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FAO: Fellow desperate lawyers
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| TranceGiant |
http://abovethelaw.com/2010/03/geor..._craigslist.php
| quote: | The Resale Value of a Georgetown Law Degree
On Friday, we told you about the San Francisco lawyer trying to sell his degree for “$59,250 or best offer.” Sick of practicing law and being “surrounded by hobby-less a**holes whose entire life is dictated by billing by the hour and being anal s,” he hoped to get rid of the piece of paper with “the amazing ability to keep you from doing what you really want to do in life, all in the name of purported prestige and financial success.” He posted his degree in Craigslist’s “For Sale” section last week. He also put it up on eBay yesterday for 99 cents.
The West Coaster did not identify the university from whence the degree came, writing instead that “it’s from one of those elitist BS institutions that accept people like George W. Bush cause their daddy donated $20 million.” Our readers quickly identified it as a JD from Georgetown University Law Center.
We reached out to this hapless Hoya to see what offers he has gotten. He’s received over 300 e-mails. He told us:
So far I’ve received an offer for $200 and at least two dozens offers to buy me drinks. Another guy offered to give me an Ipod Nano. One girl told me I’m her soul mate and that she wants to go on a date…. I got an offer from a women lawyer with “marry me” in the subject line and a comment that my post saved her from stabbing herself with a pencil in the eye. I know, wtf?
Apparently, misery attracts company.
The bidding is up to $222.50 on eBay. What could beat that?
This is the most promising offer so far:
The best offer was from a documentary filmmaker who offered to give me $50 to piss on my diploma and then set it on fire. Unless I get something better I’ll probably accept this offer.
This does not strike us a good deal. Performing a golden shower on film has got to pay more than this.
A law degree may not guarantee a steady job nor happiness, but it is a way to lure the ladies:
Another female lawyer wrote at the end of her message “So I’m guessing you’re a male…wanna date?” I’ve gotten at least two dozen emails from women like this. For some reason my posting is a major turn on or maybe women lawyers are just really desperate. If only I had known this when I was younger. One email was signed by three “fun girls” with an offer that we all meet for drinks.
So who is this guy, and why did he decide to hawk his degree on Craigslist?
I worked at a large firm in Silicon Valley and then a couple months ago I just quit cold turkey. I had been thinking about doing it for a couple years and then one day I was just like WTF, I’m done. I only put up with it for so many years because of the paycheck.
I just got so tired of billing hour after hour. It never ends. I hated working with people who had no hobbies outside work. I actually have other interests. I felt like I was going to become a really crappy person if I stayed in a law firm. I mean, honestly, people become mentally imbalanced if they work in a law firm too long.
Maybe just a few years are enough. He is considering a $50 payment to piss on a $100,000 diploma and set it on fire, after all.
I have no idea what I am going to do now other than sit on a beach drinking beer and doing nothing for a while.
The Craigslist post was just a spur of the moment thing. I was cleaning out some stuff and I came across my law diploma which I hadn’t seen in years. I started thinking, why the hell do I have this piece of still. It is freaking useless. So I posted it on Craigslist. I didn’t expect it to get this much attention. That said, I think my post has hit a nerve because lots of lawyers feel that the system is broken. The student loan industry is killing us. Law schools aren’t even teaching marketable skills. Lower ranked schools are selling a product that has no value. The supply of lawyers far exceeds demand. And if you do get a large law firm job, you likely will leave within 2-5 years because law firms are TTT places to work. So overall it’s a crappy situation for the vast majority of lawyers.
It’s crazy, but some people do actually enjoy Biglaw work. Those folks might be interested to know that there’s a law firm in Silicon Alley that may be hiring. |
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| ziptnf |
My brother went to Law School, he majored in Economics and minored in Finance, reads all the time, very intelligent. He dropped out. He ing hated it. It was a ton of work memorizing stuff and reading and writing all day long. It's so dull, and nobody even wants you or gives a about you after you get your degree. You're a dime a dozen in pretty much every city in the country. You even hate your life when you're a successful lawyer defending heads in worthless ing cases.
