Is Law School Worth It?
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- Опубліковано 14 чер 2024
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Law school is a big investment. Even if you have a full ride scholarship, you are still investing three full years of your life in the pursuit of becoming a lawyer. And these are not three dreamy years of relaxing on the beach. Oh no, law students routinely talk about law school as the most stressful time of their entire lives.
And for most students the financial investment is very large. When law school is $60,000 per year plus living expenses, it’s no surprise that law students often graduate with over $200,000 in law school debt alone.
So bottom line, law school costs a lot of money and take a lot of time.
But is it worth it?
The payoffs can be huge. Some first year associate salaries at big firms are up to $190,000 per year. Being a lawyer can be a great vocation. But it’s not for everyone.
In this video we’re going to talk about who will get the most out of law school. We’ll talk about who should not under any circumstances go to law school.
We’ll talk about the economics of the huge upfront costs of law school and law school debt.
And most importantly we’ll talk about when it’s worth it to make the plunge.
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Got questions about law school? Leave them in the comments!
LegalEagle what grades do you NEED?
What if you want to be a solicitor
Any UK solicitors out there? What kind of grades did you need?
LegalEagle I want to be a solicitor
Hi, I am an up-and-coming 1L going to the University of New Hampshire which is #85 on the U.S News list. My goal is a big firm job in Boston which is about an hour away from the law school. Is there a chance? The alumni who work at the dream firm I research usually come from Boston Univ. and College, but their debt ratio would be much higher. How can I optimize my chances? I was accepted into the joint MBA program as well which will take an extra semester and an extra 10-15k. My total debt after scholarships will be about 45-50k total. So, is it worth it?
As a lawyer once told me, "the only good thing about being a lawyer is telling people I'm a lawyer".
So so true. I caution people to think long and hard about it.
Or “ I’m a doctor... a Juris Doctor “ ... 😂
R A I'm a doctor of philosophy!
Worth it 👌🤣
I tell people i am a porn actor
Going to law school is so worth it. I even got a double deal. Got my degree and crippling depression as a free bonus.
Try crippling anxiety as someone in medicine. Hope you feel better soon.
@@stephania4940 Just prescribe yourself Ativan, done deal! Lol.
😭😭😭😭
If I had a dollar for every time I was told I should be an Attorney by family & friends I'd be able to afford law school.
For me,It would be Med school.
Same here lol
@@imPladdy you're suggesting someone must ask for someone to say something. Seeing nobody asked you to say something, you shouldn't be talking, yet here we are.
So you noticed!
Same
that's why you gotta go to law school at the university of american samoa online classes like saul goodman
Slippin Jimmy
Saul Goodman is the reason why i’m here.
You’re not a real lawyer... An online course? What a joke!
Superficial Serpent Apparently you aren’’t familiar with the show so the reference went over your head....
@@joejohnson6733 Actually I think he was quoting Chuck who was berating Jimmy for "acting" like a lawyer during the court room scene.
I have zero interest in being a lawyer, but I'm loving these videos.
I concur. See my response, above.
Me too...I’m going to med school lol
Omg samee
X2
xD
It's worth it if you start a UA-cam channel and review lawyer shows.
He's a smart man 😂 you gotta pay the bills somehow
See how dishevlled he looks in some videos? I end up thinking "he's just come back from the office at 10pm, but needs to pay off the sack of debt"
Effort pays off I guess
Ese Omoru he said in a previous video that he paid off 160k in debt in less than 5 years ... I think he’s doing just fine lol
I always think he just loves doing them. That's a big part of what makes them fun to watch.
Dannyboyz 😂😂😂
@@orueom7720 Nah, I think the main reason he does this is to help himself stay sharp while also helping people be informed and interested in the law and legal procedure. If my assumption is correct, I'd say that's a noble cause.
I wasn't sure that I wanted to be a lawyer. Having worked as a caseworker out of college, it seemed a law degree would be valuable in advocating for people. I worked a few years and interviewed a number of attorneys (the interviews didn't really help) before going to law school. From day one I hated law school. The cutthroat competition, inflated egos of professors, I wanted no part of it. I did has little as possible and graduated low in my class. My third year I did the 3L practice in a prosecutors office. Did not enjoy it...thought it would be more fun to be a cop if I had to work in law enforcement. When I graduated with a lot of debt and no clue what I wanted to do as an attorney, it seemed like a huge mistake. After I passed the bar, 9 months after graduation and living on credit cards, I was offered a job as a prosecutor out of the blue based on a connection made from clerking. I turned it down based on my prior experience as a 3L. A few days later I reconsidered and they were gracious enough to hire me. And from that point on everything changed. Although I hated law school, I absolutely love being a lawyer. I was a state prosecutor for 3 years, JAG for 9 years, and have been a solo for 4 years now. I love working for myself. I work long hours but I am very good in court and make a lot of money, and my clients appreciate the attention I give their cases and the results. My point of this is that you can only make the best decision at the time. Information is never perfect, so there is always some risk and chance. But as long as you make the best decision for yourself that you can at the time, and do not give up when things are tough, then good things will normally come.
The trouble with that is that the people for who good things did not come are far less likely to be talking about what came.
RedClayFarm if you dont wanna go into details about your grades and career so be it but what can you tell me about JAG? Im enlisting getting out in 2 years and should have my BA, have my Associates now. Considering law school and ROTC since Ill only need 15 more years active duty to retire and 15 as JAG would be hard but prob better than my current situation.
