Is it really worth it?

[PapaPetrovitch]

I have been asking many lawyers, and myself, this question for the past few months to try and make up my mind about going to law school. As cliche as it sounds, it's been my dream since I was a kid. Yet I still cant decide if it's the right path for me. I am pulled towards it because it involves a high degree of problem solving, requires you to constantly learn and adapt, and offers a secure and fulfilling career (if it is aligned with your goals). 

I saw someone in a different post mention that you wont really know if you like till you actually do it; not ideal for a career that takes at least 4 years to get going. I haven't talked to anyone that seems to love what they do as a lawyer. They all seem to respect their career choice and appreciate it for what it is, but no one raves about it.

What is mostly stopping me is that I could pursue so many different careers that offer much more flexibility than being a lawyer. And, with the way the world is shaping up, a completely virtual work environment where I could work from any place in the world is, relatively, within reach. As far as I know, that flexibility cannot be afforded to a lawyer (and please do correct me if I'm wrong). 

So with that in mind, is it really worth taking on the high workload and stress associated with being a lawyer when you can work less, possibly make more, and lead a more flexible lifestyle? 

I guess what I am really looking for from this post is to see what people's motivations are. 

[Byzantine]

I was in your shoes a couple years ago. I decided to pull the trigger and attend. So far I'm very happy with my decision. Just starting 2nd year of law school but have enjoyed my classes so far. I've also gotten involved in a clinic where I've been able to provide real people advice and representation on their legal issues. I'm now interviewing for jobs where I'll be able to make a lot more money than I was previously making. I've also found that through bursaries and student loans the costs aren't as high as I thought. 

Early days so maybe I'll regret it yet, but wanted to give my perspective. 

[spinelli]

The beautiful thing about a law degree is you don't actually have to be a lawyer after you get it. It is very common for folks to not practice after they finish - I am pretty sure universities actually use the diverse career paths available post-JD as marketing material. I'd wouldn't to about whether you like practicing or not at this stage. 

[PulpFiction]

23 minutes ago, spinelli said:

The beautiful thing about a law degree is you don't actually have to be a lawyer after you get it. It is very common for folks to not practice after they finish - I am pretty sure universities actually use the diverse career paths available post-JD as marketing material. I'd wouldn't to about whether you like practicing or not at this stage. 

I think this is more common in places like England or Australia, where a law degree is just like any other bachelors that you'd complete coming out of high school. A small group continue on through the licensing process, while the majority use their degree to get into standard office jobs, government gigs, or whatever else you can do with a bachelors. 

I don't think it's very common in Canada to complete a law degree and not practice, at least not by choice. I can't think of anyone from my graduating class that didn't at least get called, even if they eventually left the practice of law (I know of a couple friends that left law after getting called for policy roles, but even they made sure to complete the process first - it adds some value versus just a JD). I would highly advise against going to law school without the intention of practicing law - there are surely less expensive ways to reach your non-law goals. Contrary to what this poster is saying, I would definitely worry about whether you want to practice law prior to going to law school - it's the only logical approach, imo.

The universities selling this stuff about diverse career paths want to fill their seats and cover their asses when a minority of their students can't land articling gigs. 

Edited September 21, 2022 by PulpFiction

[LMP]

I'd agree with @PulpFiction isn't like a one year master's program that costs next to nothing and beefs up your resume.

Law school is expensive and comapretivly long. But people put up with it because it allows access to the practice of law.

If someone was unsure about doing a partly funded MA program in any old discipline, I'd say go for it. But tens of thousands of dollars in debt and the loss of three years of income (plus the partial loss of an articling year) in exchange for a possible edge in certian careers? That's a trade off I'd avoid. 

By reading the OP I get the impression that the poster would likely be ok with a legal career, but I think many other jobs would provide the same level of engagement and satisfaction. I further think that those jobs would likely provide more flexibility, which they cite as an important consideration. I see no harm in pursuing those roles and identifying what parts of the job they like or dislike. Law school isn't going anywhere.

[Toad]

59 minutes ago, spinelli said:

The beautiful thing about a law degree is you don't actually have to be a lawyer after you get it. It is very common for folks to not practice after they finish - I am pretty sure universities actually use the diverse career paths available post-JD as marketing material. I'd wouldn't to about whether you like practicing or not at this stage. 

I think it's safe to say that the overwhelming majority of regulars on this forum would highly advise against a person attending law school unless they are fairly certain they want to practice law. 

 

Some considerations for those thinking about obtaining a JD without knowing whether they want to practice law:

(1) If you receive a JD and do not practice law, you will be at a disadvantage applying for many (or most) jobs because you would be considered a flight risk. 

(2) Many of the "JD Advantage" jobs have alternative less expensive (and often less time consuming) pathways. 

(3) Some exit opportunities from the law do not become available until you have practiced for a few years. 

(4) Given the significant debt most people leave law school with, the salaries in most non-law jobs will be insufficient to pay the monthly payments on the student loans while still experiencing the standard of living most applicants would be looking for.  

(5) Even if there are theoretically alternative paths for those with a JD and even if you decide during law school that you do not want to practice law, you may feel pressured to practice anyway out of a sense of competitiveness with your peers, because you feel there are no reasonable alternatives, or because you do not want to let your family down. 

