Should You Go to Law School?Applying to law school is a huge step. Lots of people do it without fully understanding what theyre getting into. Many of these people end up unhappy.Since I dont want you to end up being an unhappy lawyer, here are a few different techniques Ive found useful in making important, far-reaching decisions.Each one taps into a slightly different type of knowledge, so try them all!How to Decide if You Should Go to Law School Should You Go to Law School? A Slightly Weird Technique to Help You Decide Should You Go to Law School? Well, What Do You Like to Do? Should You Go to Law School? Whats Your Motivation? The Danger of Doing Things Because Youre Good at ThemWhat Do I Think About Whether You Should Go to Law School?Personally, I think youshould only go to law school if you want to be a lawyer. Seems straightforward enough, but lots of people apply without even knowing what type of lawyer they want to be. Dont let this be you!Finally, in answer to the question everyone always asks me:Do I think you should go to law school?Default answer no.Disagree if you must!How to Decide if You Should Go to Law SchoolShould You Go to Law School? A Slightly Weird Technique to Help You DecideOCTOBER 26, 2011BYALISON MONAHAN16 COMMENTSIf youre thinking about applying to law school, youve probably done some research into the profession, carefully considered the pros and cons of becoming a lawyer, and, hopefully, talked to a few attorneys about how they like the profession.Thats all useful and good, and I encourage you to continue those modes of analysis.Heres a different approach:Scenario One: The Imaginary Dinner PartyImagine youre at a dinner party several years from now, and the person next to you asks: What do you do? You reply, Im a lawyer.Your dinner companion seems interested, and asks you what type of work you do specifically, and how you like it.What do you tell him?As you imagine having this conversation, how do you feel? Are you excited to talk about your career, or do you try to extract yourself as soon as possible from this line of questioning?Scenario Two: There Goes the WeekendImagine now that youre working as a lawyer, and youve just left the office to meet friends for drinks after work. Its been a long week, and youre looking forward to the weekend, when you can catch up on sleep and spend some quality time with your new puppy.Your BlackBerry buzzes. Its your boss, telling you that youve been selected to attend a special deposition training workshop next week. Its a big honor, but it means you have to work on your cases for several hours this weekend.Whats your reaction?Are you annoyed at the imposition on your time, or are you excited to learn something thats going to advance your career?Scenario Three: You Own ThisFinally, imagine that youre working as a lawyer, and your boss brings you along to a client meeting.Youre not sure why youre there exactly, because everyone was too busy to discuss it beforehand, but you do your best to follow along and take notes about whatevers going on. It becomes apparent that theres an M&A deal being contemplated, but the details are a little fuzzy.As youre walking out of the meeting, your boss turns to you and says, You seem competent enough to handle this, you own this deal. In other words, your boss wants you to run the entire thing, working directly with the client.Whats your reaction?What is the Point of This Exercise?!?Your immediate, gut-level reaction to the scenarios above can shed some light on whether the legal profession is your calling.Scenario OneIf you envision yourself happily describing your work as a lawyer in a social setting, thats a good sign that youll ultimately be able to get yourself to that position. If, instead, you see yourself mumbling, I work for a corporate law firm. Its fine, and immediately changing the subject to something more interesting, things may not end so well.Scenario TwoSimilarly, if you feel like youd be enthusiastic about working all weekend for a chance to improve your deposition skills, law might be a good fit for you. If your reaction was more, Ugh, really? I have to do extra work?, proceed with caution. Its hard to avoid working a lot as a lawyer, particularly when youre just starting out in the profession. The reality is that your job is likely to intrude on your personal life quite frequently. If this isnt a trade off youre willing to make, its better to realize this now, rather than after youve invested the time and money required to become a lawyer.Scenario ThreeThe final scenario is going to happen to you at some point early in your legal career, in one guise or another. It might be Youre going to take this deposition tomorrow rather than Youre going to be in charge of this deal, but the reality is that you will be thrown into the deep end on a moments notice, and it will be sink-or-swim time. If the thought of being in this position fills you with abject terror, and youre not sure youd be able to overcome the feeling to take charge of the situation, a different career path might be more suitable for you.Theres nothing wrong with acknowledging that youd prefer a job where youre not routinely thrown to the wolves. Youre going to feel like youre way over your head a lot as a lawyer, and for many people, thats not a pleasant feeling. Certain people thrive on it, and, if youre one of those people, you may enjoy being a lawyer.For everyone else, this aspect of being a lawyer is unpleasant, stressful, and ultimately demoralizing.The Bottom LineBeing a lawyer isnt for everyone. It requires a certain type of personality, and a willingness to make some pretty serious work/life tradeoffs.Before you decide to apply to law school, consult your gut. If its telling you that laws not right for you, LISTEN.Trust me, youll be glad you did.

