So you want to go to law school

What’s important in law school? JOBS. It’s that simple. You must consider which school will give you the most access to jobs. Some considerations:

1. Talk to someone in the Career Services office at the law school. Ask for statistics. Who interviews on campus and who is interviewed. Do recruiters go only after the Top 10 percent? How many people are hired through on-campus interviews? What are other ways that the office supports students, whether or not they are selected for on-campus interviews?

2. Talk to recent graduates about their experiences in finding employment.

3. Call law firms in the geographic location where you hope to practice law. Ask where they recruit and whom they hire. A former client who now attends New York University Law School advocates strongly for location as the primary factor in choosing a law school. “You have no idea how many networking opportunities I have by being in New York. There are so many things you can do in law school — term time internships, job interviews without traveling, many symposiums and guest lectures at surrounding law schools, student groups being able to work together with local NGOs [non-governmental organizations] like Housing Works,” he said.

A realistic look at taking on debt
If you are going to law school in order to make gobs of money right out of the starting gate, you’re making a huge mistake. An attorney said it best when he said, “We’re really just the highest paid blue-collar workers.”

He’s right in the respect that this is real work. It’s demanding. The hours are long. There is potential for a lot of money if you work like a dog, but even if you work like a dog, you’ll be doing well just by making $100,000 each year. You cannot expect to be making that immediately upon graduation from law school.

The economy is in terrible condition. Big firms, where recent law school graduates make the most money, are firing attorneys and revoking offers they’ve already made to soon-to-be law school graduates. This is the best possible fact in order to urge you not to place your entire bet on a top 10 law school in exchange for taking on $200,000 in debt. Now more than ever, the benefits of taking a full scholarship and having the luxury of making $60,000 right out of school are apparent.

Does going to a lesser-ranked law school preclude you from some career options? Yes. You probably won’t be clerking for the Supreme Court and you may not be seriously considered for a career in academia. But in listing many examples of people who graduate without honors from regional law schools who may start out at $60,000 per year, then are promoted within a year or two to making $85,000, then a couple years after that they surpass $100,000, and after 7-10 years in practice make about $150,000 per year.

Will you be buying yachts at this rate? No. Will you be able to support your family? Yes, if you’re smart and if you don’t take on a crazy amount of debt.

The important thing is to keep an open mind about all of your options and to analyze them carefully. Talk to recent law school graduates, attorneys at firms of all sizes, and legal recruiters. Know what you are getting yourself into before it’s too late.

Ann K. Levin has worked as a lawyer and served as director of admissions for two law schools. She offers advice to law school applicants and pre-law students at www.LawSchoolExpert.com and her blog. She is the author of “The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert.“