
I’d tell them: The LSAT is hands down more important than the bar. If you can’t get a phenomenal score and thus a free ride to a top tier school, don’t do it (unless you have family money and connections to get you into a T14 anyways). 5 points higher and I would have gotten a full ride to my school…
And if you can’t figure out how to get a good score on the LSAT (using the bevy of materials and courses out there), lawyering may not be for you.
Rising Star
I’m not at a top tier. It’s aba and respectable for its region. But I missed my year’s LSAT cut off for a full ride by only a handful of points. Kick myself every month when I make that student loan payment for not working harder on the LSAT.
No. No. Only do it if you *really* want to be a lawyer, not just bc you rule out MBA, med school, academia, etc. and law school is the last resort. As a senior paralegal, you probably know what you're getting into.
Same. I make way more money than anything else I could do where I live & with my skill set
My undergrad career advisor told me that I’d never be an attorney and asked for my backup plan.
In my best Elle Woods voice I said that I didn’t need a backup. I’m going to law school.
I graduated during COVID, worked at a firm throughout my time in law school, and have a great job.
If you want to go to law school, follow your dreams!
Even on the worst days, I don’t regret going to law school. Debt is part of life and doesn’t worry me. If you feel the same way then GO TO LAW SCHOOL!!
If you don’t, then figure out what career will get you out of bed and go do it!
I don’t regret it. I “fell” into it because my health condition prevented me from pursuing my dream job. Having said that, my answer would change if I had loans. I personally would not go for any degree that would put me in debt if I was not passionate about it. BL is stressful enough—I’d just feel trapped if I had loans. But that’s just me!
I have zero regrets because I have no debt and love practicing law. BUT I did take out 100% loans and when I graduated in 2011 I already had 173k in loans before more interest kicked in. I got VERY lucky, in that my father was a corporate bankruptcy lawyer and the years I was in law school (2008-2011) happened to be the most successful of his career — for obvious reasons. He was unexpectedly able to pay them all off for me shortly after I graduated. I am so incredibly grateful, and definitely not sure how Id feel about my decision if I still had all that debt. It had already felt like a crushing weight around my neck from the second i started 1L year.
I don’t regret it and I have a quarter of a million in student loans. But I’m also terrible with money so maybe don’t listen to me.
$300k still sounds like less 🤣
I worked as a LA and paralegal for 6 years and was getting bored. I looked into switching careers but decided that law school made sense because I wouldn’t have to start from scratch in a new field. I went to a T-3 regional school and took out $80k in student loans. I went from $65k as a paralegal to starting at $120k plus $50k in bonuses at a mid-sized firm. Everywhere I interviewed with loved that I had been a paralegal because there’s so much they don’t teach you about actual practice when you’re in law school. I’m only in my first year but I love being a lawyer.
Rising Star
I don’t regret going to law school. I did get a full ride but had to borrow money for living expenses and move away from my home country. I consider myself lucky: in BL with reasonable WLB, still enjoy being a lawyer and really like what I do. What I struggle most is to find the meaning behind what I do (except for making money) and how much the job consumes my life. It is a lot of work without clear value to the society. If I could choice again I would probably be a surgeon.
1. No
2. Was on scholarship but if I had to take out loans I probably would have waited longer. I went straight in from undergrad because I knew I could get by financially until my first summer externship. I think having some amount of savings is good to alleviate some financial stress if you are able to swing it.
3. Absolutely do not go to law school unless you know for a fact that you want to be an attorney. Law school broke me emotionally and mentally in many ways—but because of that it made me much more resilient and stress tolerant which is essential as an attorney. You will also find that you approach life with a level of self-discipline many will never understand. Bottom line is only go if you have a reason that will keep you there.
I don’t regret it, but I went to law school on a full scholarship. I don’t enjoy practicing, so if I had a huge student loan balance my perspective would be different.
That said, you’re a senior paralegal, so you’ve seen attorney-life. If you’ve worked with lawyers for years and wished you could do what they’re doing, and you’ve done your research on schools/scores/debt/job prospects, then it might make sense for you.
I don’t! I am definitely an outlier who loved everything about law school though. I worked as a paralegal first, which confirmed my interest and I think led me to be less stressed about law school generally.
My financial aid made all the difference — I lucked out and got a full ride scholarship to a T60s school, plus I got some extra money when I called their financial aid office and really expressed my interest (highly recommend trying that). I got into better ranking schools, but that school was my top pick given I could go without the financial burden. When interviewing for jobs, it took off a ton of the stress.
I’m a mid level in Big Law now, and I love the work but hate the hours :( Still no regrets because I’m here on my own accord (not for money to get training and contacts). I love that I can eventually get out to a better lifestyle in-house job
No choice is risk free. Individual experiences will vary. I know many that regret law school and many that do not. I think regret is higher the first 5-10 years out of law school and is generally less 10+ years out, at least based upon my network. There is no easy career path in law. You need to be a grinder/hustler to succeed. That is true with most professions. Of the thousands of lawyers I’ve met in my career, I know 1 that is successful without grinding. He got very lucky by hitching his horse to a friend’s startup that got a big payout. Those situations are almost like hitting the lottery. Most startups flop or result in very moderate payouts, even for founders.
I took the full debt load but I went to a T14. I don’t regret it because I took a full ride to undergrad at a lower ranked school because I didn’t understand how much educational prestige mattered. I was a first gen college student and my parents were terrified of the sticker price of college. We didn’t understand we’d be eligible for financial aid. I think law school and biglaw was the absolute lowest risk way to ensure I moved up in socio-economic class. It isn’t (yet) making me rich, but I earned more as a first year than my parents ever did, and I couldn’t have guaranteed that so reliably with many other degrees or career paths.
Pro
Go if you actually want to practice law and you know what type.
Ho to a good school with a significant scholarship.
Don't "follow your dream" to public interest--go to biglaw first and pay down that debt.
Get a PT job 2L and 3L to help defray living costs.
I don’t regret law school. I do regret staying in big law for as long as I did and not taking more risk with interesting non-legal roles which some of my classmates did with great results.
Would you mind sharing more about the interesting roles? I’m so curious what other career options law school can lead to
Chief
yeah i hate it so much. i feel like i've been imprisoned with a 60 year prison sentence
I don't regret it because I made the best decision with the information available to me. I had a partial scholarship and I'm halfway to getting PSLF from working at a nonprofit, which will mean I can open my own practice without student debt hanging over me. That being said, if I knew then what I know now, I would have probably done something else.
Know this going in: law is a very elitist profession. If you're a woman or POC you will have to work harder to prove yourself (sometimes due to overt bigotry but more often because of unconscious bias as to what a "real" lawyer looks like). It sucks but that's just the facts, that often get sugar coated. Hard work absolutely matters. . .but your pedigree matters just as much if not more. Connections matter too and this is where first generation lawyers are heavily disadvantaged. If you're going to do it start networking now (many local bar associations have law student affiliate memberships). Your LSAT score, the ranking of your school, your class rank, and participation in law review and moot court MATTER. And they continue to matter even 10 years into practice as I still see those questions on job applications. The top earners are either legacy lawyers, went to top 50 undergrads/law schools, and/or have the cutthroat mentality to do whatever it takes to rank in the top 25% of their class (up to and including drugs, cheating, buying old tests off former students, etc).
If you want the Big Law lifestyle and prestige, your career has to come first and that starts in law school. If you are comfortable going into the public sector at a lower salary or banking on being a solo attorney, your pedigree matters somewhat less. More connections and a "name brand" resume never hurt, but you don't need an Ivy League degree to work for the government.