Law Schools

Asked And Answered: Was Law School Worth It? (Part III)

Do you regret attending law school or are you better off than you would've been if you hadn't attended?

By Nicole Black on July 12, 2018 4:16 pm

Today’s column is the final post in my three-part series on whether it makes sense to attend law school in 2018. I received approximately 150 responses to today’s question, bringing the total number of comments across social media for all three questions to nearly 400 total. That’s a lot of discussion, so clearly these issues resonate with lawyers.

In the first column of this series, I asked lawyers whether they would recommend attending law school in 2018, and the resounding answer was: it depends, but for many prospective students, probably not.

In the second column, I asked my social media connections to provide advice to incoming law students, and the prevailing themes that emerged were that prospective students should avoid debt, choose their law school’s location carefully, and do everything possible to gain practical experience while in law school.

Given the negative tenor of many of the responses to my first question, I decided that my final question would be: “Do you regret attending law school or are you better off than you would’ve been if you hadn’t attended?” I wanted to see if all the naysayers regretted their own decisions to obtain a law degree.
The replies to this question varied, but the vast majority of people responding felt that they were better off having attended law school, with only about 10 of the approximately 150 lawyers responding indicating that they regretted obtaining a law degree. So, interestingly, although most responding lawyers advised against attending law school, the majority nevertheless felt that they had personally benefited from their law degree.
One person who regretted attending law school was Above the Law’s very own Elie Mystal, who offered a very nuanced and thoughtful response to this inquiry (Facebook):

I think the problem most people have when answering this question is that they assume they’d have spent three years doing nothing. Or, like, working at Starbucks. Instead of imagining what else they might have done with three educationally formative years (and an extra quarter of million dollars).

So, with that in mind, of course I regret it. I’d have spent those three years working in politics. And when it finally came time for me to make a turn towards writing and journalism, that transition would have been a lot easier. I’d be debt-free now, and that lack of debt would have really allowed me to have all sorts of other interesting career adventures.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve made law school work for me, even as a non-lawyer. I couldn’t be doing exactly what I’m doing now without it. But… I look at that like making lemonade out of a lemon. If I had picked an apple instead, who knows, maybe apple juice – or maybe a whole pie?

Others shared that they had no personal regrets but nevertheless cautioned against attending law school given the unique challenges faced by today’s graduates (Twitter):

etter off because I am well-suited to the profession and enjoy it, but this is tempered by my constant frustration with inability of legal industry to innovate. My answer would likely be different if I had had to take on the mountain of debt required to get JD today.
lad I went because people and the government can’t screw over lawyers as easily. 33% of lawyers are abusive jerks, which is a big issue. The profession itself is under major assault with computer-aided discovery, India’s contact/compliance industry, and CPAs doing the business of law.
Many who responded were grateful for the varied career paths made possible by their law degrees and appreciated the valuable connections that they made along the way. For example, Roberta Jacobs-Meadway stressed her good fortune with mentors and the fact that she chose a practice area that she found to be very fulfilling (LinkedIn):

No regrets. I did not love everything about Rutgers Law but I had some great teachers and went into a first class boutique firm. I was fortunate that the senior partner was only interested in the work we did and did not care about gender or religion or age or color or anything extraneous to whether you could get the job done. No question I am better off than if I had tried to make a living writing plays – not enough talent there. And I have been able to work with very creative people writing plays and books and creating brands and developing new businesses.

For some lawyers, such as Rebecca Fiss, the relationships developed throughout their careers proved to be valuable and lifelong assets that made obtaining the degree well worth it (LinkedIn):

I don’t regret it. Some of the most meaningful relationships and experiences I’ve ever had happened because of law school. But I went on a scholarship and came out with minimal student debt, which I think makes a big difference in how I look back on it.

My co-author and fellow Above the Law columnist, Carolyn Elefant, also stressed the value of the relationships she forged as a lawyer, and I wholeheartedly agree with her particular comment (Facebook): “If I hadn’t gone to law school, we wouldn’t be friends!”

And last but not least, two of my favorite comments were short, sweet, and to the point. First, a former colleague of mine from the Monroe County Public Defender’s Office, Darren Longo, who moved on to work for another governmental entity opined (Facebook): “I disliked law school but I’m glad I went. Now I’m an establishment pawn and proud of it.”

Finally, Omar Ha-Redeye offered the following haiku-like response, with which I’m sure many lawyers would agree:

No regrets.

Some tears though.

And on that note, I bid this particular topic adieu. But given the interest generated by the questions, I’ll definitely re-visit this social media Q & A format in the near future, so be on the lookout for my next question!

Niki BlackNicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney and the Legal Technology Evangelist at MyCase, web-based law practice management software. She’s been blogging since 2005, has written a weekly column for the Daily Record since 2007, is the author of Cloud Computing for Lawyers, co-authors Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, and co-authors Criminal Law in New York. She’s easily distracted by the potential of bright and shiny tech gadgets, along with good food and wine. You can follow her on Twitter @nikiblack and she can be reached at [email protected].