JD worth is or waste of time ?

[BoredPerson]

Thinking of applying for a law degree. Will complete it while working full time.nLooking at 5-6 years and $43,000. Studying will sharpen my mind and law is interesting topic. What do people think of a law degree ? I think it will increase my job prospects, help me advance and give me the small chance I might be able to become a lawyer. As well a show any employer that I am actually rather smart. Other option I was considering was to do an Accounting Also looks to be pretty interesting once you get past the book keeping side.

[signedin2008]

What field of work do you do now?

 

Many believe that a JD from a non top law school is a risky business. Some define top schools as the top 14 (from Yale to Georgetown), while others define it as the top 20 or top 25.

 

Generally, it's a misconception to believe that a JD will help you with your career that's not in law. Most will probably considered as a hindrance.

 

There are countless unemployed JDs and MBAs across the country and unfortunately, many of them are with $$$$ in debt. One thing seems to be almost certain, and that is, don't go to law school if you don't plan to be a lawyer. If you plan to go to law school, be prepare to work very hard; it ain't college. If you go to a non-prestigious law school, prepare to be unemployed after graduation.

[2sure]

Gotta be honest with you here - and check the stats:

 

The supply of attorneys is higher than the demand. If you LOVE the work - its great. But if youre looking for high income, attorneys are becoming a dime a dozen. You will end up , with luck, becoming contract labor at a huge firm - hoping to make associate within 5 or 10 years -

The upside is that you open yourself to possibly someday being able to hang your own shingle, small town, with little overhead.

 

You may want to seriously reconsider accounting, even CPA. So many different branches of accounting to specialize in. It isnt uninteresting and its always gonna be all about money. And you can also work for yourself.

[JohnnyBlaze]

You may want to seriously reconsider accounting, even CPA. So many different branches of accounting to specialize in. It isnt uninteresting and its always gonna be all about money. And you can also work for yourself.

 

I have to agree with 2Sure. The company I work for makes software used by accountants and auditors, and I have to say, business couldn't be better. With the current economic climate, more companies are hiring accountants and private auditors to find tax loopholes to save them money, and the public sector is hiring more auditors to catch anyone trying to pull a fast one. If our business is doing well, it's because our clients' businesses are, too. Just a little food for thought.

[BoredPerson]

Yeah I know. Markets can turn around quickly though. As everyone catches wind of how good accounting is more people will study it and less go into law.

 

I will be working for the government and it seems that a lot of the top jobs are held by people with law degrees. If they gov doesn't work out I can always become a police officer and go into prosecutions or something once I graduate.

 

Accounting also seems really difficult to get into. I just feel like a law degree is something really valuable to have. If I could practice law that would be even better. Because I see myself as the type of person that would enjoy writing letters and referring to petty little rules. I'd be doing it purely for the money. But don't get me wrong I am interested in the law. It just that I never saw it as a genuine option until now.

 

What if I end up studying my ass off and get seriously top grades ? I could end up in a good law firm. Something to think about while I still have a little bit of time on my side.

 

If I do it now I would be 30 or so by the time I finish with a lot of work experience behind me and could be seen as a career change. I'd be a capable person looking to go into the law field. I could completely turn my life around and end up as a big shot.

 

Accounting is more sensible. I agree I'm just getting some things off my chest. I've tried to get into accounting before and those little CPA firms really are not the best places to be working. You gotta aim really high or I don't think accounting is all that good..

[Trialbyfire]

A friend of mine has his LL.B (Canadian equiv. of a JD), CA and MBA designations. He writes his own ticket within the Financial Sector, when it comes to jobs.

 

Consider both.

[signedin2008]

A friend of mine has his LL.B (Canadian equiv. of a JD), CA and MBA designations. He writes his own ticket within the Financial Sector, when it comes to jobs.

 

Consider both.

 

Bad advice. A combination is usually not a good idea unless they are both from very prestigous schools such as Northwestern, NYU, Duke, etc., but then again, if you have a MBA or a JD from any of these schools, you wouldn't need the other.