=====================Should You Go to Law School? Well, What Do You Like?OCTOBER 27, 2011BYALISON MONAHAN1 COMMENTCareer coaches are fond of telling everyone to Do what you love!Im not entirely convinced thats the right approach what if what you love is sleeping late and puttering around the house? but you should, at a minimum, like what you do.Fair enough, but whats the best way to figure out what you actually like, when most people have been conditioned from childhood to do what they were told?Heres one approach: Imagine walking into a bookstore, with no particular goal in mind other than to purchase a book to read for fun. What sections do you gravitate towards? Take a look at your bookshelf. What types of books are there, and which ones do you find yourself reaching for over and over again? What type of books did you like to read as a child? Think about the websites or newspapers youve read in the last few days simply because you found them interesting. Are there particular types of articles you find yourself reading routinely? Do you recall high school or college classes where you eagerly did the reading, maybe even reading things that werent specifically assigned? What topics did these classes cover? How would you describe the material you routinely read for pleasure?Are any of your favorite areas related to the law?Youre Telling Me People Read About the Law For Fun?If this question makes you recoil in horror (Read about the law for fun? Are you kidding?!?), I promise you there are people who do, indeed, read law-related books for pleasure. Some of these people may be your law school classmates.Who do you think is going to be happier and more successful in law school? My guess is that its the person whos actually interested in the material.If you have little interest in the law, as demonstrated by what youve chosen to read and study over the course of your life, this is the time to admit it. You have my permission to stop reading right now, and go live a very happy life working on something youre actually interested in.Trust me, its a good decision!HumI Appear to Be a Natural LawyerIf you look over your list and see that youve been devouring Perry Mason books since you were a child, that your favorite classes were US Government and Politics, European Legal History, and Internet Policy, and that youve recently read and enjoyed A Peoples History of the Supreme Court and an article on privacy laws in the European Union, law might be a natural fit for you.You still need to make sure this is the right time for you to go to law school, and think about whether its financially feasible, but chances are good youre on the right path.Magic 8 Ball Says Ask AgainWhat if youre in the middle? Maybe you preferred mystery books as a child, and found a couple of political theory courses mildly interesting, but not fascinating. Youve got a copy of the Constitution on your bookshelf, but you cant remember if you ever read the whole thing. However, you enjoy reading stories about what goes on behind the scenes at a trial, and you love watching television shows about lawyers.Youre in the maybe category. Youre not repelled by the idea of the law, but youre not totally gung ho, either.This is the trickiest category to be in. Your interest is worth exploring further, but, in the end, you might reasonably decide that there are other things youd rather spend your time doing.

===================Should You Go to Law School? Whats Your Motivation?NOVEMBER 2, 2011BYALISON MONAHAN9 COMMENTSThinking about law school? Lets talk about your motivations.Which of the following statements resonate for you?1. If I go to a good law school, my parents will be happy2. If I go to a good law school, my friends will be impressed3. If I go to a good law school, Ill make lots of money4. If I go to a good law school, Ill get an impressive job5. If I go to a good law school, Ill learn lots of interesting things6. If I go to a good law school, Ill meet people who share my interests7. If I go to a good law school, Ill be in a position to help other people8. If I go to a good law school, Ill be able to advance causes I believe in9. If I go a good law school, Ill be happyEh? What does this have to do with anything?Motivation MattersStudies consistently show thatcertain types of motivation are more likely to lead to happiness and contentment than other types of motivations.Specifically: external motivators(money, prestige, power, admiration) are inversely correlated with happiness intrinsic motivators(personal growth, close relationships, helping others) are positively correlated with happinessWhat does this have to do with deciding to go to law school (or choosing a school)?It suggests that youd be well served to be careful about choosing a school primarily because its highly ranked and impressive to other people. A better path might be to select a school that will support and encourage your personal goals, even if its not the most prestigious school you can get into.Are Your Motivations Intrinsic or Extrinsic?As for the statements above, if the first four sum up why youre applying to law school,be wary.These are classic external motivations, which are unlikely to lead to happiness in the long run.If youre applying to law school because other people want you to, or because you want to make a lot of money or be successful, be careful. Its unlikely youre going to be happy with your life at the end of the process.If the next four resonate for you, however, try and hold onto these as you move forward.Theyre intrinsic motivations, which are valuable for finding contentment, but are easy to lose track of once classes begin.As for happiness? Who can say? There are lots of miserable lawyers in the world, but it remains a noble calling. If you play your cards right, you could end up being one of the lucky ones.

