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Hey lawyers...

Started by ducducgooseme, March 28, 2009, 04:43:51 AM

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ducducgooseme

March 28, 2009, 04:43:51 AM
...how do you like your field?  Been thinking of a career switch after 18 years in software.  IP law might be in order given my background.  Dunno...or maybe a prosecutor with a spoon.

How long would it take for schooling and the basics, before I really get to practice?
If you love your bike, set it free.
If it comes back to you, you've
probably high-sided.

Rob Hilding

#1
March 28, 2009, 07:56:36 AM
Buy a Monster Dark instead..........

That's as close to "the dark side " you need to go [evil]











I keed, I keed
Desmosedici - it's the new Paso (except the bodywork doesn't fit as well)

Bick

#2
March 28, 2009, 08:52:05 AM
Three years of law school...

The bar...

Years of peed-on associate...


I am now looking into cooking school.
It's all in the grind, Sizemore. Can't be too fine, can't be too coarse. This, my friend, is a science. I mean you're looking at the guy that believed all the commercials. You know, about the "be all you can be." I made coffee through Desert Storm. I made coffee through Panama while everyone else got to fight, got to be a Ranger.

* A man can never have too much whiskey, too many books, or too much ammunition *

ducpainter

#3
March 28, 2009, 09:02:49 AM
When I was growing up there was a kids tv show...yes we had tv... ;)

The theme song went like this...

"The grass is always greener in the other fellows yard"...

just sayin'
"Once you accept that a child on the autistic spectrum experiences the world in
 a completely different way than you, you will be open to understand how that
 perspective
    is even more amazing than yours."
    To realize the value of nine  months:
    Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
"Don't piss off old people The older we get, the less 'Life in Prison' is a deterrent."


jackalope

#4
March 28, 2009, 10:05:36 AM
Three years of law school, bar exam for each state you want to practice in, grunt work as an associate (depending on the size of the firm, it could be a lot of years and a lot of hours).  Graduated law school in 2000, worked as an attorney for 6 years, now working in litigation/electronic evidence consulting.  Much better now, been in it for 3 years.

cyrus buelton

#5
March 28, 2009, 12:24:07 PM Last Edit: March 29, 2009, 12:33:20 PM by cyrus buelton
My brother did law school in 2.5 years (took summer classes), graduated, passed the IL Bar, and became a prosecutor.

Now he does criminal defense
No Longer the most hated DMF Member.

By joining others Hate Clubs, it boosts my self-esteem.

1999 M750 (joint ownership)
2004 S4r (mineeee)
2008 KLR650 (wifey's bike, but I steal it)

NAKID

#6
March 29, 2009, 09:38:30 AM
2005 S2R800
2006 S2R1000
2015 Monster 821

Drunken Monkey

#7
March 29, 2009, 09:57:12 AM
All my close lawyer friends no longer practice, and instead have moved into different fields (Finance / Venture Capital / Comedy writing)

All my close engineering friends are still in engineering.

On the flip side, the IP lawyers I work with are all lazy as hell, work very little, and the starting salary (from a good school) for an in-house IP council is supposed to be around $170K  :o

I own several motorcycles. I have owned lots of motorcycles. And have bolted and/or modified lots of crap to said motorcycles...

cyrus buelton

#8
March 29, 2009, 12:33:54 PM
Quote from: NAKID on March 29, 2009, 09:38:30 AM
huh?

The keyboard on my laptop is all make the beast with two backsed up and randomly sticks. Must have happened there. My fault
No Longer the most hated DMF Member.

By joining others Hate Clubs, it boosts my self-esteem.

1999 M750 (joint ownership)
2004 S4r (mineeee)
2008 KLR650 (wifey's bike, but I steal it)

NAKID

#9
March 29, 2009, 04:43:03 PM
I was thinking that was some new acronym I didn't know yet!
2005 S2R800
2006 S2R1000
2015 Monster 821

ducpainter

#10
March 29, 2009, 04:51:20 PM
Quote from: NAKID on March 29, 2009, 04:43:03 PM
I was thinking that was some new acronym I didn't know yet!
...and that would just be wrong for a navy guy.... [evil]
"Once you accept that a child on the autistic spectrum experiences the world in
 a completely different way than you, you will be open to understand how that
 perspective
    is even more amazing than yours."
    To realize the value of nine  months:
    Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
"Don't piss off old people The older we get, the less 'Life in Prison' is a deterrent."


NAKID

#11
March 29, 2009, 04:54:41 PM
Damn Right!
2005 S2R800
2006 S2R1000
2015 Monster 821

junior varsity

#12
March 29, 2009, 05:17:45 PM
law school blows, fyi. There's really no upside to law school. There's very little work available the first summer between 1L and 2L years, and even less of it pays.

IF you have an engineering background, go learn about the Patent Bar, the requirements for taking it and make sure you qualify. If you do, and this is key: Go get a study-kit (unfortunately around $1k), study, and take this test BEFORE law school. many will tell you this is not necessary - and its not, but it IS smart. You need to law background to pass this sucker, just the study kits.

What the P-Bar gets you: Take and pass - You are a "Patent Agent" and can work on Patent Claims, etc. Then, lets say you go to law school, you graduate, you take a state bar (any) and pass --> You are now a "Patent Atty" which pays handsomely (though so do the non-lawyer patent agent jobs).

I'm in the midst of law school. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel still, though many people lose the spark in their eyes. When you go, if you go, get involved - do Moot Court, Mock Trial, etc so that you still see the practical application. You'll have some great, engaging professors, but nothing can drag down even the most enthusiastic student like a boring torts professor discussing the nuances of negligence.

The more I get into studying etc, the more flaws I see in the entire law school process --> Law should be an apprenticeship process rather than a school.

There are night programs available at many, even Tier-1, universities. If you choose to go to a tier-3 or tier-4 law school and don't graduate in the top 5 or so people from the class, you'll have to really enjoy that $32,000 starting salary...

If you do well and focus on IP, I'm being constantly reminded that starting salaries are all over $150k, many at $170k+...However, then the recession came in and many firms laid off a lot of unproductive lawyers. Recent law graduates received deferred start days, and idiots who hadn't accepted job offers yet had their offers rescinded.

There are, however, certain elements of law that boom when the economy goes bust: foreclosures, patent prosecution, etc. Time to start protecting assets you already have rather than invest in new stuff. This is all what I've been told, so its all regurgitated facts, nothing is FHE other than the FHE of a law student in the mixup.

And know what you are getting into when you decide on law school - I studied till late during week days, quit at 7pm on fridays to drink away my frustrations, went to the library and studied on saturdays and looked at college FB scores on the internet 'ticker', and did some sunday homework. This resulted in placing in the Top Third after the first semester. It was a lot of work, and I wasn't used to working that hard - I came to law school on scholarship with an engineering undergraduate degree where things came easy for me... its a lot of work to do well, don't be fooled.

Munch

#13
March 30, 2009, 04:07:53 PM
Prostitution is where its at...

Popeye the Sailor

#14
March 30, 2009, 04:51:56 PM
Quote from: Munch on March 30, 2009, 04:07:53 PM
Prostitution is where its at...

That's what we're discussing.  ;)
If the state had not cut funding for the mental institutions, this project could never have happened.
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