Anyone in Law School? I Decided to go for it!

okami.mami · September 2012

Luc is 19 months old and I'm 21 weeks pregnant with #2. Of course, I'll wait until next year to take the LSAT's. Please tell me I can do it and that I'm not THAT crazy! Anyone??? Cool

RayRay007 · September 2012

You're crazy. Actually, there were a lot of people in law school who had families or were pregnant. It can be done. Myself, I liked to party so having kids would've put a serious damper on that.

Bateaulover · September 2012

Kids aside, I wouldn't go to law school unless:

A: You can attend without taking student loans.

B: You can get into a top tier law school.

C: You know you will make good grades and get into a great firm upon graduation.

My DH graduated from a Tier 3 school in 2008 and we pay an exorbitant amount in SLs every month. No jobs were available for him in our area so he started his own practice.

Unless your DH currrently makes fat cash and it won't matter if you get a job or not, I wouldn't do it. I won't even go into the amount of studying for school and the bar that will take away from the time with your small children.

Good Luck.

rider5344 · September 2012

Bateaulover:
Kids aside, I wouldn't go to law school unless:

A: You can attend without taking student loans.

B: You can get into a top tier law school.

C: You know you will make good grades and get into a great firm upon graduation.

My DH graduated from a Tier 3 school in 2008 and we pay an exorbitant amount in SLs every month. No jobs were available for him in our area so he started his own practice.

Unless your DH currrently makes fat cash and it won't matter if you get a job or not, I wouldn't do it. I won't even go into the amount of studying for school and the bar that will take away from the time with your small children.

Good Luck.

We have the same situation though DH was able to find work with small firms until he settled into the one he is in now. He makes good money, but not "I can afford to stay home with the kids money" He says if he could do it all again, he wouldn't go to law school and always advises people not to.

FlashMeyer · September 2012

Going to law school is such a bad idea. If you are one of the lucky few to find a job you will be making little money starting off but you will have huge student loans to pay back.

Becoming a lawyer is not the cash cow it used to be.

You need to seriously consider this in light of the current economy.

Law schools are known for lying to students about job placement #'s and salary.

Do some research.

NithyaV · September 2012

I'm a lawyer. I went to a good (not great) school and if I had to do it all over again, I would not go to law school. I got let go from my job in May (after having a hard time finding a job upon graduation). Most lawyers don't make 6 figures but almost everyone has more than 6 figures in loans (what I started out with).

My DH is a lawyer and we have some lawyer friends - the hours are insane. I'm looking for a 9-5 job now (doesn't have to be related to the law)

ElatedMom2B · September 2012

Kinda nuts! Do you currently work in law? I DO NOT have my law degree, but was a paralegal for 16 years before having my first child. I am lucky enough to live in a good area where there is a law firm on every corner and jobs were pretty easy to come by BEFORE the economy took a hit (I worked for a Princeton law firm and a Philly based law firm in Princeton). However, seeing those attorneys and how much time they put in was insane and I could not imagine doing it. By doing so, they now reap the benefits of a pretty pay check (about 10-15 years later), however, they are Partners of these firms and their hours still have not changed and they have the business aspect to worry about along with it. That being said, my old boss (who I worked with for most of my career and consider him a father figure) went to law school with 5 kids at home. Granted, his wife was the one that stayed home with the kids, but he did it. Best of luck to you and, yes, there are many other options with a law degree, but perhaps really figure out what it is you want to do and maybe consider a Masters instead?!?!?

jfortescue18 · September 2012

Do you want honesty??? I am a lawyer, and found out I was pregnant 1 month after I took the Bar exam (thank goodness I passed, because I don't know if I would have had it in me to do it again if I didn't!!)....

Anyway, I really enjoyed Law School, and found the challenge to be really great for me and my career. THAT BEING SAID, law school was a TON of work, and if you take it seriously (which of course you should), you will find yourself studying 7 days a week, all day. I missed countless weddings, birthday parties, and family events because I had too much to do. Honestly, I cannot even imagine doing it with young children. It would mean missing a lot of the kids' growing up, and that would be a shame.

