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Should You Go to Law School? - Bradley Tusk’s Substack

bradleytusk.substack.com · 1,477 words · saved by 1 readers

Of course they don’t. No one who asks me this question ever wants to be a lawyer. If they did, they wouldn’t need to debate whether to go to law school and they certainly wouldn’t be asking me. Young person: “No. But I think it’d be good for the education/ degree/ connections” (and you can add in “postponing real life for a few years” and “getting my parents off my back”). Me: “Then don’t go. It’s too many years of your life and too much money just for a degree and some connections that may or may not ever be useful.” Young person: “But it worked out for you.” Me: “Sure. I found law school interesting. And made some really good friends there. But I can’t point to a single job or opportunity I got because I have a law degree. And I didn’t pay off my student loans till I was in my mid-thirties." They then slink away, unhappy that I didn’t give them the answer they wanted. I’ve been having versions of this conversation for at least a decade. And I’ve felt strongly that it didn’t make sens

The conversation always went something like this. Young person to me: “Should I go to law school?” Me: “Well, do you want to be a lawyer?” Of course they don’t. No one who asks me this question ever wants to be a lawyer. If they did, they wouldn’t need to debate whether to go to law school and they certainly wouldn’t be asking me. Young person: “No. But I think it’d be good for the education/ degree/ connections” (and you can add in “postponing real life for a few years” and “getting my parents off my back”). Me: “Then don’t go. It’s too many years of your life and too much money just…

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