[Anonymous]

I am thinking about doing Law School (hopefully part time) after getting my CPA but need some advice…Can anyone shed some lights here?

A little about myself

– Always wanted to do taxes but ended up becoming a budget analyst who also do payroll due to the not-so-good job market after recession plus my immigration status

– Immigrant, currently on my work visa and waiting for my green card (might take another 5 years to get it, who knows, all at Uncle Sam’s mercy)

– 31 years old.

Some concerns

– Undergrad GPA sucks… just hit 3.0 (Jeremy Lin graduated from Harvard with the same GPA but I didn’t win any sports trophies). However, I got 3.7 for my master’s degree (I have been studying like I was a changed man) but not sure whether it will be counted as compensatory.

– Currently on my working visa so I cannot really work for other employers, unless they apply visa for me as well, which cost $$$. This might affect my ability to take on internships as paralegals to get legal experiences. Can work freely after getting my green card but that can take up to 5 years (part time law school takes about 4 years so time wise it’s not a big deal)

– I’ll be 35/36 after graduating from law school. I am guess that’s too old?

[knicks92]

what schools are you looking at? im assuming not t14 since you said part time? it really depends on what school your going for. law schools do take grades pretty seriously, but i am sure other parts of your resume are just as important.

Tough times don't last. Tough people do.

B: 88
A: 77
R: 89
F:

[Anonymous]

I would think your LSAT score would have a heavier weight than your GPA.

[Anonymous]

Unless you go to a top 10 law school and finish in the upper x percentile of your class, then forget about it. My younger brother is currently at an Ivy and considered going to law school for a brief time before changing his mind after doing extensive research.

The simple fact is that the nature of the legal industry has changed as a result of technological advancement. In addition, law schools are graduating a HUGE number of graduates. The son of a family friend went to law school at Yale and is still looking for a job over a year after graduation.

IMO, the most pervasive reasons I think that many people go to law school (outside the top 10 law schools) are:

1. They are bored and can't think of anything else to do

2. They did their undergrad in a silly subject and they realized after graduation that there is no market for a BA in philosophy (many of my friends fall into this category)

3. They realized that life in the real world isn't all that it's cracked up to be, so they want to defer reality for a few more years (again, many of my friends fall into this category)

If you want to do tax and you have a CPA, why on earth would you go to law school????? You already have the credentials, all you have to do now is get the experience…

Law school (outside top 10) = Huge amount of debt and horrible job prospects. I think that spending 200k + 3 years of your life in the hope that you might land a job paying 50k/year is the definition of insanity.

And before anyone starts mentioning the 180k starting salaries for “big law” associates, be aware those positions account for way less than 5% of law school grads…

Just my 2 cents…..

[PurpleK]

Just know that unless you go to a top law school and get decent grades or graduate at the top of your class from a mid-tier law school, you are unlikely to be able to get a job at a law firm.

So, Some Law Grads Actually Get Jobs—But How?

Also, if you want to work as a tax attorney, you will probably need to spend an additional year or more if part-time to get your LLM in tax. After all the time you spend in school, you will also need to study to pass the bar, which could be another half a year to a year. In California, the bar is only administered twice a year and scores released about 4 months after the test date. Most firms will not allow you to work as an attorney until you have passed the bar.

So if you take the LSATs now and submit law school applications at the end of this year, you are looking at a timeline of at least 5 or 6+ years.

[knicks92]

agree if you really want it go to a big 4 and work your way up and than the firm will pay for your law school 100% (as long as you stay @ the firm for a certain period of time after getting the degree).

law market really sucks and the debt is just a nightmare

Tough times don't last. Tough people do.

B: 88
A: 77
R: 89
F:

[Tux]

I believe it depends what you want to do.

If you want to specialize in international tax, it seems that an LLM would be beneficial.

I have no idea what the job market is like in international tax, but I'd recommend you go to LinkedIn and join some groups related to that topic, then post some questions. The people in those groups are already in that field and can give you a better idea of what to expect.

Ask what qualifications they would look for if they were hiring.

Many people in this forum are still in college, so get advice from people who have experience in the field that you're interested in.

I don't think you're too old to go to law school.

Several previous posts have commented about the cost of law school. IMO, I believe the degree is more important than the prestige, so be thrifty and definitely look for a reputable school, but don't go for the most expensive.

Again, it depends what career path you want to take. Talk to people who are doing what you want to do and get advice from them.

FAR - 86 - 2/27/14
AUD - 75 - 5/29/14
BEC - 80 - 8/31/14
REG - 89 - 2/27/15
Praise Jesus! I'm done!!

Study resources:
Becker
Wiley test bank

[Author]

Replies