Should I Go To Law School? Reasons For And Against

Should I go to law school?

That is often the question for many recent graduates thinking about pursuing a legal career. You may have watched Law and Order growing up and dreamed of being a top lawyer like those in the show, and you’re curious if it’s really possible.

If you are wondering whether or not you should apply to law school, you are probably asking yourself some of the following questions:

Is law school really worth the time and money? Who should seriously consider law school? Who should look for other options first before enrolling?

Deciding on what to do after going to college can be hard, but taking the time to really think through your options and motivations behind going to certain graduate schools, like law school, is something you shouldn’t rush.

Here are the top three things to keep in mind when deciding about law school

• Only go to law school if you love law or know you need a legal education to pursue the career you want.

• Getting into better schools will open up a lot more doors for you.

• If you haven’t shadowed or spoken to a few lawyers yet about their careers, make sure to get some real experience before you apply.

Now that you’ve gotten an overview of law school decisions, let’s take a more detailed look at why you should or should not consider going to law school.

Reasons Not to Go to Law School

You might be thinking about going to law school for the simple reason of “why not?” If you are considering law school because you are unsure where else to go or are having a difficult time making up your mind, here are a few things to consider:

• Law school isn’t easy or cheap. Many graduates walk across the stage with a fancy new law degree…and a lot of debt. You may be asking whether or not law school is worth the cost. Law school can be extremely expensive, with many graduates walking across the stage to receive their degrees and over $100k in debt.

• The job market is difficult for recent graduates. There is no longer a “guarantee” that you’ll be getting a high salary to quickly pay off those loans. Many people may think that they will become wealthy lawyers working high-profile cases after graduating, but that is sadly not the case for most graduates these days.

  Because the law profession is rapidly changing, there is so much competition for the top positions and many lawyers don’t end up making top-dollar salaries.

• Where you go to law school matters. If you only want to become a lawyer at a very prestigious firm, then you’ll want to go to a top-tier law school.

  A degree from a top-ranked program will make you more competitive in the job market than graduates from other schools. And when the job market is already tough, this is an important advantage.

If any of these reasons apply to you, maybe you should reconsider another option. However, there are some great reasons to go to law school, so don’t give up hope just yet.

Reasons to Go to Law School

The top reason to go to law school is that you’re absolutely in love with law. If studying law is your passion, then you should go to law school. People and businesses need lawyers, so there is a need for the profession, but the way lawyers are utilized will likely change a lot in the near future.

If you are an avid law-fan and are willing to be flexible, take risks, work hard, and reach out and create your own opportunities, then consider going to law school. These attributes are also what makes a good lawyer, so be sure to keep that in mind as well.

Being new to the field of law can be very challenging. There is a lot of competition and you might have to spend a lot of time and effort working your way up from positions you didn’t originally consider.

However, the work can also be incredibly rewarding. If you are willing to work in positions that don’t make as much money, you’ll likely find that there are a ton of interesting law opportunities out there.

At the end of the day, pursuing a career that will make you happy, despite challenges finding jobs and student debt, is the ultimate goal.

But before you apply to law schools, you want to keep a few things in mind.

Things You Should Consider Doing Before Going to Law School

Before anyone decides on going to law school, there are a few things to consider:

1. Can you make it into a good school? The unfortunate truth is that all law degrees are not created equal — the institution you attend matters a lot in the legal field.

   If you want a high-paying corporate lawyer job but you can’t make it into the top schools, you might want to tamp down your expectations, study up and re-take your tests, or pursue a different career path.

   If have a lower LSAT score, consider taking more time off to study to raise it. While you study, you can also take some time to shadow a few lawyers at different firms.

   That being said, if you can be a top-performer in a mid-tier law school who spends time working on journals or at clinics, you’ll still stand out as a strong candidate.

   Also, consider going to school near where you hope to practice one day. That way, you’ll have a stronger network and alumni connections will be more able to help you land a job.

2. Do you love the profession enough to be happy working at a lower-salaried position? Keeping in mind that you’ll likely be six-figures in debt by the end of your legal education, consider whether you can make it work with a less-than-stellar starting salary.

