What should I get my bachelors degree in to become a criminal defense lawyer?
Graduated high school with no experience, no classroom work, nothing to do with law. However criminal defense seems interesting. What would you recommend to get my bachelors degree in? and would you say a law school would frown upon 2 years at a local community college, and then a transfer to a 4 year? Would you recommend another field of law? any and all opinions appreciated.
Previous poster "kapn" is right on target – again.
Choosing a career is one of life’s most important and difficult decisions.
We simply already have way too many Legal Professionals. AND the legal profession is dramatically changing; it is in absolute CRISIS!!! Job searching in this vocational field has changed >>DRAMATICALLY<< in the last five years. And, every year, more and more people graduate from law school, but there are fewer and fewer jobs. Even the largest and most reputable law firms are experiencing unprecedented cutbacks. I don’t expect the situation to improve in the coming years…..
Be aware of what you are proposing on getting yourself into. Please do more research first.
Reminder: We are STILL in a World-wide Recession. Consider career paths that have available JOBS.<<<<< Even in a Recovery, there are some jobs that just won’t return – the field of Law won’t make a comeback. Too many things have changed in this vocational field.
Warning> Jobs in the field of Law are drying up fast! This no longer is a good field to invest time and/or money into. This is a SHRINKING, crumbling, and dying vocational field. Many, many reasons. We now have computers. So, many people today (mistakenly) think they can do their own legal work, thanks to the Internet and legal books. Also, there are a lot of companies out there making very efficient legal software for the field of Law. Today’s graduating lawyers tend to be very computer savvy, so they just do the work themselves to save themselves the cost of overhead. Also, the "Public" buys this legal software and law books in order to get legal work done without the cost of an Attorney. Also, we simply already have way too many Legal Professionals – we just have an absolute glut!! ("Legal Professionals" includes, but is not limited to: Attorneys/Lawyers, Paralegals, Legal Assistants, Legal Secretaries, Bailiffs, Court Reporters, etc, etc)
Sites like legalzoom.com have taken away work that many small-time attorneys/lawyers would do/used to do.
The field of Law has a mystique that actually exceeds reality. The field of Law is an overrated career – mostly by television.<< There are many myths regarding the field of Law: *myth: working as a Lawyer is mentally challenging (Actually, most work as an attorney involves mountains of routine paperwork: research, cite checking, drafting documents, and document review. Attorneys need to write down and track EVERY activity they do, all day long [in 6 to 15 minutes increments, depending on the billing system] – a painstaking but necessary task), *myth: being an attorney is thrilling, high-powered, and glamorous (remember: television is FICTION – the fictional lawyers on TV are ACTORS – the majority of work that an attorney does, does not happen in a courtroom), *myth: law students think that because they are good at arguing they will become great attorneys (actually being a great attorney is more in one’s ability to mediate between differing sides and bringing them to agreement/compromise), *myth: as a lawyer I can correct injustices (actually legal decisions are more about reaching compromises than about right vs. wrong), *myth: guaranteed financial success (actually when salaries are compared, you also need to account for cost-of living expenses [most large law firms are in large cities - the bigger the city, the more cost-of-living expenses will be], payment of debts accrued while attending law school, and time needed to build a client base. Many large law firms require lawyers to work 60-80 hours per week.).
Cost of law school to be lawyer, approx $150,000+. Be prepared to take on a LOT of debt, if becoming an attorney is your "true", ultimate goal!!<<<
There are no jobs in this vocational field. My family, coworkers, friends, acqaintances, etc. have been laid off left and right in this vocational field.
Employers (usually law firms) in the field of Law today want employees with degrees from traditional colleges/universities. Those "certificates" you see advertised aren’t worth the paper they are printed on – they are generally scams. (>>I found this out the hard way.) Also, the law school’s program needs to be accredited by the American Bar Association – if it isn’t, you are just wasting your time/money.
