Craig Seldin
Houston attorney Craig Seldin always knew he wanted to become a lawyer. He was thrilled when he got his acceptance letter from the University of Texas Law School in Austin. Craig has always enjoyed helping people. He has had that desire for a long time. Practicing law was the right fit for Craig.
One thing Craig Learned fast was that graduation from law school is no longer a gilt-edged invitation to the good life. Law school is extremely expensive. A year after graduation comes, many law students are still unemployed and looking for jobs. Even law students with employment offers are being told by their firms the offer has been pushed back months or years.
Here are some questions Craig Seldin thinks you should ask yourself before you apply to law school
1. Evaluate why you want to go to law school. Some people want to become a lawyer, others want to work in corporations. Some would like to become ombudsmen or mediators. What ever the reason you want to go. Make sure that you have a specific goal in mind.
2. What law school are you likely to get into based on your grades and your LSAT scores? Law school rankings really are important. Graduates from the top tier of law schools are the first to get tapped for positions with lucrative firms. They’re also the students who get selected for the most prestigious judicial clerkships. Craig Seldin’s alma mater, UT Law, is one of the top 20 schools in the nation.
Is it really worth it to you to go to a school knowing that your education there won’t help you land a job? Think about the answer to this question very carefully.
3. If you’re considering a particular school, what percentage of its graduates have passed the bar exam? If you want to be a practicing attorney, you need to pass the bar exam. Even if you don’t want to practice law per se, it’s probably to your advantage to pass the bar. Different schools have different passing rates.
Attorney Craig Seldin Says Law School Is Expensive
Law school can be extremely expensive, depending upon where you end up going. Most public schools charge in the neighborhood of $30,000 a year for in-state students. For out-of-state students, that amount may be closer to $50,000 a year. Private universities may charge even more.
Law school is a three-year endeavor. At minimum, you will graduate with a student loan debt close to $100,000. What if you don’t get a job right away? How will you pay this debt?
Take a look at the annual salaries of students who graduated from the school you’re interested in attending. How much are they making? Could you afford to pay back your student loans on those amounts? Craig Seldin says the law is an exciting career, but you need to weigh all factors carefully. There are pluses and minuses to going to law school, notes attorney Craig Seldin. Make sure the pluses outweigh the minuses before you enroll, advises lawyer Craig Seldin.