7 Reasons NOT To Go To Law School

[@Llkdd1987]

Just got admitted for fall 2024

[@Tex100]

Congrats!! Best of luck!!

[@jewel5868]

Finally a video that doesn't mention the tuition! While tuition can be expensive, I wanted to know more about the other potential downsides without feeling discouraged about only the money aspect

[@Tex100]

Glad you found it helpful! I do mention tuition in other videos, but I wanted this video to be about the actual experience of law school, not the cost after. I try not to be discouraging, but I make sure I’m realistic and truthful in how I present everything. Hopefully you’re not too discouraged by all of the negative opinions out there! It truly is a great experience, despite the drawbacks.

[@logangolladay]

Great video! There is such a lack of practical information for law students online.... thanks for working to close that gap!

[@Tex100]

Glad you enjoyed it! Happy I could help!

[@Gguy061]

Ok. I watched until the end. I genuinely feel like I have no good choices available to me for my future. Every career possibility I consider is either oversaturated, or something I completely have no interest in. And if it's not one of those two, it's something that doesn't pay well. No. I'm not going to be an adjunct humanities professor making 60k a year with no insurance. You can't support a family with that kind of money. Being a lawyer isn't my first choice, but it's as good a choice as any. I would rather spend hours upon hours reading case law instead of spending hours upon hours staring at code or being berated by patients in a hospital. I'll get fluent in Spanish and Mandarin if that's what it takes to separate myself from the crowd

[@Tex100]

Fair enough reasoning. Not everyone goes into law school because they’re passionate. A lot of us are here just to pay the bills. I’m sure you’re already aware but keep in mind that a decent amount of lawyers end up like that 60k per year adjunct professor. The field is oversaturated in most markets but schools won’t tell you that since they need you to enroll. There’s a reason why schools report graduates who are in JD preferred positions and not JD required positions. A district manager at McDonalds can count towards the first but not the second. Most people don’t realize that because the top 10-20% of lawyers massively inflate our numbers mean income and lawyers are still portrayed as the upper echelon of society. Many lawyers ultimately don’t fare much better than other professions. Whatever you end up doing I wish you the best of luck! Even if it’s something you don’t find interesting initially, hopefully you end up doing something that has some meaning to you!

[@TheMassie97]

Thank you very much. However, after reading Hawkins V. McGee, which case should I read?

[@TheMassie97]

Thank you for making this video. Though not an attorney, I regularly read black letter law, particularly the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; as a person with a disability, the ADA affords all persons with disabilities the necessary legal protections; however, in Veritas, the protections offered for those with disabilities are only at a minimum. Furthermore, as I am a California-commissioned, National Notary Association-trained general notary and notary loan signing agent, I am substantially familiar with California notarial law, which remains a necedent. Having already, at present, held familiarity with Hawkins V. McGee, which case should one read next? Thank you for your time and consideration. If You have any further queries, please do not hesitate to let me know. Best regards, Cole

[@Tex100]

Hi Cole, Thank you for the detailed comment! It's great that you keep up with relevant notary law and with ADA decisions! Unfortunately, I'm not super familiar with those areas of law. A surprisingly good resource I can recommend is Google Scholar. Google Scholar has a surprising amount of case law and is updated frequently. There are options to have them send an email whenever there is a new case in a specific practice area. I don't know if they will have anything relating to notary requirements and notary law, but they will definitely have a comprehensive library on ADA cases. If you can't find anything that you're looking for, shoot me a DM on Instagram or email my business email (both are in the description of the video). Best of luck, and never stop learning about the law!! From, Tex

[@Llkdd1987]

Can you use AI to brief cases ? I feel like that would be a great way to cut down on the work load while still learning

[@Tex100]

Yep! I’d just be careful of using AI that’s not legal focused. Chat GPT has some trouble understanding the law and will make up other cases/cite the wrong cases. Westlaw and Lexis are currently working in their own AI models that are significantly better for legal research so that’ll be something you’ll want to look into during your law school career! I still highly recommend actually reading the cases, but you can use AI to brief them afterwards and summarize your notes. I know a few people who have been doing that to create their outlines.

[@FreeStacy_B]

How much of law school requires memorization of cases?

[@Tex100]

Not much actually memorizing cases but you will need to memorize the principles from cases. For example, you’ll read 3 or 4 cases in tort law on foreseeability. You won’t need to remember the actual cases and the facts of them, but you will need to remember what the court’s reasoning was in making their decision. You will inevitably end up memorizing entire cases but it’s more like learning music by learning theory than by memorizing individual songs.

[@Tex100]

Are you considering law school? If so, what questions do you have about it?

[@milkmanmp4774]

I’m thinking of going to law school, I wanted to ask what you thought about doing law school in Europe over somewhere in North America. I’m asking because in Eu you don’t need an undergrad, it’s from highschool straight to law school while in Na you do

[@Tex100]

It all depends on where you want to practice law. If you want to be a lawyer in NA, you’re going to want to get a JD (NA law degree). You can get a foreign law degree first, but in order to practice, you’ll need to get an LLM (a separate graduate degree). If you want to practice in EU then an EU law degree is much better. One big difference that I’d suggest taking into account is that undergraduate degree that you mentioned. If you get partway through law school in the EU and find that you don’t want to be a lawyer, you’re out of luck. If you get an undergraduate degree in the US first, then you’ll have that as a fallback and you’ll learn a bunch more practical skills along the way. There is still the question if the extra debt is worth it and if you actually learn much in undergrad, but that’s my current take on law school in NA v EU.