Even if you finish law school, you won’t be able to find a job when you are done. Since this vocational field is shrinking (at an alarming rate), many new attorneys/lawyers are, themselves, having to work "down" as Paralegals, Legal Assistants, Legal Secretaries, Bailiffs, Court Reporters, etc, etc, to simply try to keep some of their bills paid <<this would be your competition. And the competition is fierce!!
Now… the law schools know this, but they won’t tell you the truth >that the job market/economy is just SATURATED with way too many Legal Professionals. Instead the schools will feed you a fairytale and will LIE to you. The root of the problem is we already have too many law schools. We are STILL in a Recession, and the schools are fighting for their own survival – they will tell students anything to get to the students’ money. (Which is why they won’t tell you the truth about the job market for the field of Law.) And these schools continue to recruit and churn out even more graduates………….Remember>>> law schools are BUSINESSES – their TOP concern is making money for themselves.
>>>>>THE MOST IMPORTANT THING (and I can’t stress this enough>>>): You ESPECIALLY have to beware of the bogus, inflated law school salary/job stats given out by law schools AND by the U.S. Bureau of Labor!!***<<<<<
If you don’t believe me, then just do a SEARCH here on Yahoo Answers to see what other posters are saying about the current status of the field of Law. Call some local law firms – ask to speak to the Manager of Human Resources – ask them if they are hiring; ask them what they think about future job availability in the field of Law………………
In the book "So You Want to be a Lawyer?" by Marianne Calabrese and Susanne Calabrese (ISBN 0-88391-136-1): "The United States has more lawyers than any other country in the world. About 38,000 students graduate >each year< from the 200+ law schools in the United States. The competition is very keen for jobs and clients." – Even Associate Justice Antonin Scalia (who served on the U.S. Supreme Court for more than 20 years) says there are too many lawyers. (9/14/2008)
Check out these websites: http://informeddecisionmaking.blogspot.com
http://calicocat.com/2004/08/law-school-big-lie.html
http://abajournal.com/news/triplt_bad_news_for_law_students_three_firms_aX_summer_associate_programs/
http://abajournal.com/news/as_rio_tinto_saves_millions_other_corps_will_outsource_too_counsel_says/
http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/02/03/dont-try-to-dodge-the-recession-with-grad-school/
http://lawschoolscam.blogspot.com
http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/02/another-view-lock-the-law-school-doors/?ref=business
http://media.www.dailyorange.com/media/storage/paper522/news/2009/09/15/News/Law-Students.Face.Tough.Job.Market-3771810.shtml
http://thirdtierreality.blogspot.com/
(A link to a website does not constitute endorsement.)
If you want a job when you are done with your studies, consider and look into the fields of: >>>Healthcare, Information Technology, Law ENFORCEMENT, environmentalism, emergency planning, accounting, education, entertainment, utilities, home-car-commercial-industrial repairs, vice industries, clergy, and/or debt collection. I spoke to a career counselor from Jobs and Family Services, and HE told me that these areas are where the jobs are, and future job opportunities/availability….and scholarships.
Good luck.
(This is based on my current knowledge, information, belief, and life experiences. This was intended as personal opinion, and not intended to be used as legal advice. Please be careful and do your research.<<< You DID ask the question here on Y/A. I am just trying to help you.)
heshootshescores3
10 Mar, 2010
a degree in history or political science is a good foundation for law school.
References :
Politically Correct
10 Mar, 2010
Law school is just a numbers game. Don’t worry about the subject (about half of applicants have a Science based degree and about half have a language based degree) and don’t worry about the Community college. You need an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.5 and a high score on the LSAT (at least 70) and then you will apply. Go to the best Law school you can get into.
With respect to the branch of Law you go into, you will not need to be concerned about that until you are in your second year of Law school. Criminal defence is poorly paid but prestigious. You will need to join the right firm after Law school (be sure to be in the top 5% of your graduating class) and then take pro-bono cases to build your reputation. You will probably need to take bar exams in a number of states as your clients could be anywhere.
