Is law school for me?

Many students get good grades in college, prepare for the LSAT, and work hard on their law school applications, yet don’t necessarily have a strong idea about the underlying question they should be asking: "Is law school for me?" To be sure, some students enter law school with a laser-like focus on becoming, say, a commercial litigator or a criminal defense attorney and never deviate from that path. But these students are in the minority.



Many students go to law school for odd reasons. Maybe they think they need an advanced degree, maybe they think obtaining a law degree will inevitably lead to wealth or maybe they think the law is "cool" based on popular portrayals of life as an attorney. These tend to be the type of students who end up not liking the legal profession and even regret going to law school.



So, a piece of advice: before you invest your time, effort, and money into studying for/taking the LSAT and applying to law school (not to mention the high cost of a legal education, think long and hard about why you want to go to law school.



You shouldn't enter law just for money. The practice of law is not necessarily the most lucrative field. While some attorneys make a lot of money, not all do. Only a small segment of plaintiff’s attorneys are really in the running for huge paydays. If amassing a fortune is your goal, then going into private industry is probably the better play (though a law degree can certainly add value for someone looking to go into business).



If you seek to practice law because you are captivated by TV and movie images of courtroom theatrics, keep in mind that most law practices are essentially office jobs. The vast majority of civil cases settle, and many motions are decided on the pleadings with no court appearances made. In other words, the actual courtroom time is minimal. Trials are more common in criminal cases–but since 90% of criminal cases end in guilty pleas, the vast majority of a criminal practitioner’s case load is likely going to be negotiating plea deals.



Finally, as stated earlier -- going to law school simply to get a degree will end up being quite costly. Law school tuition continues to escalate, and you will need a decent job just to be able to satisfy your loans. (Many schools have loan repayment programs for public service related jobs, and those programs will be discussed in a later post). Earning a scholarship is a major boon in this respect, and, not surprisingly, schools tend to award scholarship money to those with high LSAT scores. This is another reason good LSAT test preparation classes are a prerequisite to taking the LSAT, and why a good lsat score is an important part of your consideration in going to law school.