A Brief Open Letter to Those Students Enrolled at Indiana Tech Law School

Guys, a few days ago, I wrote a piece about how it’s not too late to really evaluate whether or not you are making the right decision.

I’ll cut to the chase.  You’re not making the right decision.

Attending an unaccredited law school is always a bad decision.  Paying $30,000 per year in tuition alone for an unaccredited JD – and one from a school that explicitly “makes no representation to any applicant that it will be approved by the American Bar Association prior to the graduation of any matriculating student” makes this bad decision even worse.  Do you have any idea how difficult it is to pay off that kind of debt, which will be well above six figures – maybe even close to $200,000 – by the time all your living expenses, bar review courses, interest, books, and other fees and charges are added on?

And do you have any idea how impossible it will be to pay off coming from an unproven, probably-unaccredited law school?  Half of all law graduates today find no work as lawyers.  There are twice as many grads as there are jobs.  For schools at the bottom of the pile (which is where Indiana Tech is, and is likely to remain), the chances of ever working as a lawyer are dramatically reduced.  With your unaccredited Indiana Tech JD, you stand a very good chance of never working as an attorney, but paying the same price for your JD as those students who attend some fine law schools.

Indiana Tech wanted an enrolment of 100 students.  As of yesterday, there are 24.  On the one hand, this makes me very happy – at least 76 people are seeing sense and being smart about their futures.  But on the other hand, 24 clearly still don’t get it.  You are one of those 24, who rank as some of the most willfully-blind, poorly-informed individuals living in a snowflake dream world who just don’t see how you will regret this decision for the rest of your lives.  Some of the lower ABA-accredited law schools are begging for good applicants right now.  Is Indiana Tech really the best you could do?  Is law school even right for you?  The school is not even open yet, and it’s already giving Cooley a run for its money in terms of being a punch line.

The scam isn’t some pretend scheme that we’ve made up.  It’s not a group of disgruntled grads who failed because they were lazy.  It’s a legitimate problem, recognized by many people, clearly documented and based on facts.  And you 24 students are about to become its latest victims.

Why are you ignoring this?  Do you still not get it?  What parts of it do you still not understand, because maybe we need to be clearer?

I strongly urge you to read everything on this site, then on Inside the Law School Scam.  Then read Nando’s work at Third Tier Reality.  It’s all free, and it will take maybe a few hours to browse through in its entirety.  Then read Paul Campos’ book, Don’t Go To Law School (Unless), and then read my book, Con Law.

No, I’ll go one step further than that. If you are one of those 24 students who have enrolled at Indiana Tech Law School, I will send you a copy of my book for free.  You don’t even have to pay the $2.99 to download it from Amazon.  It’s on me.

Look, at this point in time, you’re a mere $400 out of pocket.  That’s the sum of the non-refundable deposits you’ve sent into Indiana Tech.  Please, for your own sake, walk away.  $400 lost now is far better than $200,000 lost over the next two decades, along with the countless opportunities you’ll miss out on because you’re in debt up to your eyeballs and branded as a lawyer.  Leave the $400 on the table, write a quick email to the admissions dean, and walk away.  Save law school for next year if you have to, and make sure you at least go to an accredited school.  Rolling the dice for a $200,000 bet on law school is risky even at the best ABA-accredited law schools in the nation.  Rolling the dice for a $200,000 bet on an unaccredited new law school where you will be “educated” by the most ridiculous bunch of academic misfits I’ve ever seen calling themselves a law faculty is insane.

You can do far better than this.

Anyone attending Indiana Tech this fall must want to be a lawyer really badly.  Or perhaps just wants to be a really bad lawyer.

Charles Cooper is the author, along with Thane Messinger, of “Con Law: Avoiding...or Beating...the Scam of the Century (The Real Student's Guide to Law School and the Legal Profession)”, in addition to being the moderator at Nontradlaw.net and the author of “Later in Life Lawyers”.  He can be contacted at charlescooperauthor@gmail.com.

Back to the Future II

My vacation allowed me to think about my place in the legal profession, such as it is.  I have decided to relate a few personal experiences to approach from a different angle the topic of why solo practice is a bad career path for most new attorneys.

I have an unusual experience in that I have developed a solo practice and have turned a $25,000 profit after business expenses and taxes in one year.  Also, this current year is getting progressively better.  Because of a variety of factors with my constantly changing debt payments, I did not subtract student debt from this “profit” calculation—which is important to recognize.

Most people would see this first year out of law school as a pittance, which it is.  After seven years of post-high school education and a lot of stress, opportunity cost, and debt, I am able to make the same amount of “profit” that I made before law school.  And I am a rarity!  I know of no other recent graduate in this hyper-glutted city to earn this much money as a solo attorney out of law school.  So, I relate my experience as a warning that I am the so-called “success story” for hanging out a shingle.  This reality should scare you.  It scares me.

Keep in mind, I only have paying clients (no government work), and I only eat what I kill.  The optimist in me looks at my situation and sees a solid beginning for an upward climb.  I have been steadily increasing my monthly client retention and retainer intakes, finding bigger cases, and if all continues I am set to make as much as an entry-level mid-law slave by the end of this year.  Of course, keep in mind that I do not get a guaranteed salary—a dry month could be right around the corner.  I get no benefits.  I get no retirement plan.  The market could again shift, causing my various sources of clients and income to dry up. 

Yet, on the bright side, I have no boss, which is easily the biggest perk of solo practice.  I schedule my own cases, which means that I can take (theoretically) a vacation whenever I want to by scheduling my court dates accordingly.  Also, unlike most law school graduates, I actually enjoy day-to-day lawyering, including the legal research of weirdly specific issues (did the prosecutor check the correct box on the Order of Protection?).  My work on a few big-dollar cases has made me proud.  For example, I wrote an excellent motion for keeping an autistic young man off of the sex offender registry after he plead guilty to statutory rape and several other felonies.  I love appearing at court dates, litigating, writing motions, bargaining with over-worked prosecutors who want to lighten their caseloads if given the right incentives, and I shine during a trial.  I have not yet had a client’s case end with a conviction of the original charges.

