Don't Go To Law School (Unless): A Law Professor's Inside Guide to Maximizing Opportunity and Minimizing Risk

by Paul Campos

Going to law school has become a very expensive and increasingly risky gamble. When is it still worth it? Law professor Paul Campos answers that question in this book, which gives prospective law students, their families, and current law students the tools they need to make a smart decision about applying to, enrolling in, and remaining in law school. Campos explains how the law school game is won and lost, from the perspective of an insider who has become the most prominent and widely cited critic of the deceptive tactics law schools use to convince the large majority of law students to pay far more for their law degrees than those degrees are worth.

DON’T GO TO LAW SCHOOL (UNLESS) reveals which law schools are still worth attending, at what price, and what sorts of legal careers it makes sense to pursue today. It outlines the various economic and psychological traps law students and new lawyers fall into, and how to avoid them. This book is a must-read if you or someone you care about is considering law school, or wondering whether to stay enrolled in one now.

Genres: Law, Nonfiction, Legal

82 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 19, 2012

Reviews

[Mephistia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was interested in law school, but conflicted. My father is a lawyer, and while I was in undergrad, several of my professors recommended that I pursue a law career. I have discovered in myself an enthusiastic interest in Constitutional law, labor law, and civil rights law.

Through my professors, I arranged several informational interviews with both lawyers and paralegals. I was able to speak to people who worked both in private and public law. Eventually I decided to become a lawyer and aim to enter the field through government work, so as to get my student loans dismissed. Sure, I was a little concerned about the much-published and discussed cost of law school, and I was really concerned about my lack of enthusiasm -- rather than, "This is my dream career," my approach was more like, "Well, it's not the worst career, and it certainly seems challenging."

But then I realized that several of my FB friends were wrapping up their law school careers, or had recently done so. So I contacted them to see what law school (and the job market) is like right now. Several of my friends had graduated at the top of their classes, been published in law journals, and had participated in internships and clerkships. These were all things my professors and the lawyers who met with me for informational interviews cited as key to their long-term career success.

If my friends are any example, these are no longer guarantees of career success. Some chose, after looking fruitlessly for work in a glutted field, to return to school for yet another degree (and to put off their debt a little longer). Some ended up taking a job unrelated to their degree. And some are still unemployed, still looking.

This book explained why. It explained the hierarchy of law schools and the pros and cons. It broke down the cost and the so-called financial aid structures. It clearly outlined the current state of the legal field (in a word, saturated). It explained why lawyers are becoming less necessary (the internet). And it pointed out some things I hadn't considered -- for instance, becoming a paralegal is a perfectly good career that pays pretty well, but if you have a JD, no lawyer will hire you as a paralegal. It also pointed out that since a law degree still has a high cultural cache attached to it, regardless of the employment reality, then you end up looking overqualified for a lot of positions and the potential employers are left trying to figure out what's so wrong with you that you can't find work as a lawyer.

All in all, this book addressed the doubts and concerns I had about the current state of the field in a way that lawyers who got their degrees in the 80s, 90s, and early 00s couldn't or wouldn't address. It was a breath of fresh air in the face of the manic denial I seemed to encounter when I spoke with lawyers established in the field, frantic to justify the cost.

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very eye-opening about the realities of law school, and, as someone considering going to law school right now, gave me a lot to consider. Even though it seems many people are turned off by the pessimistic tone, I think many people need the wake-up call. Campos gives the brutal facts without sugar-coating. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about law school.

[Ty Turley Trejo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a must-read for anyone considering law school, but don’t take everything he says as gospel truth. Its shoddy self-publishing elements (found quite a few grammatical errors) reflect the provocative and sometimes reckless prose. I actually had the opportunity to take Property Law from Professor Campos at Colorado Law and his lecture style is similar. He’s quite brilliant, and I did well in his class, but I disagreed with him on quite a bit. I also disagreed with some principles in this book. For instance, he argues that the versatility of a law degree is a myth but I think he’s wrong. There are many people who utilize the critical thinking and problem analyzing skills obtained from law school in other professions. And other professions can still pay well enough to pay off debts. But his provocative approach is to get you to think, and think twice before naively taking on that much debt for something you may hate. And that’s valuable. But law school has been an incredible learning and growing experience, and I have found my opportunities increase tenfold. My earning potential has increased (I’m making twice as much as a summer associate as I was making at my last job before entering law school) and I am thrilled at the future pro bono opportunities to help those around me who need an advocate.

