Everyone has heard the old line “there are too many lawyers”.  While this may be true, the next question one must as is…why?  Why is pursuing law such a popular path to follow and what exactly are the benefits and negatives of pursuing a law degree?  In this article I’ll explore the ‘right’ reasons and also some ‘wrong’ reasons to pursue this time consuming and expensive undertaking.

The Love of Law

The first and ‘best’ reason to pursue a Law Degree is of course that you absolutely LOVE the law.  Do you sit up late at night debating controversial legal issues with your friends?  Do you find yourself getting into heated arguments over the right to fair trial of non-citizen combatants in the Iraq war or perhaps the various ethical and legal sides of the abortion issue.  Is your favorite channel C-span or Court TV and is your book shelf full of books about famous legal cases or issues?

If this sounds like you then you might be law school material.  The best lawyers…and law students have a PASSION for the law.  They don’t look at reading 500 pages of a constitutional law book as work, they relish it.  While there are certainly other good reasons to go to law school, perhaps no other is as good a predictor of success as your love of the subject matter.

Critical Thinking

One of the often overlooked but perhaps most important skills you learn by attending law school is the development of your critical thinking ability.  The ability to look at an issue from its various sides, do the research to fully understand the intricacies of an issue and the ability to argue and defend your position are incredibly valuable skills that will serve you for the rest of your life in and outside of the law field.

Many attorneys find that the research and critical thinking skills help them in areas they never even considered from personal relationships to managing employees and building a business.  Of course these skills are crucial in the legal profession itself, but a legal education can be a great exercise in improving one’s ability to handle the complex negotiations of life.

Career Dynamite

Obtaining a law degree can be a tremendous asset when paired with a degree or specialized knowledge in another field.  By using your specific knowledge and experience and having a law degree you then are perfectly tailored to work as legal counsel for a plethora of fields.

For instance a pharmacy degree paired with a law degree makes you a great asset as counsel in a firm that specializes in pharmaceutical firms.  Architecture, real estate or construction experience teamed with a law degree can make you a great real estate attorney.  The real world experience you possess in the specific field makes you an invaluable asset to law firms that might have top notch attorneys but little hands on, practical experience in that field.

Wrong Reasons

It is very important to be aware of the wrong reasons to pursue a law degree…and there are many.  Some people decide to go to law school because they simply don’t know what else to do.  Besides being an obvious waste of time, most often these people do not end up even working in the legal profession.

Others want to become an attorney not because they really like law, but because they want the perceived ‘prestige’ that having a law degree attaches.  People that go to law school for this reason tend to have self-esteem issues and are looking to fill a void with the ‘title’ of lawyer even though they really have very little passion for the profession.  They often don’t really know what they want to do and think spending three years in school is a way of either staying out of the ‘real world’ or that they’ll ‘figure it out’ in law school.  Law school is so work intensive that is highly recommended you don’t attend unless you really know you want it for the right reasons.

Finally, there’s the money.  While any profession is ultimately responsible for giving you a pay check, potential law school candidates should be aware that the vast majority of lawyers don’t make gobs of money.  While it is true that if you attend a top, Ivy League school and get into a top firm you can make a very good living, this is really only something that a very small percentage will accomplish.  The big money starts if you make Partner in a firm, which is highly competitive and can take many years.  For those simply looking to make good money, there are other professions that are comparatively easier to accomplish this in finance and banking and without the need to attend law school.  However, if your passion is the law then there are certainly great financial rewards for those that position themselves correctly.

Mark Freeman asked:


If you have not completed any college or university education after high school and are thinking about getting an online degree, one of your best options may to be to consider an online associate degree. These programs are readily available, come in a wide variety of choices, and generally take about half as long to complete as an online bachelors degree. Best of all they are usually half of the cost.

If you are considering moving in this way towards an online degree then look for accredited programs. Accredited programs can be transferred for credit at any college or university and that’s important because you may want to go back and get your bachelors or even masters degree at some point in the future. An unaccredited degree may prove to be worthless, so choose your program carefully.

Here are a few college level programs that you might wish to consider for your online associate degree.

American Intercontinental University is an international university with campuses in Georgia, California, Texas and Florida in the United States, as well as England and the United Arab Emirates. AIU Online offers distance learning programs that grant accredited bachelor, masters, and associate degrees in Business Management, Healthcare Management, Marketing, Criminal Justice, Visual Communications, and Education. AIU Online programs and degrees are accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Ashworth College is a nationally accredited distance learning school that promises to provide you with online classes supplemented by authoritative textbooks and study guides that are mailed to your home. They offer online associate degree programs in Criminal Justice, Business Management, Health Care Management, Computer Information Management, Accounting, Paralegal Studies, Early Childhood Education, Human Resource Management, and Psychology.

National American University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission to grant bachelor and associate degrees online. They offer online associate degree programs in Applied Management, Business Administration and Information Technology as well as an Associate of Science Degree in General Studies.

