"Law teaches you to speak, to read, to write and research."
So, you’ve decided to study law.
You’re attending classes, you’ve bought your textbooks. You’re excited!
But you may also be thinking, ‘What have I got myself into?’
Well, don’t fret: a law degree is not a walk in the park, but the benefits of studying law transcend the ‘prestige’ many associate with such a degree. It will serve you well for a lifetime!
Earning potential
Whether you like it or not, money is an essential requirement in our society, and while the legal profession will change in the digital age, being a lawyer is a reliable income stream.
While there are plenty of naysayers about the 21st century job prospects for law students and young lawyers alike, a recent study conducted by professors from Harvard Law School and Rutgers Business School showed quite the opposite.
In a survey of almost 34,000 law graduates, it was found they would earn USD$1,000,000 more across the span of their whole career than those with other undergraduate degrees. It showed middle-aged law graduates often saw their salaries continue to rise at a time in their careers when most other professionals’ wages had stagnated.
Transferrable skills
Law graduates, including former lawyers, have ended up working in a variety of fields, including politics, journalism, human resources, business and marketing.
Indeed, in the most recent surveys conducted by Graduate Careers Australia (GCA), showed social work, business, HR and marketing as among the most frequently reported occupations for those with a law degree.
Law teaches you to speak, to read, to write and research, skills that hold you in good stead.
A 2013 survey found that, out of law graduates from all degree levels who were available for full-time employment, 82 per cent found a job.
Social aspects
Studying laws offers all kinds of opportunities, during university and beyond. Skills in research, writing and learning will hold you in good stead later in life.
Not everyone who studies law ends up working as a lawyer. You can work in NGO’s and use your hard earned skills to work to make the world a better place. Charities, environmental groups, governments – they all need smart people, people who studied law.
Imagine how much you could help the disadvantaged as an international human rights lawyer!
You’re tough
Studies conducted have shown that high-achieving individuals take time for themselves to do things they enjoy, and have also demonstrated that the factor most likely to indicate a person’s success is neither talent nor intelligence, but resilience and grit.
While a law degree is a rewarding experience, it’s no walk in the park: there is a certain amount of work required. You may find yourself wanting to throw in the law school towel one week, and be as excitable as a toddler full of red fizzy drink the next. But remember, life is a marathon, not a sprint.
If you can get through a law degree and all its challenges, then give yourself credit where it’s due: you’re a tough cookie!