=======================The Danger of Doing Things Because Youre Good at ThemMARCH 20, 2012BYALISON MONAHAN2 COMMENTSLet me ask you a question:Should you aim to make a career out of doing things youre good at?Why, sure, you say, what else would I do?Its Not that EasyThis is a question Ive struggled with for a long time (seea three year detour into architecture school so I could try something hard), but I dont think its so straightforward.For example, I went to law school for three main reasons:1. I wanted to live in NYC for a few years.2. I thought Id be good at it.3. I wanted to be able to support myself.As it turned out, I was quite good at law school, and at being a lawyer.There was only one problem I hated it!I was very good at being a litigator, but I hated the constant fighting (and the firm lifestyle, but thats a separate issue). To be honest, I even detest thepro bonocase Im still working on. Every time I have to deal with it, I get tense and wish Id never gotten involved!Pay Attention to ContextIts easy to let yourself get pulled onto a seemingly lucrative and stable career path, if youre good at many of the job requirements: Youve always been good at writing and public speaking? Fantastic, go to law school!But its not enough just to be good at these things. You have to enjoy using these skills in the context in which youll be working.And I think, for a lot of lawyers, thats where matters fall apart.The reasons for dissatisfaction differ: For some people, itsethical concerns(I dont feel good about the clients Im representing). For others,its someunrelated detail of the work environment(I hate everyone I work with). For others, itsanother aspect of the job(Im a good writer, but Im not detail oriented enough to do this job).Its hard to pin down why so many lawyers end up unhappy, but I think a lot of it has to do with the fallacy that youre required to do the things youre good at.You dont. Do the things you want to do instead!Youll be a lot happier in the end.

What Do I Think About Whether You Should Go to Law School?Dont Go to Law School Unless You Want to Be a LawyerOCTOBER 13, 2011BYALISON MONAHANLEAVE A COMMENTIf youre considering law school, you may have a variety of ideas floating around in your mind.Typically, these include one or more of the following: law is glamorous and exciting, just look at all those TV shows about hot lawyers lawyers are really rich if Im a lawyer, I can help people maybe Ill become a legal academic, that seems cool the Constitution is pretty inspiring (at least the parts Ive read), I think Ill become a Supreme Court litigator my current job sucks, so anything would be better a law degree is really flexible, I can do lots of things when I graduate I need a path, any path! my parents always wanted me to be a lawyer I love to argue what else am I supposed to do with a Poli Sci degree when I hate science?Do NOT Go to Law School Unless You Think Youll Be Happy as a LawyerLets get real.

It makes no sense to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, and several years of your life, attending law school unless youre fairly certain youll be happy as a lawyer.Law school is not a place for exploring your options. Its a very expensive and time-consuming professional degree program that enables you to practice law.Yeah, Well What About John Grisham?Are there lots of people trained as lawyers who quit and did something else? Yes. Why?In most cases, its becausethey were smart people to begin with, and could have done whatever else they ended up doing from the start,without getting a law degree.In short, dont give law school serious thought unless you plan to be a lawyer.Surely Some People Should Become Lawyers!Do I think no one should ever go to law school? No.For some subset of the people who apply, its the right choice. Theyre committed to the profession, theyve explored the reality of working as a lawyer, and they understand exactly what they want out of the experience.For many others, however, its a veryexpensiveand time-consuming mistake, one that negatively shapes their lives for years to come.