[Abbie Roberson · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I found this book well written and informative, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to all perspective law students. I personally knew that the law market is not what most people think it is, and all of the data in this book is from 2012. I do expect he will write an updated version next year for the 10 year, but considering how much of this book is based on statistics, it was slightly frustrating. I understand that the concepts can be applied to statistics now but you will spend a while seeking those out on your own. Overall, the book did not do too much for my decision on law school, but I do feel slightly more informed.

[Sinead · Rating 4 out of 5]

My lsat tutor was accepted to Harvard law and decided not to go. She told me that if you can think of anything else in the world you would like to do as a job, then don’t go to law school. Whenever anyone tells me they want to go to law school this is the first book I recommend they read. It’s honest and will break down any illusions you have about the profession but ultimately allow you to make a fully informed decision.

[M DeJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Realistic view of legal field in contemporary US

If you're considering post-grad options, as I am, you should read this
Is before settling on law school -- it raises good points that need to be considered

[Or Avsian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aside from the fact that the research is outdated (obviously not the author’s fault), the statistics and research gathered was impressive, particularly when discussing the legal market, tuition, and the mental health and substance abuse crisis in the legal world. An issue with the book is that it kept expressing the same message over and over again: law school is not worth it for MOST people because of the current legal market and the cost of tuition. The author then goes on to try to answer the question: “what do I do if my undergraduate degree is useless?” He answers by revealing the sunk cost fallacy and not to make one’s situation even worst off. I wish the author would have gone deeper and hammered down a solution as well. The author mentioned in the beginning of the book he would discuss which law schools to avoid and never did that. Finally, the author basically made it seem like going to law school in general is a foolish idea for over 80% of people, even for many who received a full-tuition scholarship and I would have to disagree. If one gets a full-tuition scholarship to a regional school, they may be left paying around $20-25,000 over the course of the three years for housing and of course the opportunity cost of having worked for those three years. However, the author literally stated in the beginning of the book that you should take less debt over the course of the three years than your entry-level first year salary. With a full-tuition scholarship this is more than enough. The book was written in a pessimistic light, almost full condemning anyone from going to law school at all. Finally, one minion point is the author was discussing the J.D. disadvantage and describing how having a law degree can make getting a job outside the legal world harder. He stated that may be because people hate lawyers or people are skeptical of lawyers who don’t practice in the legal field. In my opinion, the direct answer is that employers must think hiring a lawyer is pricier than not hiring a lawyer when a law degree is not needed. Overall, I wish there was less repetition and more objective data in some chapters.

[Modern Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The law school trap exits in large part be use we in legal academia have allowed ourselves to take advantage of a lost generation made up of millions of bright, highly educated, ambitious young people who are finding there seems to be no route for them into the professional class they’ve always been told they would be able to join if they followed all the rules and did everything right (96).”

Really insightful read for anyone who is considering law school. The author points to multiple factors that often go overlooked when in the process of applying to law school - post graduate employment rates, the pros and cons of attending top tier schools vs. state school, student loan debts, public service forgiveness plans, and other circumstances that may make going to law school not the ideal.

I really enjoyed the book, but am not totally sold on NOT going to law school. It offers great considerations, but at the end of the day, if it’s something you’d really want to do - you should go for it. Take the authors thoughts in mind as you give yourself time to make your own decision.

Would have also loved an updated version of this book given all the changes in the industry during the last decade and the post-pandemic economy that has affected higher ed all together.