However, I spend 20-30 hours a week hustling, advertising, making “connections,” and engaging in other unorthodox methods of finding work.  I expend this time and effort after I do all of the actual lawyering work, including client consults, court appearances, legal research, motion practice, investigation, etc.  My solo practice is really a hodgepodge of various sub-businesses and arrangements, which includes a sprinkle of per diem work and drafting motions for attorneys who have now seen my usefulness with specific tasks.  My channels for getting the big-dollar clients ($5K retainers or higher) are unorthodox.  If you do not love the work, as I do (so far), this type of makeshift law practice will bore, frustrate, intimidate, and depress the average new lawyer.  It will take as much time as a Biglaw career but without the financial rewards.

Some shills might argue that I am living proof that solo practice is a realistic option for new attorneys.  It is not!  I am an unusual bird for many reasons and not representative of the typical law school graduate.  I have seen a few other people try to solo “on the side” and to take $500 divorces or misdemeanors or whatever comes their way.  Or they take whatever “pro bono client” an older attorney dumps off on these naïve souls.  These younger attorneys get sucked dry before they even start.  Most new solos have a desperate doe-eyed look that attracts the bloodsuckers (including other attorneys who will take advantage of their desire to get “experience”). 

Other unusual factors of my situation: I have a husband with good business sense and disciplined accounting.  He brings in a part-time income as well.  And we have no kids!  This is extremely important—seriously.  If you plan on having kids, or if you already have kids, you cannot be a new solo—sorry!  It is financially impossible.  My husband and I barely can afford our nephew!  If you don’t believe me, just ask Charles Cooper.  He provided an excellent detailed account of how easy it was to fall from Biglaw to Mid-law to Rock Bottom Solo despite his excellent credentials, experience, and drive.  The responsibilities of family (and common sense) made it impossible for him to stick out the dubious solo-waiting-game for more than a few months. 

I think it is important to provide my story of currently surviving total destruction (so far) and of starting to find a place in The New Normal of the legal profession.  However, this path is not realistic for most people, and it is not what most people signed up for when they attended law school.  It was not what I expected.  No one ever taught us how to develop and operate a business, how to catch clients, how to get paid, how to network with quid pro quo arrangements, and how to perform very basic tasks in any single area of practice in our jurisdiction.  I did not even know how to do an arraignment or calendar call until I faked my way through it a few times.  I am guessing that most new lawyers or current law students have no desire to follow this stressful path, and some might complain that it is reckless and unethical to even try (although no more reckless than a client hiring most of the “grey-beards” who I see in court).

A new attorney going solo "by default" is not a viable backup plan for temporarily avoiding unemployment.  For most people, a half-assed last-minute solo practice just wastes more time and money on a losing proposition.  For a few of us, a carefully developed small-budget solo practice allows us to survive and to practice our favorite areas of law despite the daily struggles...Or perhaps it just extends the path to inevitable financial ruin.  I shall see, I suppose.

For a solo practice to succeed in both the short-term and the long-term, an attorney must make an all-consuming life commitment to his business.  And for the first few years, the "successful" solo will be only a step ahead of dumpster diving and homeless panhandling.  Not many young lawyers understand that after the three years of stressful law school exams followed by the more stressful bar exam, those people who did not get into Biglaw will earn a lower salary than before they went to law school, and yet they must suddenly throw a huge percentage of that income into the black hole of enormous debt.  A person must sacrifice everything, including one's first born children, to keep treading water.  And still, the few people who actually start to make any money will face the strong likelihood of eventual failure.

For the few lottery winners in the long-term solo practice game, the game I have chosen, a “success” story means steady earnings in the mid-five-figure range, something that most people could achieve outside of the legal profession and without student debt.  A few people may become JeffM and earn high-five and low-six figure wages…but the chances of that happening are as remote as the chances of a long-term Biglaw career. 

The Millon Dollar Law Degree?

A new study by Michael Simkovic and Frank McIntyre argues that a law degree gives the holder one million dollars more income than someone who only has a bachelor’s degree. Where can I even start? The usual suspects are defending the study, wanting the gravy train to keep running a little while longer. But, is the hypothesis of this study even remotely plausible? Let’s take a look.

Elis Mystal of Above The Law did a great job picking the study apart. Firstly, this study encompassed the period from 1996 to 2008. Hmmm, when exactly did the bottom fall out of the legal job market? Oh right: 2010. Second, the study did not factor in tuition costs. What??? The explanation from Simkovic is that including the tuition costs was too complicated because students all pay different prices. Well Michael, how about using an average? The data is not hard to find, because I found it in 20 seconds using Google. The omission of this data is like bragging you got a great deal on a 1985 Caprice Classic you bought for $600, while ignoring the fact that you will likely spend at least twice that amount in gas each year. Simkovic responded to Mystal and other critics with more fancy charts, but the major flaws in the study remain.

Mystal points the reader to some studies that are actually truthful. Simkovic displays the type of blatant intellectual dishonesty that law schools and their minions need to employ to keep their delusions intact. They use charts and “data” to delude readers into thinking all is well. They will tell you that over a lifetime, a law degree will pay off handsomely. This study fails to account for the fact that the outcomes in the legal profession are bimodally distributed, more so over the past five years. If 20% of grads are making $80,000 or more and another 20% are making less than $20,000, of course you can show an average of $60,000 in yearly earnings. But this method ignores the fact that the legal profession is a boom or bust proposition. Like the country at large, the middle class is rapidly disappearing.

Studies such as this one fall apart under scrutiny like law school lies do. But, the legal education industrial complex (to borrow a term from Con Law) requires more and more sacrifice on the part of young people so that law professors can have the highest paid part time job in America. But, as long as this type of drivel has outlets that will publicize it, naive young people will continue to fatten the pockets of Brian Leiter and his cohorts.

Abolish the Law Schools.