================Do I Think You Should Go to Law School?OCTOBER 19, 2011BYALISON MONAHAN3 COMMENTSLets be clear about this. If you came to me and asked if I thought you should go to law school, Id probably say No.Frankly, I have no idea what you should do, but Id still say No. Why? Because I dont want to be too encouraging. If you really, really, deep-down really want to be a lawyer, me telling you not to go to law school isnt going to stop you. And thats a good thing.But if youre on the fence, and you havent talked to at least a handful of lawyers about what they do all day, and you havent figured out where you fit into the profession (and not in some wishful thinking kind of way), you shouldnt even consider going to law school. Seriously, just dont do it.We could talk all day abouthow much debt youll have to take on, and abouthow legal job prospects are uncertain, and abouthow much lawyers actually make, and abouthow unhappy many of them are.And you might tell me, Sure, but thats not going to be me. Ill work for a small firm and see my kids every night for dinner, and Ill help people. And maybe you would, and that could work out. But most likely you wont, and youll either find yourself in a crazy law firm job where you work all the time, and someone else owns your life, or youll find yourself in excruciating debt, and youll only wish you had one of those crazy law firm jobs.Knowing what I know now, heres what Id say:If youre playing the odds, law schools not a good bet.Is there a chance that youll find yourself well-compensated with a life you enjoy, twenty years after law school? Sure. Theres also a chance youll walk into a Vegas casino, sit down at a slot machine, and hit the jackpot.Neither one of these scenarios is all that likely, and, in any case, it pays to do your homework. Or to learn to count cards.Law School Myths DebunkedPeople say all kinds of crazy things about law school (and about being a lawyer).Most are well-meaning, but that doesnt mean they know what theyre talking about!Be careful who you trust, and always do your own research.Common Law School MythsWithout further ado, some common law school myths, debunked:Law School Myth #1: Lawyers Make a Lot of MoneySEPTEMBER 7, 2011BYALISON MONAHAN14 COMMENTSTo put it charitably, one reason people consider joining the legal profession is to cash in lawyers make lots of money, right? Sure, maybe they work all the time and arent always happy, but theyre rich! Totally worth it.Reality check: Most lawyers dont make all that much money, given the time and cost required to become one.Most Young Lawyers Arent Making BankThe starting salary distribution in law is odd, in that itsbimodal. In other words, you dont see an even distribution of starting salaries from low to high. Instead, there are two distinct humps.The Mean Starting Salary is MeaninglessHowever, almostno one makes the mean salary. Instead, a small number, about 18%, make BigLaw money thats the peak at $160,000. Far more make around $50,000. Youll find 48% of 2010 graduates, most of them in debt up to their ears, making between $40,000 and $65,000.Is Law School Worth It?Some people can live comfortably on a salary of $50,000. Those people probably dont live in an expensive city, work a job that requires court clothing, and have $1000+ in student loan payments every month.If your starting salary is in the first hump, you really have to start asking some hard questions aboutwhether the payoff is worth it.

==================Law School Myth #2: Student Loan Debt is Good DebtSEPTEMBER 9, 2011BYALISON MONAHAN23 COMMENTSPeople often say you shouldnt worry about student loan debt that its good debt. In some cases, this might be true.Taking out student loans is aninvestment in your human capital.To the extent they enable you to do something you couldnt otherwise do, i.e., afford to pay for law school so you can become an attorney, student loans might be justifiable.However, it depends on the specifics:

what kind of loan how much you borrow what interest rate and, critically, what sort of economic and personal payback youll get when you graduate.Types of Student LoansIn a nutshell, there are two primary types of student loans:federalandprivate.There are also currently two types of federal loans:subsidizedandunsubsidized, butsubsidized graduate loans will cease to existas of July 2012.What Kind of Student Loan Should You Get?To the extent possible,avoid private loansbecause theyre often more expensive and offer few of the protections that are standard with federal loans. (Obviously you should evaluate this for yourself, and make your own decision based on your own circumstances. This is not legal advice.)Subsidized federal loans should generally be your first choice with these, the government pays the interest while youre in school, so it doesnt accumulate. Unsubsidized federal loans are usually the next best choice but interest does accumulate while youre in school, unless you pay it as you go.Private student loans, which are offered by a variety of banks and specialized companies, vary widely in their terms, but, in general, youll have fewer protections than you will with a federal loan of any type, so these should be your last option and you need to be sure you understand what youre signing up for.Warning: Student Loans Are Not Dischargeable in Bankruptcy!Its extremely important to understand thatstudent loans are not dischargeable in bankruptcy. This means that if you sign on the dotted line and take loan money, youre stuck with it. Even if you cant find a job, cant pay your bills, and declare bankruptcy, youre still going to have to pay your student loans off.Even if you die, your loan debt might not disappear. If someone co-signed your loans (which is often required with private loans), that person may have to continue paying your loan back, even if youve ceased to exist.This is serious business, people.The Average Law School Debt Load is Astronomically HighWhat does a typical law school debt load look like? The Law School Admissions Council reports that over 80% of law students rely on student loans as their primary source of funding during law school. The average law school indebtedness is $100,000. This is in addition to any funds borrowed for prior educational expenses.What Are the Monthly Payments on $100,000 in Loans?What does this mean? If youre a typical law student, youre going to be making student loan payments of approximately$1,150 a month, for ten years after graduation. Thats $13,800 per yearof after tax earnings.(Yes, I know there areincome dependent repayment plans, and that you might qualify for loan repayment programsfrom your schoolorfrom the government. I encourage you to investigate these options. However, at least for the sake of argument, consider the possibility that no ones going to save you, and you have to pay all the money you borrow back on your own.)Wow! Thats a Lot. How Much Do I Need To Earn to Pay That Comfortably?How much money do you need to earn every year to afford these payments? About $140,000.Think about that. The mean starting salary for law school graduates is somewhere around $85,000. Even if this were truly an average salary, youd still have well over 50% of recent graduates struggling to make their loan payments. But the storys much worse, sincealmost no one makes the mean salary. Instead, a large percentage of recent graduates will make around $50,000.Thats about a third of what they need to comfortably pay their student loans!How Does Anyone Pay This Much?When you really look at these numbers, you start to understandwhy competition is so fierce for law firm jobs these are the only jobs that allow young attorneys to pay off their law school loans.Like it or not, most firm lawyers are signing up for years and years ofessentially indentured servitude, where they work a job they dont like very much in order to pay for the education that enabled them to get that job to begin with.Does this seem like a good idea? Probably not.Help! I Cant Get a BigLaw Job.But the alternative, for the 80% of recent graduates who dont get high paying firm jobs, is worse.These peoplelost three years of earning power, andacquired $100,000 of debt, only to graduate and find themselves devoting a completely unsustainable percentage of their take home pay to their law school loans.The Bottom LineGood debt? Think twice.

Law School Myth #3: Law School Gives You Three More Years to Decide What to Do With Your LifeSEPTEMBER 7, 2011BYALISON MONAHAN3 COMMENTSAre you applying to law school because you want three more years to figure out what to do with your life? Guess what. Thats not the way this works.You need to knowwhere you want to work geographically, andwhat kind of work you want to do, well before graduation.In fact, its helpful to know both of these thingsbefore the end of your first semester.Summer Jobs Are CriticalWhy? Because yoursummer jobs are criticalin law school, and you can apply for your 1L summer job starting in December of your first year.Arguably your 1L summer job is somewhat flexible. You can use it to explore a different area of the country or a practice area youre not entirely committed to.Your 2L summer job, however, is absolutely critical, and you will interview for this job at the end of your 1L summer.Let me repeat that. You will interview for your 2L summer position, the position that hopefully leads to a permanent offer after you graduate, before you even start your second year of law school!If youre not interested in working in the sort of environment that hires summer associates, you have a little more flexibility, since smaller firms and public interest organizations dont generally hire quite so far in advance, but, even here, your summer jobs will strongly influence the job you can get when you graduate. Themore experience you gainin the location and field you want to work in from the start, the better.Know Why Youre ThereThe point is a basic one you need to have a pretty good idea what youre planning to do when you graduate, before showing up for your first law school class.Yourenot going to have much time to explore your options before you have to start making some far-reaching, life-changing decisions.

