My best advice is don't go. The legal field is glutted. It is not worth the time and debt to take the law school risk. It is a very real possibility that you can end up six figures in debt and no job. Most likely you will end up with a job in the 35K-50K range. Unless you get into Harvard, Yale,or Stanford it is just not worth the risk anymore. I just read a story about beat cops making over 200K in NY. There are many other options that pay well, that are low risk.
Joeyof VA5:54PM December 10, 2011
Whatever you do, definitely do NOT go to law school, even if you're accepted to a top school..run in the other direction, you will NOT find a job. The legal industry is over.
Travis Walkenof MA12:24AM November 25, 2011
I completely agree with all of the comments made here. I am currently applying to law schools but unless Stanford or Harvard comes knocking on my door I wont be going anywhere. I refuse to attend a tier 2/3/4 school especially since I already spent a small fortune to receive my BA from a top university. I wish all prospective students would take the time to research what the legal market is really like instead of foolishly thinking that they will "stand out and get hired" esp if they are graduating from a shitty tier 3/4 school so please do your homework before signing up for a 150k loan that will haunt you for the rest of your life. Dont buy into the lies and the bs the schools are trying to feed you.
CAL grad of CA2:31AM November 19, 2011
Note that they say you should have your applications in by end of November or early December
MOMof DC12:55PM November 18, 2011
How misleading that there is not one mention of the fraudulent career placement statistics published by schools. In the case of tier 2/3/4 schools - this fraud can turn an effective 25% to 50% employment rate into a 99% employment rate. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise since US News has been instrumental in lending credibility to this fraud, ever since they started publishing their rankings.
Allow me to offer advice that is more helpful than any of the red herring rubbish posted above - perform due diligence.
Get a list of last year's graduates, randomly select 20% and call them to get their opinions on the school. Ask them about their employment prospects. Compare the employment outcomes of your random sample with the cherry picked sample that the school selects when publishing the false salary statistics (schools base their average and median salary data on a biased sample of graduates. See e.g. www.lawschooltransparency.com for detailed statistics, by school, on this issue).
Then call 40 random lawyers and get their opinions on the school, as well as whether they are hiring and if so, what sort of law school performance they seek.
That's about a week's worth of work. Due diligence is a necessary act before businesses make decisions, and it should be a similarly necessary act before you invest $170,000 into a failed institution dominated by rent-seekers.
DDof IL3:21PM November 17, 2011
Absolutely agree with the comments: If you get in to a top 10 law school -- great you will be paid 6 figures and probably only really have to work a year and half in law school cause acceptance letters go out for summer associates by Christmas your 2nd year. Unless your a complete waste, you have over a 90% chance of being hired by the firm you were a summer associate for. However once you pass the bar and start work -- give up all hopes of seeing daylight for at least 3 to 5 years and plan on gaining at least 25 to 30 pounds. Summer Associate work and being a first year attorney at an AMLAW 100 firm are night and day from each other. If you actually calculate the hours you work (rather then just billable) you probably will end up around 11.-14 dollars an hour - do the math and it comes to an average of 16 hr days 6 days a week. (THIS IS REALITY) If you still want to do it -- go for it. I have my JD & LLM and recently quit to open my practice and scratching away -- but I have actually seen the sun in Colorado more in the last three months then I did in the last 5 years at a large firm. If you go to a lower tier school -- well DONT --- I mean your just aggravating yourself with the exception being if the school offers you over 80% of tuition costs then think about it -- but you will probably make less then 55,000 coming out if you are lucky and can find a permanent job but most likely you will end up stuck on some document project working for ass clowns like Robert Half Legal for 6 months to a year while you try and find work. (They pay $22.00 an hour for you to stare mindlessly into a computer and click away at documents - monkeys and all sorts of other animals will be at the stations next to you working side by side without a JD)
If you think the above is a rant fine -- save it don't follow this advice and re-read it a later point in life -- I hope I'm wrong for your future legal career but I suggest you know the FACTS - before you invest your time and $$$ -- don't rely on college counselors, admission counselors, the ABA or the law school -- if anything buy a calculator !!!
JDof CO12:30PM November 17, 2011
Hahaha
Observer: so true.
How about a profile on the pitfalls of going to law school for so many of the indentured servants who took out non-dischargeable debt?
How about an article on the lies posited by the ABA and the law schools?
How about an article on the Federal Investigation that looks to be just around the corner? Can't wait for this one:).
How about four more tips for these prospective students?:
6) Ignore tips 1-5 in this article, they are irrelevant.
7) Unless you get into a top six school, don't bother going to law school.
8) If you don't get into a top six school, don't bother going to law school unless a) you have a family member who has guaranteed you a job AND b) somebody else is paying the tuition-make sure your scholarship is guaranteed.
9) As an addition to number 7 but deserving of its own category: If you get into a top six school but have to borrow, don't do it. Student loans (even federal ones) are toxic. The are non-dischargeable in BK, there are no truth in lending requirements, interest capitalizes, and the debt NEVER goes away.
Bof KY5:12PM November 16, 2011
Evidence to back up your words...how about some evidence of the truth of employment statistics published by law schools?
Really, US News, you should do away with the bogus law school ranking system entirely
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Joey of VA 5:54PM December 10, 2011
Travis Walken of MA 12:24AM November 25, 2011
CAL grad of CA 2:31AM November 19, 2011
MOM of DC 12:55PM November 18, 2011
DD of IL 3:21PM November 17, 2011
JD of CO 12:30PM November 17, 2011
B of KY 5:12PM November 16, 2011
observer of CA 9:50AM November 16, 2011