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Don't Go To Law School


rkwright

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she_who_is_not

[quote name='Micah' timestamp='1294865603' post='2199426']
I don't think that authentic desire to practice law and a 6 figure salary are necessarily exclusive. For example, I'm interested in law -- admittedly, more so the research and analytical sides -- but I've broken out of my idealistic stage. Money is important. If I decide not to enter religious life, I want to be able to buy a house, support myself, support my community, put my kids through university, and set down big family foundations. I should still be able to pursue whatever I enjoy outside of work. My uncle was an engineer, but now he is retired he is a full time wood worker. His career as an engineer allowed him to buy a big house, a huge workshop to play around in, and a plot of land where he built a small house for when his children grew up.

Trades are nice. My year working on a carpentry team in between highschool and college was invaluable. But working a trade all your life is hard on the body, especially during the colder months of the year. It can damage your hearing, eyesight, joints, and back. My friend is going into welding and tells me that welders have a significantly shorter lifespan from all the toxins they inhale. My brother in law is a plumber, and while he loves his job, it can be just as hit and miss as a university degree. In small towns, a handful of tradesmen control the industry. In big cities, union tradesmen spend alot of their time waiting around on ei waiting for jobs to come their way.
[/quote]

Micah,
Let me rephrase. Don't go into law [i]just[/i] to earn a high starting salary. Those jobs are practically non-existent these days and come at a high personal cost. It is perfectly reasonable to expect to make an above median salary in any community with a law degree. You can also expect your salary to rise. And I agree that money is important. There are just easier ways to make comparable amounts of money without taking on the educational and personal costs of pursuing a legal education. If you don't have a real passion for people or business, law can be a real drag. Law school is hard, and law practice is harder. Prayerfully consider your choice. Law is not just a career, it is a lifestyle. I think that if you are going to join a profession that takes over so much of your life, you should be able to find meaning in it. I've found meaning in non-profit and pro bono work. Some of my colleagues find meaning in intellectual property work. As a Christian, I think that law can be a meaningful ministry. That doesn't mean that you have to do full time public interest work, but rather, that you should find a place within the law to serve. Regardless of your actual job description, there is so much potential to make a positive impact in the community. If you want to make it to 3L without an alcohol problem or clinical depression, I think it is critical to find motivation beyond the salaries or even the intellectual challenge presented by the profession.

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