Law Degree Losing Its Luster?

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

What people fail to realize, however, is that education is only one piece of the puzzle. Where you went, how you did, and who you meet along your way to said degree makes a lot of difference as well.

A J.D. is pretty unique though in that you can take it and if you can find the right clients and work the cases right, you can make big money fast even if you're a solo from a T4 school.

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.

[aggieAXO]

Originally Posted by Kevin

A J.D. is pretty unique though in that you can take it and if you can find the right clients and work the cases right, you can make big money fast even if you're a solo from a T4 school.

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.

It use to be that veterinary hospitals could only be owned by vets and in some states this still holds true. But, corporations are taking over and with their deep pockets are able to somehow bypass this rule (think Banfield-the bane of most private practioner's existence). Students are graduating with so much debt now, many private practioners are in fear of not being able to sell to anyone but a corporation-it really is a sad state of affairs. I am glad I am close to getting out of the profession full time.

[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.