The New Republic recently featured a mini-symposium on "how to fix law school."  However, I wonder if the thing should be repaired at all, as opposed to being consigned to the junkyard. Why not consider the benefits of eliminating almost all non T13 law schools, and returning to some version of the apprenticeship model of legal education, appropriately modified and updated for these more complicated times? The apprenticeship model produced Abraham Lincoln, Clarence Darrow, and Justice Robert Jackson, so maybe there are few things to learn from the 19th/early 20th centuries.

The model would work something like this: Following a bar-review-like crash course to teach core doctrine fast, law students would undergo a two year long structured series of apprenticeships and clinics to train them to try a case, handle an appeal, and represent clients in a couple of practice areas of their choice. The supervisors would be successful local practitioners and, maybe, public sector agencies. Not six-figure-salaried pedagogues who haven't seen the inside of a courtroom in many years, if ever.  

 

There would be no more hide-the-ball classroom bullying sessions, the core of the prevailing method of legal education. This method sometimes goes by the name "Socratic," but is really just the practice of self-interested law professors, who are either lazy or do not know much about legal practice, of stretching out a few months worth of doctrine to fill three long years, thereby draining their students of three years of tuition.

 

The costs of an apprenticeship education would be considerably less than the current black hole of law school debt. There would be no need for 90 million dollar "state of the art" School of Law buildings, no need for $500,000+/yr. law school deans,  and no need for faculties filled with dozens of six-figure-salaried academics who, over and above their salaries and benefits and summer research stipends, expect to be subsidized to travel to luxury resorts in Florida and Hawaii for, uh, academic conferences. As well, there would be no need to hire a bunch of do-nothing career services employees. Moreover, for apprenticeship supervisors, tuition would merely be a supplement to their salaries or income, not the whole thing.

Because lawyers should, indeed, have highly developed critical thinking and writing skills, a prerequisite for admission to a law apprenticeship program could be a year or more of grad school, plus excellent grades in college, plus a high score on the LSAT or some other standardized test or tests designed to measure critical thinking skills.
 

The practicing bar, which would accredit apprenticeship programs, and monitor them for quality, would be unlikely to follow the example of law schools, and allow training programs to flood the market. Practitioners have an interest in keeping the number of bar admissions down, whereas law schools have little stake in the legal profession, and must extract enormous sums of money, mostly from students, just to meet expenses.

Students would complete their apprenticeship program with the confidence, experience, and local contacts to practice law and make money, even if, sometimes, not enough to sustain an entire legal career.  And, being practice-ready and far less indebted, recent grads would be able to take many more low bono cases, thereby actually advancing justice by meeting the unmet legal services needs of the working poor. Under the current system, by contrast, newly minted JDs are rarely practice-ready, and their hideously expensive legal educations are frequently a total loss, especially as document review dries up. 

 

Futhermore, I believe that nonlaw white collar employers would not despise a practical legal education, as they currently despise JDs. To many such employers, a JD represents a bundle of elite expectations, rather than a bundle of actual skills. It is a degree that screams: entitled asshole. By contrast, an apprenticeship law degree/license would signify skills rather than entitlement. Nobody despises skills even if they are not immediately useable.

What about legal scholarship? Much of that could be done over on the undergrad campus, in philosophy, history, sociology, poli-sci, or cultural studies departments, which is where many of the "Law and __" or "Critical-This-or-That-Theory" law professors belong. (Though, unfortunately, many such law school professors are just overpaid dilettantes, and would find the transition to scholarly rigor and peer review to be a trying experience). The best of the "Law and __" professors would land in the T13 law schools, which would continue to provide havens for scholars and valuable credentials for well-bred overachievers. There should also be foundations to subsidize select practicing lawyers of a scholarly bent to take one or two year leaves of absence from their jobs in order to write academic-style articles.

 

There are a handful of law professor critics who have truly honored their moral obligations to their students (and who are far braver and smarter than I am). I would hate to see these professors hurt in any way by the collapse of the system, and so I hope they succeed in reforming the current system from within somehow. I don't think that is possible anymore, and so my proposed solution is Ecrasez l'infame.

A Dose of Humor : Tenure

Oh, but in Law School, it's Critically Necessary(tm).  Just ask your local ScamDeans/LawProfs.  Defending Liberty, Pursuing Justice, and all that jazz.

Applications are still available!

http://www.smbc-comics.com/?id=3059#comic

CounterPoint #1: Law School Tuition is too LOW

Previously, I told you, my dear readers, that I decided to become a law school advocate. (Is shill a bad word? Advocate sounds better). Today I become the number one advocate on the internet for legal education services and begin balancing the ridiculous rhetoric heretofore seen on this "site". I think it is time to have some counterpoints to respond to the lying scambloggers. You are too quick to blame law schools for your own failures, as if you were not responsible for your own life decisions. Ridiculous.

So my first point to make is that contrary to what the Toileteers claim, tuition at law school today is not too high. In fact, based on what you get, it is too low.

An article from 2011 about designer jeans discusses that a pair of jeans, made domestically in the USA, cannot be sold for under $200. Most jeans are imported, because as it turns out, 99% of jeans bought today are sold for under $50. There was a chart and explanation to justify the cost of domestically produced jeans. Many commenters did not like the fact that jeans could cost so much, when they are used to themselves paying much less. But that "is what it is", as dumb people (non-JD holders) like to say.

When it comes to domestically producing something, things just cost a lot in the United States. Despite the myth of the US not being socialized and having a "free market" (you get taxed for free, that is) it is similar to other western "socialist" countries in that we have mucho regulations, laws, agencies, state local and federal, environmental and employment issues to comply with, all of which cost money. True, universities & law schools are generally tax-exempt non-profits, but ignore that for now, it does not concern you. To wit, our schooling of you dear students costs lots of money. Your tuition goes right back to you. We need to operate physical plant buildings, heat, air conditioning; did you think that paid for itself? Duh. We have to pay our stonemasons and architects: see? Not to mention the landscaping costs—take a look at Lewis & Clark's foliage, which some students on "TLS" said makes it worth the tuition alone.  It just costs a lot to provide the services you students need; not want, but need. Tuition increases because demands made on us by you increase. It is an increase, but a student-driven one. Which of you did not demand that your professors get two-year sabbaticals? Or that they get guest houses overseeing some large body of water? It wasn't from the administration, I can guarantee that. We don't even like professors much, especially ones with blogs. Maybe a few deans got some bennies like that, but most of us are working hard at working for you. 

