Legal Studies Student – Aspiring for Lawyer

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  • #616720
    dhl144
    Member

    Hi CF,

    I am 24 and a student obtaining my associate degree in legal studies. I hope to become an attorney one day. I know that I am still in the early stages of my education. I was planning on transferring to a 4 year university for my bachelors degree BUT decided that maybe I should complete my associates in paralegal studies and go to yeshiva and get a bachelors in Talmudic Law… Then go to Law school…

    I wanted to hear your advice on that… and IF anyone knows of Yeshivas that are in Israel that are credited that I can get a credited bachelors in Talmudic Law that will work for an American law school studying there… any lawyers out there? anyone have advice?

    Thank u in advance!

    #1113861
    popa_bar_abba
    Participant

    LSAC is going to count all credits earned before you get a 4 year degree as part of your reported GPA.

    #1113862
    dhl144
    Member

    Yes, so I must make sure to do well in my associate degree studies as well as my yeshiva gemara studies. Any yeshivot u know of that offer Talmudic bachelors? I am also wondering if there is a yeshiva that will accept my associates degree and combine that with my gemara studies for my bachelors so It’ll only take me a year as oppose to two years for my completion of bachelors… Do you know anything about that? Thank you for the feedback and advice

    #1113863
    popa_bar_abba
    Participant

    Which yeshivos are you interested in? Call them.

    #1113864
    akuperma
    Participant

    If your goal is to practice law in the United States, you will need a bachelors that is accredited by the an agency recognized by the United States, meaning one of the regional accreditation agencies. If you are presenting any other equivalent, you should confirm that it will be accepted by discussing it with the Board of Law Examiners in the state you want to practice in, and get them to say so in writing. Note the law schools will often admit a student who they know is ineligible to take the Bar exam (on the theory its the student right to spend their money as they wish, even though the student may be under the erroneous assumption they will be a lawyer after graduation).

    To succeed in law school, you should have good English langauge skills, especially in writing, and at least a vague idea of American history and government (otherwise you may make a fool of yourself).

    This all assumes you want to be a lawyer because you think its a fun thing to do for a living. If you believe its a sure route to a comfortable economic situation, in spite of it not being what you want to do for living, you are making a whooper of a mistake.

    #1113865
    dhl144
    Member

    @akuperma:

    Thank you for the advice.

    Yes I am aware that I must make sure the bachelors studies will be accredited and recognized in the United states that is part of the research I must do. I know that there are many yeshivas in Israel that are credited and will be recognized in the US.

    With regards to the English studies. I am well equipped in that area. I have taken many English courses in college here and have an OK background in that area.

    “Note the law schools will often admit a student who they know is ineligible to take the Bar exam” What do u mean by this? that I have to make sure that I am really well educated before choosing to take the Bar? Because the law schools will not care whether I am truly ready for it or not…?

    #1113866
    dhl144
    Member

    @popa Thank you, yes I must do my research I plan in starting to look into yshivot around December because I am still in the midst of a semester now so I must focus on my current studies.

    I am going to Israel at the end of January so I am thinking maybe I will even visit some of the yeshivot while I am there.

    #1113867
    akuperma
    Participant

    If you lack a bachelors from a regionally accredited college, many states will not let you take the bar exam, even if you also have a JD from an ABA accredited law school. Many yeshivos that grant a “bachelor’s” don’t have the right accreditation. Law schools will admit someone who is academically qualified and able to pay tuition (especially if they will pay full tuition) even though there is something about them that would keep them from being licensed to practice law (lack of an accredited bachelors is one possible problem, a criminal record is another). For an institution in Israel, they will probably ask if it has been accredited by the Ministry of Education as a regular degree-granting college.

    #1113868
    Avi K
    Participant

    From what I understand law schools look down on Legal Studies degrees as they are considered soft. Top secular majors are Math (analytical skills), Economics and Philosophy. The main thong though is the LSAT and Gemara study along with courses in analytical reasoning would be very good.

    #1113869
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Your Legal Studies degree is pretty worthless as a precursor to law school, unless you work as a paralegal for about 5 years and then apply to law school.

    Get a BS in Economics, History, Psychology, Math, etc. Do well on the LSAT exam, pay lots of money and don’t plan on making the kind of money that was possible 20 years ago.

    There is a glut of lawyers on the market. The availability of low cost on-line forms, etc. has taken away much of the bread and butter work for lawyers.

    You would likely earn far more as a good paralegal than a starting lawyer.

