Hi, I'm an RN, BSN thinking about law school. I'm interested because I see it as being intellectually stimulating and possibly a good career move.
I'm a little hesitant because I realize the job market in recent years for attorneys has been bad, but I'm thinking that since law school attendance is currently down, perhaps the job market would improve with fewer attorneys graduating.
I'm looking for any nurse attorneys out there who could give insight into this. Is it worth $150K in tuition and 3 years spent in school for the outcome? Those who have done it, would you do it over again? I'd appreciate any insight any one might have.
Have you thought about being a legal nurse consultant instead? Much cheaper than going to law school, and it would let you use your nursing skills in the courtroom -- the best of both worlds if you're into the whole law thing.
I didn't know the name but this is a good idea. I had a nursing instructor who said she made extra money working on nursing lawsuits. She seemed to like it.
DO it! If I had the grades to get into law school I would do it ASAP. With the current climate of the nursing profession and lackluster career prospects... I think law or anything you choose to do would be better than to stay in nursing, especially right now.
Nursing job "opportunities(bah)" suck right now. They will likely suck for a while. So get out while you can before it sucks the life right out of you.
You are extremely disillusioned if you think job prospects are any better for new attorneys. Actually, it's probably worse considering law school is 2-3x the cost of many BSN programs. Please stop spewing this propaganda.
Also, just to add....you do not make the big bucks straight out of law school if you are lucky enough to even land an associate job. Try 50-60k with 10-12 hour days 5 days a week...having minimal life on weekends because you're preparing for trial....and having to pay 100-200k in loans to boot.
You are extremely disillusioned if you think job prospects are any better for new attorneys. Actually, it's probably worse considering law school is 2-3x the cost of many BSN programs. Please stop spewing this propaganda.
Also, just to add....you do not make the big bucks straight out of law school if you are lucky enough to even land an associate job. Try 50-60k with 10-12 hour days 5 days a week...having minimal life on weekends because you're preparing for trial....and having to pay 100-200k in loans to boot.
My daughter is applying to law school withplans to work in a field where she will likely get a decent job. But my husband and I are paying for it, so she won't have any debt at all. If that were not the case, I might be trying to talk her out of it.
I don't know anything about people who are RNs who also went to law school, but I can tell you that the people I know who have graduated within the last five years were either not able to find a job as an attorney, or are making the same amount of money that I do as a nurse with two years of experience. And they are all at least 100k in debt.
On the bright side, the ones who actually found jobs do enjoy their work. It just doesn't seem that the amount of money it cost was worth the payoff.
It really depends on the field of law. Entry level in my D's desired field is well above any nursing salary. She was making more than I do after 20 years experience in her summer internship!
But in general, the outlook isn't spectacular, and amount of debt can play a big part in how much money one can expect to actually bring home.
Specializes in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgical.
From what I've seen of some of my undergraduate peers in law school, be prepared to come out with a lot of debt and achieve only a solid middle class income with a lot of work. Law school is like going to get a PhD these days- lots of competition and slaving away for an unsure future hat so far hasn't panned out for a lot of those in the trenches.
Unless you have a connection or are going to a top law school (Columbia, Yale, Stanford) and can guarantee a return on your investment, I'd be very wary of the prospects.
You might be better off getting a Masters in a related field to what you want to do and seeking tuition reimbursement.
Specializes in Healthcare risk management and liability.
PinayUSA, I had never heard of this! This blows my mind. Thank you for sharing!
Washington state has this program: a Rule 9 internship. It requires several years of study under a sponsoring lawyer and then passing the Bar. You do not end up with a legal academic degree, and therefore virtually no lawfirm will hire you. If you want to set up your own practice or perhaps work in the government field, this may be an option.
Both of my sisters attended law school. One passed the bar in 2003, looked for a job for over a year (in New York City), and is job hunting yet again after another job blew up spectacularly (including several managers leaving and the company missing payroll). The other passed the bar in 2006, went through 3 jobs in 2 years, and wound up waiting tables at the airport before joining the Army. She served 4 years as a JAG before injuries forced her to retire. She now takes care of my grandmother and deals with her own health problems while deciding what to do next. She's done with the law.
The legal field is more oversaturated than nursing. Too many law school grads end up with huge amounts of debt and no jobs. Law school enrollment has collapsed in the last 10 years, leading law schools to admit unqualified applicants to keep the money flowing. The fall in bar exam pass rates has been especially dramatic at for-profit schools.
KThurmond
636 Posts
I didn't know the name but this is a good idea. I had a nursing instructor who said she made extra money working on nursing lawsuits. She seemed to like it.