I graduated from college in 2002 with a psychology degree. I knew I couldn’t do anything with an undergraduate psychology degree, so I knew I was either going to graduate school or law school. I chose law school. Now I’m one of many Seattle DUI attorneys out here grinding it out on a daily basis, trying to keep the man from ruining lives.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love being a Seattle DUI lawyer. In fact, I do what I do 100% because it’s what I’ve chosen. I opened my own law firm about a year ago and was lucky enough to get to choose my practice area.
But times have changed since I graduated from college, and even from law school (2005). Nowadays it seems that a lot of people are choosing law school because the job market is so bad. They figure in three years they can get out, get a job as an attorney, make a boatload of money, and right the short train to easy street.
I’ve got some news for you. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
And by that I don’t mean that law school isn’t the answer for everyone. But here are some things to consider. First, there are only so many high paying jobs out there – if you aren’t at the top of your class, you’re not getting one. Second, those high paying jobs aren’t very much fun. In fact, they are a crap ton of (usually) mind numbing work. You won’t be in the courtroom, you’ll be in the basement reviewing files. And, finally, law school is expensive. It’s often easier to take a little bit of time to find the right job for you after college and saving the law school debt than shackling yourself for decades to come with money you might not ever be able to pay back.
Is law school the answer for unemployment? For some, maybe (if you know you want to be a DUI attorney or some other kind of attorney, you should definitely do it). But for most, it’s just the first of what will probably be a long line of regretful decisions.
