Law Degree Losing Its Luster?

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Lawyers are uniquely able to be very successful in a self-employed capacity as many state bars make clients essentially the separate property of individual attorneys. If they leave the firm, their clients go with them. Also, law firms are not allowed to be owned by non-lawyers.

Even grads from Cooley can do very well for themselves.

But damn.. Cooley takes profiteering to a new low.

I wish architecture and engineering were like that. If I leave, I lose my clients automatically. Typically, if a senior architect or engineer leaves, the clients will stay unless the firm is just piss-poor or if the client is only there because of said engineer or architect.

I don't doubt that Cooley grads can do well for themselves. I live behind a courthouse, and I definitely see a few Cooley tags on cars--one is definitely a judge. I think a place like Cooley might work for someone with a lot of initiative and realistic expectations.

[IndianaSigKap]

As someone who has a relative currently in enrolled in one of those lower tier schools, I think you're right about the student's expectations. She wants to come back to her small hometown and practice law. She is content to make a lower salary because she knows the cost of living is lower. A $50-60,000 salary will go pretty far in her hometown. She has also done her research about which state's bar to take, since we live relatively close to 4 states. She will be ok, however a couple of her classmates believe they will be recruited by big time down-town Chicago firms.

[MaryPoppins]

I'm tired of my Alma Mater pumping our more graduates every year, who do nothing much but disspate my pool of clients further, then having the cohones to ask me for money while I still have student loans!

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by MaryPoppins

I'm tired of my Alma Mater pumping our more graduates every year, who do nothing much but disspate my pool of clients further, then having the cohones to ask me for money while I still have student loans!

Not one dime.

[MaryPoppins]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Not one dime.

Me neither! Though I would happily give money to other parts of the school and my Theta Chapter.

[DrPhil]

I was thinking about starting a thread about that.

I refuse to donate to my alma maters. They call and mail me a few times each year asking for donations. While I appreciate my alma maters, they have lost their damn minds thinking that I will donate when it already costs an arm and a leg to attend these schools and I am repaying student loans.

Generally speaking, that is why many schools receive relatively small and inconsistent donations from graduates who graduated 1-15 years ago and receive most of their money from 20+ year graduates. Again, generally speaking, people need years to get settled, repay loans if they have any, and do whatever else they are doing. We also have to either like what the school is doing or believe that our money will help change some things.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I was thinking about starting a thread about that.

I refuse to donate to my alma maters. They call and mail me a few times each year asking for donations. While I appreciate my alma maters, they have lost their damn minds thinking that I will donate when it already costs an arm and a leg to attend these schools and I am repaying student loans.

Generally speaking, that is why many schools receive relatively small and inconsistent donations from graduates who graduated 1-15 years ago and receive most of their money from 20+ year graduates. Again, generally speaking, people need years to get settled, repay loans if they have any, and do whatever else they are doing. We also have to either like what the school is doing or believe that our money will help change some things.

I think this would be a good new thread.

[aggieAXO]

I just spent he weekend with one of my BFFs from high school. She graduated from a third (or fourth?) tier law school in 2009. It took her a year to find a job and she now works in disability law. She recieves no benefits and if she loses the case the firm does not get paid-even if she has spent a year on the case. Is it not standard practice for lawyers to get some benefits?? In veterinary medicine it is well known that you should get your CE, most or all of your health insurance, AVMA dues, vacation, liability insurance paid for. I also get a 401 K and disability insurance (my boss is pretty generous, I also can go anywhere for CE-even europe). It just blows my mind that she gets nothing especially having a professioonal degree. And to spend hours and hours on a case and get nothing. She spends many of her weekends working, reading over medical records (which this weekend I had to interpret some of the medical acronyms for her on the plane). Is this typical??

[aggieAXO]

sorry should be Europe -what is up with the editing function? It doesn't seem to be working lately or can you only edit once these days??

[KDCat]

Originally Posted by aggieAXO

I just spent he weekend with one of my BFFs from high school. She graduated from a third (or fourth?) tier law school in 2009. It took her a year to find a job and she now works in disability law. She recieves no benefits and if she loses the case the firm does not get paid-even if she has spent a year on the case. Is it not standard practice for lawyers to get some benefits?? In veterinary medicine it is well known that you should get your CE, most or all of your health insurance, AVMA dues, vacation, liability insurance paid for. I also get a 401 K and disability insurance (my boss is pretty generous, I also can go anywhere for CE-even europe). It just blows my mind that she gets nothing especially having a professioonal degree. And to spend hours and hours on a case and get nothing. She spends many of her weekends working, reading over medical records (which this weekend I had to interpret some of the medical acronyms for her on the plane). Is this typical??

It is becoming more typical. It sounds like they hired her as an independent contractor with a fee split if she wins. Firms can do whatever they want with new hires right now. The market is glutted. Some firms are taking advantage of that. My current boss believes that all firms will go this way.

I'm currently looking for another job as quickly as possible, and if it's not in law, so much the better. I'm sick of management. I've had one good boos in 16 years and he left to open a real estate company. Two of my bosses had serious drug/alcohol problems. I've had enough. The pay sucks. The hours suck. I ask myself on a weekly basis why I thought law school was a good idea.

[aggieAXO]

I am worried that vet. med. is heading this way Luckily, most vets do not want to work emergency-crappy hours and too stressful for most-both of which are catching up to me
Good luck with your job hunt KDCat

[Mevara]

Don't you have this problem with many degrees not just law? MBA, MD, IT, RN

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by Mevara

MBA

[Mevara]

It seems like currently the thing to do is get a MBA. I have tons of friends who are doing/did it.

[knight_shadow]

Originally Posted by Mevara

It seems like currently the thing to do is get a MBA. I have tons of friends who are doing/did it.

Yea, I'll be going after mine soon. The MBA is "the new BBA," so it's becoming more of necessary degree than an "enrichment" one.