ALT-3 Is being a Lawyer Worth it
As the costs of legal education have soared, and the service economy as a whole has seen mass layoffs, it is reasonable to ask whether being a lawyer is worth the costs and the lifestyle that comes with it. Making the decision to become (or remain) a lawyer is a tough one. The profession is not well-understood by most people, and unless you have seen the profession up close you might not have any idea what you are in for. Here are some thoughts.
Law school is expensive. It is extremely expensive. Expect to spend over $100,000 to get a legal degree, and that comes on top of the cost of an undergraduate degree. Although there are some bargains in legal education, they are few and far between. Expect that life as a lawyer will probably involve starting your career in debt.
Lawyers do not make huge amounts of money. Well, most do not. Depending on the market, the median salary for lawyers ranges from $45,000 to $90,000. It is possible to make much more than this. In some markets, the highest paying law firms will pay their starting lawyers $160,000. These jobs are the exception, not the rule. They are claimed by the top graduates from the very best law schools in the country, and they come with a lifestyle that will make most people wilt. A government lawyer fresh out of law school will make between $40,000 and $60,000. Although some lawyers make a living by going into private practice, it is hard to do with little experience and it means that the lawyer is really a small business owner, with all the trouble that comes from that lifestyle.
Lawyers are among the most stressed people in the world. Lawyers have higher rates of depression, suicide, alcoholism, and divorce than almost any other career. Lawyers are more likely to die of heart disease and other stress related illnesses. Although there are some legal careers that are much better than others, the profession still centers around being in conflict with other people.
With all these drawbacks to being a lawyer, you might think that being a lawyer is never worth it. For some, that might be true. But there are two reasons to consider the career despite its problems. First, for lawyers who make it to the elite ranks of partnership at a large firm, or who land a once-in-a-lifetime case, the financial rewards are immense. Second, many lawyers are fortunate to be able to serve as an advocate for a cause that they support, and the satisfaction from working with a complex system to help that cause makes the rest of the stress and long hours worth it.
The decision to enroll in law school to become a lawyer is not an easy one, and there is not single answer to whether being a lawyer is "worth it". While there are many people who have dropped out of the legal profession because of disillusionment, there are also many who spend a long life fulfilled and happy with their jobs. It is simply a decision that must be made on a case-by-case basis.