Perhaps I haven't persuaded you that paying the equivalent of 4-5 new Mercedes isn't worth getting a degree already held by over a million people in this country alone. So be it; but look at the other opportunities, JD Plus we call them. The best thing about law school is if you play nice, you can be an advocate, like me, and advocating a position is what we were (in theory) trained to do. Money isn't everything; a J.D. is as precious as a little cute fat baby. What price could you put on the head of a cute little newborn? Ridiculous; how dare you then try to price a doctoral education in law. 

GO TO LAW SCHOOL!

Strictly Platonic... Internship?

I have heard that it's tough finding internships, but advertising on the strictly platonic section of Craigslist? 

Reality Check – Are you still going to law school for the right reasons?

I decided to write this after reading a couple of comments from a prior post.  The first was someone stating that their career path towards law school began way back in college, many years before actually attending law school, and the seeds of a legal career were sown six years (or more) before actually graduating from law school.  The second was someone pointing out that we have just a month or two left to dissuade the incoming class of 1Ls, many of whom will be making the worst decision of their lives.

And as to the second point, I can’t underestimate its importance.  There is more than enough time to get off the law school path and save yourself a couple of hundred grand in wasted tuition and three years of your life which would be spent better doing almost anything. Forget how many commitment letters you’ve signed, and don’t even get started thinking about “sunk costs” into application fees, LSAT registration and preparation, and so forth.  You can still decide against law school.



Furthermore, deciding to not attend law school at this late stage would actually sting the law school establishment.  You’ve lost your seat deposit (and gained the rest of your life – a bargain when you think about it), while the school has just lost at least $30,000 (1L tuition) that it was counting on, perhaps even a full $150,000 or more (three years of tuition, fees, on-campus housing, bookstore profits, and all the little things that add up over time.)  Those kinds of losses make law schools panic, because that money is already spoken for and has to come from somewhere.

As to the first point, now is perfect to reevaluate exactly why you’re going to law school.  Maybe this is a decision you made years ago, perhaps even four or more years ago.  Perhaps you are someone who chose political science as a major back in 2009, thought that law school was where you’d end up, and haven’t really thought about it since then.  Well, think about it now.  This is your last chance to escape without spending tens of thousands of dollars in tuition.

You’re still not past the last exit off the highway to Mistakesville, but it’s coming up in the next mile or so.

So you have your law school acceptance in hand, you’re going to look for an apartment soon, buy books, sign loan paperwork, and move to a new city.  You’re all set to go.  All your ducks are lined up, you’re ready.  You’re about to spend, over the next three years, a hundred times what it’s cost you to get to this point.  But take one last step back.  Think about this for a moment.  Why are you going to law school?

Or let me rephrase that.  Why are you going to law school now?

• Prestige?
• Money?
• Stability?
• Versatility?
• Want to help people?
• See yourself practicing XYZ law?
• You have a scholarship?
• You’ve got into a top tier school?
• You like arguing?
• You want to use your brain?
• What else can you do with your degree?

I will not rehash the solid evidence that discredits every single one of those issues – every single one! – so why are you going to law school?  In this day and age, where so much is known about the law school scam, where it’s clear that this is not a movement that can be dismissed by claiming we’re all losers or nuts or whatever else you’d like to call us, why are you going to law school?

Please, I’d really love to hear comments from those who legitimately think they have a good reason to go to law school.  And there are some good reasons.  I’m not going to hand them to you on a plate, but there are some good reasons to still go to law school.  So what are they?  What makes you different?  Why will this bet pay off for you?  I’m serious about this – if you have a good reason, please explain in the comments section below.  I, for one, will not criticize anyone who is going to law school for the right reasons.

But even to those who are going to law school for the right reasons, I’d ask the following question: why now?

Why attend now, when the system could well be on the brink of huge changes, very favorable changes for law students?  Tuition costs may be slashed.  Student loans may be reformed (yeah, unlikely.)  Legal education may well be altered to shorter programs, cheaper programs, more practical programs.  Enrolments may plummeting and schools may close, making you chances of getting a legal job easier in the future.  Why buy at the top of the bubble?  Why not wait it out a year or two?  See what happens?  And in the meantime, try something else?  Is there a legal issue so pressing and urgent, one that needs you right away, that really can’t wait for a year longer until you arrive to save the day?  Take a step back, take some time to think, and perhaps you’ll find yourself paying half the price for your degree next year as you would this year.  There’s no rush.

The point of all of this is to urge those who are about to go to law school to stop and think.  Check yourselves.  Are the reasons that were valid two, three years ago, are they still valid?  Is your analysis of the market still good?  Do you still want to do this?

I write extensively towards the end of Con Law that it’s never too late to get out of law school when you see the writing on the wall and know that it’s not turning into that dream job you’d hoped of.  Right up until your last year of law school, it’s always to your advantage to stop paying and leave, get out early, cut your losses and move on.  But that can be started now, before you’ve really spent too much on law school.  It’s very cheap to quit before you start.  So do yourself a favor and think about it.  Thinking is free.  Set aside a few hours to really go over whether you want to attend or not.  Keep it at the back of your mind over the next month.  And if you decide to not attend, it’s really no big deal at all.  Law schools – trust me – will be ready to take your money next year, the year after, and the year after that.  You’ve nothing to lose by thinking about it.

Incidentally, how much is a seat deposit these days?  The week before law school starts, how much are you in the hole if you withdraw?  A few hundred bucks?  What’s the damage?  I ask because an interesting little Kickstarter project might be raising the cash to “buy out” 1Ls – give them their seat deposits back if they don’t want to go to law school.  Just a thought.  I know this site is not one for activism, but it might generate a little publicity.  How much are you in the hole in terms of non-refundable cash that the law school is holding?  And would you be interested in getting that cash refunded if you pull out of law school right before the orientation?  What can we do you get you out of this law school seat today?