[Ixby Wuff]

Going to law school has become a very expensive and increasingly risky gamble. When is it still worth it? Law professor Paul Campos answers that question in this book, which gives prospective law students, their families, and current law students the tools they need to make a smart decision about applying to, enrolling in, and remaining in law school. Campos explains how the law school game is won and lost, from the perspective of an insider who has become the most prominent and widely cited critic of the deceptive tactics law schools use to convince the large majority of law students to pay far more for their law degrees than those degrees are worth.DON'T GO TO LAW SCHOOL (UNLESS) reveals which law schools are still worth attending, at what price, and what sorts of legal careers it makes sense to pursue today. It outlines the various economic and psychological traps law students and new lawyers fall into, and how to avoid them. This book is a must-read if you or someone you care about is considering law school, or wondering whether to stay enrolled in one now.

[Sara Mendez · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4/5) - The person who recommended this book to me said, “If after reading this you still want to go to law school, then go.”

Law school is a costly and risky investment. Since I don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars to throw around, I don’t want to take my decision to pursue this career path lightly. I appreciate Campos’ brutal honesty in discussing the deceptive tactics law schools employ to entice clueless individuals to pursue a career path many of them lack a passion for. I think this book is a must-read for anyone considering law school. Before committing to three more years of rigorous study and potentially acquiring hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt, we should stop and think whether or not this is really the way we want to invest our time and hard-earned money.

(In case you're wondering, yes, I still want to go to law school!)

[Clayton A. Wiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the parents of a young law school applicant discovering this book was a real eye opener.
Stayed up all night to finish the short book. The story is very distressing.
Felt like the author was writing the book explicitly for us.
The author's style is clear and succinct. Every claim he makes is backed up by data and examples.
Sadly we have many friends whose kids went to law school and ended up exactly where Mr. Campos predicted. The bottomline: Most students who attend law school end up financially and professionally substantially worse off than if they hadn't gone. Exploiting government subsidies and saddling these young people with massive debt should be a crime.

[Ashley Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much anxiety as this book gave me, it also is very very informative and exposes a lot of what’s so messed up with higher education in America. I think the point of this book is to scare people who haven’t thought through a multitude of factors like debt and career placement so it’s given me lots to think about and consider!

[Sloan Dunlap · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although this book aims to prevent those who are aimlessly considering law school as the next step in their education, this book has an extremely pessimistic outlook on the prospects involving law school admissions. This book may do more harm than good to any prospective law students.

[Gabrielle Troutman]

good read!! encouraged me to delve even further into my research and realize 1) I would be (in reading more current accounts similar to this book) a part of the "trump bump" in law school applicants and 2) I do have time to figure life out in a more meaningful way than a law degree!!!

[Connor Fuhrmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

MUST READ BOOK

Do not even think about law school without having fully read this book.
This book may have saved me my entire life and career.

[Tess Huelskamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are considering going to law school, read this book.

[Alexandra Mercurio · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Amber Senese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the points the author made in this book. There were a few things I didn't consider previously that he mentioned so am glad I read this.

[Mb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make $100,000 an hour (give or take) by reading this book....:)

No, not by becoming a lawyer, but by dodging a bullet and NOT becoming a heavily indebted law school graduate without a job.
This is not a purely anecdotal book written by a disgruntled graduate with a horror story, although I have heard many, often by bright, intelligent, attractive, enthusiastic young lawyers who have every reason to be highly sought after and wildly successful in this profession and are not. What the book is instead is a well researched, statistically based review of the current state of the legal profession by a law professor who has seen the alarming state of affairs today and who is trying to warn people of the pitfalls. It's well worth the read and in fact should be mandatory reading for anyone who is even thinking about attending law school.
The book is actually a lot of fun to read too---I couldn't put it down----and is equally eye opening. Although I can confirm pretty much every anecdote in the book as something that indeed happens--I've heard similar stories-- I still would have recommended law school to some before I read it. But I now would direct people to read this book before even considering law school under current conditions, because even if they decide to continue, at least they can make an informed decision and can be aware of and hopefully avoid some of the serious, sometimes life-wrecking issues that can affect aspiring lawyers. As one young woman told me, who has a couple hundred thousand in loans which add up to about half of her monthly salary from the $55,000 job she finally got after a year's search that makes her work big firm hours for the privilege, "somebody has to warn people about what this does to your life."