   The pay-off can be immense in the long run, but think about your short term stability and sanity as well.

3. Do you have real-world law experience? Consider interning at a law firm or with a nonprofit that works with lawyers.

   Try to get as much exposure to the law as you can before you apply — see if you actually like it. Three years and a good bit of loans is a huge decision, so be sure you really are interested in the material before you go. Law schools love seeing applicants who have taken the time to do so.

4. How is the job market? The legal profession is not immune to greater economic effects. Sometimes firms are in desperate need of hiring new lawyers while other times you’ll have to work hard to get your foot in the door. Research the job market in the geographic area you hope to practice in to learn what the barrier to entry is like.

5. Should you take some time to reflect? Not just to reflect, but to gain some of that real-world experience we discussed above. Additionally, this time off can let you study and get the highest possible score on your LSATs, which will get you into a better school and translate into higher pay down the road.

   Finally, some time off can help you gain clarity as to why you want to study law, what aspects of the law interest you most, and what role you’d like to fill in the legal world.

6. What do you want to do with your degree? You should know why you want to study law (hint: not because of the money), but you should also have an idea of what you want to do with your degree. Explore the field and look for a mentor or someone who can help you navigate the profession.

   Knowing what type of law you want to pursue will make your time in law school much more focused and ultimately beneficial for your career.

7. Where do you want to practice? Figuring out the “what” and the “where” go together more than you might think. For example, if you want to be a legal advocate for social change at a national level, then Washington D.C. is a great place to study and build your network.

   Finding out what cities and states have the best job markets for your preferred legal dreams can help narrow down where you want to school. Starting in the right place will pay dividends when you’re relying on your carefully crafted network from law school to land your first job in law.

Who Should Go to Law School?

As you consider going to law school, you should also consider whether or not you have the qualities of a good lawyer. While lawyers aren’t all of one type, there are a few common characteristics that make for successful attorneys:

• Communication skills. Lawyers need strong verbal and written communication skills. You obviously need to enjoy a good debate, but you also must be adept at actively listening to your clients and other members of your legal team.

• Decision-making skills. Attorneys can’t be wishy-washy; they need to make confident decisions based on all the evidence available. Expert judgment and effective decision-making are prerequisites for a life in the legal field.

• Persuasive skills. One thing that television gets right is that lawyers must be able to persuade, negotiate, and compromise to get their jobs done. Consider your ability and interest in persuading others.

• People skills. Lawyers need to get along with a diverse bunch of clients, coworkers, and other parties involved in their cases. Ideally, you should enjoy being around people and having conversations, because talking makes up a big chunk of this profession.

• Persistence. Getting into law school and thriving there requires persistence, but so does the job itself. Red tape is something you’ll come across a lot in the legal field, so you can’t be discouraged by the thousand little setbacks that present themselves every day.

• Organizational skills. You don’t just need to be organized physically; life in the legal profession requires an organized mind as well. If you find it difficult to absorb, remember, manage, and utilize large amounts of information, being a lawyer won’t be enjoyable or easy for you.

• Emotional stability. Most jobs in law are fairly intense. Not just the long hours, but the high-stress meetings, the emotionally-fraught arguments, and possibly gruesome subject matter. You need a thick skin to survive law school and as a lawyer.

Final Thoughts

Now that you’ve seen a few reasons to consider law school and a few reasons to not consider law school as an option, it’s time to sit back and make a decision.

Again, choosing which career path you want to go on is a difficult one and it might take some time. But making the law school decision is best if done with experience. Talk to as many lawyers as you can, shadow them, and see about ways you can intern or volunteer at the firm.

Make sure you love the law. If you find that the law is where your passion is, then start writing those application essays and study for the LSAT. Soon enough, you’ll be a firm’s next new lawyer.

Author

Heidi Cope

Heidi Cope is a former writer for the Zippia Career Advice blog. Her writing focused primarily on Zippia's suite of rankings and general career advice. After leaving Zippia, Heidi joined The Mighty as a writer and editor, among other positions. She received her BS from UNC Charlotte in German Studies.