Well, Dear Reader, I failed miserably in keeping a blog on the truth about going to law school. Oh, well. Clearly, this topic has been covered throughout the interwebs ad nauseum (if you're a naive soon-to-be 1L) or for the benefit of mankind (if you are living with your parents due to your poor choice in going to law school).
While this was a failure of a blog, I stand by most of the advice given. The caveat at the beginning still stands. Law school admissions, ditto.
But I wanted to give this update in light of the economy.
This blog was started in January 2008. I was a 3L, soon to be 1st year associate at a large regional firm. The world was very rosy indeed for me. What inspired this blog in the first place was my fallen brethren at my Tier 4 school. For us, it was jobs for the Top 5 (people), and uncertainty for everyone else.
Unfortunately, between taking the bar and the swearing in, the global economy melted down. My employed buddies (and me, too) held our breaths as layoffs occurred around the country. Our unfortunate unemployed friends remained unemployed for well over a year while the students loans became due. It was miserable.
So, some of this advice is hilariously dated. The "Top 35" has quickly become the Top 17. Those halcyon days when the mediocre students in the Top 35 looked down on their summer associateships at midmarket firms while their more studious friends were living it up in NYC, DC, and Chicago are long gone. Even brahmins from the T14 are suffering now. Yes, the limousine rides to baseball games and "work life balance" are things of the past. And according to most experts, the legal market will never be the same.
I won't take any more space talking about the law school racket, the inflated job statistics, the unsustainable debt burden, and the plight of so many unsuspecting law students at non-elite schools. There's so much on the internet these days on these topics. I won't add more.
But some things don't change. First, if you are planning on going to law school, you should get all the information you can. This is a serious investment. If this market has taught us anything, it is that alphabet soup following your name does not guarantee employment. Make sure you know what you're getting into before you take the plunge.
And one last thing: what I said about "wanting to become a lawyer" is still true. I am suspicious of most law students' motives for getting their JDs. And I doubt anyone can refute that most law students came to law school for bad reasons--to make money, as an easy "default" after getting a humanities degree, for a sense of security and prestige. These are still horrible reasons to go to law school. You should only go to law school if you really want to be a lawyer. Period.
And consider this: if you are facing financial struggle (like our entire generation is right now), don't you want to be doing something that is fulfilling and satisfying? Why waste your time and energy for something that isn't for you? This applies to any profession. But it is especially true for lawyers. You don't need money or prestige if you are doing something you love.
Good luck to all you law students and lawyers. I wish you all the best.
