Should I Go To Law School

Should I Go To Law School?

A Personal Decision

It is a good idea to sit down and try to articulate your reasons for wanting to go to law school. Top law schools are looking for individuals who know why they want to go to law school and who know how to focus on achieving their goal.

Why Law School?

In his book The Lawyers, Martin Mayer describes law school as the "crown jewel" of the American educational system, in part because law school is the "last generalist professional degree."

Law school teaches you to think precisely and to write and speak clearly. This type of training is valuable in any career. Here are some additional reasons why people choose to attend law school:

. Financial rewards
. Intellectual stimulation
. Prestige
. Family influence
. Effecting social change
. Career flexibility

Getting In

In many ways the hardest part of getting your law degree is simply getting in. Once admitted to law school, however, less than 2% of students fail to finish law school.

Why is it so hard to get in? Because a degree from a top law school is enormously valuable in terms of prestige, career opportunities, and salary. Top law schools often receive three to five times as many applications as they have spaces to fill.