What an Associate at Haynes and Boone wishes they had known before entering Law
Alexander, an Associate at Haynes and Boone, LLP, advises prospective lawyers to carefully consider whether "you want to practice law" before embarking on the significant investment of law school and the bar exam, noting many alternatives exist for those with a law degree. The considerable effort involved makes pursuing a law degree solely for non-legal career paths inefficient, according to Alexander.
Law School, Legal Profession, Career Goals, Job Satisfaction, Alternative Careers
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Alexander Clark
Associate
Haynes and Boone, LLP
Austin College, 2012
The University of Texas School of Law, J.D.
Legal & Policy, Political Science, American Studies
Law
Legal
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member, Veteran, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Consider if you truly want to practice law before investing in law school and the bar exam.
2. A law degree offers diverse career paths beyond legal practice, such as business, nonprofits, politics, or government.
3. Explore alternative educational paths if your goals don't necessitate a law degree and its associated costs and commitment
Transcript
If you learned about this role, what is something you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
Luckily, I think I was told this, but if I had gotten here without being told, I'd be very upset. You shouldn't go to law school and study for the bar unless you want to practice law.
There are a lot of things you can do with a law degree. You can go into business, look at a nonprofit doing non-legal work, be a politician, or work in government doing non-legal work. There are lots of things you can do.
But it just seems like a big hassle to go through law school, study for the bar, and go through all the loans and all that, if you're not going to practice law. There are other schools and degrees you can pursue that are probably more aligned with your goals.