Should I become a lawyer?
I agree with the third poster that you'll be 40 years old in 15 years, regardless of what you do with your career path. A few questions to consider. How many units do you need to finish college? Can you finish these at a junior college / community college (cheaper) and then transfer to a university and go to school at night (or can the hours you work in your current career be changed to accommodate school in the morning). Buy used books if possible. You can go to school part-time at night (yes, even ABA law schools have this option) but it will take 4 years. This way, you won't have to take as many loans. Also, take the LSAT. If you do well enough in college and with the LSAT, you may be able to get a full (or partial) scholarship / fellowship at law school - apply for many scholarships, local, national, etc. When you're at law school, make sure you buy used books. What type of lawyer do you want to be? Most lawyers do not make the $125K starting salary that's touted (those are the ones who are "required" to work 12-15 hours per day) - they typically earn 40-50K, especially without experience (these are the ones who work only 8-9 hours per day unless one is preparing for trial). If you can save up enough money so that you don't have to work while going to school (or at least only work part-time), that is ideal. Plus, you can be a law clerk after your first year so you can learn more about the law. Yes, people can go to law school later in life. Many have chosen it as their second career (I know someone who graduated college, worked for 10 years, then went back to law school). P.S. A higher starting salary usually means that more is expected of the first year associate - no life outside of work. A lower starting salary - especially in smaller cities - usually means that they expect you to have a life and the attorneys in the smaller cities are more laid back.
Should I become a lawyer?
I am a current law school student. Think very, very hard about doing this. Be very, very careful. Going to law school can mess up your life for years to come, and turn you into a worse person.Be wary of taking advice from lawyers who are older than about 30–35 years old, because they have no conception of what (a) tuition and (b) the job market look like now. Plan to be making no more than $45,000 when you get out and incur debt accordingly. $45k isn't bad unless you have to pay $500–1,000 in student loan debt a month.Even if you don't need to worry about finances, law school change your character permanently for the worse. The legal profession is a series of high-stakes zero-sum games that discourage collaboration and will cause stress. You have an initial zero-sum game with the curved LSAT. You have a second zero-sum game with your 1L year, where your curved first-year grades will determine whether you get a job that pays you sufficiently to repay your student debts. You have more zero sum games with the bar exam and trying to make partner.Law school does an amazingly poor job at conferring useful skills. For instance, I can go through my entire law school career with no more public speaking than a single 15-minute requirement in all 3 years. I consider this incredibly insufficient.Here are things you can do instead of becoming a lawyer:if you want to work with rules (e.g., employment rules) you can work in compliance for a major corporation, HR, or for a government agency.if you want to make money, you have a number of options that do not require you to go $150k in debt. If you are still an undergrad, you could try to get good grades and get recruited by a company in banking, investment, consulting, etc. I'm sure other quorans can help you with this.If you want to write for a living, there are a number of professions including technical writers, marketing, etc.Personally, if I had to do it over again, I’d get a stronger statistical background and work as an analyst, where I could leverage my writing capabilities and answer interesting questions.I know it seems like the worst couldn't happen to you, but it can. Protect yourself and have an exit plan if you decide to go through with law school after all. Do your utmost to consider alternative career options.
Should I become a lawyer?
There are lots of things to do with a law degree other than becoming a lawyer. Many successful (rich) entrepreneurs have advanced legal training, even if they never became licensed attorneys. I know many attorneys who are millionaires and many attorneys who can barely scrape together money for monthly rent and utility bills. It's somewhat a factor of how good you are, not to mention what kind of law you choose, how you practice it (partnership, solo, corporate), and what the local competition is like. FWIW, to be a patent attorney in the USA you would typically need an undergraduate degree in a natural science, engineering or computer science.
Should i become a lawyer or a vet?
Veterinarian - 8 years minimum in school, more difficult than many medical degrees to attain due to competition for the schools, and difficulty of work. Unlike medical doctors there are very few specialists, you work with multiple species and are responsible for everything from broad range diagnosis to surgery. Pay is mid-upper range, work is relatively easy to find, and hours are often somewhat haphazard (as most vets wind up on-call even when they are not technically on-call). Lawyer - 6 years minimum, law school. To be truly respected you must make it in to and pay for education at an esteemed law school, though you can find work easily enough as a specialty lawyer, or lower paid lawyer without. You must have great command of the English language, as well as the "language" of law, basically very detailed technical writing. You would be responsible for intimate knowledge of a plethora of laws and of the rules of logic. Pay is mid to astronomical (actually astronauts get paid less than plenty of lawyers). You will probably find yourself located within 30minutes of at least a mid sized city, and you will find yourself faced with both contempt and prestige in extremes so you have to be able to deal with that. Experience will be the greatest determining factor in pay. Basically if you want 8 years of little to no pay and difficult schooling, ending in a pretty secure job and you have a passion for treating animals, vets the way to go. Vet Coursework: Anatomy, Biology, Organic Chemistry, Practical Medicine and Lab Equipment If you want 6 years of school, likely a good deal of work interning, ending in a job that begins slowly but has near endless financial potential (especially at 20+ years practicing) Lawyer may be the right choice. Law Coursework: History, Politics, Law, Philosophy, Logic, Specialized Writing
Should I become a doctor or a lawyer?
