As a non-practicing / barely practicing lawyer licensed in two states, I am not bashing people who go to law school and don't practice. But we aren't really lawyers.
Between this thread and the other thread, I will never complain about my SL debt again.
Yep. I went to a very cheap state school and didn't have to take out any loans. H has some law school debt and I've teased him about his fancy pants expensive private school, but these threads have changed my view.
I assume you keep in touch with other Cooley grads - what are their careers like at this point? Are you one of the more successful grads?
I keep in touch with a few people. Most of them are at small or medium sized firms. Some work for the state government. Most of the people in my group of friends are doing pretty well. We all graduated with honors though.
I know several people who found great jobs outside of the legal field.
As a non-practicing / barely practicing lawyer licensed in two states, I am not bashing people who go to law school and don't practice. But we aren't really lawyers.
OP, in contrast, is.
Just curious, because I know nothing about law school.
What type of careers are non-practicing lawyers typically in? I know it could be anything, but I wondered if there is a field or fields where they tend to end up? I assume a JD in that case is treated like an MBA at my company - nice, not required, doesn't help you get ahead.
I am in financial analysis/buying at a large retailer, so people in my field come from a wide variety of backgrounds and the specific degree is not super relevant. It is so unlike a law degree.
How much do you make (not HHI, just you)? $97,000 a year.
Would you do it all again? Yes, even if I had to go to Cooley. I would have found the money for a prep course for the LSAT though.
How much do you owe in loans for just the Cooley part (after your scholarships, etc.)? I'm not entirely sure about the breakdown because I consolidated after graduation. Probably $80,000 or so including living expenses, a bar loan, and books and such.
Are you ever embarrassed about it?
Do you think the schools reputation will change significantly in your lifetime?
FWIW, I think it's better to go to an ABA accredited school than to, say, Nashville School of Law.
How much do you owe in loans for just the Cooley part (after your scholarships, etc.)?
Are you ever embarrassed about it? Yes and no. It isn't looked down upon as much in Michigan. I still cringe a little before saying the school name when asked, but I have become a little less worried about that as my career has moved forward. I just try to be honest about it.
Do you think the schools reputation will change significantly in your lifetime? No. They have a business model that makes them a lot of money. They will not change that model, so Cooley will never have a good reputation, IMO.
FWIW, I think it's better to go to an ABA accredited school than to, say, Nashville School of Law.
As a non-practicing / barely practicing lawyer licensed in two states, I am not bashing people who go to law school and don't practice. But we aren't really lawyers.
OP, in contrast, is.
Just curious, because I know nothing about law school.
What type of careers are non-practicing lawyers typically in? I know it could be anything, but I wondered if there is a field or fields where they tend to end up?
Not that I can think of. Friends of mine who are lawyers but aren't practicing any more are investment bankers, hedge funders, one lives in Africa doing relief work for the UN, one is a consultant/political correspondent for a cable news network, one is in a claims position at an insurance company, one is a tax M&A consultant for a big 4 accounting firm, some are legal recruiters, one owns a spa, one is a movie producer, one is a private investigator/wedding photographer...