I want to be a lawyer and I have money for school. I know the odds are against me...

I want to be a lawyer and I have money for school. I know the odds are against me, but I believe I have the skills to overcome the challenges and make it as a lawyer. What can I do to ensure my success?

Not sure about you but a lot of law schools in my area have been offering dual degree/mixed degrees to keep it relevant. Better look into that, Law by itself doesn't seem like is the best choice atm. Source: me, considered JD/MTax dual degree.

Saying you want to be a lawyer is like saying you want to teach. Ok, but are you planning to be an Ivy League professor or an elementary school substitute teacher. Because the lives of these two people are very different even though they are both teachers.

No one can give you good advice until you learn to ask good questions.

Don't many people figure out what kind of law they want to practice while in school?

go work in a law office for 1 year. Work for min wage if you have to.

See if you like it before buying it!!!

If only every young person made this decision before pursuing a degree.

Studying something =/= doing it

This is a good idea. I was considering doing this while in school, but I have some time before next semester so I should drop off an app.

I want to do it less to do a "fun" job that I "like," but more because I believe it's the most value I can provide people with my abilities. Work is work.

>Don't many people figure out what kind of law they want to practice while in school?
Yes, but you haven't told us about your academic level, grades, realistic law school aspirations,or career goals.

There are many kinds of lawyers. Some get extremely rich; some scratch and claw to make a modest living. There's no one-size-fits-all advice.

Oh, I get it. I've dabbled in some classes and haven't really chosen a direction until now. I have nine credits right now and I do well in school. Right now, I'm leaning towards being an attorney of some kind. I think I could afford to go wherever I'd like as long as it's not ludicrously priced.

I'm planning to go into information security/cybersecurity once I finish my Master's, and that involves a lot of compliance with regulations and formulation of policy. Do I have anything to gain by getting a law degree (I know I could get into the best law school in Australia) even though I intend to be a consultant, not a lawyer as such? Can any lawyerbros here tell me whether cyberlaw is a substantial enough field to specialise in?

Old fag here. Been a lawyer now for 24 years, but probably not from your country.

Give me your current reasons for wanting to be a lawyer. I can then give you my thoughts.

here

Any advice?

is being a lawyer to fuck people over a good enough reason to become a lawyer?

You will not be satisfied. Long time survival in the legal field requires a strong set of personal ethics.
If all you want to be is an arsehole who fucks people over, you will encounter an even bigger arsehole who will fuck you over.

Outside my field, sorry. I'm a criminal lawyer.

A law degree wouldn't hurt your career plans.

which field is decent money and not that hard to find a job out of school? or is it easier to go straight into your own practice

Does the age at which a lawyer gets their degree and enters the field make a difference? Like, if you have past work history and get a JD at 28 or so will you be passed over in favour of 21 year old grads, or is the extra non-law experience an asset?

The more lucrative the field of law, the more competitive it is to enter. Corporate/company law is lucrative. Bankruptcy and banking law is lucrative.

Law school, in my opinion, teaches you 5% of the skills you need to be a competent lawyer. You need decent experience before you set up a practice. You need a client base. This includes the client actually paying you for your work, which is a constant problem with private practice.

In my field, you really need at least 5 years experience before you could sensibly contemplate setting up your own practice.

Even though criminal law pays less than other, more lucrative fields, I can operate my practice with minimal overheads. My weekly expenses are $700 a week. In the last two weeks, I generated over $15k in fees, so my profit margin is huge.

Age doesn't seem to matter much. Being at the academic top of law graduates is a huge benefit. Being connected, in the sense that you can bring work to a firm is also a huge advantage.

In commercial legal practices, it's all about how productive you are in generating profits for the partners of the firm.

how do you get your clients to pay the money? you might bill them but how many of those clients actually pay you?

How does charging such ridiculous fees fit in with professional ethics?

I'm 22, about to turn 23, I got out of college just over three years ago (yes, I was very young) with a 3.4 GPA. Recently, I started working for a customs broker, and I'm extremely intrigued by what the lawyers there do in regards to dealing with customs disputes.

