NO.
Seriously, no. The practice of law can be very fulfilling and be a lifetime of service, but practically, nobody ever calls a lawyer on a good day. A lawyer is a problem-solver more than anything else. The problems can range from simple and easy to complex and difficult. Whether the problem is difficult or not, however, the practice of law is a constant barrage of negative feelings and emotions, without the accompanying value of legal services. The only way I would ever advise someone to go to law school is:
- If they plan to pursue a non-legal job and would like to use law school as a resume builder with assurances that the non-legal job will hire you, pay for law school, or give you a promotion.
- If a person has worked closely with a lawyer for an extended time (6 months or one year +) and can get a full understanding of what the practice of law is.
- If a close relative is a lawyer and wants to shepherd and mentor a person through the early portion of their legal career.
Other than those three specific examples, we would recommend a person pursue another career whether that’s a STEM career, medicine, or whatever.