Charles Cooper is the author, along with Thane Messinger, of “Con Law: Avoiding...or Beating...the Scam of the Century (The Real Student's Guide to Law School and the Legal Profession)”, in addition to being the moderator at Nontradlaw.net and the author of “Later in Life Lawyers”.  He can be contacted at charlescooperauthor@gmail.com.

Should You Go to Law School?

I took the chance to read an interesting article from a Georgetown University Law Center professor entitled Should You Go to Law School?  I want to take this chance of chances to give my opinion on the matter and ask the same question, "should you go to law school?"

The good professor and author if this long-winded article starts with the obvious and the same thing that every person on the internet is pretty much agreeing on: there are too many law students, too many lawyers, and way too few jobs in the legal market to cover them.  She also states that law tuition is far too expensive at many schools, even though it could be argued that pretty much every school's tuition is too high.

I think we can all pretty much agree on those facts.  However, like many articles that are not overly critical of law school, the author does not give a solid answer.  She beats around the bush, causing havoc in the mind of the reader.  The reader, upon finishing this article, will still wonder if they should indeed go to law school.

Here is the conclusion that the article gives:

Bottom line? If you want to go to law school, go -- but only if you get into a good law school, expect to be a strong student, have a rational plan for paying all those bills, and consider yourself persistent and tough-minded enough to refrain from tripping down the path of least resistance.

I want this article, however, to be different.  I want to answer that question definitively.  The naysayers are saying, brain to brain, bone to bone, do not go to law school.  They are pretty much in agreement that law is a horrible profession.  Some state "do not go unless you get into a top 6 school."  I guess that would work for you if you were one of the few to own the LSAT and likely had the money sitting around to take prep courses and prepare.  However, not everyone gets into the top 6 schools and there is a legion of people who want to go to law school.

So, should you go?  The answer, truly, lies in you.  However, if you are reading this, you are probably on the fence.  It's those people who are on the fence that I want to appeal to.  I want to help you decide if you should go to law school.

Now, the article that I mentioned above mentions that law school is an expensive undertaking.  I, for example, hold almost $300,000 in educational debt, most of which is from law school!  That's a whole lot of money!  However, at the same time, a recent article that I had the chance of reading an interesting ABA Journal article entitled "what's the value of a law degree" that states that, on average, law grads make $1,000,000 more than non-law grads! 

Two professors are battling the conventional wisdom about the lowered value of a law degree with a research paper finding a JD more than pays for itself.

Over a lifetime, a law grad will make $1 million more, on average, than a college grad, according to the authors, Seton Hall University law professor Michael Simkovic and Rutgers University economics and business professor Frank McIntyre. The median increase in earnings is $610,000.

Inside Higher Ed summarizes their findings.

The median value of a JD is $350,000 for those in the 25th percentile and $1.1 million in the 75th percentile. “People with law degrees are still doing a lot better than people with only bachelor’s degrees,” Simkovic told Inside Higher Ed.

New findings are showing a law degree to be very valuable.

I have, however, always argued that entering the legal field should not be about money.  I never expected to get a $75,000+ a year job in law.  Instead, I chose to go to law school for other reasons.  First, I wanted the superior education that going to law school gave me.  Second, I wanted to be more marketable.  No matter what some people may assert, having a J.D. makes you more marketable.  No, it does not substitute for work experience, so get plenty while you are a law student, and if you come to law school with work experience, bonus points for you!

So, should you go to law school?  If you are asking that question and you are trying to convince yourself to go, then, by all means, just go already!  Now is probably the best time to go.  Enrollments are down at many schools, the legal economy is improving, and baby boomers are getting ready to retire. 

A final note: be picky about the school you attend, but remember, just because a school is ranked low does not mean that it's a bad school.  U.S. News rankings, overall, mean very little in the whole scheme of things.  Instead, you should focus on how well graduates actually do, how well the school is with helping graduates get into good jobs, how the school is respected in your area, and how you believe you will fit in at that school.  Look at the price and the aid that you get.  I have mentioned before that I have found that lower tier schools are, overall, indistinguishable from higher ranked schools.  Rankings change every year, and a school that is in the 70's one year may be in the 50's the next year.  I have seen schools drop 20-30 places in one year.  To go to a school based on US News is silly.

Goal Setting as a Law School Student

Why Set Goals in Law School?

Top-level athletes, successful business-people, government and military leaders, and high achievers in every field use Goal Setting. Goal setting gives you a long-term vision and oftentimes much needed short-term motivation. It allows you to focus your acquisition of knowledge and helps you to organize your time and resources in a way that allows you to make the most of your life.

Setting clearly defined goals allows you to measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals. Every goal that you reach will increase your confidence and allow you to continue to excel in what you put your mind towards doing. You will see progress in something that, at one time, may have seemed like a long, arduous, and almost impossible task. Furthermore, you will notice yourself moving further ahead of your peers and achieving excellence in that which you do. Setting goals psychologically helps you become excited about meeting those goals, and you may even notice that setting goals and working towards them becomes somewhat of an addiction. If you are not used to goal setting methods to get ahead in your life at this point, you will want to seriously apply them now that you are in law school.



I am confident in stating that the top grades in your law school classes and the top jobs will go to those who have set out and worked toward their goals. There is no reason why this cannot be you.
When I entered law school I saw students that seemed more intelligent than me. I honestly wondered how I could hope to compete with many of these individuals. However, I knew that if I wanted to have a chance against them, I would have to have goals that I would work towards. I continued to surprise myself when I would meet one of my goals and create new goals that were built on those previously met goals. Although I did not have a background in law, nor had read books about law school before starting, I held my own against my competition and came out very near the top of my class.

Goal setting is not something that you will just want to use in law school. It will be an integral part of securing a job later on as well as living a successful life. Goal setting can be used in any capacity. No matter what task you have ahead of you, taking the time to take an inventory of the tasks that need to be completed, the results you want to achieve, with the steps to see it through, will help you design the life that you desire.

