How useful would a law degree be in my case?
Question:
What problem am I trying to fix?
1.) I am tired of moving every 3 years.
2.) The automotive industry worries me (my corp is in Ch 11).
3.) My skill set depends on this company / this industry.
4.) No raises in over 2 yrs ('06 total comp was just under 200k though)
Why a Law Degree?
1.) I like the subject matter.
2.) I would like to transition my experience to corporate law.
3.) Law is applicable to every aspect of society and I think it will help me better contribute to society.
MY QUESTION: will I get out of law school and find that I can't get a law position (having no legal experience) for at least the same $ as I make now? If so, I probably wouldn't be able to put the JD to much use.
Answer:
What about becoming a patent agent? This is a quasi-law profession. We have an agent at my company and she claims it is a very high demand field that can be pursued with just a bachelor’s degree.
This might complement your background as well. Given that you have a great deal of automotive experience, you might be the perfect subject expert to examine and file patents for this field. Also it might strengthen your technical viability by having broader experience in intellectual property. You may become much more valuable to your current/future employer and you may become more involved in the core business and technology.
As I understand it becoming a patent agent has a small amount of course work followed by an exam, both of which you can do part time. Then I believe there is an apprenticeship-type situation that you may be able to manage part time as well.
As far as the JD goes, I vote no. There has been a glut of law graduates in the US for the last decade. By all appearances the trend is continuing. The degree is a grind; the bar exam is extremely challenging; And then if your are lucky you get to work at a starting position at a law firm for low wage and very long hours. Most of my lawyer friends worked 80 and 100 hour weeks for the early years of their careers. The problem is they have huge pressure to bill hours (like 40 to 60 per week), but the clients also demand very high quality output for this billing. Often new lawyers spend two hours in research and work for every hour billed. And again that is ASSUMING you get the lawyer gig in the first place.
Best of luck
You did not state your salary, so that question cannot be answered. A law degree combined with your MBA and 16 years experince in the automotive industry and BS in industrial engineering would be exceptionally valuable. There is no doubt that you would have many job opportunities, provided you earn good grades in law school.
Keep in mind that no law student who graudates has any legal experience, and they all get good jobs. You may not start at the same salary you have now, but given your experience, you should be able to advance repidly in a legal firm that needs and uses your talents and experience.
You can also create your own opportunities, by opening your own law firm, possibly after 2-3 years with a law firm where you gain some experience about how a legal firm operates. You have probably developed numerous contacts with whom you can network. You may even partner with other young lawyers, possibly your fellow students, to start a new firm offering services that use your experience.
Finally, by the time you finish law school, you may find that a particular field of law is more interesting to you than the one you now think you want. Give yourself a chance, keep an open mind and apply to law school. At your age it is not too late. I was 37 when I earned my Ph.D. more than 10 years older than most graduates, yet I still had a 35 year teaching career. You may find that you will become a top notch estate lawyer, criminal lawyer, or specialist in international business. Go for it.
I have to disagree with Serge to a certain degree. Not all JD grads come up with good jobs right out of the gate. If they do manage to catch on with a large law firm they are set to doing the grunt work - mind numbing research on mundane subjects that may or may not have some bearing on one legal issue or another. How many JDs do you know that settle for something like a public defender's job just so they can get the court room experience? No one that my daughter knows of walked off the graduation podium and into a partnership.
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