Law school after ERE

[elegant]

I'm entertaining the idea of going back to University after I ERE.

My formal education has served me well so far in my career, but the field of study (middle eastern studies & political science) is quite impractical outside my profession, and to be quite honest I'm sick and tired of it.

This in turn leaves me in a fairly precarious position if I ever want (or worse, need!) to go back to work.

So I thought about enrolling to law school. I find it interesting, practical and probably a good call in terms of future opportunities (serendipity).

Possible disadvantages though are high pressure, considerable resources (time and social energy), socializing with younger immature people...

What do you think?

PS obviously this is not an American law school but a local one.

[Dragline]

In the US, it's generally very expensive and not worth the money unless its really what you want to do. It also seldom yields a high-paying job, at least not right away, unless you attend a top-rated school. But I'm aware that law is a very different prospect outside the US.

There are always a few people in l-school that are just there on a lark, though. When I was in it, I knew a guy who was a surgeon and could make boo-koo bucks working part time. So he decided to go to law school "for fun". Some people have strange ideas about fun. Then again, he was on his third marriage, too. I knew others that had it paid for via military service.

What are the costs for you and how would you pay for it? And would you expect to work in the field? If so, in what capacity? I would do some research about these things before making a commitment -- and really understand for yourself WHY you would be going.

[chenda]

Like Dragline says do your research, but if your ERE and the cost and time isn't a big deal, I would say go for it if you really want to do it. Consider any distance learning or vocational training routes as well which might work better for you.

I've be toying with the idea of doing a law degree for fun/interest, although I don't think I would want to practice, at least not full time. Though if its just for interest its certainly something you could teach yourself if you've no plans to practice professionally.

[BeyondtheWrap]

ERE forum member MikeBOS did the same thing: law school after ERE. Unfortunately he doesn't seem to post on the forum much anymore.

Here's his blog: http://lackingambition.com/?p=442

[Dream of Freedom]

ERE forum member MikeBOS did the same thing: law school after ERE. Unfortunately he doesn't seem to post on the forum much anymore.

Here's his blog: http://lackingambition.com/?p=442

This post is also worth a read for this discussion. http://lackingambition.com/?p=781

[SimpleLife]

So are you making a career change or retiring? What you describe sounds like a career change, not ERE.

In some states you can practice law if you pass the bar exam, no JD required. Of course you are going to be hard pressed to get a real law gig unless you hang out your shingle as a personal injury attorney on your own.

It seems that for an ERE hobby this would be expensive. For a career change it would be good potentially. But that's the question, do you want to ERE or change careers?

[elegant]

The cost of one academic year is about 3500$. I can definitely afford this kind of expense.

I don't see it as a career change, because I don't want to be a lawyer. I see it as something that truly interests me and, as a side effect, has practical significance.

Isn't ERE about using your time to pursue your interests?

[Dragline]

That's pretty inexpensive (is it a two or three year program in Israel?). It can be 10x that much in the US, which is why you are getting the "are you crazy?" kind of responses.

I'd probably do it for that kind of money if it piques your interest.

[EdithKeeler]

The cost of one academic year is about 3500$. I can definitely afford this kind of expense.

I don't see it as a career change, because I don't want to be a lawyer. I see it as something that truly interests me and, as a side effect, has practical significance.

Isn't ERE about using your time to pursue your interests?

I went to law school briefly, but realized that for me, at the age I was and the time of life I was in, it was not worth the time and expense and employment uncertainty when I got out, and I realized that if I were going to be a lawyer, the kind of law I'd want to practice wasn't going to pay back my loans or probably support my lifestyle---I was most interested in civil rights law, you know, protecting the poor and downtrodden who don't have enough money to pay your bills....

I do understand the lure of law school as an intellectual exercise. Law school teaches you to think and analyze in a very certain, specific way. I know LOTS of lawyers... and I Know lots of FORMER lawyers who got disillusioned with the practice of law and moved on to something else. I also used to interview a lot of people with law degrees who couldn't find a law job that paid well enough to pay back their law school loans.

I understand the allure of law school. For me, though, if I were at FI, I'd go back to school for a masters in literature or history. Or maybe sociology. Or botany.

If you want to do it, and have the money and don't care about a job, go for it.

I wonder, though, if your plan to get your law degree but only use it if you need it in the future is realistic. Maybe it would work in Israel, but I don't know that would work here. I would think that if you graduated law school today, but didn't need to work right now, but in 5 years something happens and you do need to go to find law-related work, you'd be hard-pressed to get a job if you hadn't done anything with your degree in that intervening time.

[Ego]

I don't see it as a career change, because I don't want to be a lawyer. I see it as something that truly interests me and, as a side effect, has practical significance.

Isn't ERE about using your time to pursue your interests?

Going to school for fun is a vastly different experience than doing it for a career. I find myself completely engrossed, completely engaged. Without the momentum of the treadmill spinning away under my feet I can actually enjoy each step, each class. My fellow students are constantly doing what I did when I was in their place, looking three steps ahead but never actually being where they are at that moment. Studying is not a chore when I'm doing it to learn rather than to ace a test. I am amazed how much easier it is to learn and how much easier it is to ace tests when the numbers are meaningless.

Do it.

[simple aly]

It's cheap, and you want to do it, why not? How about trying a free course now?

https://www.coursera.org/course/globalintrouslaw

[e3434]

I second the Ego's recommendation to do it (if you want to) as well as Dragline's, to really understand yourself why you would be going.

A few things to keep in mind are that, depending on the program, if you do it full-time you might be required to take courses that you're not all interested in taking (from profs you're not interested in learning from) and you'll likely be surrounded by students who aren't as intrinsically interested in the learning as you are. You also may be forced into studying/doing projects when other people tell you to do them, and you'd likely have less time for your other interests and hobbies.

Talk to people (students, alumni, professors), figure out how flexible the program is, and sit in on some classes before you decide.