How to Use Goal Setting In Law School To Your Advantage

• Before you start studying, write down what you hope to achieve during the semester.  For example, do you want to get top 5% grades, do you want to get a summer internship with the DA?  Write those large goals down immediately.
• Create a game plan of the course of study you want to pursue.  Do you want to get a certificate in Business Law?  Are you considering possibly going for an LLM after law school?  Are you focusing on International Law?
• Do you want to transfer?  If so, write that down.  What schools are you looking to transfer to?  Do you want to be in a particular city/state?
• Are there any activities you want to be a part of?  If you are looking to be in Moot Court or Law Review, write this down as well.  

Once you write down the big goals, take some time and create a road map of how you hope to achieve those goals.  You will want to create small goals such as "study for three hours after class daily" or "get to know the Criminal Law professor for a good letter of recommendation."

Here is an example of goal setting in the law school context:

Tips for Effective Goal Setting:

• Keep a "goal notebook" and write down your goals in it immediately.
• Keep track of your progress daily.
• If you mess up or miss a day, don't fret.  Get yourself back on track.
• Don't be afraid to edit or rework your goals.
• Take your goal notebook with you everywhere.  Open it in the morning and mark of what you did in the evening.
• Continue to add new goals and reflect on what you want to achieve.

How To Find a Job

How do I find a job? 

For those who are just looking at this blog, I am a recent law graduate in NYC.  I am currently studying for the bar, but I also have my eye open for a job.  I may have something after I take the bar, I am told, but I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket.  That means I will still be looking for a job and helping others with it.

I have read that many people here are looking for jobs, even after months of searching.  Therefore, I want to share my strategy for finding a job.  I also want to look at some of the reasons why I believe that some people are not finding a job.  Over time I hope to improve this guide so that it helps other people who are in my position.

1.  You can not be picky in today's economy.

I feel that too many people are starting out by being picky. That might work if you live in your parent's basement, but if you have bills piling up and real responsibility, that is not going to work.  As for me, I don't have much of a choice other than work.  That means I have to keep my eye open and take work wherever it may pop up.  That may mean getting a job as a barista, a waiter, a security guard, or whatever pays the bills (as long as it is ethical).

Look on Simplicity (if your school offers it) or any other job bank that your school offers.  This is probably the best place to start, because you will not be competing with the same number (read: legions) of people that you will be on Craigslist.

2.  Consider supplementing your income with sperm and egg donation.

This one really works well for those who are law graduates or have advanced degrees.  Your sperm will be valued, because, for some reason, sperm donation places want donors to have an advanced degree.  They believe it makes the offspring smarter (there is little proof of this).  However, would be parents are paying big money to have a child that has a parent as a doctor or lawyer, so you might as well take advantage of it and run with it. 

Here in New York, you can make about $1,200 a month donating sperm, and you get free health screenings!  For women, you can make even more donating your eggs!  What is really amazing about this opportunity is that you can still work a job on the side, and you should easily be able to pay your rent off $1,200 if you are not trying to live above your means in the East Village.

3.  Network like crazy!

What does this even mean?  I am no networking guru, but I would imagine a good place to start is your school or a school.  See what events are going on.  Talk to your career services office.  If they are not helpful, keep bothering them so they want to get you a job and get rid of you. 

I don't think network means schmoozing or trying to be someone you are not, and I will not do this.  Instead, I think it means using whatever source you can in order to land a job.  You might even be able to network while donating sperm (see #2, above).

4.  Start your own business on the side.

Put an ad on Craigslist saying you will watch people's pets.  I did this, and although I have yet to get a hit, it could bring in a bit of extra money.  Consider cleaning houses, or doing tasks that others need done.  Help people move.  Make something and sell it online.  Do you have some stuff that you could sling on Ebay?  Maybe you could find some things.  Hit some garage sales and give it a shot.  There has to be something you can do!  If not, you might just be being lazy.

And, with your own business, you can network with those who you are meeting.

5.  Consider Africa



Last night I found myself watching this video and wondering if the individuals therein were right.  Perhaps Africa is the place to go.  I just got back from a trip to Africa, and let me tell you, it is a much different place than the U.S. and Europe.  Things are not as comfortable, but the experience you get there could make a huge difference in your life and the lives of others.  I may write more on this in the future, as I thought about looking into it myself.  I am sure Africa needs lawyers just like anywhere else. 

6.  Teach English Overseas

Just be careful with getting into a good TESOL, CELTA or TEFL program.  You want one that has a lot of teaching components.  I have read that the online ones generally are not as good, nor are they accepted in a lot of countries.  Teaching English overseas is a great way to make some extra money and live a pretty exciting life. 

7.  Always stay positive!

Job hunting should not be looked at in a negative way.  Think of it as a game.  Think of it as a treasure hunt.  Don't get down on yourself.  Some people spend over a year looking for a job.  It sucks.  Apply for unemployment, food stamps, anything that you can to stay afloat.  If you have student loan debt, get on IBR or a forbearance immediately.  Do everything you can to make money and get money.  You will likely learn a lot from this process.  Keep a journal, because you will probably be back in this position one day.   

Upstairs Downstairs at the Vermont Law School Scam (featuring Professors Jennifer Taub, Cheryl Hanna, Mark Latham, and Career Services).

The law school scam has an upstairs and a downstairs. Upstairs is where six-figure salaried law deans and professors dazzle you with visions of a lucrative, interesting, jet-setting, and socially useful legal career. Downstairs is where career services sells you business cards and advises you to network with your dentist.

Here are some contrasting quotes from the upstairs and downstairs scammers of Vermont Law School (VLS), a horrible third-tier law school, which is currently sailing into well-deserved trouble. Upstairs quotes are in bold print and come from this two minute long recruitment video. Downstairs quotes come from past issues of the VLS career services newsletter entitled Career Strategies. A few thoughts of my own appear in the footnotes.