    I know that I pay my closings (Real Estate) and wills and trusts paralegals approx 100K. I can get all the first and second year associates I want from good law schools for 45k. The paralegals then have to teach the new associates the real nuts and bolts of law work–forms, filing, calendar tracking, etc.

    This advice is from someone who has been in this for years and has convinced his children not to come into the family profession.

    #1113870
    popa_bar_abba
    Participant

    I can get all the first and second year associates I want from good law schools for 45k.

    Don’t all law firms pay 160? Plus bonus?

    #1113871
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    He means after taxes.

    #1113872
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Popa……….

    Those days ended with the Bush Great Recession of 2007/8

    There are very few top tier Wall Street or White Shoe law firms hiring the top 2% of graduates from the top 10 Law schools at 6 figure salaries. This especially goes for frum first year associates who would not slave away and bill thousands of hours because of Shabbos and Yuntif restrictions.

    Graduates of second tier and public law schools who have passed the bar are hungry for work and not find much of it. There have been many articles about this in the NY Times in the past couple of years.

    Add the fact that government in many jurisdictions has laid off attorneys or has hiring freezes…and there is a bleak outlook for most new members of the bar.

    The OP has no name brand college degree, and likely will not have an Ivy League/Stanford/U Michigan law degree….unless he is taken into a family firm his prospects are slim. Even if taken into a family firm, he will not start at top salaries (as earned in the 80s and 90s).

    I have a small firm (by choice). I occasionally hire a starting associate (often as a favor for a friend or client). Generally they are not Jewish. This allows coverage on days when I cannot work. Not all judges are good about scheduling motion hearings and other minor appearances around religious schedules.

    Today’s clients expect a quick call back when the call or email, not after a 2 day yuntif followed by Shabbos and courts closed on Sunday.

    #1113873
    Avi K
    Participant

    CTLAWYER,

    1. Just out of curiosity why not a BA?

    2. You forgot to mention the insane law school tuitions.

    #1113874
    akuperma
    Participant

    If someone is planning to work for “Big law” and get rich, the right degree from the right school matters. If someone is planning on “hanging out a shingle” serving the local community, all that matters is the persons competence and ability to market themselves, along with admission from the bar (which is most states requires an accredited bachelors degree and a degree from an accredited law school though some states allow “reading law” as an alternative). While “big law” may be increasingly tight since oversupply wipes out the impact of retiring boomers, and they were overpaid as it is with the result that paralegals and “outsourcing” to contract lawyers are replacing overpaid associates – if someone wants to work in a largely frum environment they should plan on being a “small” law pracitioner in which case any law school will be adequate and avoiding crushing debt is important.

    Also, if someone is planning to go into “small law” having trained as a paralegal might not be so dumb since they’ll be doing a lot of things that paralegals do in the “big law” world.

    #1113875
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    @Avi

    BA…usually not the degree in critical thinking disciplines

    Tuition…out of sight

    @Akuperma

    Reading the law is a thing of the past in most states, law degree necessary to take the bar exam

    #1113876
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    CTL, how do you deal with the amirah l’akum and s’char Shabbos issues?

    #1113877
    popa_bar_abba
    Participant

    There are very few top tier Wall Street or White Shoe law firms hiring the top 2% of graduates from the top 10 Law schools at 6 figure salaries. This especially goes for frum first year associates who would not slave away and bill thousands of hours because of Shabbos and Yuntif restrictions.

    I think you’re exaggerating. At least 70 percent at a top ten school can get a job paying 160000 first year (and far more after that). And closer to 90 percent at a top 6 school. And there are hundreds of frum lawyers at these firms.

    #1113878
    Avi K
    Participant

    CTLAWYER, not correct. Philosophy is a BA. Math and Eco can be either and the latter can also be a BBA. It depends on which core program one takes.

    Popa, people who get that much to start are slaves to the billable hours regime. True, there are frum lawyers in these firms but they work motzaei Shabbat and Sun (in fact, when Nat Lewin told Justice Harlan about Shabbat before clerking him Harlan said “No problem. You’ll come in on Sun”). I knew someone who had a friend who left because he realized that he had no time to enjoy the salary and went to a government job. Much lower salary but 9-5. Today that would be an immense problem for someone who does not come from a well-to-fo family.

    #1113879
    popa_bar_abba
    Participant

    Plenty of non-lawyers work sometimes on motzei shabbos and sunday, and make a lot less than biglaw lawyers do. Did you know last year bonuses for first year associates were 15000? That’s dollars, not doll-hairs. And for second year associates were 25000?

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