However, many firms do have plenty of positions open for Patent Lawyers, you would do very well with a Masters of Engineering and a Law Degree. |
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| Lews |
| It's sad, though, that so many jobs in government, consulting, etc, pretty much require you to have a law degree. |
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| Joss Weatherby |
| If I hadn't made certain choices when I was younger I think I would have got a law degree. Wouldn't have been the first in my family, and not even the first in my generation of my family... . I am such a slacker compared to all my cousins. |
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| Lira |
I firmly believe Law School killed my sister's soul. I knew I was too much of an iconoclast to even think about it, so I didn't consider going. She, however, had no idea of what she wanted to do in life and was told "Law School is a good choice".
Poor her... rip :( |
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| Sushipunk |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lira
I firmly believe Law School killed my sister's soul. I knew I was too much of an iconoclast to even think about it, so I didn't consider going. She, however, had no idea of what she wanted to do in life and was told "Law School is a good choice".
Poor her... rip :( |
Awww, don't worry Lira. There's no such thing as a soul. She'll be fine. |
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| Meat187 |
| I think Business Schools kill even more souls than Law schools. |
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| Lews |
| Nah, seminary kills the most souls. |
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| elektrikal |
To Lews who said various fields require prospective employees to have a JD, please tell me more about these fields, cuz not many fields really care for them in my job hunt. I am not telling you this as a sob story woe is me crap or a cautionary tale, this is just what I experienced.
I got my JD in 2008, took some time off to take the CA bar (which I failed by under 14 points out of 2000) and to relax. Having worked in a couple of law offices, both private and public, I came to the grim realization that the practice of law wasn't for me. Early 2009 I started to look for other fields I could work in that were interested in my JD. Turns out the JD is like the de facto graduate degree for a lot of people; those who aren't sure what to do and decide to get a law degree. So many employers see a JD and are wary they'll jump ship to practice law, or that you're just confused.
Failing the bar wasn't a deal breaker since I never saw practicing law as a permanent career, in fact probably helped me refocus my job search. But in keeping with what has already been posted here, aside from 2 of my friends who are happy practicing law (patent law of course) I did not meet a happy or sane lawyer at the places I worked. I still remember the first lawyer I told that I planned on going to law school, he just looked at me w/ a disgusted face and asked, "why?"
Maybe the writing was on the wall then, but how could I have known back then its the profession with the highest rate of substance abuse and attrition I think haha.
Having said that, I am not as pessimistic as the guy who posted his degree on eBay. I love the education I received and wouldnt give that up for anything. But it is an expensive education that I'll be paying back for a long time once I can land a full-time job.
I don't think law school itself kills souls, its a flexible degree that kind of labels you as a jack of all trades, master of none, so if you pursue one, get ready to defend your decision and how it applies to career outside of practicing law.
Fun fact about JDs, according to Wiki, some people argue that since its a doctorate, I can wear the title Doctor like an MD or PhD. So don't worry about it, I'm a doctor, w/ a part time tutoring job, kaloo kalay. |
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| Joss Weatherby |
If you don't have a passion for practicing law than its amazing you got through law school to be honest. On the other hand you didn't say where you went to Law School.
If you went to a school and ended up not passing the bar because of it then maybe you were coddled in a way that let you think it might be a career for you. Otherwise you shoulda passed. I heard the California bar is not that hard compared to a lot of other states. :p |
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| Fledz |
Smart people get a business degree.
Everything else is pointless.
<---Science degree |
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| Joss Weatherby |
| quote: | Originally posted by Fledz
Smart people get a business degree.
Everything else is pointless.
<---Science degree |
No, smart people get a degree in engineering and a minor in business, or have a friend/business partner who majored in business. :p
Just find a savvy business person who can exploit your science. :D |
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