Law School Advice

19 Jun, 2008  career, law, work

I mention it from time to time, but I don’t usually dwell on the fact that I went to law school.  It was a fine education, and I had a good experience (no “hiding the book” type stuff - besides, doesn’t everyone realize if you’re the only one with the answer, everyone’s going to know it was you who hid the book?).  But I am not licensed to practice, I don’t/can’t advertise myself as an attorney… and I’m extremely satisfied both with the education received and with my career choice.

Apparently, people are going to law schools in droves these days (even when there aren’t the jobs to support them once they come out).  So when folks ask for my advice about applying and/or attending law school, I usually give some sort of pithy comment about making sure you really want to go - intended not to discourage, but to make sure you’re in the right frame of mind to spend up to $150,000 and mostly cloister yourself for 3 years.

I was kinda’ amused to see a CBS Sports columnist commenting on going to law school.  But Clay’s got it right (except for #14 - Go Valpo!)… even if he comes across a little bitter.

So, if you’re thinking about law school… give the column a read.  Your ultimate decision to apply and/or attend is obviously up to you.  But I will say this.  If you’re a contracts person like I am… and you love it, there’s no must-have exclusive knowledge waiting for you in law school.  Having the degree is an advantage in certain cases - but many of the best contract negotiators, reviewers and drafters have music, English and philosophy degrees, if that.

What they do all have in common is a thirst for understanding what they do and a desire to constantly improve.  Law school won’t give you that - you have to come that way.  ;)

The Licensing Handbook Blog is the companion site to the Software Licensing Handbook. Covering licensing topics on a regular basis, Jeffrey Gordon attempts to offer advice, add humor and sometimes even a bit of wit to a practice that most people find abhorrent - namely, reading a contract from start to finish.

Comments

Leave a Reply




© 2008 licensinghandbook.com.