I'm thinking about going to law school?

Question

I've heard however that a law degree isn't what it used to be and that finding a job after graduating is very very difficult. Does anyone have any info., personal experiences or otherwise, about this. Does what u concentrate on (in terms of area of law to specialize in) or what your undergrad major was affect this in any way?

Answer 1

It very much depends first, on the rank of your law school and second, on your grades.

At the top 14 law schools, everyone gets a job offer, regardless of rank. Those at the bottom of the class may go to less prestigious or competitive law firms than their law review counterparts, but they will still be among the top 50 law firms and will still be paid standard Big Law salaries.

As you go down the ranking, your grades become much more important. Those in the top of Fordham Law will secure jobs in the same top firms as their Ivy League counterparts. Break top 5% and you're at the top 5 firms with those on Ivy Law Reviews.

Those in the bottom of the class at Fordham will have more trouble. They might have to temp, or become 'staff attorneys' - those at big law firms who do more boring work for less pay. They might have to go to smaller firms, who do personal injury instead of mergers and venture capital.

Go lower down the ranks and the distinction becomes sharper. Those at the very, very top will still be able to get good jobs, but even being in the top 10% might not be enough. In the bottom half of these law schools, you will start to see students who have difficulty getting jobs at all.

Your undergraduate degree only changes this at top law schools if you are a science major. While I had four job offers by October of my second year, my physics-major classmates had twelve. Those at Fordham with engineering undergrads are more likely to find BigLaw jobs. Aside from having a science degree, your undergrad major does not matter. I don't even think they asked what mine was.

You typically do not pick an area to specialize in until you begin your 2L summer internship. Most firms hire 100% of their interns, so it is essentially starting your job early. Some students with particular backgrounds in art, intellectual property or health may take a class or two in that and write their papers on the matter - but many do not specialize at all.

Keep in mind what student loans may mean in looking at job prospects. Big Law in NYC now pays a starting salary of $160,000 with a 30-35k bonus for everyone. Outside of NYC, it may be the same or may be $135-145,000. Leave big law, and you see lower starting salaries, sometimes as low as $80,000 at a midsize law firm. This can mean that it will take you twice as long to pay off student loans. Those going to the lowest-ranked schools may have job offers at $35k - lower than their salaries before law school. If you cannot find a job, these loans become a major problem, so many opt to skip law school instead of going to one where this is a possibility.

Answer 2

Law isn't what it used to be primarily because there are too many freaking lawyers and law schools. While good lawyers do come out of the lower ranked schools sometimes, I think lawyers in general would be better served if you just wiped out the entire 4th tier and maybe even a good chunk of the 3rd tier schools.

Anyways, finding a job afterwards depends in large part on your class ranking, how prestigious your law school is, and what field of law you're looking into (litigation is always easier to find jobs than in transactional).

Your class ranking is the most critical. The area of law you're concentrating in and how good your school was are about equal. It really depends. Sometimes, your school can give you an edge/disadvantage. Sometimes, if you pick the right area of law, the demand is so great (if you qualify; example is intellectual property law), your school and ranking don't matter as much.

Your undergrad major is important. It helps you get that first internship. That first internship then helps you get later internships and eventually, a job. Experience is critical in getting a job. So, the earlier you can develop good experience in the field you end up practicing in, the better off you are. Can you get internships in an area totally different from your undergrad major? Sure. I did. But it was a struggle explaining and convincing employers why I was going away from what I got my degree in.

Answer 3

Top law schools have 99% of graduates employed within a few months. Private firm starting salaries at these schools average 120,000-140,000.