Mostly, they will never be able to pay for your services by the nature of who they are so have a successful spouse or come from a rich family. It is a very rewarding calling.
References :
kapn
10 Mar, 2010
Starvation……..inability to repay 200K student loan……..no work………law sucks………get into health care and never want for a job……..
References :
mailaccount63
10 Mar, 2010
Previous poster "kapn" is right on target – again.
Choosing a career is one of life’s most important and difficult decisions.
We simply already have way too many Legal Professionals. AND the legal profession is dramatically changing; it is in absolute CRISIS!!! Job searching in this vocational field has changed >>DRAMATICALLY<< in the last five years. And, every year, more and more people graduate from law school, but there are fewer and fewer jobs. Even the largest and most reputable law firms are experiencing unprecedented cutbacks. I don’t expect the situation to improve in the coming years…..
Be aware of what you are proposing on getting yourself into. Please do more research first.
Reminder: We are STILL in a World-wide Recession. Consider career paths that have available JOBS.<<<<< Even in a Recovery, there are some jobs that just won’t return – the field of Law won’t make a comeback. Too many things have changed in this vocational field.
Warning> Jobs in the field of Law are drying up fast! This no longer is a good field to invest time and/or money into. This is a SHRINKING, crumbling, and dying vocational field. Many, many reasons. We now have computers. So, many people today (mistakenly) think they can do their own legal work, thanks to the Internet and legal books. Also, there are a lot of companies out there making very efficient legal software for the field of Law. Today’s graduating lawyers tend to be very computer savvy, so they just do the work themselves to save themselves the cost of overhead. Also, the "Public" buys this legal software and law books in order to get legal work done without the cost of an Attorney. Also, we simply already have way too many Legal Professionals – we just have an absolute glut!! ("Legal Professionals" includes, but is not limited to: Attorneys/Lawyers, Paralegals, Legal Assistants, Legal Secretaries, Bailiffs, Court Reporters, etc, etc)
Sites like legalzoom.com have taken away work that many small-time attorneys/lawyers would do/used to do.
The field of Law has a mystique that actually exceeds reality. The field of Law is an overrated career – mostly by television.<< There are many myths regarding the field of Law: *myth: working as a Lawyer is mentally challenging (Actually, most work as an attorney involves mountains of routine paperwork: research, cite checking, drafting documents, and document review. Attorneys need to write down and track EVERY activity they do, all day long [in 6 to 15 minutes increments, depending on the billing system] – a painstaking but necessary task), *myth: being an attorney is thrilling, high-powered, and glamorous (remember: television is FICTION – the fictional lawyers on TV are ACTORS – the majority of work that an attorney does, does not happen in a courtroom), *myth: law students think that because they are good at arguing they will become great attorneys (actually being a great attorney is more in one’s ability to mediate between differing sides and bringing them to agreement/compromise), *myth: as a lawyer I can correct injustices (actually legal decisions are more about reaching compromises than about right vs. wrong), *myth: guaranteed financial success (actually when salaries are compared, you also need to account for cost-of living expenses [most large law firms are in large cities - the bigger the city, the more cost-of-living expenses will be], payment of debts accrued while attending law school, and time needed to build a client base. Many large law firms require lawyers to work 60-80 hours per week.).
Cost of law school to be lawyer, approx $150,000+. Be prepared to take on a LOT of debt, if becoming an attorney is your "true", ultimate goal!!<<<
There are no jobs in this vocational field. My family, coworkers, friends, acqaintances, etc. have been laid off left and right in this vocational field.
Employers (usually law firms) in the field of Law today want employees with degrees from traditional colleges/universities. Those "certificates" you see advertised aren’t worth the paper they are printed on – they are generally scams. (>>I found this out the hard way.) Also, the law school’s program needs to be accredited by the American Bar Association – if it isn’t, you are just wasting your time/money.
