There is an awful lot of fear mongering out there right now- a record number of people taking the LSAT, more competition for increasingly expensive law school seats, and even unemployed law graduates going on hunger strikes. It’s enough to make a pre-law wonder, ”Is law school worth it?” Here are five reasons law school is a worthy investment during the economic apocalypse.
1. Law School Takes 3 Years: A lot can happen in three years. Just think of all that has happened in the last 3- Obama was elected, Justin Bieber was born, roughly 14 vampires movies were made. Yes, it’s not the best job market for law grads, but professional jobs are recovering faster than most. It’s still too early to say when the economy will fully recover, but legal careers are certainly not among the most threatened. Those taking the LSAT, applying, or starting law school this fall need not worry about the job market being as difficult as it is now.
2. It’s About Expectations: It seems to me that some of the sources of all this craziness are those who are not only graduating into the worst job market in years, but who also had higher-than-average expectations about their earnings in the first place. Some people don’t go into law school with extreme earning expectations because they plan to pursue non-profit or public service careers that they know will have more modest salaries. For these people, things are looking pretty great. Many schools are providing loan forgiveness programs for those who pass up private sector opportunities and Obama has touted educational loan forgiveness as a key part of the economic recovery.
3. You Should Always Ask, “Compared to What?”: Compared to medical school, law school will take less time and will not require you to get all icky cutting apart dead people. Compared to most doctoral programs, law school will lead to more money and will not require you to endure constant mockery from your relatives. Compared to Jersey Shore Miami, law school will give you fewer STDs and will not require you to be orange.
4. Legal Jobs Aren’t Going Anywhere: The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that while lawyers will continue to face stiff competition for positions, the total number of positions will continue to grow. In fact, it notes that lawyers are often somewhat shielded from recessions because recessions generate certain types of financial legal actions.
5. If It Is the Apocalypse, Law School Is Not a Bad Place: Yes, I know; jobs are down, polar bears are down, and there are only a few cities left whose housewives have yet to be featured on Bravo. So if we really are heading for the apocalypse, law school is a pretty good place to get laid. You will already be surrounded by such complete fear and desperation just from your 1L workload that the simple suggestion of the inevitable should be enough to convince your sumptuous study-buddy it is in fact the end. May as well enjoy it.