Should you go to law school in the US to have a high-impact career?

Law school can be valuable for people pursuing several promising high-impact career paths — but you should avoid some common mistakes.

Narrated by AI.

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Outline:

(00:10) Summary

(00:48) Pros

(01:02) Cons

(01:17) Key facts on fit

(01:45) Next steps

(02:03) Sometimes recommended

(02:46) I. Why law school could be an important step in a promising career path

(04:51) Roles influencing policy

(09:31) Roles practicing law

(12:59) II. Advantages of going to law school

(13:26) Law school gives you structural knowledge about law and public policy

(14:11) Law school imparts domain-specific knowledge about particular areas of law

(16:51) What skills and aptitudes does law school help you develop?

(17:30) Having a law degree opens up opportunities

(19:42) Law school might be a more attractive option for you if...

(21:51) III. Reasons you might not want to go to law school

(22:08) Law school is often extraordinarily expensive

(22:35) There may be physical and mental health costs

(23:18) Law school may change your values in negative ways

(24:37) Should you get a law degree to earn to give?

(25:56) Law school might be a less attractive option for you if...

(27:13) IV. What alternatives to law school should you consider?

(27:28) Options that would allow you to test fit for potential paths after law school

(28:16) Education options that may be attractive alternatives to law school

(29:12) V. What is law school actually like?

(29:38) What is the curriculum like?

(32:14) Youll have access to internships, externships, and other opportunities

(33:51) Its a big time commitment

(35:44) The costs of going to law school

(38:06) VI. Cheap tests to assess your fit for law school

(39:56) VII. Getting into law school

(42:21) VIII. Advice to keep in mind if you are leaning toward pursuing law school

(42:28) Choosing law school to avoid making career decisions is a common mistake

(43:41) Most people shouldnt leave promising work for law school without a clear plan

(44:20) Entering law school with a theory of change in mind can help

(45:02) Keep building your subject-matter knowledge

(45:41) Look out for new opportunities

(46:25) IX. Which law schools should you consider?

(48:03) A note of caution regarding mid- and lower-ranked schools

(49:31) X. Special programme types

(49:36) Part-time programmes

(50:20) Accelerated programmes

(51:36) Combined degrees

(53:38) LLM programs

(54:24) SJD and PhD programmes

(55:18) Learn more

The original text contained 7 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

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First published:
September 8th, 2022

Source:
https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/should-you-go-to-law-school

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.