"Thomas Reddy, a second-year student at Brooklyn Law School, hasn't landed a summer internship yet after sending resumes to more than 50 law firms. He is taking on about $70,000 of debt each year of the three-year program to earn his degree, but said he may be fortunate to make $80,000 a year in a lawyer job after graduating. 'That is less than what I was making before I went to law school,' he said."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704866204575224350917718446.html
Mr. Reddy, with all due respect, you are a complete and utter fool. There is no 80 grand a year job waiting for you, unless you aspire to work in some crowded, dank, overheated basement for 80 hours a week in a temporary capacity. You just made the BIGGEST mistake of your life, and you are about to make it worse by handing over another 70 grand to the snakes at BLS.
24 comments:
This wsj article should be required reading for anyone thinking of attending law school in the future. Also, I think it's criminal that law school career service offices are allowed to post graduation employment rates that are inconsistent with the facts.
The WSJ published a very similar article prior to the bubble bursting. The lemmings just don't want to hear it. You can have all the information in the world, but market distortions created by the funny money and the government backed loan guarantees can't be stopped. Barnum said there's a sucker born every minute.
It's a form of natural selection. These idiots will be whining incessantly when they realize the game is rigged.
The problem for them is, that the word is already out there....caveat emptor.
There are law school scam busting blogs popping up all over, these lemmings have no excuse any longer.
Would anyone now hire this guy after seeing him in the WSJ like this?
Where are the temp jobs? I want to work even if it's some bullshit Robert Half job for $20 an hour. Who has work?
Even Robert Half is not hiring JDs, and hasn't been for some time - in many areas. This delusional optimism is pathetic and sad. One would think that an unemployed second year law student would at least have his eyes opened to the situation.
Tell him to join the crowd. Take a look at my entry and comments - including some from experienced lawyers and unemployed former law review editors:
http://thirdtierreality.blogspot.com/2010/05/open-letter-to-jd-class-of-2010.html
I need to register with a recruiter. Could people please give me suggestions on who they have had good experience with? I don't like too many recruiters so if you have some honest feedback it would be appreciated.
The job market for lawyers who do derivatives is showing great improvement.
I like how the ABA guy is telling everybody to stay away.
That could be interesting.
So, if only people who read the WSJ or their friends eagle-eyed friends who look out for their friends pass it along and avert danger and they all say "Thank God that I was saved! Thank You Jesus!", you are really going to have schools filled with a bunch of mouth breathers.
Oh please...
The job market is already improving. In fact, I'm getting calls from recruiters with real jobs. I haven't had that for a year and 1/2. The temp market for specialized attorneys is also pretty active.
The job market as a whole is set for a large increase in hiring in May or June.
For what it's worth, I found a permenant job in the middle of the financial cisis and no several other attorneys who also did so. There are jobs out there.
If less qualified people apply to law school, they will still find a way to fill the seats, even if they have to recruit at homeless shelters as was reported on ATL today. Half the people on the reviews are from Nigeria and don't have a proper command of the English language, so what difference does it make?
$70K a year in student loans to attend a dump like BLS? Did they (BLS) also sell Reddy a stake in the Brooklyn Bridge? Any fool that goes into debt to obtain a JD is deserving of penury.
The Nigerian scam is pretty much over, I guess you haven't been on a doc review lately. They're now staffed primarly by ex biglaw associates. Sure an occasional Nigerian slips through the cracks, but since they are by and large extremely lazy, over billing con artists, they are generally weeded out quickly.
On my last project there were zero Nigerians, not one. Those days are long over.
Are you kidding? What firm have you been working at? The Nigerians are still very much present. They love them because they can pay them cheap, yet still bill them out at sky high rates, albeit lower because of the economy.
12.30 PM
"and no several other attorneys who also did so....."
A very credible source!
Don't cry for the Nigerians their main business is organized crime. Doc review/ghost workers/multiple jobs is just their pocket change. Obama was born in Nigeria so they are untouchable during his Reign of Error (soon to be shortened.)
10:25PM, your post is very funny, I fear though that end days are upon us soon...we need a cleansing, there are too many ppl on this planet and not that good ones either! too many mooks, mutants, cretins & clowns running around!
Thank goodness for the WSJ and its' quality reads.
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Kirk tells Spock what he thinks of the law school deans and then tells his Vulcan friend what the lemmings can do if they still want to attend law school...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swvf3w6hcY4
I am beginning to suspect that those bloggers slamming wrongfully Nigerian attorneys must themselves be African-American home grown attorneys who may have only gotten the chance to attend law school bc/ affirmative action and its legacy. This would contrast with the education obtained by most Nigerian attorneys I've met on doc reviews who run circles around their counterparts born, raised, and educated in America. My experience is that the Nigerians face a rather rigorous educational training, one requiring actual performance and one based on merit. They actually value education, for itself, rather than just seeing it as another entitlement to exploit just bc/ it is there...oh yes, the legacy in America. I love and respect my Nigerian counterparts. Bloggers who attack them are threatened. Their reality and their schtick is undermined. They lsoe credibility by their mere existence and presence.
The answer to this and all your questions can be found at www.mydebtorsprison.com
If I were in his position in this market, I would deep-search Craigslist for all entry-level legal jobs, clerkships etc. listed in ALL jurisdictions in the US, even small firms and solo practices in places like south Georgia, New Mexico, Nevada, southern and western IL, West VA, rural VA, etc.... then bombard them with resumes. If they're willing to take you without a local bar admittance, move to anyplace that accepts you and then take the bar exam there.
Wow, this fool thinks he's gonna make $80K with a J.D. from BLS? I'll have whatever he's having... Seriously, I remember being that delusional sometime during my 2L year. I think it's similar to what happens to people in Vegas who lose their life savings and homes at the poker table, but they keep playing because they just know they're gonna win it all back. They need some fresh air and a slap in the face. Wish someone had done that for me.
It seems, steady jobs that are not offshored are ending up as contractual work. Even worse, there are few protections for contractual workers.
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