It's made me seriously consider law school. I've taken around 5 practice LSATs and averaged around 175. My questions are:
1. I know there's an infamous law school bubble and a glut of lawyers. Does this effect the more esoteric law specializations, such as customs?
2. Were I to replicate my practice scores on the real LSAT, I could probably get into a T14, but I could also get most of my education paid for at a shittier, mid-tier school instead. Would the prestige be worth the monetary commitment, or should I take the money and go to a lesser school instead?
3. What else should I do? Some other people suggest getting another degree while you're there. JD/MBAs seem interesting, particularly since a few of the lawyers where I work went that route, but I can't be sure.
4. How long should I wait? My resume is not too impressive, and I don't even think I could get a letter of recommendation from any old professors, but I'm already on the fast track for promotion at my new job. I don't want to be too old when I graduate, after all. I can't put together an application this year, so I think aiming for Fall 2018 matriculation would give me a year or two to build up something and get my broker's license.

One of my best friends in top 10 right now. Taking bar next summer.

Says just show up. Every day. No matter what.

Joining some clubs and befriending the teachers obviously help.

Dont forget to unwind but u got no time for fucking off.

This man speaks the truth. I'm a real estate lawyer in Columbia, SC. Single person practice, was admitted before the bar eight years ago. I've got four credit unions and a local bank who use me as a dedicated closing attorney, plus the occasional private client. My cost to them is a flat $1200 a transaction, which isn't huge (that's part of why they come to me first in many cases. My peers charge usually between $1800-$2500.) Normally, I clear 3 closings a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. Actual cost to me per transaction is only about $150-300, depending, so I'm well off.

That being said, I've built my niche and am living well for it because of it. My first year, I fucking grossed a grand total of $26k from closings. I'd have defaulted on my student loans if another buddy hadn't given me a job working in his firm doing personal injury. Being tops is the key to making the big money.

You operate a Solicitor's Trust Account. A condition of my engagement is that the client deposits into my trust account my anticipated legal fees. I hold that money on trust until I invoice for my fees, and then use that money to pay my invoice.

I'm worth it. I possess a rare set of skills and experience that the market is willing to pay for.

I can't comment too much, sorry, as I'm from another country. My usual response to these sort of queries is that if you are intellectually interested in being a lawyer, you should pursue it. If you're interested in being a lawyer because you see it as a path to sports cars, skanky blondes and cocaine, you should not do it.

You won't get into a T14 school with that GPA. I suggest taking a real LSAT to see how you do. Don't go to a shitty school for the money. The job prospects are horrible if you aren't in the top 5%. Try and build your resume too. People with lower grades but with substantial or relevant work experience are looked upon more favorably.

I passed the bar exam at 16 , its all common sense.

>I passed the bar exam at 16 , its all common sense.
No you didn't and no it's not.

You cannot just say as FACT that he wouldn't get in, a 175 is a very good score. Its not like 3.4GPA is chimp tier... just saying he shouldn't try to get his dreams killed.

According to Benchprep.com a 3.4/175 would probably give you a chance at a T15 (bottom 10, not Yale), for example at #9 UVirginia a 3.49/175 is slightly lower GPA and about 10 points higher LSAT then average.

I think you have a chance especially since nobody wants to be a Lawyer anymore, ya never know you might get a light cohort and they'll have to take you to pay the light bill.

Don't do it

source : third year law student

Here is something to Google: third tier reality

It's a blog about the law profession

2. it completely depends on what you want to do. you mention jd/mba so i'm assuming you're interested in biglaw. if so, try to stay in the t14, but also try to minimize debt. that might mean taking $$ at NU and turning down sticker CLS.

3. JD/MBA is a waste for almost everyone. it's the biggest flame ever considering the opportunity cost and the extra year of tuition/expenses. skip it

4. waiting a couple years won't hurt. matriculating at 23 vs 25 makes literally no difference

nah i had 3.4 gpa from directional state school and copped CCN half ride
172 w/ 179 retake