Other than becoming a lawyer, what is a good reason to obtain a law degree?

[zackary42]

I have read many news articles that keep saying the same exact message: Don't go to law school unless you know you can repay the loans.

I intend to major in one of the Humanities/Social Sciences when I start college in the fall. Political Science is a subject that I'm interested in, though I am aware that it is not respected. I have a four-year plan of what courses I'll take and my summers will be spent studying on the LSAT. From my research online, law schools do not care about extra-curriculars because this alone does not affect their rankings. A law school is primarily motivated in keeping their rank as high as possible. If they don't they will suffer the same fate as Rutgers Law (dropped 12 spots and is now so close to being kicked out of the 2nd tiers).

In terms of an investment, what can a person do with a law degree when there are no job opportunities in the legal profession available? What is the backup plan?

[seme22]

Hey Shaniqua,

Don't, I repeat DON'T, go to law school unless you plan on becoming a lawyer. While law school will teach you to think in a way that is applicable to other areas of life, there's no reason to take out the loans and get 3 years in training to be a lawyer if you don't plan to be one.

There are other career options out there; I'm not going to claim that there aren't. That'd make me a hypocrite, since I have a law degree and don't practice law. However, for the most part, you're going to have trouble finding another position that pays well enough to service the debt you accumulate from law school if you don't enter the legal profession.

[bachir93]

Political career track. Also international trade. You can probably switch the major criteria of your studies to match one of these careers without too much more expense or time in school. Do some research. Remember, Rosetta Stone has come down a lot in price.

[barnett]

You can teach.
You can work for a title company.
You can write for law journals.
You can go into politics.

But I don't think you have to worry. Lawyers are always in demand.

[collyer]

I think there are jobs in the law profession available, and there are well paying jobs that involve a law degree. One that comes to mind is being a "mediator", these are the people who settle civil lawsuits outside of the courtroom and often make millions of dollars in the process. Many people with law degrees also run for political office. You can also work in patent law which is outside of the courtroom. There are plenty of jobs you can do apart from being a lawyer. If you are interested in law I think that is one of the safer courses of study right now, actually. You are right that law school will care mostly about your GPA and LSAT scores. You could always have a back up double major with political science that leads more directly to a job.