Law School Myth #4: Life as a Lawyer is Exciting and Intellectually ChallengingSEPTEMBER 14, 2011BYALISON MONAHAN10 COMMENTSIf you believe pop culture, life as a lawyer is pretty exciting.Jury trials take half an hour and theres an ongoing highlight reel of witty cross-examination and bombshell surprise evidence. Sadly, thats not the way things work in reality.At best, a career as a lawyer is comprised oflong periods of tediumpunctuated withmoments of excitement, or sheer terror, depending on your constitution.The Reality of Life as a LitigatorIf youre alitigator, most of your time will be spent in the discovery phase, where youll face hundreds of remarkably similar requests for documents, admissions, etc. each of which is designed to trip you up and get you to admit something that will damage your clients case.By the time you get to trial,there are no bombshells. Youll probably be able to put on your opponents case for them, because it will come down to a handful of documents and statements, culled from hundreds of hours of tedious deposition testimony and the thousands of documents eventually exchanged, after the frustrated judge told the lawyers to sort it out and stop bothering her.Jury selection alone may take days, and much of the trial itself will be about as exciting as watching paint dry.If you think criminal cases have to be interesting, try sitting through the third day in a row of evidence about the procedures of the crime lab that determined the white powder in front of the jury is indeed cocaine, and youll be rapidly disabused of that notion.The Reality of Life as a Corporate LawyerSimilarly, if you decide to go thecorporate route, and have visions of yourself jetting around the world closing deals, keep in mind thatyoure basically the hired help.The real action belongs to the businesspeople, who regard their lawyers as a necessary evil, at best.While your litigator friends stress out over discovery disputes and document review, youll find yourself pouring over tedious contracts and other due diligence materials, or at the printers for days on end (literally), making sure every I is dotted and every T is crossed in a three hundred page document thats been revised thirty-seven times in the last twenty-four hours.The Bottom LineIs this to say that laws never exciting? No, of course not.Sometimes interesting questions arise, or exciting things take place. You just need a reallyhigh tolerance for boredomto survive much of the day-to-day work.

Law School Myth #5: Getting a Law Degree Opens Lots of DoorsOCTOBER 12, 2011BYALISON MONAHAN19 COMMENTS A law degree is really flexible! It opens lots of doors. Do not believe this statement. Hearing it makes me want to scream.While its true that huge numbers of lawyers simply quit the profession entirely, it DOES NOT FOLLOW that the reason theyre no longer lawyers is because their law degree opened lots of other doors.The reason they quit being lawyers is because working as a lawyer can be pretty miserable, and they decided to cut their losses and move on. Cause, meet effect.Benefits of a Law Degree if You Stop Being a LawyerIn the interest of fairness, however, lets try to figure out what good a law degree does you, if you dont end up practicing.What benefits can a law degree offer you?CredibilityFirst, it can give youcredibility(personally, I think this is particularly true for women).Having graduated from law school and passed the bar exam signals several things: youre reasonably intelligent you have a decent work ethic youre capable of sticking with a task until its completedThese are generally traits that businesses are looking for when they hire new employees.You Might Learn SomethingSecond,you might actually learn something.There are many problems with the legal education process, but, at its best, it can encourage students to see all sides of an issue, make logical arguments, evaluate factual evidence, and parse large amounts of information to extract key principles. These are skills that can be applied outside of the legal profession.You Might Meet Useful PeopleThird,you might meet some useful people.If youre going to raise funding for your dream business, its helpful to know people with money to burn (or people who know those people). Likewise, when you start looking for a new job, its useful to have some high-powered, driven friends to call. Some of those people might be your law school classmates.The Downside of Having a Law Degree and Applying for Non-Law JobsTheres a flip side to all of these benefits, however.You Wasted How Much Time and Money on This?Maybe getting a law degree signals that youre smart and hard working, but applying for a job that doesnt require a law degree begs the question:Why did you bother going to law school at all? Are you really so clueless about what you want to do with your life that youd waste three years and tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars getting an education youre not even planning to use?This may sound harsh, but its what every interviewer will be thinking.Why Would I Trust You Now?Many will alsoquestion your commitment to your current course of action. Whats to say you wont decide the job youre interviewing for isnt right either, and leave after a few months? You can overcome these objections, but they are valid. Why go to law school, if you dont want to be a lawyer?Thinking Like a Lawyer is a Real DownerSimilarly, theres adownside to being trained to think as a lawyer.Whereas business people tend to see the upside potential of an idea (yes, this will be the next big thing!), lawyers are trained to see the hole in the argument, the flaw in the logic. This can be paralyzing, and extremely annoying. Sure, theres a 0.0001% chance that this new idea has the potential to destroy the world, but everyone else wants to be excited about it. When youre the wet blanket, thats no fun. And it means nothing gets done.Consequently, people may be leery of hiring an ex-lawyer for their (hopefully) productive enterprise.Your Classmates Probably Wont Help YouFinally, if you find yourself in the ex-lawyer camp, theres a decent chanceyou couldnt stand most of your law school classmates to begin with, making it unlikely theyre going to help you out when you come calling (assuming you even have anyones number).Furthermore, once you stand up and say this just isnt really for me, Im getting out, you have toexpect some degree of ostracization. A lot of people would like to get out of the legal profession, but they feel trapped. When you decide to leave, there may be some resentment.The Bottom LineAre there benefits to having gotten a law degree if you dont end up practicing? Yes, probably. Are those benefits so great that you should go to law school if you dont think you want to be a lawyer? I dont think so, particularly if youre paying to go.Weigh the pros and cons for yourself, but, please, I beg you, dont say that a law degree opens lots of doors in my presence! Thanks.