Needed to hear this. Although i’m going to med school, I didnt go this year because I felt like people just wanted me to become a doctor than me wanting to be one. Hopefully, i’ll experience you had in the end
I'm at a cross roads.
I'm leaving with Two bachelors degrees. One in Sociology and the other in Criminal Justice.
Our school has a masters program and could be done in 1 to 2yrs depends on your work ethic.
I graduate 1 yr earlier so 2021.
Gonna go for my Masters degree but also possibly deciding about law school.
In a nutshell I'll be $21,000 in student loan debt as I leave 22 or 23yr with a Masters.
Idk just thinking, because a PhD isn't offered as much in the CJ area, and tuition is high as hell.
I've been playing very smart with leaving with a two degrees, one high
Low debt scenario
Omg yes that's exactly what i needed to hear. Thank you so much!
I dated an attorney and she said, "You only become a lawyer for one of two reasons; the money or the power, (i.e. DA, Attny Gen., politics, etc.)". She worked in corporate law and did quite well financially.
@@ballooneyjr4294 same
Did she have connections? How much did she make?
She sounds like a District Attorney. Eww.
@@bulletprooftiger1879 I know a DA who started out as a defense attorney, but decided she’d be better-equipped to help people as a District Attorney.
I'm in my last year of law school and I have to say, I'm interested in the power part.
want to learn how to argue? just spend more time on the internet...
want to learn how to argue in latin? then go to law school.
In Italy we actually study latin and ancient greek at high school and it's free ahah!
@@cyberjar01 and pointless
DHAGSFU not necessarily. On the long run it really makes you develop a very high level of logical and critical thinking.
@@cyberjar01 how can a language develop critical thinking and logic?
@@DHAGSFU
You recognize the patterns of syntax and grammar more effectively. Also reading comprehension is good for everything.
The answer is no. I speak as an attorney, licensed since 1992.
Working as a solo lawyer is a constant struggle to bring in paying clients. Very few people land those choice positions with prestigious law firms making $160,000 per year. Those are B.S. pipe dreams that law schools sell you on, in order to get your tuition dollars.
Because I graduated in 1992, my law school education did not cost me $40,000 per year. I cannot imagine being saddled with that kind of horrible debt, and then trying to scrape by year after year.
And it's not a glamorous job, like on TV or in the movies. It's hard work behind the scenes before you ever appear in a court room.
I like the law its an interesting career but your right is alot of work and on top of that is very stressful very fast paced I'm pursuing a paralegal career and people have mentioned the idea of being a lawyer but I won't do it because i have debts myself from regular college and I saw the chance at pursuing a career in law without having to get a degree so i'm good where I'm at growing into the paralegal field and then use that as a stepping stone for other ventures and smaller careers but i wont step to law school and get myself into debt.
Sounds good. If you can do well, be happy and make money as a paralegal, without getting up to your eyeballs in debt, more power to you. I just cannot imagine how these new law graduates can even survive with such crushing debt. It took me years to pay off my law school loans. Thank God I finally did - I still have the letter on my refrigerator to this day that announces I have paid all my law school loans!!!!
woww thats great that you payed your debt thats a big relief and things have changed so much since you graduated its total different world i'm only 22 but live in this current world where things are getting too expensive and yeah debt is no joke and for those new graduates is going to be an uphill battle because of the interest and also the market for lawyers is thin very thin in fact I saw something where new lawyers are only going to make median salary plus you add the 100,000 debt and interest is really going to be a problem trying to get their life together and most will have to work other jobs because I heard that the big firms only hired those who went to the top schools or have big connections but yeah for me as I only see this as a good field to be in as a paralegal I can create flexibility while pursuing other things but yeah glad you payed your debt.
"And it's not a glamorous job, like on TV or in the movies."
I think that a "glamorous" portrayal of a law career in some TV series makes it actually seem quite horrible. I love watching Suits, but I definitely wouldn't want to lead the kind of life the characters in that series go through. A more "boring" career would sound more enticing (though possibly not as interesting to watch on TV). But a law career wouldn't interest me in any case.
@@FenderStrat19711 I wonder if being a judge would be a better paying career option.
I'm a law school graduate who has not passed the bar yet, but I have no interest in working in big law. A public defender is what I really want to do.
I'm a 1L in an evening division (I work full time during the day) and while I am exhausted from just finishing my first semester finals, I can honestly say that this is exactly what I have always wanted to do. I look forward to becoming a practicing attorney in a few years!
How is it ? Did you get a job ? Can you give me an advice , should i attend law school ?
@@himell1o623 I made a recent quiz on my channel about whether people should go to law school. Good luck to everyone!
Good. I'm a 1L just registered for evening classes. I can't imagine doing anything else. Thank you 👍🏼
Update?
@AALegalFocus Why are you on everyone's channel convincing people not to go to law school? I see you everywhere. There are a lot of Attorneys that love their jobs and don't regret going to law school. You are a practicing attorney bashing their own profession. I bet your clients would love to what you think of law school and attorneys.
This guy seems really likeable for a lawyer...suspicious.
Stev M 😂 indeed!
Lawyers are still people. Their job is to defend other people, and honestly, sometimes they truly prevent wrongful convictions.
@@KRYPTOKINGGAMING *sometimes*
And then sometimes they prosecute innocent people
It's a mixed bag
Laughs in honest Abe
There's something that never gets mentioned when talking about these topics: if you are doing some studies begrundingly because you don't really want to, but your family expects you to become a lawyer, you are going to suck at your job. Even if you are a good student because you have been pushed to study hard, then the job is going to kill you.