Crown College offers an online education that combines the traditional arts, sciences and humanities with the professional disciplines related to these fields. Their online Associate of Science degree in Criminal Justice program provides the graduate with the capacity to compete for jobs in Law Enforcement, Community Corrections, Prison/Jail Officer, Private Investigations/Security. Their online Associate of Science in Paralegal Studies degree provides the graduate with the skills to compete for jobs as a Paralegal, Court Clerk, or Judicial Assistant

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


Becoming a lawyer is among the most fashionable course of study nowadays and with really fine reason. In the present time, in that respect, are several characters of practicing law are publicized regularly. Criminal justice law is in much demand in real time more than ever. Modifications to real estate and property laws in the past 50 years approximately have brought in property attorneys marketable to a critical level. Divorce attorneys, for marital separations, experience a plenty of wreak delegate their direction. And so let alone there follows the culture of litigating for insurance policy takes which we altogether exist in personifies the reason behind a bunch of the financial obligation and physical injury business law firm survive. With so a great deal of opportunities and businesses active around at some given period sooner or later, there is no doubt why a respectable percentage of scholars prefer to encourage successful the domain of law. Nonetheless, not every last of them has the chance.

That had better really show they were not able to find the opportunity in the beginning when cyberspace education was contrived. Legal philosophy is an exceedingly best-selling field of study and is tendered through a swollen percentage from the internet schools, universities and colleges out in that location at the moment. Steady cyberspace colleges feature a modified count of posts all semester and on that point are generally really a couple to reserve. Really some folks quit either, for they are indeed esteemed and a person will call for a law academic degree to pass into a business firm later upon graduation. You must therefore make certain that your schooling is every bit a good deal amusing as achievable because you will live wedged on it for a couple of years!

Equally a requirement, you must look into each alternative prior to tying one particular internet law curriculum. The array of classes online websites will be dumbfounding. It will shortly be discovered clear-cut deviation between the subject and structure of single course with some other. No dual courses are analogous; therefore it is not wise to settle with one prior to contemplating the rest.

Still, it is not merely course subject matter which you must check up on. In law schools, respectability is what matters. It chronicles as overwhelming more than previous results, and this implements to the school you enrolled at also. It will seldom cause a conflict if you schooled online. Simply when you do not attend a commissioned school and who does not bear superior law student prospects carries heavily on your chances.

When you have searched into the reputation of cyberspace schools for law that’s when you can finalize your list down. Yet, it is not virtually sufficient to establish a decision on that aspect entirely. It is wise to recognize what their classes are targeted at. A few specialize in a definite law practice, age bracket or societal grouping. Others could simply provide courses fashioned to feed those who have hit the books on law already to further their career promotion. Whereas, other sites shall admit individuals without prior knowledge of the law, school them to the fullest degree. Create a brief list of the ones which proposes the sort of education you necessitate and equate them to your list of prestigious internet classes. This will appropriate you with some possible schools tallying them simpler to determine from that point onwards. This entire procedure involve months of inquiry and careful planning, Yet, it will be meriting for your career ultimately. You must use up time and gain the drive.

If you made up your mind to consider law through the internet university, then you have induced a colossal step towards shifting the rest of your career. This may entirely be a beneficial thing. Remember, all good things come to those who wait! If you invest in the feat to uncovering the finest feasible school and curriculum for you then things will fall into place. When executing study online personify your top-grade performance always.

Paul Wilson asked:


A lawyer helps people as well as businesses solve legal problems, understand rules and regulations, and ensure that the lives people lead are within the confines of law. Lawyers play many roles from arguing cases in court, to defending a person’s or nation’s right to freedom, and working with business houses handling their legal matters. This would mean knowing the laws of the land, being able to draft documents that will be upheld in any court, and advice people on their individual needs.

To be qualified in the field of law, a future lawyer needs to complete four years of undergraduate school followed by three years in a law school. Then a law graduate must complete the bar examination which tests the comprehensive knowledge of law. After this, the person is given a valid license to practice law. Tests are not just book knowledge; the person is screened for character as well as moral standards.

Law has many fields and it is important for you to understand the different options clearly. Once the examinations are cleared you can:

• Take up private practice which means practicing law on your own or being a part of a larger firm that has hundreds of attorneys. In private practice one can be a trail lawyer or a corporate attorney who handles contracts, wills, legal documents, memorandums, and other aspects of business and everyday life. Clients will seek advice on matters of divorce, marriage agreements, adoption, mergers, acquisitions, setting up of trusts, charity organizations, and more. A private practice lawyer can either be an expert in one field or be a “jack of several aspects of law.” Private practice can include aspects of income tax law, patent and trade mark law, oil and gas law, as well as labor law.

• Be a corporate lawyer and work in the legal department of a large business house. This would involve all legal aspects of running a business from mergers and acquisitions to employee rights, tax, balance sheets, financial aspects, and more.

• Be a lawyer in the government and work for federal agencies at the national or state level. This would of course involve things like public litigations, hearings of regulatory agencies, ordinances, policy making, and more. Many lawyers hold important offices in the government.

• Be a lawyer who defends public interests and consumer rights.

• Work in the judiciary and serve as a municipal, state or federal DA or judge. This would involve presiding over and arguing for criminal and civil court proceedings.

• Teach law to students. This would include law enforcement, business law, real estate law, and cyber law. One could also work as a law librarian, editor, and administrator.

• Be a lawyer in the military service. This would mean specializing in international laws and all aspects of security as well as human rights.

The options are numerous and once you are qualified you could choose a field that excites you and fulfills your ambitions.