Comment & Debate
Cameron Strachter wrote in the Wall Street Journal: “Rather than keeping options open, the crushing debt of law school often slams doors shut, pushing law students to find the highest-paying job they can and forever deferring dreams of anything else.”[1]
“Should You Go to Law School? Not Unless You Want To Be a Lawyer.” Wronging Rights. January 22, 2009: “A law degree takes three years, and costs at least $100k. That means that you’ll be in lawyer-level debt when you finish, which is a problem if you plan to take a non-lawyer job that doesn’t pay well. There are other options, of course: if you go to a good law school, you will be able to get a high-paying job after graduation to repay those loans. But that will take you several years. Once you’re done working them off, you’ll need to find a way back into your chosen field. I’m sure that will be possible -you’re still smart, and educated, and dedicated. It will take time, though. If you choose that route, you’re probably looking at at least six years out of your chosen profession: three for law school, and three to pay off your loans. Ask yourself if your plans sound as rosy once you factor in a six-year detour. (Law schools also have Loan Repayment Assistance Programs, “LRAP” for short, but these usually require graduates to work in a law-related public interest job, and they don’t pay off loans, they just cover the monthly payments. More on LRAP in a later post.)”