Law School Myth #6: You Can Trust a Law Schools Employment NumbersOCTOBER 31, 2011BYALISON MONAHAN6 COMMENTSLaw schools release a decent amount of information about their graduates prospects, so its easy to think youre getting the full story.Youre probably not.Schoolsfudge data in a variety of ways, but the most common approach issimply not to report unflattering information on graduates salaries.How Law Schools Fudge Their Employment NumbersFor example, if a school reports a 98% employment rate nine months after graduation, and a median starting salary of $145,000, that looks pretty impressive, right? The average applicant might assume they were almost guaranteed a job paying around $145,000 within nine months of graduation.Not so fast. Lets read the fine print:Employment statistics include full-time and part-time jobs. Salary statistics are full-time only for those who reported salary information.Hum, what does this mean? Two things, both of which make the median staring salary data essentially worthless. First, only graduates with full-time jobs are included in the starting salary data.So, if youve managed to cobble together a part-time minimum wage job or two, or if youre participating in a post graduate fellowship created by the school to provide 20 hours per week of work for a few months, the school is counting you as employed for the purposes of their 98% employment rate. However, theyre not letting your crummy salary drag down their median starting salary data. Second, the median starting salary data only includes people who reported salary information.This might seem like a harmless statement of the blindingly obvious, but its not. At school after school, the number of graduates reporting salary data is much lower than the number of people reporting employment information. So, the $145,000 median starting salary might be based on data from half, or fewer, of the graduates. Who do you think is more likely to report their starting salary someone whos working at a large firm for $160,000 and feels pretty pleased with themselves, or someone whos doing contract work in a basement for $20/hour? Chances are good its the former, and rumor has it that schools arent exactly going out of their way to ensure 100% participation from less well-paid graduates.Unless you know that a very high percentage of a schools graduating class reported their salary information (and that its been audited for accuracy), its safe to assume that the actual median starting salary is lower than what the schools reporting. (And, as you know,almost no one makes the median salary anyway.)Similarly, unless the school provides the breakdown of part-time versus full-time positions, and provides the type of job, its safe to assume that not all of those employed are working full-time in jobs that require a law degree.So What Should I Do?Basically, you cant trust the numbers. You have to actually talk to recent graduates and find out what their job prospects look like.How do you find these people?You could tryasking the school, but theyre unlikely to refer you to anyone who will give you an objective opinion.A better approach is tolocate current students on your own, using the information on student groups that most schools post on their websites. Many of these organizations have their own web pages, with contact information. Voila! These student leaders probably have a pretty good handle on their employment prospects, and those of their classmates.Another option is tofind recent graduates on your own, using the search functionality onMartindale-HubbellorLinkedIn.However you find your targets, a simple email saying youre considering applying to the law school they attended and wanted to get some on-the-ground information about their experience is likely to yield useful feedback fairly quickly.Keep in mind, however, that employment prospects are closely linked to the overall economy and tend to by cyclical. Someone who graduated in a booming economy will have a very different story to share than someone who graduated during a recession.Gather information, but put it into context.Finally, educate yourself. TheLaw School Transparency Projectis a great starting point, but theres tons of other information out there.Do your research, and know what youre getting into.And trust no one. (Just kidding, sort of.)

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