So you got your undergraduate degree and you’ve watched Boston Legal and Law and Order a few times so why not give law school in 2012 a shot, right? Here’s a warning for you: don’t waltz into 2012 law school lackadaisically for many reasons.
First, academically. Can you get into law school? If you’ve got decent grades – a good GPA and a good LSAT score along with a couple of good recommendations, the answer is yes, some law school will probably accept your application (if you’re on the lower end of the grade – gpa spectrum, it will be a lower tier law school). But of course, keep in mind that law school is much more demanding than undergrad so you must be prepared for a heavy workload.
Second, and more IMPORTANTLY, does it make sense for you financially? Don’t go into law school as a de facto thing to do! Texas law schools are expensive (as are most around the United States) and you can easily end up with over $175,000 in debt with high interest rates after you finish taking the Texas Bar Exam. Given that more and more law school graduates are starting at $40,000 a year for a 40-55 hour a week job, accruing so much law school debt doesn’t make too much sense. PS some new attorneys can’t find a job!
The only way to justify going to law school in 2012 is that you have a passion for law, have a strong idea of where you want to go, and can actually make money doing it. Don’t follow your legal passion into a life where you can’t repay your student loans. Unless you like debt, don’t go out there with Pro Bono/legal clinic stamped on your forehead.
Recent law school graduates can tell you now how burdensome their looming debt is. Some graduates pay $1,000 a month or more in student loans. So to justify your law school debt, you need to be lined up for a job that will pay you $70,000 or more in the very near future after law school. By lined up, I mean have a vision of what you want to do and acquire the credentials and experience to get it soon after you pass the bar.
The Most Expensive Texas Law School Tuition:
2012 Tuition for Texas Law Schools Include*
Baylor Law School – $40,900
Southern Methodist University (SMU Dedman School of Law) – $40,100
St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio – $28,800
University of Texas at Austin Law School – $28,600
Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth Tuition – $27,400
University of Houston Law Center – $26,700
South Texas College of Law in Houston – $26,300
Texas Tech Law School in Lubbock Tuition – $17,300
Texas Southern University in Houston – $13,000
*Please keep in mind these law school tuition prices for Texas may have changed or vary
What are the Best Texas Law Schools in 2012?
Based on faculty, bar passive rate, and price, I would say the best law schools in Texas are the University of Texas at Austin law school and Texas Tech law school. Texas Tech is the best overall value with it’s tuition being so low and yet having such a good bar passage rate which I believe is in the lower 90% for the last few years. They also have an easier acceptance rate.
Also factor in where you live. Is the legal job market crowded? Ask different types of lawyers around town how the job market is and whether they know any attorneys out of work. You may want to practice law in a different city as cities where law schools are become hubs for lawyers fighting over jobs – see Houston, San Antonio, and Austin for good examples.
Should you become a lawyer in 2012? Are the 2012 law school tuition rates for Texas and around the United States in general worth it? As always, the answer depends on you the individual. If you apply to go to law school, head into it full force and ready to pass and graduate to make that money as soon as possible. The best lawyers will always make money if they’re smart about dictating where they work so of course the legal profession can still be lucrative despite the law job competition in 2012.
Read my blog on is getting a college degree worth it in this bad economy that will only get worse in 2012 and 2013.
Think online degrees are a joke? They aren’t the same as a traditional degree but online degrees can get the job done, read my blog on the disadvantages of getting an online degree.
College San Antonio on Is Law School Worth It in 2012