| Everyone has heard the old line "there are too many | | | | education can be a great exercise in improving one's |
| lawyers". While this may be true, the next question | | | | ability to handle the complex negotiations of life. |
| one must as is…why? Why is pursuing law such a | | | | Career Dynamite |
| popular path to follow and what exactly are the | | | | Obtaining a law degree can be a tremendous asset |
| benefits and negatives of pursuing a law degree? In | | | | when paired with a degree or specialized knowledge in |
| this article I'll explore the ‘right' reasons and also | | | | another field. By using your specific knowledge and |
| some ‘wrong' reasons to pursue this time | | | | experience and having a law degree you then are |
| consuming and expensive undertaking. | | | | perfectly tailored to work as legal counsel for a |
| The Love of Law | | | | plethora of fields. |
| The first and ‘best' reason to pursue a Law | | | | For instance a pharmacy degree paired with a law |
| Degree is of course that you absolutely LOVE the law. | | | | degree makes you a great asset as counsel in a firm |
| Do you sit up late at night debating controversial legal | | | | that specializes in pharmaceutical firms. Architecture, |
| issues with your friends? Do you find yourself getting | | | | real estate or construction experience teamed with a |
| into heated arguments over the right to fair trial of | | | | law degree can make you a great real estate |
| non-citizen combatants in the Iraq war or perhaps the | | | | attorney. The real world experience you possess in |
| various ethical and legal sides of the abortion issue. Is | | | | the specific field makes you an invaluable asset to law |
| your favorite channel C-span or Court TV and is your | | | | firms that might have top notch attorneys but little |
| book shelf full of books about famous legal cases or | | | | hands on, practical experience in that field. |
| issues? | | | | Wrong Reasons |
| If this sounds like you then you might be law school | | | | It is very important to be aware of the wrong reasons |
| material. The best lawyers…and law students have | | | | to pursue a law degree…and there are many. |
| a PASSION for the law. They don't look at reading | | | | Some people decide to go to law school because |
| 500 pages of a constitutional law book as work, they | | | | they simply don't know what else to do. Besides |
| relish it. While there are certainly other good reasons | | | | being an obvious waste of time, most often these |
| to go to law school, perhaps no other is as good a | | | | people do not end up even working in the legal |
| predictor of success as your love of the subject | | | | profession. |
| matter. | | | | Others want to become an attorney not because |
| Critical Thinking | | | | they really like law, but because they want the |
| One of the often overlooked but perhaps most | | | | perceived ‘prestige' that having a law degree |
| important skills you learn by attending law school is the | | | | attaches. People that go to law school for this |
| development of your critical thinking ability. The ability | | | | reason tend to have self-esteem issues and are |
| to look at an issue from its various sides, do the | | | | looking to fill a void with the ‘title' of lawyer even |
| research to fully understand the intricacies of an issue | | | | though they really have very little passion for the |
| and the ability to argue and defend your position are | | | | profession. They often don't really know what they |
| incredibly valuable skills that will serve you for the rest | | | | want to do and think spending three years in school is |
| of your life in and outside of the law field. | | | | a way of either staying out of the ‘real world' or |
| Many attorneys find that the research and critical | | | | that they'll ‘figure it out' in law school. Law school |
| thinking skills help them in areas they never even | | | | is so work intensive that is highly recommended you |
| considered from personal relationships to managing | | | | don't attend unless you really know you want it for the |
| employees and building a business. Of course these | | | | right reasons. |
| skills are crucial in the legal profession itself, but a legal | | | | |