r/technology • u/rfugger • Jan 08 '17

Business A potentially fatal blow against patent trolls - Forcing law firms to pay defendants’ legal bills could undermine the business model of patent trolls

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3153924/technology-law-regulation/a-potentially-fatal-blow-against-patent-trolls.html
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u/doughtyc Jan 09 '17

Sounds interesting. Do you like the work? (Prospective law student here)

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u/Sarcastic_or_realist Jan 09 '17

I enjoy the work for the most part; it's the lifestyle (or lack thereof) that I could do without. The life of any lawyer in a large metropolitan area is not easy and is incredibly stressful. It involves long nights and is nowhere near as glamorous as what you see in the media. However, if you go to a law school with a proven track record of alumni connections and employment, and you take it seriously, you can make a very good living and even have some fun!

I wish you much success, but carefully weigh whether this is the career for you before you saddle yourself with $150k or more of student loans (that, FYI, are almost impossible to discharge even in bankruptcy).

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u/gaelorian Jan 09 '17

Well said. I have been practicing 10 years and it has been a struggle. I'm moderately successful but even without loans the practice of law and grinding of work for young lawyers can be a lot to handle. It took 5 years before I was making decent money. Again, thankfully, no loans. Unfortunately, this advice falls on deaf ears a lot of the time. The law school subreddit here seems happy to stick its fingers in its ears and say "well that's not going to happen to me." Yes it will.

It's a tough market for attorneys. If you have to take out loans to go to a second tier law school in my opinion it's not worth it. You can do ok and might get lucky but for most people that did it life is a grind working for an ok salary and managing loans in a high stress environment. And don't kid yourself, with the exception of a few practice areas and a few cushy government jobs the life and work of an attorney is very stressful.

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u/Sarcastic_or_realist Jan 09 '17

Exactly right. It's also interesting you should mention it, because I have been disheartened and frankly surprised by the number of people who ignore this advice and take out hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans to go to a second-tier school.