tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618663158161665199.post2452052941641248494..comments2024-01-09T21:43:06.916-05:00Comments on Esq. Never: PSA: Rising 3L's Cut Your LossesEsq. Neverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18248019550876835145noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618663158161665199.post-42466876910338683012011-01-12T02:12:38.016-05:002011-01-12T02:12:38.016-05:00Know this from someone who has been in the profess...Know this from someone who has been in the profession for many years....the good times are over, they ended around the late 90's and the new millenium has been dismal for lawyers, even for those with experience who are rainmakers.<br /><br />The other thing is if you have some idea that you are a creative person and have a John Grisham type career path lurkinginside of you where you will lawyer for a few years and than create your work of art having already taken care of your financial security<br />with the proceeds of your legal career, think again.<br /><br />By the time that ever happens, if it evendoes you will be so tired and burnt out from your life as an attorney that you will have neither the time nor energy nor inclination to create that work of art.Practicing law, hell I think even studying it has a tendency to leach out whatever creative juices you ever possessed. Try getting those back again when you are a 50 something burnout.<br /><br />Time and how you spend it is everything. Opting for security is the easiest copout and as has been discussed above, the legal profession can no longer even offer that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618663158161665199.post-72149685257320386132011-01-09T05:35:43.745-05:002011-01-09T05:35:43.745-05:00After 15 years toiling away in an unfulfilling pra...After 15 years toiling away in an unfulfilling practice of law, I left the "profession" and got totally hooked into a great Fed job by a friend from my former career (and it did not hurt that my friend was a senior GOP type who wanted to make sure that GOP-friendly persons were left in place inside government right before Barry came to power). I actually went from hating life to the point that it endangeared my marriage, to one in which I am happier than I have ever been in my life. And why is that? Because I no longer practice law. Oh, and I just owe $8k in my student loan.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618663158161665199.post-48724445632743926232010-07-02T17:03:09.437-04:002010-07-02T17:03:09.437-04:00Geez, I took out $2000-3000 bucks a semester for l...Geez, I took out $2000-3000 bucks a semester for living expenses, and I felt really guilty and like a wastrel.Scammed Hard!https://www.blogger.com/profile/01044898077026675015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618663158161665199.post-74373659956561525722010-07-02T15:26:18.761-04:002010-07-02T15:26:18.761-04:0010:11 - Fair enough point, but students tend to be...10:11 - Fair enough point, but students tend to be reckless with borrowing - I know people who didn't have great summer jobs who paid for top of the line cable packages, always ate out, and bought fancy game systems simply because they COULD borrow the money.<br /><br />My school allowed about $20k+ over tuition to be borrowed for living expenses.<br /><br />Even if $20k is high, take $10k - $60k for the extra year isn't exactly a steal.<br /><br />It's true that living expenses will be incurred regardless of whether you're in school, but while you're in school, you're borrowing the money; if you have a job, you're paying it out of present income.<br /><br />This could be a rational move IF you expect higher earnings as a result of your J.D.; however, this will most likely not be the case.Esq. Neverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18248019550876835145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618663158161665199.post-61566470594146885622010-07-02T14:29:01.139-04:002010-07-02T14:29:01.139-04:00Sort of reminds of the Nirvana song, Heart Shaped ...Sort of reminds of the Nirvana song, Heart Shaped Box:<br /><br />"Hey! Wait! I've got a new complaint.<br />Forever in debt to your priceless advice."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618663158161665199.post-89289835978348406232010-07-02T10:11:56.638-04:002010-07-02T10:11:56.638-04:00Including living expenses in your analysis weakens...Including living expenses in your analysis weakens your argument. Both the law student and the non-student need to live somewhere and eat. Unless you suggest living with parents, these costs are a wash, certainly not the $20,000+ you have in the post above.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618663158161665199.post-29292415090741719962010-07-01T19:34:40.056-04:002010-07-01T19:34:40.056-04:00I talked to a woman who just graduated from law sc...I talked to a woman who just graduated from law school. She has no job and is studying for the bar. I asked her why she was bothering. She said "the dean from my law school said 85% of the grads got jobs this year?" All I could say was, And you believed him??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618663158161665199.post-85504679576663312402010-07-01T19:08:11.570-04:002010-07-01T19:08:11.570-04:00I feel stupid for not leaving after the first seme...I feel stupid for not leaving after the first semester of my 1L year, but I've made the decision to postpone 2L for at least one more year on a leave of absence and see if I can't segue into a job first. I wanted to "stick it out" and see if I couldn't bring my grades into the top third (and this is at a T-14).