 

OP, what's your undergrad GPA if you don't my asking. Without a good GPA, it's very hard to get accepted by any decent law school.

[Trialbyfire]

Bad advice. A combination is usually not a good idea unless they are both from very prestigous schools such as Northwestern, NYU, Duke, etc., but then again, if you have a MBA or a JD from any of these schools, you wouldn't need the other.

 

OP, what's your undergrad GPA if you don't my asking. Without a good GPA, it's very hard to get accepted by any decent law school.

Do you have these designations and are currently writing your own ticket for jobs? If not, how would you know anything?

[BoredPerson]

I forgot to mention I am an aussie things are a bit different here. My grades are fine.

[Star Gazer]

Having been there, done that, I wouldn't recommend law school to anyone who's not completely in love with the law and has an insane desire to advocate and represent others, even when their position is contrary to your own ideals.

[Prodigal Princess]

Having been there, done that, I wouldn't recommend law school to anyone who's not completely in love with the law and has an insane desire to advocate and represent others, even when their position is contrary to your own ideals.

 

Hm, this might be true for litigators, but not so much those who practice commercial law. I like corporate/finance law for the very opposite reason you like litigation - it is free from passion.

 

OP, as a fellow Aussie with both a law degree and business degree, I chose to become a lawyer rather than going into finance because I got a graduate position in a top tier law firm with a lot of hot guys. Five years later I'm still here and loving it. But it was pure fluke - you cannot know whether you are going to like a career before you embark on it. It's all about experience. Law school does not prepare you for the realities of being a lawyer. However, you are correct - it sets you up for a lot of other opportunities.

 

Of all my mates at law school, I'm the only one who became a lawyer - the other all took on various jobs, including as investment bankers, journalists, recruitment consultants and even 2 pilots. So whichever way you look at it, completing a law degree will help you with whatever you decide to do in the future.

 

It will be a hard slog completing the degree while working full time, though. You can kiss your weekends goodbye. I know someone who got 2 years in and dropped it. So I'd recommend doing some more research and - most importantly - talking to as many people as possible, before making your decision.

 

Good luck!

[BoredPerson]

Hm, this might be true for litigators, but not so much those who practice commercial law. I like corporate/finance law for the very opposite reason you like litigation - it is free from passion.

 

OP, as a fellow Aussie with both a law degree and business degree, I chose to become a lawyer rather than going into finance because I got a graduate position in a top tier law firm with a lot of hot guys. Five years later I'm still here and loving it. But it was pure fluke - you cannot know whether you are going to like a career before you embark on it. It's all about experience. Law school does not prepare you for the realities of being a lawyer. However, you are correct - it sets you up for a lot of other opportunities.

 

Of all my mates at law school, I'm the only one who became a lawyer - the other all took on various jobs, including as investment bankers, journalists, recruitment consultants and even 2 pilots. So whichever way you look at it, completing a law degree will help you with whatever you decide to do in the future.

 

It will be a hard slog completing the degree while working full time, though. You can kiss your weekends goodbye. I know someone who got 2 years in and dropped it. So I'd recommend doing some more research and - most importantly - talking to as many people as possible, before making your decision.

 

Good luck!

 

I don't see many (any) advertisements on seek.com.au for graduates of law to become solicitors. Which leads me to think I am looking in the wrong places. How does a person get experience and become a solicitor ?

 

That is part of what is making me think it is a waste of time. That only prestigious organizations recruit law graduates making it unrealistically competitive.

 

I think I would be very good at law. I think my strengths are orientated in that direction. A lot of people probably think the same way..

[BoredPerson]

well it sure sound like a better choice than business at the moment!

 

I don't work in business. I work for the government. The economy here is actually fairly strong. I mean a lot of top dogs are losing jobs, but all in all it is still ticking over.