Some people also don't know they don't like a profession until they start doing it 9-5 (plus) for 5 days a week or more
TRUTH!
It can literally kill you. I just met a family a few days ago who's son died from a heart attack at 27 because the bar exam was dressing him out so bad.
Josh Brady wtf I’m scared now maybe i should reconsider doing law
Lisa Simpson Rules agree
I need a “small loan of a million dollars”
"If you can't imagine doing anything else go to law school." That gave me so much encouragement. I really want to do immigration law but have so much anxiety about the LSAT.
Do it
Funnily, they tell you the same about being a pro musician. I'm a semipro musician with a day job and that's working for me for now
I hate the LSAT so much lol
that's me right now
I had anxiety for years. You just have to do it. I’ll be attending my first law class next week.
I got the answer “No.”
Same
What did you decide to be then?
What did you decide to be then?
I really wanna but why the hell does the USA make shit so expensive and then not even high paying or even decent paying. The richest country in the world gets half its money from poor students’ college debt.
@@chelacala7320 Correct me if I'm wrong but I would assume that making a living in the US is extremely easy because I know people who didn't even go to college and work in restaurants but still can afford rent in new york and live comfortably
I'm no Legal Eagle, I'm a Common law Macaw!
Ha LMAO!!
The only thing that makes sense is to get a high LSAT score and look for full rides. Otherwise, you're f'ed.
Sudhir Kakar this is wrong. Google law school gift aid. I am at berkeley with half off due to LSAT score.
What was your LSAT Score?
@@Healrock Probably around 170-175 I would guess...
@Sudhir Kakar I don't know if you are a troll, but it has nothing to do with need. I did not submit any information about need. I am under 25 years old and my parents have incomes that disqualify me. If you are interested in law school, it is imperative that you look into scholarships. It can seriously change your calculus about whether or not it is worth the investment. There is great information on the websites 7Sage, Powerscore, and Spivey Consulting about this and other law school application topics. Good luck!
@@Healrock My score was a 170. For information about scores and admissions, I would look to the website mylsn(dot)info. It is an aggregator with a ton of great stats about LSAT and GPA medians at law schools!
Reason why lawyers are unsuccessful is because they don’t want to be lawyers in the first place. They do it do to family pressure or prestige. No huddle.
exactly and it goes for every profession as well
exactly. I want to be a Cardio Surgeon but my parents want me to be a lawyer since day 1.
@@laurynmaeanasco1527 Be a lawyer than that.
Law school made sense for a few of my friends because their parents were able to help with the tuition and living expenses. They also went during a down economy where getting a job wasn’t easy anyway, hence potentially a lower opportunity cost.
Yep. Typically when economy takes a downturn, people start or go back to school
Deep down in my heart says "you will be lawyer"I think im gonna listen to that!!
Go get your palace!👍
m.ua-cam.com/video/RvzpuAa1QVs/v-deo.html
if you want to be a lawyer you should learn how to spell
Ivanna V what did he spell wrong?
King Volt ur stupid
@@ivannav9175 He might not be a native speaker. This is the internet, anyone can be from bloody anywhere...
I loved law school. I loathed being a litigator (despite a pretty great record). Happy to have settled into a less emotionally demanding position that I couldn't have without law school. Evidence aside, understand that the justice of law is intensely emotionally and temporally demanding. Most lawyers I know kind of hate being lawyers. Not all, but it isn't shady it looks like on TV. It's a lot of meticulous paperwork, research, and writing. If you're good at those things, you could do well as a lawyer.
I also hate litigating. I like paperwork, research, and writing. But all I do is litigate. And manage clients, which I also hate.
Can you elaborate on what field of law you are working on? Im applying to law school next year. I've been a paralegal for 7 years and also don't intend on being a litigator
It seems like every white collar job is having these issues.
1. School costs for [insert white collar job] is getting more expensive very quickly
2. A sizable amount of people with a degree in the field of [insert white collar job] don't even work in that field
3. For a good paying job in [insert white collar job] you have to live in one of the most expensive cities in the U.S.
4. Even finding any position for [insert white collar job] can take a long time; the job market for [insert white collar job] is saturated.
I'm not studying law, but this was really helpful for understanding those attorney salary numbers.
I felt deep down that I should be a lawyer and its 2019 i got in law school - first year and i am the best student in class with the best results in exams its stressful but i love it
Congratulations 🎉
if you are
1-Ready to suffer
2-Ready to go deep in debt
3-Ready to work 3000 hours per year
4-Ready to be a slave working for a big firm
5-Ready to lose $100k+ in opportunity cost.
Then law school might be a good option for you.
What are better alternatives?
Re opportunity cost
Skip school if you live in states like Washington, California, Virginia and Vermont and study on your own. Take the bar exam become a lawyer and start your own law firm debt free
Holy shit is being a lawyer that bad bruh, I was under the impression that lawyers make money by the boat load
@Dr. D That's 58 hour weeks for a good few years without any real breaks, I don't think many people are really cut out for that, and personally I'd refuse to do such a job as I want a life outside of work (and I earn well enough as a software engineer with normal 40 hour work weeks).
This video really worries me, as I want to be a lawyer in the future. I'm scared I won't be able to pay off my debt if I don't graduate at the top of my class in a top law school.