In the end, you need to really ask yourself 1.) whether you have a specific career goal in mind, because jobs are very hard to find in the legal field right now; 2.) are you ready for a boat-load of student loans; and 3.) are you ready to isolate yourself to study non-stop for the next 3.5 years. If you answer yes to those questions, then go for it! It was something that I'm, personally, very happy I did (and feel very proud of the accomplishment). But, as I said, I can't imagine going through it right now... with a young LO that I want to spend all my time with. Smile

chloe071603 · September 2012

Wouldn't do it. My DH is an attorney, graduated in 2009 from a Tier II school with middle of the road grades. It took him an entire YEAR to find a job. He now works for a small firm making a ridiculously low salary for an attorney (around 50k). His hours are so long - typically leaves the house at 8am and doesn't come home until 8pm. Luckily for us, his grandfather paid for school so we don't have those gigantic loans to pay back. All in all, it was really not worth it. I tell him all the time I would so much rather have him in some 9-5 job, than have the "prestige" of saying he's an attorney.

I have a good friend who was in your situation - pregnant in law school. She has since graduated, had the baby, passed the bar, found a job, and had baby #2. That being said - she constantly says she would rather not work & be home with the kids. Was all that time & money really worth it??

SoxFan777 · September 2012

Wow! I read this post and the responses and at first I thought "They're being kindof mean"! But it sounds realistic, too... I myself always wished I went to law school OR have thought about going back to law school (I already have a liberal arts master's from Harvard, but not a law degree)... But thanks for giving the realistic side.

The media makes being a lawyer look fun and exciting all the time, but the responses on here are a LOT more of the reality, I'm sure. I think I might go for my Ph.D. at some point, but only if I can do so without loans (I got great grants for my other degrees). AND I'm going to wait until ALL my kids are at least in grade school. They're my priority right now... SO time consuming, too!

Thanks for showing another side.

RayRay007 · September 2012

Wow, sounds like going to law school/being a lawyer in the US pretty much sucks! Lol. I'm in Canada, so my experience was totally different. Tuition was $7500 a year when I went and the majority of my class (myself included) had jobs line up before the start of third year. If what the others say is true about debt and job prospects, I'd think long and hard about it. Also, if you do decide to do it, consider alternative jobs - not everyone with a law degree has to be a lawyer. I was for a few years, but now I'm in corporate at a University and it's great hours, pay and benefits.

OSUJaydee · September 2012

Law school is a ton of work, but if you have support at home you shouldn't have too much of a problem with it.

However, I'm going to echo everyone else here. I went to a top tier school, graduated with 6 figures in debt, and had a heck of a time finding a job. I ended up at a small place making $50k. I SAH now and thankfully DH makes plenty (he is not a lawyer) so we are able to make my loan payments, but I think going to law school with the expectation that you will get a job in this economy is not realistic. Many schools play loosey goosey with their job placement and salary numbers, so I would encourage you not to put too much stock in those. Unless you are absolutely dead set on becoming a lawyer, I would say save your money!

RevJG · September 2012

I graduated 10 years ago when jobs were still plentiful. I have a lot of loans and a job I LOVE (I am a public defender). I couldn't possibly be more fulfilled at work. That being said, the reason I was able to do it (and still do) is because my DH worked at a top law firm and made a ton of money. He also worked a ton of hours, hated every second of it, and almost had a nervous breakdown. We moved to a different state and he took a job at a smaller firm, but he still doesn't love it.

There is no way, I repeat NO WAY, I would have done law school and/or bar exam with a small kid or kids. No way. It was hard and I was a single person in my mid-20's at the time. Sure it can be done and lots of people do it but I can't actually imagine getting into a worse situation. Sorry for the downer, but it's true.

MrsLnt · September 2012

Just echoing the others. If this is not your life's dream and you can't afford to do it without taking out loans, don't go to law school. It's stressful and time consuming in one's early 20s with no other responsibilities than school much less than with two kids.

I graduated from a Tier 2 school that has a very very solid local/regional reputation, in the middle of the class and had scholarships covering my tuition. Good thing I did not have loans because it took me a year to find a job and it paid less than a public school teacher. I SAH now because the job I had when PG, while it paid more than my first job (but not by a ton, especially when you considered the hours I put in) was on the way to being downsized. A good friend of mine was laid off and out of work for 6 months and only found job by switching industries.

I don't regret the education and I hope that by the time I'm ready to go back the market is better but it's a really, really tough profession especially if you have a family.

aastaley · December 2012

Do what makes you happy. I'm in law school. One semester left and we are TTC. If you want to enjoy law school, make time for your family. You will never regret it. Sure, it's a lot of work, but I have a hubby, house, and family support. If you want a baby and your hubby is on board, you don't need to listen to anything but your heart and your common sense. I'm sure you are an intelligent woman. Everyone called me crazy for getting married during the first summer of law school. We couldn't be happier.

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