[Andrew Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this book when looking up an author of a Time article that was critical of law schools and job prospects. Turns out he wrote a book on the whole subject. Being only two years out of law school but lucky enough to be practicing law in a decent government job, I was curious to see what a long tenured law professor had to say about the state of the profession starting at school. This is an incredibly cynical book but not without it's truths. I believe the target audience is undergrads considering law school and while the tone is pessimistic to say the least, he doesn't come off supercilious and presents the facts in a cold, harsh light.

He talks about things like the costs, job prospects, law school prospects, and such. Most of what everything he says is a true in my opinion through personal experience and I even found myself agreeing or seeing myself in the shoes of the naive pre-law undergrad he's aiming his message for. That said, I did think he drew very broad conclusions about the quality of law professors. I'm sure there are many as he described here who do not know much about being a lawyer but I disagree that their experiences should be as dismissed as he makes them out to be.

Overall I think it's a great book to pick up when considering law school and I did wish I had this when I was in the position. The cost-benefit analysis he provides here (especially in terms of financial costs) are very true and should be heavily considered. There are helpful analogies and his chapter on special snowflake syndrome had be reminiscing a bit as well. It's a quick read but very helpful and should be considered by law school prospective students.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say this is well-written and is a definite must-read for most students heading to law school.

I do wish more resources existed for scientists who are considering law school, but the salient points still stand, especially that law school is expensive. Not only is it expensive, it is prohibitively expensive for the majority of students. I also wish the "unless" portion of this book had something more, but I do think that is mostly based on individual circumstances (and so difficult to put in a catch-all book).

In all, it's a quick read that could save you $100,000s. I would recommend.

[Shahara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is seriously a book that I needed to read. I think that this should be given to every Pre-law student from their advisor everywhere, at every university. While it does take such a cynical look at things, it tells the truth which so many students consciously avoid. And while I did love the bluntness of the book, and its way of not sugarcoating the realities of each student, it really is so cynical. The luck of the draw isn't going to allow everyone to succeed, but the luck of the draw also says that not everyone is going to lose. Either way this book is a must read for prospective students especially.

[Campbell Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A prerequisite course in law school as an investment proposition.

As a graduate of law in a foreign jurisdiction, with both a First Class Honours LLB degree and an LLM in International Commercial Law from UCL, the decision of whether to undertake law school on my return to my home country has been a daunting one, plagued by self doubt and a concern for future prospects. This book made my ultimate choice easy. Law school is either a good financial risk, or it isn't. For the overwhelming majority, it isn't.

[Simon Shimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would suggest this book to anyone who is thinking about law school. Paul Campos is like an uncle telling you it straight and the true facts about law school. This book is chucked filled with information and helped me to understand how to pick a law school or helped me to rethink about a career as a lawyer. Remember life's a poker game and never show your hand, this is true about the law school game.

[Thor Klinker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read If Thinking About Going To Law School

Read If Thinking About Going To Law School

Good book with some very informative information. Although it relies on a broad range of applicants it holds valuable information for all, and at the very least will make you think.

[Karen Owes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very realistic and factual. Good advice for students considering law school. I wish it were written when I attended law school. I am still saddled with student loan debt.

I would REQUIRE prospective students to read this book before selecting a law school to attend.
Very good quick engaging read.

[Francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but...

The book was pretty good and offers a unique perspective on law school and the future of the legal field. But one thing drove me crazy while reading this book... All of the grammar and punctuation mistakes! Wasn't this book written by someone highly educated? There was also plenty of repetition in certain chapters. Aside from these things, its worth the read.

[Xavier Shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

USA your student loan program is fucked up. This book wouldn't need to exist otherwise. Average loans for a 3yr law degree are like $200K, with employment rates of like only 50%. And most of those don't even pay anywhere near 6 figures.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anybody thinking of going to law school should read this

As a former lawyer, I heartily agree with Professor Campos. Prospects after college may seem difficult, but it's the young people who are working these days.

[Vladimir Cuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a page Turner. I enjoyed it excellent and educational read very well researched

Great book. Highly recommended and this can be applied to other schools and degrees as well. Red entire book in one day. Much more interesting than I expected.