is there really a glut of lawyers? I don’t know. I went to law school over 15 years ago and I remember everyone saying there were way too many lawyers back then. i think people always say there’s too many lawyers. i’ve always made a living doing different kinds of legal work. i think most people who want to make a living at it make a living at it.
I think it’s pretty damn interesting generally and I am truly, profoundly grateful to have this profession to practice.
I have no regrets about going to a fancy top 20 law school, incurring 100k in debt (seemed like a lot back int he early 90’s and committing to a life in the law. I love uncertainty, conflict, public speaking, risk, complications, quirky arguments and trying to persuade people, and a lot fo normal people might find these job attributes wearing.
Indeed, lawyers do seem in general to weary of the profession generally. however, you see a lot of old coots who keep at it, and seem to live for it. I dont know that a wife and kid would make you “non-competitive” in school. A lot of performance on law school exams was hard work coupled with at least an equal amount of raw skill at doing law tests. you’ll see when you get into it, but you can work your butt off 7 days a week studying and if you’re not good at law exams, you will not do well. C
onversely, you could do the basic work in the class, not kill yourself, and if you ahve a natural fluency with legal analysis and writing, you can kick ass on law exams. it’s just life. Some people play basketbal well, some do law school well. Hard work helps and is necessary, but pasta certain amount, you are just spining your wheels. a smart guy will not be held back by a wife and a kid.
I actually did take a fancy Johnson-O’Connor aptitude test, several days of expensive aptitude testing, in high school to figure out what i was suited for. They said I should be a lawyer. i ignored their advice and waited till i was 30 to go to law school. They were right.
