What Made you want to be a lawyer?

evilattorney

I needed a grad degree and my job was paying for it.

Rethink your ambition. It's insanely expensive. There's a glut of lawyers. And more and more legal work is being outsourced to India.

If you want the inside info from really unhappy lawyers, go to jdunderground.com. It's an eye-opening experience.

NeoNerd

I'm on my way to being a lawyer - I wanted to because I see the law as a fundamental part of our society. Also, I want to make lots of money... :P

Chole L

I like advocating for others and have a strong sense of justice but unfortunately, you have to take very little money to work in areas where you'll really feel good about your work. It's tough in the field, law school's expensive (average loan debt is six figures) & entry-level jobs are non-existent unless you're #1 in the class/on law review/know a high power connection. Aside from what was previously mentioned, you won't get rich & the level of burnout is high.

Whatever you do, go to law school because you WANT to, not because you don't know what you want to do. Have a plan, be realistic but keep sight of what area you want to be in regardless of how hard it is to get in or what any naysayers will tell you.

What Happened?

There are easier ways to make a living. A lawyer has the other side against them, the courts against them, the state bar looking over their shoulder always looming to take the license, and often when things don't work out, their own clients are against them. So everyone is against you all the time. Average debt will probably force you to do the things that the public hates lawyers for anyway. It is insane.

I doubt this will discourage you, it didn't discourage me, but one day you will look back and say, "This is what those people were talking about" Another clue may be when the best advice you can get from long timers in the profession is them saying, "Good luck" it is because they are ethically bound not to tell you much of their opinion or else they may be quoted and that is professional suicide.

White Sox Fan

I always loved criminal law and criminology in general, and I wanted to do something that would contribute to the community. It was also a good fit with my undergrad psychology degree.

spiderheart

I like researching and making a point heard.

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