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Depends on:

A) Your School
B) How much you're paying for it

None of your "pros" are actually reasons to go to law school, at all.

A) Stanford
B) I have not yet received my need-based aid package yet. I think I should get a fair amount given my age and the fact that I made less than $5000K total in 2011.

If you got into Stanford, then I don't see it as a mistake.

In my situation, what are the viable alternatives?

Think long and hard about what you would write in a personal statement titled "Why I Want To Go To Law School" (something you could reasonably submit to law schools.

If you come up with little that sounds positive, it may not be the right path for you.

Your school may very well be willing to extend whatever deadline they've given you. You still seem to be on the fence about this.

Generally, I think in this environment going to law school because of a lack of other options would be the wrong choice. (with exceptions--if you have a good scholarship to a school with fairly strong job prospects, I think that probably beats trying to work your way up from a low-level retail or menial job at this point).

edit--just saw you're going to Stanford. Financially I think going would be sound. I guess it just depends on how much you think you could find fulfillment in being a lawyer.

Also, if you wanted to be humble about getting into Stanford, you probably shoulda just noted in the original post that the school you were considering was very reputable

Right. I looked at the Stanford placement stats and it seems that very few to 0 people went straight from law school to consulting. Although it is reassuring to know that my employment prospects out of Stanford will be good, I am not sure that I will be able to find gainful employment outside of the law field. I hope to take courses in the business school to gain valuable skills in my true area of interest, but am not sure how well these "skills" will transfer into employment opportunities.

For people voting against law school--please let me know what you would recommend as a viable alternative.

Disagree completely. If someone does not have a marketable degree (i.e. most humanities majors), yet has the ability to get into a great school (for example, a T14) and is dead set on making a career of it, that's a perfectly legitimate reason to attend. Many, many people never find a "calling" in any career field, and many others simply have nothing else to do with their degree.

So often I see people on this board telling even those that are going to top schools to "make sure it's what they want to do." What else is someone with a philosophy degree going to do? Make a career of it at Starbucks? If they can go to a top school, let them.

Thank you. I feel like my lack of "employability" is exacerbated by my 4-year lack of work experience. I was able to explain the gap away in my application by explaining my medical condition, but fear that disclosure to an employer would cause me to be viewed as a "risk".

OP, normally I would say you shouldn't go as you don't seem super passionate about lawyering. But you got into Stanford. You will get a job out of there. In the end all work is just that...work. As long as you have no aversion to working log hours, you should be able to build a lucrative career out of there.

HOWEVER, if you got into Stanford law I don't see why you couldn't get into a top business school. If you could get into one of the premier business schools that may make more sense as it would probably open a more variety of careers rather than just being a lawyer.

Edit: nvm on business school as I just saw your WE problem.

There is a world of difference between "make sure you want to practice law" (I agree, difficult or impossible as a 0L) and "have some articulable reason you think you might want to practice law." OP doesn't even remotely seem to want to be a lawyer, would prefer to get an MBA, and has a list of "reasons" to attend law school that actually just list of excuses why they won't be able to do anything else. Which is almost certainly not true.

Look, if it's Stanford, why not, I guess, it's true that from a pure financial value-added perspective it's likely to be a good bet, but I think wanting to be a "professional" and thinking that you can't do anything else with your life are bad, bad reasons to go to law school.

Thank you! After researching business schools, I decided not to apply because work experience is almost a necessary condition for top programs. I agree that business school makes more sense for my career objectives, but feel that going to a top law program will be more beneficial than going to a mediocre business school program.

0L, so take my advice with a grain of salt, but go to fucking Stanford. Being a lawyer is a job, and the jobs you get from that school will be especially demanding/ lucrative similar to a top consulting gig. You want to work on the business side of things? Fine

Do this : Go to Stanford-->work biglaw 1 or 2 years-->Become in house--> Become CLO-->Become CEO

Profit the entire way.

Are you fucking serious? You got into Stanford. Going to law school is objectively the right decision here.

I want to do consulting work and do not have interest in traditional law jobs, but I think you are right.

For the people that voted against law school: what do you suggest as viable alternatives? Please keep in mind that I am a liberal arts major, have a 4 year gap on my resume, lack full time work experience, and am 28 years old.

Really?
what if you hate law school?
if you don't do well?
You really think you can phone it in for 2 or 3 years as a lawyer when your heart isn't in the game?
You want to take the California Bar when you don't want to be a lawyer?
You want to spend nights and weekends for the next 3 years studying for a subject you don't like?
You want to make a 200,000 dollar bet that you will get into a career that isn't a law career?
3 years of stress, lost income, lost time in the work force to maybe have a shot of doing what you want a few years after you graduate.
Yea, "objectively" the right choice...

OP why not take the GMAT or whatever it is you need for business school and see where you get in before you decide no one will let you in to a top program. Defer Stanford for a year and then make a decision.

I would say go to Stanford. Especially with your health problems. I do not think that it would be hard to find a legal job that you enjoy that does not require 60-70 hour weeks. Let's face it, working too hard is not good for your health. I do know of a Stanford grad who now works part time for a Biglaw firm, makes good money and works less than 40 hours a week. Graduating from Stanford makes you golden in California. I know there are many who would disagree with me, but I truly believe that this move is the right one. Stay healthy, and who knows maybe one day I'll join you as a transfer. Also, consider that the medical school and Hospital there are stellar. They can take very good care of you.

The only caveat I would add to this is are you SURE you are in good enough shape to endure long hours of studying stressful tests etc. It would suck to start and have to stop due to health issues. Maybe defer for a year and see how you are doing then.

What? WHAT?! You don't think this is hard? This is like the holy grail of law jobs.

If you do not want to be a lawyer then do not go to law school. I don't care whether you got into Stanford. IF you do not want to be a lawyer, you will be miserable both in law school and even more so in practice. It really is that simple.

Going to law school because you can't find work elsewhere is a terrible mistake.

I voted no and stick by my no because of this one crucial piece of text:

"Business is in fact my dream career"

As for the "red flag" regarding health, your condition could very well be reason for them to exclude super-solid work experience at the same place. Just look for a full-time job with at least some potential for leadership, blow away the GMAT, and watch the opportunities roll in.

P.S. If you do go the law school route, then chances are that if your app was good enough for Stanford, you could apply next year and go somewhere that'd give you a full ride + living money + laptop.

I agree that it is unusual but unusual things happen for the elite.