There are forgiveness options if you do public service, like being a public defender or something.
If you really want to I'm sure there are more sustainable ways to finance your education but you might have to go out of your way to find them. This video is what happens in general. -pre-law student
If you go to a top 14 law school, you'll be fine if you're in roughly the top 50% of your class (school name still carries *a lot* of weight in the legal field). If you go to a top 50 school, you'll be fine if you're in the top 10-20%. I recommend studying like hell for the LSAT and scoring (at least) a 167 (I used the cheapest 7sage bar prep package, which is awesome and very affordable). Afterwards, enroll at a school ranked no lower than 50 that awards you with a full ride scholarship. Again, matriculate to whichever school gives you the most money and do not attend unless the scholarship matches full tuition (or comes very close). If you're in the top 10% after your first year, you can either (1) continue attending your current tuition-free school with great job prospects or (2) transfer to a top 14 school (top 14 schools only consider transfer students that are ranked in the top of the class). Option two will saddle you with two years of debt, but you''ll graduate with a "name brand" law degree and likely have fantastic job opportunities (note: if you're a top 10% student in your law school, you're likely a top 10% student in every law school; look at Harvard, Columbia, or Chicago's transfer statistics, every transfer student has graduated in the top 10% of his or her class, even those that transferred from significantly lower-ranked schools). Further, it's important to note that top 10% students will frequently know where they will be employed upon graduation by the end of their first year or the beginning of their second year; after all, firms are in constant competition when recruiting talent and try to poach top students from their competitors as early as possible. If, on the other hand, you're not in the top 10-20%, at least your education will be free. Remember, there are ton and tons of successful attorneys that did not graduate in the top of their class. And it's better to be one of those attorneys WITHOUT debt.
Finally, don't go to a school outside of the top 50 unless you're confident you will be in the top of the class AND you really want to live and work in the state in which the school is located. This is for a couple of reasons. First, being in the top of your class in a school outside of the top 50 will not necessarily impart great job opportunities, and those available will be tied to the locality of the school. Second, transferring from outside of the top 50 to a top 14 is relatively rare, regardless of your class rank.
If you do want to go to law school (and succeed), read the following (after crushing your LSAT -- seriously, study for that sucker until your eyes bleed; take every practice test you can):
Arrow's Legendary Guide - www.top-law-schools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=77628
Planet Law School II - www.amazon.com/Planet-Law-School-II-Before/dp/1888960507
Planet Law School and Arrow will both recommend LEEWS (leews.com/). So do I.
Best of luck! Law school is a lot of work, but it's also a blast. Your character, intellect, and work ethic will grow and evolve in ways you never thought possible.
Eric Schmidt what did you do instead?
I'm trying out paralegaling before I decide if I go to law school... maybe a good idea? Not as "glorified" but really good financially and better work-life balance than lawyers
Here in germany the best law school is just 200 euros per semester . And they offer campus at 400 euros with internet and your own bathroom and all that stuff like gym and free things.. Isnt that woth it ??
Don't rub it in, Dani!
Damm bruuuhhh...... You advertising your country or what?😅😅
Dani Gaming the US has such a shitty education system. I’m
So jealous .
Heraldo Jacques actually im from romania and i just moved here to germany and i did some research and yea , law school its extremely cheap so pure good luck i suposse :))
MrSmallANDLoud i was in romania and there the education system is more shitier than the one in america so i moved in germany and here its pretty much the best educational system so im pretty lucky :))
Brutally honest, I am 100% you helped a lot of people thinking "I mean, I guess I want to be a lawyer, let's give it a go." by being truthful and telling them here that it's simply not for them. I never considered being a lawyer, but I still watch your videos.
Love the video, it helped me shape what I want for myself. You helped me realise I need to look deep inside my bones for what I want to be.
It takes 6 years to study law school in Denmark. Although, it’s completely free.
Same in France :)
LegalEagle makes an interesting point about the argumentation side. When I was a philosophy undergrad, a small handful of acquaintances and word-of-mouth references came to me (and I suspect others) to prep for the LSAT's. The reason? Most of them were political science majors, and they hadn't really gotten much training in formal logic.
A couple went on to be lawyers.
The Yangist cheers to fellow philosophy majors!!
The Yangist are you a lawyer now?
300k in debt omg.
You could buy an apartment and rent it to tourists. Maybe even 2 apartments.
In LA you can't buy shit for that money. Well, maybe a decent garage.
@@bohdanrohachenko7650 then you dont live in la. simple
@@craserx6267 I do, and I know what I'm talking about.
Greg Coleman I think CraserX means that you should move.
@@mikesmith6292 Shit, I got it only now... How stupid my reply sounded...
Current law student here who did many years of research before going to law school...Heres what I have noticed: What you want to do with your degree really matters. If you want to work in some sort of public interest field a full ride scholarship is almost a necessity. Public interest is an area of law that is hiring so getting a job wont be much of a problem, but you wont be making more than 60k a year starting out. If you're looking into firm type work grades, for the majority of schools, matters. You're also going to want to decide on where you'd like to practice before you start school. If you go to a top school there is great mobility across the country. If you don't, you're likely going to be stuck in that geographic region. Ohio State, for example, does pretty well when it comes to placing their graduates in firms, but the downside is they almost all stay in the state of Ohio. Don't like Ohio? Don't go to Ohio State. A Harvard graduate on the other hand can pick up a job in any part of the country they like
When it comes to performance in school you should always try to get the best grades possible as it does matter, but the better school you go to, the less good you have to do. Schools like Harvard and Yale for example don't even give their students grades because it doesn't matter for them. They are all going to get the jobs they want upon graduation. The sort of tier one schools make it a bit harder. It depends on the school and city but for the most part a top tier school will place just about anyone in the top half of the class in big to midsized law. If you end up at a tier 2, or 3 school you're basically going to have to be top of your class to get a big law look. I heard of someone from a school ranked in the 100s that was 2d in their class and couldn't even get an interview at a top firm.