[@harrisontamayo401]

How much does it cost?

[@harrisontamayo401]

Are there part-time options?

[@Tex100]

@@harrisontamayo401 That depends on where you go and whether you get in-state tuition. Most highly ranked schools cost upwards of $40k per year for out of state students, plus your living expenses. Some schools offer really good scholarships though so keep that in mind! If you're lucky, you can get a full-ride at a solid school, but you may still need student loans for living expenses depending on the city. The cheapest option is a local state school, but depending on where you live, those may be difficult to get into.

[@gemalopez6885]

There are some things I disagree with this vlog. If you don't like reading, it's okay. As for high pressure at work, it all depends on what field of law you're working at. And for social events you don't really have to drink if you're not a drinker. This is a stigma that's stereotypical. So long as you like learning about the law, you'll be fine. If you're not sure if you should attend a law school, maybe you should intern as a legal assistant at a law firm. That way you get the feel of what it is to work in a law firm or government setting.

[@ahmadtaha9224]

I’m immigrant and English is not my first language ,is the law school will be hard for me?

[@Tex100]

It will definitely be more difficult if you are going to an American law school. The language used in cases is pretty difficult even for native speakers to understand. If you’re dedicated though then you can still succeed and be a great lawyer! It will be more work, but if it’s something you want to do, then it’ll be worth it in the end!

[@bowenpaintertraillawyers]

Interesting!

[@observeism]

So what about paralegals? I hear some break the 100k salary, yet I'm concerned that paralegals will become obsolete because of AI. I live in Phoenix also and thinking of going to Thunderbird for a masters in Global Management with a legal studies concentration.

[@Tex100]

Paralegal is still a solid career. AI will impact the market a bit, but it may take a bit for firms to adapt. Thunderbird is a solid option, but I recommend looking into the requirements to advance in some firms. Unless you plan to move into management from being a paralegal, a master's in management might not be as effective as gaining more experience in the field. I don't know as much about the paralegal market as the lawyer market so I definitely recommend doing a bit of extra research. Ideally, talk to people in the industry to see what they think of a master's. A school will always tell you to get another degree, but an actual paralegal would likely know whether that's true.

[@observeism]

@@Tex100 excuse me for the delay, some how I am just noticing your response. Honestly, I am thinking of going to ASU law or UofA law. Yet, just like you, I don't want to practice law per se, but I honestly want to learn the law and the skills one learns in law school. I know that a J.D is a versatile degree, and one does not need to become an attorney after graduation. I do like to argue, and I want to be able to defend myself against insurance companies and rotten business practices. I have more legal questions than answers, and feel I would do well in legal research during law school. I am afraid of the debt however, and I need to break a $90-100k salary after graduation. My goals though, are to work for the U.S state department, U.N, or even start my own business. Ideally, I would also like to work abroad, so I am also open to going to Thunderbird. Thank you for the input, and I look forward to your response.

[@Tex100]

@@observeism With those goals, a JD would definitely be helpful! It's hard breaking into foreign policy without a law degree unless you have some good connections and a solid background in the field. If you do go to law school, I highly recommend that you focus on international law with those goals. ASU has a great program where you can spend up to 2 years at our DC campus where you get a ton of experience in that niche. Additionally, we have international internships and a study abroad program in Italy. Alternatively, I suggest you look at law schools in/near DC as that is where you will likely be working and it is extremely beneficial to have connections there as soon as possible. A JD isn't strictly necessary for the career path, but it would definitely help. Best of luck either way!!

[@observeism]

@@Tex100 Thanks for the input my man. If I end up at ASU, I hope to see ya then.

[@Tex100]

@@observeism I'll be gone this time next year, but who knows, might be back to guest lecture lmao

[@TrumpyBooden]

Do you think 40 is too old to go to law school?

[@chipahjogwinndeznicaz619]

what do u mean indian law

[@Tex100]

Native American tribes have their own legal systems. If you want to practice law on a reservation or in an area close to a reservation, you will need to know how that system works and how it interacts with State, Local, and Federal legal systems. There are also numerous treaties between Native American tribes and other government entities. Being knowledgeable on these issues is required if you plan to work on/near a reservation or if you have a client who is working with a reservation, tribe, or someone with a tribal affiliation. The area of law covering all of these issues is colloquially referred to as Indian law. Some schools, like ASU, have entire programs and specialties focused on it.

[@chipahjogwinndeznicaz619]

@@Tex100 ofc thank you for the clarification. I am native. I really want to be come a tribal lawyer or judge in the future.

[@Tex100]

@@chipahjogwinndeznicaz619 Best of luck! In that case you should definitely check out schools with high-ranked Indian Law programs! Some schools will only offer a few classes, but others will have complete programs. Something to be aware of.

[@AwkwardLey]

The alcohol part shouldn’t deter you, I know many great attorneys who are flourishing that don’t drink alcohol