Advice for New College Grads – Should I Go To Law School?
When trying to decide about law school, the first question is: “Do I want to be a lawyer?” A legal expert offers some advice.
Today’s topic: Should I go to law school?
And now, your daily dose of legalese: This article does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader. In other words, although I am a lawyer, I’m not your lawyer. In fact, we barely know each other. If you need personalized legal advice, contact an attorney in your community.
Should You Go to Law School?
“Should I go to law school?” It’s a question that thousands of people ask themselves every year. If you’re a college senior contemplating life after school, or if you’re a recent graduate trying to figure out what to do with your life, law school might be beckoning you at this very moment. Why not? You get 3 more years in a cozy academic incubator before making your grand entrance in the real world. But if you’re one of the people pondering this question, I have to break it to you: you’re asking the wrong question. Once we figure out the right question, then we’ll talk about law school – in just a minute.
Do You Want to be a Lawyer?
People often ask themselves, or their friends, “should I go to law school?” as though law school were an end in itself. It isn’t. Law school is a professional school; that is, it’s a vocational school – just like those places where they teach home heating and plumbing. And yet, few people ask themselves: “Should I go to plumbing school?” Instead, they ask themselves: “Should I become a plumber?”
That’s the way to think about law school. The question to ask yourself is: “Do I want to be a lawyer?” That’s not to deny that law school offers many benefits to the general student: it’s intellectually stimulating, it improves critical thinking, and it sharpens your attention to detail. But for most people, those advantages do not justify the expense and time commitment of spending 3 years in a professional school – unless, at the end of it, you plan to practice law.
I emphasize this point because there is a long-standing misconception that a law degree is a ticket to any profession. If only that were true, I would be an astronaut now! Or a plumber. It is true that many people with law degrees are doing non-legal jobs; say, in business, finance, and journalism. But that doesn’t mean that a law degree is the best credential for those fields. The more likely explanation for this phenomenon is that many people embark on law school without really figuring out if they wanted to practice law in the first place.
Okay, but those law school applications are sitting in your inbox, and you’re still undecided about applying.
Here are 3 Quick and Dirty steps to help you make a decision:
Step #1 – Learn About the Legal Profession
Do as much research about the legal profession as possible. Think about whether you want to become a lawyer, and, if so, what kind of lawyer you want to become.
Law is a huge profession with many different specialties, including litigation, personal injury, corporate law, criminal law, employee benefits, intellectual property, labor law, bankruptcy, immigration, family law, and real estate. And there are many different work environments. Most lawyers work in law firms, corporate law departments, or government – but even within those broad categories, there are many variations.
Use the resources of your college career office. If your college has a good alumni network, try to find lawyers who are willing to share their experiences. Look for internships with law firms or with government law departments. If you’re interested in courtroom work, go to your local courthouse one day and just watch a few cases. (If you’re looking for Law & Order-type theatrics, don’t bother).
These days, many law students – perhaps a majority – will have spent a year or two (or more) working before going to law school. Consider taking a job as a legal assistant, also known as “paralegal,” as a way to learn about the law. Paralegals help lawyers prepare their work. This exposure to legal work often solidifies people’s decision about going to law school.
Step #2 – Figure Out How Much Debt You’re Willing to Incur
Let’s say you’ve researched the law, and you’ve decided that it’s for you. Welcome to the club! Now you do have to go to law school. Which leads us to considering how you plan to pay for it. Not because paying for law school is hard. It isn’t. Student loans are readily available for law school, and students gobble them up. The tough part is paying them back.
[[AdMiddle]According to a January 2011 New York Times article, “[t]uition at even mediocre law schools can cost up to $43,000 a year.” Many students enter law school with no intention of working for a big law firm. But then they graduate with $120,000 – or more – in debt, and suddenly the attraction of a big law firm salary seems compelling.
Of course, if you do intend to work for a large law firm, then student loans can be a sound investment, since you stand to gain a good income stream. I should mention, however, that these days, lucrative jobs at big firms are by no means guaranteed. The same New York Times article I just mentioned, also reported that since 2008, some 15,000 attorney and legal-staff jobs at big firms have vanished. But still, if you really want to practice law, don’t let that discourage you – there will always be room for good lawyers.
Step #3 – Research Law Schools
So if you’ve decided you want to be a lawyer, and you have an idea of how much debt you’re willing to incur, then it’s time for Step 3 – research the law schools. This is Step 3 because the decisions you make in Steps 1 and 2 will have already narrowed down your choices. For example, if you decide that you want to become a lawyer because you want to practice environmental law, you’ll want to focus on schools with strong offerings in that field. Or if you’ve decided that the only way to finance law school is by going part time while you continue to work, then that will also limit your choices, since only some law schools offer part time programs.
Don’t simply rely on the “rankings” of law schools, such as those compiled by US News & World Report. These can be misleading. That said, employers still pay attention to them. Going to a “top tier” law school will open up doors, particularly if you’re aiming for a position at an elite, big city law firm.
Once you’ve done your research, my advice to you is this: go to the best law school that you can afford. Don’t take on a mountain of debt, if it will force you into a job you don’t want. And on the other hand, don’t go to an inferior school because you like the location or the campus amenities.
And finally, if you are headed for a legal career – good luck! It’s a noble profession. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.
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About the Author
Adam Freedman is a lawyer and a regular contributor to Point of Law and Ricochet. Freedman’s legal commentary has been featured in The New York Times, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, and on Public Radio. He holds degrees from Yale, Oxford, and the University of Chicago. He is the author of The Naked Constitution (2012).