Long story short, don't rush the process. If you can get into a T14, go! If you cant, thats okay but you have to be very careful. Many of the top tier schools (those just outside of the top 14) give great scholarships and are definitely worth it. I cannot stress this point enough. The benefits of getting a good LSAT score and a scholarship will follow you for the rest of your life. Ive heard of people that are stuck pursuing big law even though they know they'll hate it just because they are covered up in debt. Just a few more points on the LSAT could have landed them a full ride and they wouldn't have to worry about what their starting pay will be. Get good undergrad grades, crush the LSAT and you'll be okay. There are plenty of great 0L resources out there and you should definitely do your research before picking a school, but it really can be worth it. Good luck, and don't let someone (not the Legal Eagle) who went to a shit school and paid full price tell you not to go just because they made poor decisions.
You know, I must say that I’m proud of you! You pursued your childhood dream and you succeeded in achieving it. Not many people are able nor willing to keep going but you did!
Well done on lawyering and well done garnering success on UA-cam.
I’m set on being a lawyer! I’m a political science major and I love law and history. I’m also interested in things like the innocence project. It’s either law or business for me but I really don’t think I’d be happy in an business administration career.
I think the biggest hurdle for law students might be passing the bar exam. It seams like Florida has a very low percentage of law school graduates that are passing the bar exams.
this makes me feel better about my job in the sanitation department.
@Guapo da God he's now an expert in sanitation law
Aimismyname what about bird law?
Since you work in sanitation I assume you have a phd?
Omg. Lmao
Thank you for being up front and honest about this topic. It's very refreshing to see clear, concise, and honest review of options for this kind of education.
This just popped up in my feed. I endorse everything Devin says here. My 2c is that litigation requires A LOT of patience. Patience dealing with scheming OC, reviewing mountains of paperwork, doing opposition research and breaking it all down into simple lay language.
It is not glamorous like TV shows make us out to be. It's a lot of work but rewarding if you're cut out for it. I love it.
Absolutely expensive now. The new kids we hire every year have loans the size of my mortgage. If I had to do it all over again now, I would not..simply because of the cost.
I do not want to be a lawyer, but I love watching your videos, and my friend does want to, so I am definitely going to send you channel to him. Keep up the amazing work!
I graduated law school and passed the bar. However, I maintained my job at the Postal Service and it was a great decision because I make more money with less headache.
I’m a little nervous going into being a 1L at 41 but I got a big scholarship and I’ve been wanting to go since I was 20. Didn’t get into a top 14 but still a good school and I’m hoping to graduate with no debt!
I love watching these older videos to see how much the channel has matured in presentation and content. Bravo! 👍🏽
I have no idea what I’m gonna do with my future
@Sudhir Kakar med school easy?
@Sudhir Kakar what if you fail?? then you're in a big hole and possibly depressed. also the amount of years?
Sudhir Kakar this is terrible advice. Every day(!) med students graduate with insurmountable loans, some don’t match, residency is unbearable hours for little pay... constant malpractice suit looming over you...
Sudhir Kakar it’s much less than a nurse. 40k in NYC maybe after taxes. Physicians are underpaid in Manhattan dude.
Sudhir Kakar of course the number of years matters. It’s called opportunity costs.
I’m an engineering major and I have an interest becoming a criminal defense lawyer or public defender. It looks like a very rewarding path and this video has really helped me think about more logically if this is even feasible.
Objection: Please do more of this old style videos. They are so clear and sincere, it could be nice to have one from time to time
Thank you so much for making this video. You answered many questions I’ve had on being a lawyer and getting to things that are incredibly relevant to going to law school like the interest rate and heavy upfront costs.
Thank you Devin.
(Yes I looked up your name specifically to use it while thanking you)
Law school is worth it if it is the right career path for you. But it is hard to know that. I actually did a year long paralegal certificate first before law school because I hadn't made up my mind and missed the LSAT date my last year of college. That extra year wasn't planned, but it ended up being really good for me because that paralegal program confirmed for me that law was the field I wanted. Turns out not only do I really love law, but my brain is really suited to it. I loved law school too, although it was certainly very hard. And then in law school I found my career calling during my first internship where I worked with an immigration nonprofit. But law school definitely isn't for everyone. If you aren't sure, you might do what I did and do an inbetween sort of program to make sure the legal field is where you want to be.
Hey LeagleEagle, I dig the video. What are the things that make becoming an attorney worth it for you? If it's not a slam dunk to bring in big$ and it's not as glamorous as you see on t.v. and if it means so much hard work and long hours, what is in the other column to balance this all out? I know you have to have a strong desire and a high level of commitment, but what is that even based on? Keep up the good work!
It's pretty awesome seeing this broken down cost wise. Awesome video!
"Today, we're going to try three different law schools at three drastically different price points..."
What if you went to the University of American Samoa Law School? Its very cheap.
Avoid and clear.
