Was Law School Worth It?
Would you do it again? This summer, as graduates prepare for their next steps — whether they’re heading off to law school or studying for the bar or thinking it’s a good time for a gap year — it’s likely you know someone (maybe it’s you?) who’s wondering: Is law school worth it? In this Attorney at Work classic, JD Nation’s Annie Little reached out to ask 10 top J.D.s.
There’s no shortage of advice on whether or not anyone should attend law school. In most discussions, the prominent concern is money. Is the cost of law school worth the Juris Doctor? Is the initial debt worth the eventual (and increasingly unlikely) partner payday?
But after the money has been spent and the hard-earned J.D. hangs on your wall, the notion of monetary value becomes somewhat irrelevant. After all, it’s not like you can go back to your alma mater and obtain a refund.
But let’s say, arguendo, that you could return your law degree and get your money back. With the “Esquire” stripped from your name and a firehose-like infusion of funds into your bank account, would you find yourself back at square one? Without any job prospects or opportunities? Or would you make out like a bandit?
As a “recovering” lawyer myself, I’ll admit the idea of a tuition refund sounds like the ultimate equalizer. But even without that hard-earned prestigious piece of paper, you’d likely walk away with a valuable set of skills and experiences you wouldn’t have earned but for your legal education.
Skeptical? Of course, you are — you’re a well-trained analytical thinker, Counselor. Which is why I asked 10 brilliant J.D.s to share with you the subjective value of their law degrees.