"I am often asked: "Should I go to law school?" My answer is: "Absolutely." Law school is the very best preparation for a broad career." - Geoffrey B. Shields, President and Dean. [1]

"There’s a Career Services aphorism that goes like this: In a good job market it may only matter what you know. In a marginal market it may matter who you know. But in this market it is how many people you know and are going to get to know!!" (Oct. 12, 2012)

"Those opportunities are, in part, new. [2] There has never been the kind of global opportunity for young lawyers that we have today and that’s just going to grow like crazy over the next few years." - Geoffrey B. Shields, President and Dean.

 "You’ll find that your career path will not lead directly to your employment goal, so you have to be open to opportunities even if they’re not exactly in your chosen field. To put it more simply: be open to taking a job just to get in the door." (Feb. 21, 2011)

 "What attracts me to Vermont Law School is really that it lives up to its motto: Law for the Community and the World." [3] - Jennifer Taub, Associate Professor of Law.

 

"What are the best sources of people to network with?. . . . Neighbors and others you know casually (even your dentist!)" (Feb. 17, 2012)

"I am amazed at the opportunities that they have as law students to get out there and see law in action." - Jennifer Taub, Associate Professor of Law.

"Be a relentless networker -- whether it's at events on-campus or off. Never pass up a chance to talk to someone who is a lawyer or who knows a lawyer or might be helpful in finding contacts for you. Informational interviews can open many doors for you." (Apr. 13, 2012)

"Being a lawyer is about what kind of person you are in your community and in the world and so if you’ve wanted to go law school, if law school is really your dream, don’t give up on your dream." [4]  - Cheryl Hanna, Professor of Law.

"Don't bail out. If you sign up for a networking event, be sure to attend. Some who do attend will be sure to look at the unclaimed name tags to see who skipped out, and particularly if they are among your contacts, that's not going to create a favorable impression." (Apr. 18, 2011)

"What we do here at Vermont Law School is train people to be leaders and we train people to make a difference." - Cheryl Hanna, Professor of Law.

"One of the smarter suggestions from professional development experts we've consulted over the years is to take the time to think of your skill sets and interests in terms of a personal brand. How can you market yourself to potential employers and people you're networking with to make the strongest impression possible." (March 9, 2012)

"So there are a ton of career paths that you can pursue as a lawyer. We often have in our minds that there just these traditional lawyer jobs going to a big firm and doing deals or litigating in court. But that’s just really just a small piece of what lawyers do." - Cheryl Hanna, Professor of Law.

"Constantly update your status on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. At least once a week your should post something that reflects on your personal brand and is career-related. Did you just attend an event? Complete a project? Read an interesting book or article? Share that information." (April 11, 2011)

"We think that there’s only one place to attend law school and that’s Vermont Law School." - Mark Latham, Professor of Law and Deputy Vice Dean.

 "If you would like to have business cards that use the official VLS fonts, logo and template, Whitman Communications is the vendor. The cost is $24 per 100." (April 18, 2011)

"Students go to China and work on environmental issues. Students do externships around the globe." - Jennifer Taub, Associate Professor of Law.

 

"We know that a number of you are frustrated about the lack responses from employers and that it is tempting to give up looking for a summer internship. But at this point in the early spring, it is more important than ever that you follow up on your applications." (April 13, 2012)

--------------------------------------
notes:

[1] Shields retired, eff. August 1, 2012. He was succeeded as Dean by Marc Mihaly, who is credited with the following quote: "The world does need this law school. . . .We are different from other schools because of the people who choose to come here, both students and faculty. Vermont Law attracts people who want to change the world, not to fit into it."

I read this quote to mean:  Other law schools scam the ambitious, but Vermont Law's special niche is scamming idealists. 

[2] Shields does not specify the nature of "those" opportunities, other than that they are "global."  If you watch the video, you will notice that Shelds has a shit-eating grin on his face, which thoroughly detracts from the impact of his words.  He should have taken a lesson in scamming from Professors Taub and Hanna, who are just dripping with sincerity.

[3] Here is a list of meaningless corporate mottos to similarly "attract" Taub. Honeywell Corporation, for instance, "really lives up" to its motto: "We are Honeywell."

[4] If your dream is, indeed, to become a Vermont lawyer, you are fortunate that that State is one of seven to allow residents to take the bar without attending law school. Here is a four-minute long Vermont NPR segment on the State's legal apprenticeship program, called the "Law Office Study Program."

The segment mentions several successful Vermont lawyers without JDs. These include a (rather impressive) Professor at Vermont Law, Maryann Zavek, whose faculty bio indicates that she dropped out of law school after her first year and then spent three years as a paralegal for Legal Aid, prior to becoming a Legal Aid attorney herself. The segment also mentions the late Joan Wing, who served as President of the Vermont State Bar Association. 

If prospective and current Vermont law students are truly "different drummer" personality types, then they should think seriously about following the example of these attorneys, in lieu of dumping a small borrowed fortune (projected nondiscounted cost: $238,726) into the welcoming pockets of scammers like Taub, Hanna, and Latham in order to attend a school that offers a 43.7%(!) full-time legal employment rate, nine months out.

 

Craigslist: Legal Assistant Wanted, Bilingual, $7.25 an hour!

Recently, in my legal job search, I am finding that Craigslist is often not as fun as it used to be.  Now, looking for a job is somewhat fun.  I mean, you have to get yourself to think of it that way, or it will tear you up.  Many people get all depressed when looking for a job, and law graduates are not immune to this type of depression.

With that in mind, I give you this posting.  It's a legal job in Manhattan that offers the lucky bilingual individual who lands it a handsome salary of $7.25/hr.  Now, let me give the hundreds of people with a J.D. who e-mail this guy some advice.  Do Korean or Chinese doc review instead.




As you can see, the Korean doc review (which pays $60 an hour).  You get paid more an an hour here than you would make in a 8.5 hour day at the law firm above. 

Of course, if you are applying to the above job without a J.D., the above doc review gig is irrelevant, as you could, according to the ad, get the job with having yet gone to law school.  In that case, it may be good experience. 