Nice BCS reference
Better call Saul reference
I better call Saul
Go Land Crabs!
I DO feel that i need to be a lawyer from my bones , heart and soul. I considered a lot of other jobs but non resonates with me as much as law. I wanted to be a doctor or a forensic psychologist , but neither really played on my passions , i don't know if I'm above average in studies , i was in middle school but was on the average range in High school, but i have strong debate skills and have been a member of the English and oratory club in almost every school, i've read and watched crime investigative novels since 5th grade and really want to be someone who can fight for justice... Its going to cost me , but right now i feel that law is my calling, i will put the extra effort to become above average again ! I really really thought about it . I hope i am making the right decision!
I am a sophomore in high school. My father wants me to be a lawyer and it’s not like he is forcing me to be one. I myself want to be a lawyer and want the world to see me as a lawyer. But all these stuff about student loans, good scores on tests, spending hours studying, terrible amount of hard work and everything is making me nervous and decreasing my confidence :(
hey I can totally understand u cuz I'm literally going through the same phase as yours. well ik it's been 3 yrs now may I know what you're doing and is law school worth it regardless of being in such huge debt
This video made me feel a lot better about where i'm at in life. Even if i hit absolute rock bottom, i'm still doing better than a large portion of law school grads
I have no intention to go to law school or be a lawyer but I love watching your videos.
I’m in engineering school but here I am, watching a video about law school 😂
I’m enjoying your videos!
Elizabeth Hernandez samesies.
I am studying electrical and electronic engineering that something very different from a law school. But I find my self very interested in listening and learn about laws and lawyers things from your videos.
I enjoy the honesty of the video, when I was in the military, I was offered to go into paralegal but it is not my thing, I enjoy working in laboratory.
That is an insane amount to pay for a law degree. I study law in Australia and my 4 year Bachelor of Laws only costs $14,630 for the entire 4 years, which I don't have to pay back until I'm making $55,000 a year
Objection: some states allow people to become lawyers as long as they pass the bar and apprentice. These states don't require lawschool.
California is one of them
Years ago, this was standard operating procedure for many states. Now, however, how realistic is it for someone to become a lawyer without having gone through law school? I would say the odds are pretty slim.
Yes, and in Wisconsin if you have a pulse you're technically a lawyer
Well said, and thank you for clarifying.
This is a really good video. One key thing I would focus in on, is the everyone is smart. This isn't undergrad. There are not a couple slackers in back of your class. If there are, they are gone semester one. Everyone is ranked, and everyone knows where they want to be, and it becomes very competitive. If you get into Harvard great, if not and you love Law great, but yea the 100-200k thing is a pipedream unless you are in the top tier system.
I was in law school ten years ago. Already had a career in IT. So many things are spot on, but @5:41 you got it. I knew I didn't want to practice the law, I wanted to learn it. Saved myself $80,000. Also, really dig your videos. More bird law please.
Objection! You compared household income vs the median lawyer's income. That's not a fair comparison and misleading as you compared a single person's average income vs 2 people in most cases. The U.S Bureau of the Census has the annual real median personal income at $31,099 in 2016. So lawyers actually make over double the salary of the average American.
What the heck are you talking about? I said he compared household income vs a single person's.
Also, the reason economists use median instead of mean when calculating income averages is precisely because of outliers.
I'm sorry but what you just said shows me that you have no idea what you're talking about, and I find it hard to believe that you can make any sort of meaningful contribution to this discussion.
JGdownunder median isn’t average median is middle, mean is average
median is actually a good stat- it means half of people make below, and half of people make above. Mean(average) is more affected by outliers, and probably is not the right stat to use. By using the median, one can estimate how they relate to a population easily
For the love of god, he compared a SINGLE lawyers income vs a freaking household's income. I'm not pointing out a discrepancy mean vs median, I'm pointing out the difference of comparing multiple incomes vs a single freaking income. He used MEDIAN averages for both, as anyone who compares income averages does in order to account for OUTLIERS. I cannot possibly explain this any better than this.
I have no idea why you all are getting this mean vs median argument from. The keyword was HOUSEHOLD. I'm afraid I'm all out of crayons to explain this any further.
My biggest issue with this was that it's highly unlikely that a 4-year college graduate earn $60,000 immediately out of college - that median I've found is closer to 40.
Thank you, you put things in perspective this is what I gotta do.
My dad graduated top of his class from University of Texas Law in 1980 and most of my life I thought I wanted to be an attorney as well. I ended up getting an engineering degree from my university and now have a great paying job with great benefits. Currently I'm taking a couple of years to pay off current student loan debt, save up money, get work experience under my belt, and actually figure out if law school is for me. This video is exactly what I needed to hear. To any college seniors on the fence of going to law school, do yourself a favor and take a couple of years off of school to work--unless as mentioned in this video you know deep down in your heart that no other career is for you except being an attorney. But getting that first few years of professional work experience really helps you see where you want to be with your career and gives you a chance to work in your undergrad field. The overall financial cost of law school is not worth it if you don't know if you want to be a lawyer or not--just like Med school, you should only go if it is 100% right for you.
This is why I went to a school that was willing to give me a full ride. While its not the most well known school (without giving too much away its a public college and was ranked around 50 when I entered), me as a non-trad felt that not taking on a ton of debt when I wanted to work in special education/disability law was just the right move. Yeah my chances of getting the big firm contract probably went down, but for a public interest field I felt this was all I just justify.
