Career Pilots seeking a Law Degree
06-29-2011, 05:50 AM
#23
Line Holder
Joined APC: Mar 2011
Posts: 30
While I am not a professional pilot, I am the 100 dollar hamburger type, I graduated law school in 1991 and will give my humble thoughts. I practiced law from 1991 to 2001, I then went "over the wall" and escaped the practice. I now work in the public safety sector. I do keep my license active and occasionally practice law, to help a few friends or former clients.
Many of the thoughts expressed earlier here are correct. The law is no longer a profession, but a job. My wife is a lawyer and she enjoys it a great deal. She works in a family firm started by her father. The law can be a very tough job market, new associates are treated like indentured servants, and the money is good, but not great. In most cases, you will make more money with your MBA.
If you look at law school as vocational training to get a particular job, I think you will be disappointed in the outcome. If you look at it as an education, one that can be used in many different fields , it is more appealing. Law school will give you analytical, reasoning and communicative skills which will serve you well in many different paths.
Also keep in mind the difference in the job market and work environment from say, state prosecutor, to private litigation firm is so far apart they can hardly be considered the same career. As an example, in Florida, a prosecutor starts at about 38K a year, an average private litigation firm may start at 50K. After ten years in the public safety sector, I make more than a ten year prosecutor. When you consider the value of my benefits as well, my position blows them out of the water. My friends in private law practice make more than I, but with the bennies added, the difference narrows, and they will work until they die. The practice law is stressful, argumentative, complicated, it is also intellectually stimulating and limitless as to where it can take you. More of the signors of our Constitution where lawyers than any other profession. The law will reward your hard work if you are in the right environment, however, so will your MBA.
If financial reward and career portability are important, use your MBA. Among my clients in my years in the law, the most financially successful where small business owners, not the doctors, not the lawyers. One of the original posters here in this thread said all his lawyer friends envied his pilot career. The law has a very high rate of unsatisfied participants. That does not have to be you, but the risk of it being you is higher than as a MBA or pilot.
If your tuition is paid, and you can afford the three years, the risk is low, because you have other options. My advice, look at why law school interests you, if it is money or prestige , move along, if it is the education and gaining skills which you might or might not use in the practice of law, then go to law school , but work on building your ratings and time while you are at it.
Many of the thoughts expressed earlier here are correct. The law is no longer a profession, but a job. My wife is a lawyer and she enjoys it a great deal. She works in a family firm started by her father. The law can be a very tough job market, new associates are treated like indentured servants, and the money is good, but not great. In most cases, you will make more money with your MBA.
If you look at law school as vocational training to get a particular job, I think you will be disappointed in the outcome. If you look at it as an education, one that can be used in many different fields , it is more appealing. Law school will give you analytical, reasoning and communicative skills which will serve you well in many different paths.
Also keep in mind the difference in the job market and work environment from say, state prosecutor, to private litigation firm is so far apart they can hardly be considered the same career. As an example, in Florida, a prosecutor starts at about 38K a year, an average private litigation firm may start at 50K. After ten years in the public safety sector, I make more than a ten year prosecutor. When you consider the value of my benefits as well, my position blows them out of the water. My friends in private law practice make more than I, but with the bennies added, the difference narrows, and they will work until they die. The practice law is stressful, argumentative, complicated, it is also intellectually stimulating and limitless as to where it can take you. More of the signors of our Constitution where lawyers than any other profession. The law will reward your hard work if you are in the right environment, however, so will your MBA.
If financial reward and career portability are important, use your MBA. Among my clients in my years in the law, the most financially successful where small business owners, not the doctors, not the lawyers. One of the original posters here in this thread said all his lawyer friends envied his pilot career. The law has a very high rate of unsatisfied participants. That does not have to be you, but the risk of it being you is higher than as a MBA or pilot.
If your tuition is paid, and you can afford the three years, the risk is low, because you have other options. My advice, look at why law school interests you, if it is money or prestige , move along, if it is the education and gaining skills which you might or might not use in the practice of law, then go to law school , but work on building your ratings and time while you are at it.
Last edited by Jdman; 06-29-2011 at 06:00 AM.
06-29-2011, 06:15 AM
#24
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: FAA 'Flight Check'
Posts: 13,839
Jdman:
The law has a very high rate of unsatisfied participants. That does not have to be you, but the risk of it being you is higher than with an MBA or pilot.
The law has a very high rate of unsatisfied participants. That does not have to be you, but the risk of it being you is higher than with an MBA or pilot.
Also keep in mind the difference in the job market and work environment from say, state prosecutor, to private litigation firm is so far apart they can hardly be considered the same career. As an example, in Florida, a prosecutor starts at about 38K a year, an average private litigation firm may start at 50K. After ten years in the public safety sector, I make more than a ten year prosecutor. When you consider the value of my benefits as well, my position blows them out of the water. My friends in private law practice make more than I, but with the bennies added, the difference narrows, and they will work until they die. The practice law is stressful, argumentative, complicated, it is also intellectually stimulating and limitless as to where it can take you.
USMCFLYR
06-29-2011, 06:40 AM
#25
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2010
Posts: 255
If your tuition is paid, and you can afford the three years, the risk is low, because you have other options. My advice, look at why law school interests you, if it is money or prestige , move along, if it is the education and gaining skills which you might or might not use in the practice of law, then go to law school , but work on building your ratings and time while you are at it.
I meet the hiring requirements of most major airlines now (1500 PIC, multi-engine turbo jet, ATP), but ultimately, I'd like to run for Congress. Not as a populist, but as a serious, qualified candidate. My military time, international experience, MA in poli sci, and MBA will help, but let's face it, there aren't too many airline pilots in Congress. Unfortunately, I don't have any other skills that I can use to earn a living. I'm glad I got the MBA, but without business experience, I'm not sure it'll open any doors. The opportunity cost of not getting hired at the front of the upcoming hiring boom is high (furlough, delayed upgrades). However, I want to earn the law degree not to practice law, but to prepare myself for politics and open opportunties I wouldn't otherwise have (congressional intern / staff, etc).
Or, I could stay AD until 20 and retire. Unfortunately, the climate is such that it's likely I wouldn't be flying during my last assignment, which significantly hurts my chances of getting hired at a major. And at 42 years-old, I'm not sure I'd want to start law school. I'm actively pursuing ANG opportunties.
06-29-2011, 06:42 AM
#26
Line Holder
Joined APC: Mar 2011
Posts: 30
USMC..The key there is your friend has found a niche he enjoys and has a passion for, and that outweighs the cold hard cash, I am in a similar niche,...
and your right, there is no shortage of angry pilots here, but they would most likely be angry anywhere else as well.
Pancake, with your stats, I would go to law school, it sounds like you are going for the right reasons, for the intellect and experience, not for the job application.
and your right, there is no shortage of angry pilots here, but they would most likely be angry anywhere else as well.
Pancake, with your stats, I would go to law school, it sounds like you are going for the right reasons, for the intellect and experience, not for the job application.
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