(6) After you have become a lawyer and are accustomed to a certain standard of living, it is very difficult to leave, especially if you are supporting a family. It is better to decide you don't want to practice law before you find yourself trapped. 

(7) Many articling positions require a strong demonstrated interest in the practice area. If you enter law school without knowing whether you want to practice, you may inadequately prepare yourself in becoming a competitive articling applicant. One of the most common problems that consistently arises in the "I cannot find an articling position" posts are a lack of demonstrated interest in any particular area of law.

 

Edited September 21, 2022 by Toad

[MagnaCarter]

Is there anyway you could get experience for a summer or longer at a law firm to get a sense of what practice is like? It's cliche advice, but may be very valuable to you if you could swing it. I wish I had.

Frankly, law can be a miserable career for those not suited towards it. Unfortunately, it's hard to know if you are suited towards it until after you've invested in the JD and have been working a bit as an associate. I'm not sure if its a recent trend of work culture, the after-effects of COVID-19, or just a clash with the younger demographic, but many, many lawyers are struggling in the profession under crippling workloads and stress. Law firms and lawyers are notoriously unorganized and lack managerial skills, which, compounded with pressure to keep client's happy, means work is often a shitshow of stress. I can only speak for litigation, but the Court itself is also an absolute nightmare to deal with at times.

On the other hand, law provides a very comfortable financial life. Even practicing for 2+ years (assuming in a major city) puts you at a salary most people wouldn't reach even after 10+ years in their profession, putting aside medicine, software engineering, and finance. Others have made this point, but the sometimes extreme stress and pressure of the job should replace any of the financial stress that non-lawyers (or non-medical professionals, etc...) experience everyday. Sure, buying property and getting a mortgage may still be challenging for some juniors, but I doubt any junior lawyers are struggling to put food on the table or cover their essentials the way many people are across Canada today.

I also agree that a JD is not much value outside the practice of law. Transitioning out of law with a JD is often only done when the individual works for a few years as a lawyer.

TL;DR: only pursue law if you really, really want to be a lawyer. There is no easy money without very hard work and effort. Try to angle a placement at a law firm (even as a volunteer) to get a sense of what day-to-day lawyering looks like and if its for you. A JD (in my opinion) is unlikely a worthwhile step outside the legal industry.

[Rusty Iron Ring]

FWIW, most of my friends have by this point (about 15 years out of school) concluded that they really didn't like actually practicing law.  And then they went and got legal related jobs that they really do like, on the strength of their legal training and experience. 

Edited September 21, 2022 by Rusty Iron Ring

[Hegdis]

13 hours ago, PulpFiction said:

I don't think it's very common in Canada to complete a law degree and not practice, at least not by choice. I can't think of anyone from my graduating class that didn't at least get called, even if they eventually left the practice of law (I know of a couple friends that left law after getting called for policy roles, but even they made sure to complete the process first - it adds some value versus just a JD). I would highly advise against going to law school without the intention of practicing law - there are surely less expensive ways to reach your non-law goals. Contrary to what this poster is saying, I would definitely worry about whether you want to practice law prior to going to law school - it's the only logical approach, imo.

The universities selling this stuff about diverse career paths want to fill their seats and cover their asses when a minority of their students can't land articling gigs. 

Quoting because I agree with this. Don't go through the time and expense of getting a JD if you aren't actually interested in practising law. There are faster and cheaper ways to pad your resume for other careers.

[Garfield]

The transferability of your JD to a non-law job might also depend heavily on the area of law. I’ve seen a lot of people in certain “business law” areas have left law and successfully pursued other careers (in consulting or management roles, for instance). I’ve also heard L&E lawyers have a fair share of non-law opportunities, but hopefully an actual L&E lawyer can confirm this or not. I would be curious to see what others have to say about criminal and family lawyers’ opportunities in non-law jobs, other than in “policy”.

[123]

18 hours ago, PapaPetrovitch said:

[...] I am pulled towards it because it involves a high degree of problem solving, requires you to constantly learn and adapt, and offers a secure and fulfilling career (if it is aligned with your goals) [...]

So with that in mind, is it really worth taking on the high workload and stress associated with being a lawyer when you can work less, possibly make more, and lead a more flexible lifestyle? 

I guess what I am really looking for from this post is to see what people's motivations are. 

I don't know if there's a comprehensive way to know if legal work is for you. But I would suggest that some of the following are usually relevant.

First, do you want responsibility? Lawyers don't have the hardest job in the world. You should be reasonably smart, but don't need to be a genius. It's not physically demanding. And you do have a higher degree of job security, largely due to the barriers to entry set-out by the regulators. But you do have real responsibilities and obligations. Especially in private practice (where many lawyers work), there are fiduciary duties to clients. At bigger firms serving institutions, you're managing files where lots of money is at stake. Your clients are also rich enough to pay competitive fees, and can therefore demand quick turnarounds on work. Those factors create stress and pressure. Retail practices, like mine, aren't concerned with large sums of money. But we work on highly important matters to our clients' lives, and that comes with some level of pressure. All of which is to say, private practice is stressful and time-consuming. Your clients are usually trusting you with something important. And when you're paid good money to handle important matters, you will be expected to make sacrifices. Your duties will impinge upon your time and preferences. That's the nature of having responsibility, which again, is part of being a lawyer. Some people want that, because it can be interesting or exciting. Others don't, but will accept it in exchange for money, job security etc. Others aren't well suited to it at all. Ask yourself how you've worked under pressure and responsibility in the past. That's probably the best metric for how you'll find it in the future.