A lot of people I know that are going to law school don't even want to be lawyers, they're only getting law degrees to get into politics. Maybe that's part of the 20% of people who go into fields that don't require JDs?
I could be completely wrong but I feel like a chunk of that 20% is people who go into business and probably make a lot of money.
If people want to become politicians they will study political science or Public Relations,lots of business course has political-related modules as well.Only few will do law cos it’s difficult to graduated and waste their time so your comment is incorrected.
@@crownjohn6666 That is the stupidest shit i have heard all year. Studying for political science does not get you a job in politics.
Mao Zedong you can say this to my friend who graduated from Cambridge who works for Labour Party now😄people like you are just so ignorance🤭
@@crownjohn6666, I can't believe i have to explain basic politics. Your stupidity has left me puzzled but of course i have to explain this. Moving up in the political ladder requires a strong resume and being a lawyer not only illustrates high reading comprehension and a strong work ethic but it also is a strong symbol for "educated individual" look through past United States presidents and you will see a majority of them held the occupation if lawyer prior to entering politics. Although it is true fools like your friend have achieved a political career within a inherently distinct european politcal culture the same rules will apply, he will not make it anyfurther in his political career and if he does it would be considered a miracle.
This was a great video!!! It was very practical approach to the question
I needed to see this video. Thank you
Not a lawyer (nor aspiring to be one) but love the videos. I'm a PhD student in computer science and I would recommend this to anyone considering grad school. Aside from debt most of the points to consider transfer.
Why bother with a PhD?
I am entering law school this fall and am anticipating 75k or less loans over the 3 years. The 2 law schools I have to choose from at the moment are 14k and 18k per year. I would understand the risk more if I had to pay 40k per year but even if i take out 30k per year thats still under 100k
I feel like this applies to other graduate programs as well, which makes this video really good advice for a lot of people 👍 Thanks for the reality check
Thank you for these advices, it has helped me make my decision.
I graduated law school at 31 and took a job prosecuting for 2 years then opened my own practice. Since then my loans went from about 150k to 195k, because I didn't really make any payments. I'm 40 and now making some money and was able to pay them down about 140k this year because I was able to settle a couple of good cases and will pay off the remaining 60k next year so I can just be done. If I were to do it all over again, I would have went to cheaper law school part time and paid as much of my loans as possible while in school. I'll be 41 and debt free next year and finally making a decent income 130-200k a year, but I still can't be comfortable because I'm behind compared to my peers that make less (time value of money). I lost a lot of money going to school(3 years of no income, a 50k year job for two years after, then building a law practice), so now I have to bust my ass in my 40s to catch up in my 401k and mortgage so I can retire comfortably at 60-65. I love the freedom of having my own practice and would still be a lawyer, I would just do it differently(less debt) and at younger age.
How you doing man?! I would love to hear your situation 2 years later
@@Nick-qc7wm student loans down to 11k. Had a slow business year in 23 because of some dumb decision with expenses, but business is good and headed in right direction. Money is limitless in law depending on how hard you work? Some times i find my coasting and not pushing as hard. not sure If i answered your question.
@@lawyerup8040 def bro!! I wannna become a lawyer later on in life, im 17 right nnow and wondering if I should try and persue law or accounting, as they both seem interesting to me. Thanks for the response!
@@lawyerup8040 and also, if you don’t mind me asking where did you go to school or like was it a big name? I am trying not to stress about grades and stuff because I feel like I have to get into a top top university to be able to do law
3 years isn‘t that long.
In Germany the regular time is 9 semester which equals 4 1/2 years, then you have to write the first bar exam. After that you aren‘t a lawyer, you have to do the „Referendariat“ which is basically a 2 year long practice at for example a Court, and then you have to take another bar exam, which you also need to be very well prepared.
To become a lawyer in Germany you have to study all in all almost 7 years and have to take 2 very hard bar exams.
So please tell me why the hell I am studying this.
I'm a student finishing up my pre law bachelor's and I love these videos lmao
I am from four generations of successful attorneys. I graduated with my bachelors degree two years ago and nothing is making me happy I feel in my bones that I need to be an attorney thanks for this video to give me that step of courage and leap of faith
I am a young youth but I really want to be a lawyer when I grow up. I have been searching UA-cam vids to give me advice and tips about being a lawyer(and law school) I read these comments and most people saying that becoming a lawyer if very stressful. But honestly I am wiling to go through the stress. Everybody says I will fit RIghT IN for a lawyer. And my parents never forced me into a career I never wanted. I chose being a lawyer. I love writing, debating, history, And overall I love every subjects. My dream career is a lawyer, and if anybody says I won’t get in law school idc this is my future not there’s. Follow your dreams!..
Well, there's always a small percentage of grads for which it pays off. Just go to a state school unless you get a scholarship to a top 25 law school. Avoid high priced, bottom tier private schools like the plague.
I can say this. I came from a working class family and had very little connections in the field. I excelled in law school, was published in outside journals, was on law review, graduated with above a 3.0 and received several awards. I spent about 180,000 dollars on my education. I excelled in my internships and stopped two foreclosures and uncovered dozens of due process violations. What I did notice is that people that had doctors or lawyers for parents all got jobs right out of school. People mind you who had achieved far less than me. I spent 13 months looking for work as a licensed attorney, I networked with many lawyers including famous civil rights attorneys. I got nowhere. Luckily while going to law school I taught myself to hack computers. I now make more than my fellow graduates and work less hours using a skill I taught myself for practically free. It wasn't even the money, I loved hacking but I also would have taken a job at legal aid or another non profit in an instance In short don't go to law school, hack computers instead. The degree I spent $180,000 on didn't get me a job. The skill set I taught myself did.