[Prodigal Princess]

I don't see many (any) advertisements on seek.com.au for graduates of law to become solicitors. Which leads me to think I am looking in the wrong places. How does a person get experience and become a solicitor ?

 

That is part of what is making me think it is a waste of time. That only prestigious organizations recruit law graduates making it unrealistically competitive.

 

I think I would be very good at law. I think my strengths are orientated in that direction. A lot of people probably think the same way..

 

 

No reputable firm advertises for graduates on the internet. Most law students who want to become lawyers are already employed by a law firm before they graduate. Indeed, most law students work at law firms throughout their degree. And you are correct - it is really only the big firms that can afford to take on grads and train them up to become money-making lawyers. Smaller firms just don't have the moolah. However if you get a job as a paralegal at a smaller firm before you finish your degree, you still have a chance of that firm employing you once you graduate. You are unlikely to get a job as a graduate without any undergrad experience at a law firm.

 

What makes you think you would be good at law? I'm guessing you don't even know which type of law you want to go into?

[BoredPerson]

No reputable firm advertises for graduates on the internet. Most law students who want to become lawyers are already employed by a law firm before they graduate. Indeed, most law students work at law firms throughout their degree. And you are correct - it is really only the big firms that can afford to take on grads and train them up to become money-making lawyers. Smaller firms just don't have the moolah. However if you get a job as a paralegal at a smaller firm before you finish your degree, you still have a chance of that firm employing you once you graduate. You are unlikely to get a job as a graduate without any undergrad experience at a law firm.

 

What makes you think you would be good at law? I'm guessing you don't even know which type of law you want to go into?

 

Sounds like it is about networking. So by studying distance, and working full time in the public service, how would I ever become a solicitor ? Sounds like the difficulty is comparable to trying to play A.F.L football. I hear paralegals have to put up with a lot of abuse from lawyers. I am also tall and not a pretty person.

 

I understand being a lawyer is a prestigious and competitive career. What options are there available to actually become a lawyer ? I'm trying to skirt around the issue that lawyers make big money. I am more concerned about how you get to be able to practice and make a profession out of law. In the public service lawyers make around 70-110k. Which is darn good money. *

 

I'll post a job description.

 

The successful applicant will have legal research skills, familiarity and proficiency with legal web sites, an ability to understand and summarise case law, and the ability to work in a team environment. You will be engaged in a range of diverse legal work on ABCC investigations, prosecutions, interventions and examinations.

 

Building and construction is not the most fascinating but that sounds like it would be very interesting job. Researching, analyzing and preparing litigation looks like a lot more fun than ordering staplers or processing security clearances.

What makes you think you would be good at law?

 

I am a lot better at logic involving written language. However, that is the side of my brain I have never trained or given proper thought to using in a career. I think that I should try and succeed using something I have a natural affinity for as opposed to an area I find naturally difficult. I did very well in VCE legal studies. Found it extremely easy, put in minimal effort and scored a 42/50. My law subjects at university I put in a combined total of 5 days study (it was off major and I considered it fluff). One days for first year contract law and four days for financial law. I didn't put much effort into them because they were off major and not something I'd taken seriously. The other thing is that I can write and read pretty tirelessly. Though I seldom read anything that is fiction. I do need improvements in those areas. However once I excercise my mind and start getting into correct habbits improvement will come quickly, and naturally as opposed to mathematically which takes a lot of effort and I do not get the same flow. The other thing is that I love to argue and I love points of technicality. Though obviously I need vast improvement to be able to argue properly.

 

I am also the type of person who enjoys rules. I find the logical connections the definitions and structures present in the law to be strangely soothing. When I was younger I wanted to be a police officer and for a while when I was older, but the pay is just too low in victoria.

 

I sort of understand how it works with the professional services side of law (is that the right term) like in public accounting and it might not ever be possible for me. But I basically need to know how I can end up practising law - what you do if you were me ?

I'm guessing you don't even know which type of law you want to go into?

