The Law School Decision

The Law School DecisionThe Law School DecisionLaw school, at least for the first year, is a full-time occupation. Many schools require that you sign a contract stating that you will not work more than 20 hours a week in order to participate fully in classes. In all probability, you will have classes every day and little choice in your schedule. Tuition will be expensive. The luckiest students have family funding, while most make do with loans of various kinds. A qualified few will obtain scholarships, but law schools generally provide very few of these and, in any event, they are unlikely to cover the entire cost of tuition. Once you are a lawyer, it will be hard for people to landsee you as anything else. You might think a law degree serves as a springboard to other careers, but in reality, most employers will see you simply as a lawyer. For those happy in their chosen profession or pleased with the prestige their title commands, thats not a problem. If, however, after obtai ning your degree you decide to venture into fields unrelated to law, politics or finance, prepare yourself for a rough transition period. Not only will you have to repay your student loans on a salary likely to be much less than what your former classmates are making, but youll also meet potential employers who consider you simultaneously overqualified and inexperienced. Although litigation teaches valuable general skills, litigators are not necessarily transitioned easily into other jobs.So before making the decision to attend law school, think carefully about what it is you want from your education and whether law school will actually give it to you.