Now, I've heard many times that I should just follow my heart. Yet, I still can't choose between the two, and I want to make a realistic decision. *Here's some history of mysef. I'm still in highschool, but I do get all A's in all honors/AP courses. I have pretty good extracurricular activities, and I also know my strengths and weaknesses. I'm quite strong in math and science, but I still need to study a lot for my A's. On the other hand, I really enjoy history and have always excelled in it. Now, I see that becoming a doctor is a noble job and I REALLY enjoy helping people, but on the other hand, it's not my stongest point. Should I become a lawyer playing on my strength card or should I just strive to become a doctor through hard work? (Plus, I'm afraid that there are too many lawyers these days in US and that it will go against my morals) PS Please refrain from answers such as "Just do what you want to do" THANKS
Should i become a lawyer or a writer?
Those are my top two occupations when i graduate from college. I'm just a freshman but i want to know what i want to do before i graduate high school. I've been told by principles and teachers that the stories i write are amazing. In the 3rd grade i won the young author award and it's been hung up in the hallway ever since. I've been also told that i could make a good lawyer. Mostly because i'm very argumentive and won't stop until i win. I know to be lawyer it's not always about that but i've been watching law and order SVU and stuff like that and have become very fond of that occupation. I know the decision comes down to me but i just want suggestions. :) And if so could you name any good publishing or law colleges? Thanks =)
Should I become a doctor or become a lawyer? I’m 16. What's the average salary? How many years of studying does it take? How hard is it get into a program at a respectable university? How hard is it to get a job, and what’s life like, outside work?
Doctors are folk heroes who literally save lives. Lawyers are the butt of endless jokes and derision. Shakespeare did not counsel that we should "first, kill all the doctors". And consider this: doctors are the only people who can actually trump police and tell them "No, you are not going to do that". Try doing that as a lawyer. Doctors are famously bad at financial investments. But consider how it is that they attained this distinction: they make obscene amounts of money that has to be invested. Lawyers, on the other hand ... well, how many cases have you heard of a doctor stealing his patient's money? I am a lawyer and I am proud to be a defender of the Constitution. I love my work and I love every day that I face off against a government intent on trying to intervene in every aspect of our lives. I get tremendous satisfaction from being a lawyer. But I have to admit that doctors hold a more prestigious place in our society, so if that's important to you, there you go. Finally, consider what it means to be on call 24 hours a day on duty as a physician; what it means to have a day full of 10 minute appointments poking at flabby bodies and endless complaints of pain. Consider what life is like in a hospital residency/internship, wandering the halls at night attending to people with every manner of disease and sickness. Consider what it will mean when you are on a plane flight and the flight attendants sound the alarm: "is anyone a doctor"? Yes, you are a folk hero, but you earn your status every minute of every day. And then take a look at the lawyers in their snappy 3-piece suits walking down marble hallways into open oak chambers, spending their day sparring over intellectual issues that can change the lives of many with one stroke of a pen. Consider what it means to be a champion of freedom, of liberty, and to uphold the most noble aspirations of this great social experiment we call the United States of America. For me, the choice was easy. Good luck with yours.
What should i Become: Pharmacist or Lawyer?
HAHA, good question kiddo. I just graduated from law school in LA and I have two sibblings that are pharmacists, and one that is a physican (MD). We constantly talk about the pros and cons of our prospective and current carrers. My twin brother is actually in his last year of pharm school. Anyways, here it goes. Pharmacist: Pros: great starting pay, 100k+, job security- the demand will outlast the supply for a long time, easy work, Cons: some question if its a "real" profession, by this, what I mean is that pharmacist does not have the autonomy of other profession (think MD and lawyers), they do not get the "prestigee" that most feel they deserve, and in a lot of states they have no lunch break, and although their pay starts high, they reach a ceiling quite quickly Lawyers Pros: average salary is high 118k, a lot of autonomy in work, your work makes you feel important, a lot of respect(or hatred, haha) when you tell ppl that you are a lawyer, and a lot of room for growth, only 3 years of law school Cons: A LOT of debt (most will owe 120k+), crazy competition both for work and during work, no job security, a lot of stress, lawyers are the most unhealthy, lonliest, and most likely to commit suicide of all profession. starting pay is often LOW, 70k, although some start with 160k I hope this helped, I choice Law, and sometimes have regretted it, in fact a lot of classmates share the same sentiment. The law profession is hard, takes a lot of dedication, and requires a certain personality. It is harder to become a lawyer. I dont know what your definnition of "good" lifestyle is but the pharmacist does not require so much hours . All total, I would still pick the law profession but thats me. Gluck kid, I suggest once you enter college go towards the path of pharmacy cause there is no particular class requirement for law school.