 

Virtually have no idea. Workplace relations law. Trade Practices. Anything relating to ensuring free competition in markets. I'd like to learn about what you can and cannot do in a contract and legal parameters for financial exchanges. There is also contract law for employees and property law. I don't know why wanting to learn this stuff interests me it just does. I'm not wanting to volunteer my free time for the next 5 years because I don't want to learn.

 

Aside from that. I need something to do. If my career in the APS turns out to be pointlessly boring I need something to keep me going. I don't want to be a submissive person all of my life I want to advance.

 

Funnily enough criminal law does not excite me all that much. I'd like to learn about it obviously but I cannot really see myself wanting to defend or prosecute a person. I might find it dull.

 

Though I would consider joining the police force to make use of a law degree. I pretty much need to know how I can use the degree to make use of my legal knowledge that I would acquire.

 

I am also 25 years old. While I understand I am not as young as most students and would certainly be an older graduate I could get through the program by the age of 31 or 32 which does leave rather a lot of time. If I were to retire at 65 I have still got another 23 years to make use of the degree.

 

Bottom line I am not happy with my education or myself so I need to do something to change it. Please feel free to pick me apart because this is something I am considering as an option. My life is not going to be over if I can't study law.

 

The other thing is when I apply for promotions or for better jobs I think that fact that I am studying law will demonstrate a few things which might be beneficial.

 

* My friends GF (who I have never met) is apparently going to be working at top firm, and reckons she will be getting 150k after 3 years. I don't believe it, but I understand 70-100 probably isn't very much money. But it is to me I know I've got a long way to go but I think if I put in the effort I could be as good as anyone else. My main concern is getting the opportunity to show that. Being practical, sometimes you just never get that chance.

[BoredPerson]

Open universities does a course, what u think ?

[Geishawhelk]

Don't even go there. You need feedback and inter-action from a live lecturer or tutor.

 

My partner is just finishing a 3-year Law degree, and it's been a really tough time.

If you for one moment imagine you can do it alongside full-time work - well, double the period, that's all I can advise.

It's gruelling, demanding and extremely challenging.

[BoooredGuy]

Do you want to practice law or not? The answer to that question will provide you with an answer regarding school.

 

I clerked at a law firm for a year, and dropped out of law school about midway through my 2nd semester of my first year. Never looked back; no regrets. I did miss property class though - I enjoyed the cases and the professor was great.

 

For me, I knew that I did not want to practice as an attorney, so I left.

I can't justify the time & money on a degree if you know that you don't want the vocation that it ultimately grants you.

 

Law school will do two things for you:

 

1: Teach you how to think like a lawyer. You can learn this without going to law school.

 

2: Preparation for the bar, so you can pass & begin to practice.

 

I have yet to meet someone that had a leg up in other industries because they had a JD. It can help, it can hurt. It depends on what you're getting into and the employer. I don't think that it will set you apart though. The U.S. market is over-saturated with JD's, so competition is fierce, but then again, it depends on what area of law that you'd want to get into & where you'd want to practice.

 

If you are not sure that you want to practice as an attorney, then it might not be the best idea to go. Think it through, maybe clerk for a while and shadow some attorneys to get an idea of the work involved.

 

Good luck.

[BoredPerson]

My career is in the Australian Public Service there are lots of positions for people with law a law degree. Because there is legislation that needs to be interpreted for the core functions of a department.

 

I don't know how I would get a job as a clerk or any legal support role. I can't see how I would get relevant experience. Why would they hire me over a meticulous and efficacious woman who has decided as a career.

[BoredPerson]

There is no way. The cost is too much it is not $36,000 it is a minimum of $63,000 paying interest at CPI that is a fortune... The cheaper ones are offered on campus or you can get government funding, but those are all on campus. Meaning having to leave job, meaning lost income, meaning back to square 1. Totally not worth it... I'd be sending myself financially backwards for years and years to come. Not keen on 60 grand in debt for a piece of paper.. I guess it is just tough luck.