Even if you finish law school, you won’t be able to find a job when you are done. Since this vocational field is shrinking (at an alarming rate), many new attorneys/lawyers are, themselves, having to work "down" as Paralegals, Legal Assistants, Legal Secretaries, Bailiffs, Court Reporters, etc, etc, to simply try to keep some of their bills paid <<this would be your competition. And the competition is fierce!!
Now… the law schools know this, but they won’t tell you the truth >that the job market/economy is just SATURATED with way too many Legal Professionals. Instead the schools will feed you a fairytale and will LIE to you. The root of the problem is we already have too many law schools. We are STILL in a Recession, and the schools are fighting for their own survival – they will tell students anything to get to the students’ money. (Which is why they won’t tell you the truth about the job market for the field of Law.) And these schools continue to recruit and churn out even more graduates………….Remember>>> law schools are BUSINESSES – their TOP concern is making money for themselves.
>>>>>THE MOST IMPORTANT THING (and I can’t stress this enough>>>): You ESPECIALLY have to beware of the bogus, inflated law school salary/job stats given out by law schools AND by the U.S. Bureau of Labor!!***<<<<<
If you don’t believe me, then just do a SEARCH here on Yahoo Answers to see what other posters are saying about the current status of the field of Law. Call some local law firms – ask to speak to the Manager of Human Resources – ask them if they are hiring; ask them what they think about future job availability in the field of Law………………
In the book "So You Want to be a Lawyer?" by Marianne Calabrese and Susanne Calabrese (ISBN 0-88391-136-1): "The United States has more lawyers than any other country in the world. About 38,000 students graduate >each year< from the 200+ law schools in the United States. The competition is very keen for jobs and clients." – Even Associate Justice Antonin Scalia (who served on the U.S. Supreme Court for more than 20 years) says there are too many lawyers. (9/14/2008)
Check out these websites: http://informeddecisionmaking.blogspot.com
http://calicocat.com/2004/08/law-school-big-lie.html
http://abajournal.com/news/triplt_bad_news_for_law_students_three_firms_aX_summer_associate_programs/
http://abajournal.com/news/as_rio_tinto_saves_millions_other_corps_will_outsource_too_counsel_says/
http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/02/03/dont-try-to-dodge-the-recession-with-grad-school/
http://lawschoolscam.blogspot.com
http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/02/another-view-lock-the-law-school-doors/?ref=business
http://media.www.dailyorange.com/media/storage/paper522/news/2009/09/15/News/Law-Students.Face.Tough.Job.Market-3771810.shtml
http://thirdtierreality.blogspot.com/
(A link to a website does not constitute endorsement.)
If you want a job when you are done with your studies, consider and look into the fields of: >>>Healthcare, Information Technology, Law ENFORCEMENT, environmentalism, emergency planning, accounting, education, entertainment, utilities, home-car-commercial-industrial repairs, vice industries, clergy, and/or debt collection. I spoke to a career counselor from Jobs and Family Services, and HE told me that these areas are where the jobs are, and future job opportunities/availability….and scholarships.
Good luck.
(This is based on my current knowledge, information, belief, and life experiences. This was intended as personal opinion, and not intended to be used as legal advice. Please be careful and do your research.<<< You DID ask the question here on Y/A. I am just trying to help you.)
References :
life
have actually worked in the field of Law for twelve years
also actually am a CURRENT employee of a law school, so I KNOW and see (too much?!?)
don’t have time to watch those TV law shows – the couple that I did watch weren’t realistic, at all
TV glamorizes the field of Law – Reminder: TV is FICTION!!! – do your research first! – the field of Law is actually a lot of paperwork and politics – and law school is VERY expensive, so know what you are getting into
wish someone would have warned ME sooner
so now I TRY to warn and help others (that actually want to know, will listen and not get defensive)
I am simply tired of watching students getting ripped off by law schools
so many students have come to me- upset because they could not find employment- I am just trying to warn as many as I can, and trying to fulfill a promise