Second, is there a particular aspect of legal work that appeals to you? You've said problem solving, and I guess that applies to an extent. However, most jobs in the knowledge economy require some degree of learning and problem-solving. It's not exclusive to law. The things that lawyers do, that others can't, is give legal advice and go to court as lawyers. Does learning the ins-and-outs of a regulatory regime, interviewing a client to find out what rights and obligations might apply to them under that regime (and any others), and forming an opinion that you give to the client sound like something you want to do for a living? Do you like the idea of making arguments in court? Would you like to cross-examine witnesses? Do you mind paperwork? Those tend to be the kinds of things that lawyers do in practice. Within those sorts of activities, yes, you are problem solving -- you're often looking for the most cost-effective way to protect your client against liability. But something like problem-solving itself is not a specific activity you'll be doing. I'd advise thinking about the specific activities you'll be doing, and see if those appeal to you.

Third, and related to the second (but only applying to some people), might you want to use your law degree to help people? Law is a business. But areas of law like criminal defence, family, immigration, and sometimes employment/housing/consumer protection etc., will give you opportunities to advocate for members of marginalized populations. That can be done outside of law. But law does give you a forum to protect their rights, and defend their interests, by allowing you to litigate on their behalf. This isn't a necessary reason to go into law -- lots of lawyers have good fulfilling careers without being social justice advocates. But as someone who works more in the social justice-y space, this can be a very good reason to go to law school.

Fourth, you have to look at your alternatives. Law has pros and cons, including the considerable time and expense of education and licensing vs your earnings as a lawyer, and stress. But that's really not meaningful, unless you're comparing it to alternatives. I didn't have a better alternative at the time I applied for law, so I wasn't giving up very much to go to school. That probably differs for others, who do have professional education and work experience.

Edited September 21, 2022 by realpseudonym

[Dream Machine]

Law is a very expensive decision to get wrong. Lots of lawyers would have been at least as happy doing something else. Also, law school is not predictive of enjoying the job. If you have any preference toward "stimulating" academic type work, the practice of law may not be for you.

 

[Whist]

I'm fully of the mind that people can explore the things that make them happy in life outside of work, and a job is just a necessary means for them to fund those passions. That being said, law is a profession that can demand a lot of your time, so I wouldn't recommend it as the thing you pursue just so you have a paycheque. There are options with a lot less dedicated schooling to get you to that. It seems like you do have some genuine interest, but as other people have already pointed out, law school isn't the same thing as practice either, so you might not know for sure for some time. 

Personally, I don't mind law school, but I prefer actually working in the legal field in comparison. Caveat that I'm a student, so my experience is limited to summer(s) still, but I very much enjoyed what I did get to do. (Maybe my previous physical labour jobs made me more appreciative, who knows.) I don't know anyone that raves about their job, even if they're really proud of it. 

Anecdotally, I'm acquainted with a few lawyers who've transitioned out of careers where they juggle multiple clients (i.e., they now do in-house counsel type work or non-practicing). They all seem happy with their jobs and less stressed than lawyers who do more stereotypical work. 

[PapaPetrovitch]

Thank you all for bringing up, and stressing, that a law degree is not worthwhile if all it's doing is padding your resume. I can't know for certain if I'll fall in love with the profession. I suspect, and hope, that I will. But knowing that after a few years I could successfully switch into something else by leveraging my legal background is reassuring.

I like the point made about the responsibility aspect of it. While considering it, I realized that all of the other career paths I am considering other than law do involve a high degree of responsibility and stress involved. Also, most of the positions in my short career so far that I have enjoyed did involve an increased level of responsibility. 

I guess what I have to figure out for myself now is the kind of life I want to lead. From my understanding, being a lawyer is a lifestyle, not a "job". It is stressful and demanding, but can offer high fulfillment and job security. Whether that's enough to justify it, for me at least, is what I'll have to carefully consider. 

I'll definitely take the advise of trying to land an internship or volunteer position at a law firm to see what it's like first hand. 

Thank you to everyone that replied. 

[ZukoJD]

I’ve seen some entirely remote law firms in Canada. So, yes, you can make that work if that’s what you’re after (depending on the type of law you want to practice). 

[Turtles]

Some of the immigration solo shops and boutiques do well in a remote environment given that often their clients are not yet even allowed in the country. And traveling around may be an advantage (e.g., you'll see ads for "Canadian immigration lawyers" in Hong Kong as clients abroad sometimes value meeting their lawyer in-person in their home country). But some immigration matters still require paper submissions or are responded to by paper, so at least one competent person in Canada able to send/receive mail may be necessary -- unless the practice specifically doesn't offer those services.