Very inspiring
how do you learn how to hack computers?
Another thing to remember is that, while you may not come out of law school making $150-200k a year, by the time you are a 5 year attorney you may be. Salaries at smaller law firms may start low but can increase dramatically once they know you have what it takes and you are a consistent money maker for them (whether that is bringing in business or simply working hard and billing hours).
I recently started law school on my country and, honestly, I wasn't really sure if it was the thing for me but once the first class was taught I absolutely feel in love with it. I've realized that the urge I feel to become a lawyer and base my life around the career has always been with me, I just didn't know it was THAT until I actually started it. Watching your videos has made me realize that US law school graduates are incredibly admirable and it's made me wish I could study law in there instead.
P.s.: Law school in my country is very very cheap, but also not taught very well so it's arguable if it's worth it is as well.
Loved this video and the insight it gave on the whole student debt situation! Keep up the good work!
Cool!! Where are you from?
I’ve wanted to be a lawyer since I was a kid. I often hear other lawyers say they regret law school and it always makes me wonder if it was a lifelong dream or they just thought it would make them a ton of money. Mostly I’m trying to figure out the odds of me regretting it before I waste all that money lol
I've been considering becoming a lawyer. I'm still in the military and have the gi bill to cover my expenses. Do you have experience with law students who were military veterans? What were they like?
Similar boat here
If you haven’t gotten your bachelors yet save your GI Bill for law school and use scholarships and student loans for your bachelor degree
Dan Fletcher and Multi Meter what were your mos?
You're in a similar boat as me. I'm strongly considering applying the GI Bill to law school at the University of Connecticut.
I don’t know if you ever got your answer. I’m not a veteran myself, but I went to law school with and now work with a number of lawyers who are also military vets. I also know a number of vets who aren’t lawyers.
The vets that seem to do best in a legal environment are those who are highly disciplined even outside of the military. Ambition is also a good trait for lawyers in general, but seems particularly prevalent among the veteran-lawyers. Plus, some of the nonsense that comes with lawyering, dealing with clients, and dealing with courts seems to roll right off their backs... possibly because the military teaches y’all to deal with nonsensical fuckery.
I am doing engineering but I still liking watching vids about layers and this channel is pretty cool too
Thanks for your videos. They are extremely insightful. I'm starting my third career! Going to law school has not been as stressful as I thought. Your comment about if you want to be a lawyer, that gives me hope of one day being a lawyers. Again thanks so much for the advice insight of law school.
Good luck!
The famous advice is, don't try to do anything for an extrinsic reason. This guy loved the idea of being a lawyer. That's the kind of motivation that means you'll be good at it. The money will follow. Lionel Messi loved soccer *first*
.
I’ve wanted to be a lawyer since middle school. I’ve been working hard in high school to graduate with my associates degree. I’m a little scared, but law is my passion and I’m hoping my love for it will keep me motivated.
Good luck! Just avoid overpriced, low ranked private law schools.
I'm glad other people can see their career this way.
I have my bachelor's in software engineering, and am a software developer. I loved college, and love my job, but I understand how it's not for everyone.
this video speaks to me on such a deep level. everything you said is spot on, especially the part about going to law school only if you really want to be a lawyer. it's so interesting to see how things are so similar on a global scale; I went to law school in Australia (and made a video about the experience, costs and outcomes) and I've basically summed up a lot of what you talk about here, even though we're on opposite sides of the globe. it's quite bleak, to say the least.
Did you stay in law?
@@stephania4940 kind of. I'm now a legal officer in the army, so I'm technically a lawyer but a military officer first and foremost, so it's very different from your typical lawyer. almost an entirely different job, really.
USA: 7-8% is a high interest rate.
Russia: it's not going to be lower than 12%, take it or leave it.
I mean, you can get mortgages here for under 3%, and I've seen financing options for things under 1%.
Не волнуйся, наша олигархия скоро догонится
Russia prime rate was about 9% when you wrote that, US peaked then around 5-5.5%, that Russian interest rate is better.
Thanks this video helped alot, I'm going to law school come 2019.
Sweet.
H9w did it go ? Please respond ? I wanna go to law school but scared
Really interesting what you said about law school. I got the same advice when applying to music school
Hey, thank you so much. I’m much clearer now for my near future.
I feel like a really big mistake that people make is thinking a law degree only allows you to become a lawyer. It is an incredibly versatile degree and so there are many different career paths you can go down!
Like what
@@stephania4940 journalism, teacher, work for NGO's, work for government departments, can work for banks/finance companies.. The list goes on.
@@mush7030 when you hear a degree that is versatile, please run with your life, its a total scam, you pay 250k law school degree for something that is versatile? that's equivalent to a psych degree with no real set of hard skills. just look at engineer, doctor, nurse, pharmacy, are they versatile degrees? NO, they are in their special field doing a special kind of job!
I’m not even trying to be a lawyer. This is just terribly interesting information.
Ethan Homan 💔
Achaemenes of Persia yessss thank god another person in the comments agrees! I have a coworker who is 30 and just now going to a Caribbean medical school- and she won’t let you forget it! Well, hats of to her!
Thank you for the video, I m learning alot
So had to think on this! Great video