<br /><br />Here's the thing: you would not believe how naive about 90% of the students enrolled in LS right now are (at least 1Ls and 2Ls). They are simply OBLIVIOUS to the state of the market. Boy, are they in for a shock.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618663158161665199.post-74260789056753869422010-07-01T15:14:49.668-04:002010-07-01T15:14:49.668-04:00I graduated from college with a degree in Business...I graduated from college with a degree in Business Economics and I worked in inside sales as a contracts manager for a couple of years. I got laid off when the recession started in 2008 and luckily I got the BOGW waiver here in California.<br /><br />The Board of Governors Waiver qualifies you for some free education at a local community college. I did an ABA approved paralegal program and I have been sending out tons of applications for jobs. I have been on interviews and found nothing.<br /><br />I don't regret doing my paralegal program, but I can't imagine how terrifying it must be to graduate law school with 150k in debt, zero job prospects, and a degree that makes you overqualified for other jobs. <br /><br />I learned a lot in my paralegal program and at least I don't have loans, but I tell everyone who is thinking about law school to really do a paralegal program first to see if its for them. Its better than falling into this scam fueled by false employment statistics and glossy brochures from law schools nationwide!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618663158161665199.post-43759034911828701872010-06-30T15:52:30.965-04:002010-06-30T15:52:30.965-04:00"...making the "Octo-Final" round o..."...making the "Octo-Final" round of the "Moot Court Tribal Indian Law" competition."<---- Literally LOL'd.KZhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01476445446490314569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618663158161665199.post-3538517373268841492010-06-30T13:56:36.759-04:002010-06-30T13:56:36.759-04:00I hate to admit this, but I actually withdrew the ...I hate to admit this, but I actually withdrew the first semester of my 1L year before class even really got underway because about a week into lectures I had the gnawing sensation that everything I was being told was BULLSHIT. <br /><br />Then like a lamb to slaughter, I came back. If only I could turn back time... Oh well. I hope some people listen and get out before it's too late.ayla.birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10392979864074999529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618663158161665199.post-66455243550292743892010-06-30T13:36:59.953-04:002010-06-30T13:36:59.953-04:00I recently stumbled upon the scamblog movement and...I recently stumbled upon the scamblog movement and I must say I enjoy reading the posts here and on another scamblogs. This is my first post so here's some background to get my perspective. I just recently graduated from a T25 school and thankfully had a full tuition scholarship so my debt load isn't too bad. Even still I've come to have disdain for the student loan industrial complex/racket that operates in this country. <br /><br />I've had the good fortune of landing me a solid job with pretty good pay and benefits. However, I got this job by pretty much employing the advice from this post. People ask me how I got the job and simply say I "networked" at "bar events". By <br />"bar events" I literally mean being a regular and talking to people at the bar a few blocks from my apartment. Another regular was able to get me on with his employer. <br /><br />I started during my 3L finals and some of my fellow 3Ls had the audacity to suggest I take "time off". As if job opportunities in this awful economy are just waiting to be plucked from a tree. Also, I'm not even bothering with the bar exam as my job doesn't require much less care if I'm licensed. Again some of these fellow 3Ls look at me as if I have 3 heads for not shelling out thousands of more dollars on an exam that will not add a dime to my current salary. <br /><br />The part that kills me about all this is I'm one of the lucky ones with a job and most them don't have anything lined up but act as if I'm the one doing the idiotic thing. Its as if they think getting a bar license will magically make job opportunities rain down like manna from the heavens. Lemming behavior like this is one of the many reasons why I'm doing my part to actively discourage people from going to law school.<br /><br />I encourage all of you scambloggers to keep up the good work!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618663158161665199.post-29571145068881056452010-06-30T13:31:59.854-04:002010-06-30T13:31:59.854-04:00I've gone through law school, paid for bar rev...I've gone through law school, paid for bar review, taken the bar, and paid my registration dues. I can stick it to the industry by not paying my license renewal fees. There's nothing illegal in that. A useless degree and license is all I'm maintaining.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618663158161665199.post-84264918670618941972010-06-30T12:08:17.485-04:002010-06-30T12:08:17.485-04:00Drop out and work as a paralegal; your employment ...Drop out and work as a paralegal; your employment options will be about the same as if you graduated from law school.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5618663158161665199.post-21527878271392121622010-06-30T11:06:54.981-04:002010-06-30T11:06:54.981-04:00Bravo!Bravo!Scammed Hard!https://www.blogger.com/profile/01044898077026675015noreply@blogger.com