Sad Blog of the Month: (Over)Educated, Black, Broke, and Jobless in NYC.

This is one of the most heartwrenching blogs I have read in a long, and I mean, a long, long time.  The girl has some issues.  You know, real life issues.  She's a single adult who is not shacking up with her parents or a boyfriend, recent law school graduate.  She has been looking for work, and on top of it, she failed the bar.  The last post was written in November 2012 as of this post, so it's hard to say where she's at.  I honestly hope she's somewhere better.  (Source: diariesofanunemployed.tumblr.com/). 

Unlike those who post drivel and play around all day on JD Underground, this woman is hitting the streets, looking for work, and suffering hardcore.  Not that some of the people on JD Underground don't suffer, but when you're making jokes about what you do after work (in your underwear), it's hard to feel bad for you, even if you make only $35 an hour doing doc review in a dark, dank basement.  (By the way, I like the dark.  I like it a lot).

I failed at getting paid for [adult relations].

Source: Thought Catalog

Money Quote:

I had 99 problems and my Sallie Mae student loan balance was one. Two years out of law school and dealing with my own unanticipated legal expenses from a DUI arrest, I was faced with unpalatable prospect of asking my parents for money for my attorney, or the truly unthinkable — having to make actual changes to my lifestyle and spending habits — I decided to start thinking outside the box. More accurately, with my box. The information super-highway led me to exactly what I was looking for: SeekingArrangement.com. God bless America.

My Opinion:

It's prostitution, pure and simple.  There's no way around it. 

Second, she should have got on IBR if she was having problems with her debt.  And, DUI?  Seriously? 

Craigslist Fail: John Bungsolaphagus's Apartment

Not a bad price for a place, but I can't get myself to get past what's in the window on the top left.  Maybe the great lawland prophet John Bungsolaphagus rents out that room.

Fashionable Bar Exam Prep

Hello, everyone. Sorry to be so silent recently. I'm trying to get out of town and so I have to double down on other stuff. I'll be gone through the month but back to post again in August.

In the meantime, enjoy:

"Torts? Pass the Sunscreen," by Alex Williams (N Y Times Fashion & Style Section)

The entire article is one giant money quote. Have fun.

What's wrong with being a special snowflake?

According to this article on thought catalog, nothing.

"You're supposed to be the main character in your own life.  If you can not find beauty and meaning if your own life, where the heck else are you going to find it?"

Being a special snowflake is good for the psyche.  You should aspire to be different, try to be unique, and have hope that you will succeed, even if others do not. 

Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Cake and Smooth Homemade Almond Milk

Good enough to be featured on FoodGawker (top left)?

How to make vegan chocolate cake with Ener-G Egg Replacer and smooth, creamy homemade almond milk.

You will need:

1.  A box of chocolate cake mix.
2.  Egg replacer (I used Ener-G Egg Replacer)
3.  A Vitamix blender.
4.  Oil and Water!
5.  Almonds (I get mine in bulk at Patel Brothers)

Now, first you will make the chocolate cake according to the directions on the box.  I purchased a box of chocolate cake mix from Fine Fare, a local grocery store in New York.  The box was on sale for $1.14 (which means you can eat cake on the cheap).  This also goes to show you don't need a Big Law salary to enjoy moist, delicious, vegan cake!

Now, to make the cake vegan, you will want to use the Ener-G Egg Replacer instead of regular eggs. 





Are Eggs Gross? 

Source: PETA

So, a human “period” is an unfertilized reproductive cycle and the eggs at the grocery store are unfertilized reproductive cycles. I’ll let you decide if eggs are “chicken periods,” but don’t get grossed out now! When you really think about it, our bodies and chickens’ bodies do some pretty awesome things. It’s reassuring to know that our bodies are working fulltime whether we are studying hard or on summer vacation. It’s the egg industry that should gross you out with their lazy practices.

Practically all of the hens who lay eggs to be eaten in our country have their claws and beaks cruelly sliced off and are never given the chance to spread their wings. Hens undergo these conditions their entire lives. These practices leave hens mutilated, stressed, and more prone to become infected with salmonella … which they pass on in their eggs to humans.

Many people decide not to eat eggs for cruelty reasons and many more decide not to eat eggs because they are loaded with artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated fat (70 percent of the calories in one egg is from pure fat!). Eggs are wonderful for nourishing a baby chick for a few days, but all of that fat can lead to heart problems in humans.

Nice article, Kelli Ellis! 

Now, mix the egg replacer and add it to the mix.  Stir and bake in a non-stick pan.  It's not rocket science, and if you are smart enough to be a law school student or graduate, you should be smart enough to know how to bake a box cake.  Right?

Now, for the Almond milk.   I used the following recipe to make the milk while the cake was baking:

VEGAN ALMOND MILK

• 1/2 almonds (you can replace cashews for a more creamy milk)
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 2.5 cups cold water (you can replace some ice for the cold water)
• Sugar, salt and vanilla to taste

Mix the almonds and hot water in the blender for about 15-20 seconds.  Once it is well blended, add the additional ingredients, including the cold water.  You can make it chocolate milk by adding chocolate if you wish.  You may or may not strain the milk.  I decided not to, although I should mention there are some almond pieces in the milk if you do not strain it.

The finished almond milk next to my Vitamix 1782 TurboBlend, 2 Speed.

Once the milk is done, put it in the fridge and let it chill while the cake is getting done.  You can even put the milk in the freezer to allow it to get cold faster.  By this time the cake should almost be ready to come out of the oven.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE FROSTING

To make a quick vegan chocolate frosting, I mixed cocoa powder, powdered sugar, a dash of salt, a bit of vanilla with a couple tablespoons of softened coconut oil.  I pretty much eyeballed what was needed and added things to taste.  You can pretty much experiment with this, as you can't go wrong.  Mix this with a small amount of that creamy vegan almond milk to get the desired consistency.

Now, once the cake is cool, remove from the pan and frost.  The cake itself should probably look a little better than mine (shown below).  Either way, you are in for a delicious and vegan treat!  Enjoy!