Is a Law degree worthless these days?

[MadSquabbles500]

Why would a firm be suspicious of an applicant from far away? I know many of the lawyers running around NYC are not all from Long Island. A lot are, of course, but there are just too many transplants.

 

[Prokofievian]

My question is how the hell aren't the professional organizations in the states controlling enrollment? That's the only thing they're good for.

 

[Rhood]

You don't even need a law degree to practice law. That lawyer kid in Suits is killing it and he never even finished college.

Tell me more about this lawyer kid.
Is he similar to that doctor kid in Doogie Howser, M.D.?

 

[TheQu**]

A law degree from anywhere but a T14 isn't worth anything near 200k.

 

[Jmarc]

Awesome, so you can spend years at law school, run up hundreds of thousands in debt, just to apply for lower-level jobs which don't even require a law degree. What a deal!

Hundreds of thousands in debt? Well you are certainly doing school wrong if you rack up that much debt by the time you graduate. The point is that you will stand out among other candidates for jobs which don't require a degree. Certain jobs it will be a disadvantage for, due to them fearing you will "jump ship", but others they will just take it as a sign you are incredibly intelligent. Consulting firms are a job where you can get paid TONS of money, and where education isn't "required" necessarily, but it is a leg up.

 

[irc]

Why would a firm be suspicious of an applicant from far away? I know many of the lawyers running around NYC are not all from Long Island. A lot are, of course, but there are just too many transplants.

Because large firms invest a tremendous amount in new associates. A lawyer doesn't become truely cash flow positive in the big-firm system until around 4+ years of practice. Firms are wary of people without substantive ties to the area because these associates will undoubtedly become stressed out and hate work and want to leave. If they have a place to go, it makes it that much more likely. If they are from the area, it is less likely.

Some Federal Agencies have 3-year agreements for new lawyers for the same reason.

 

[irc]

My question is how the hell aren't the professional organizations in the states controlling enrollment? That's the only thing they're good for.

The entire profession is asking the same quention. They seem to credential any fly-by-night shack that opens up as a law school. This single factor is responsible largely for the problem of market saturation.

 

[Fury]

A law degree from anywhere but a T14 isn't worth anything near 200k.

Pretty much. Where I work the good law degrees get jobs as counsel, the shit get compliance manager jobs. You don't actually need a law degree for that though, it also pays about 120-130 grand less.

 

[Prokofievian]

The entire profession is asking the same quention. They seem to credential any fly-by-night shack that opens up as a law school. This single factor is responsible largely for the problem of market saturation.

Makes no sense, to me. I'm exceedingly cynical of professional organizations in general. From my perspective, this is their primary function: protecting the income prospectus of their members. If they can't do that, I don't...I don't really get what they're doing.

 

[mrln242]

Unless youre at a T1 yes.