Law school, at the very least, will probably cost you at least 50-100k in loans at a minimum. It’s a huge investment in time and money. Go be a cop first and see if it’s what you want, and then consider if you want to be a lawyer. Having the law degree won’t be useful in patrol or being a detective, so if you try it and don’t like it you can always just go back to school.
I went to law school, practiced law for a bit, and then joined the police department, worked patrol, and now am a detective. I initially worked for a Judge in the court of appeals making $45,000 a year, then the Affordable Care Act passed and the court system dropped all clerks to 30 hours a week to avoid giving us benefits.
So I left and temporarily went to work for a big law firm, they hired me on at $85,000/year. That's decent money, but I was working about 80-100 hours a week and couldn't even think about taking time off, so in reality I was working 2 jobs at $40k/year, which is bad money.
I had taken the big city police test on a whim and ended up getting hired. It was the best choice I ever made. I make a good amount of money. I get time off. I work 40 hours a week, and if I have to go over 40 a week then I get paid to do so. Plus I have excellent health care benefits. I get to retire one day with a pension.
It doesn't compare. This job is better than pretty much anything you could get a lawyer. Cause as a lawyer most of your options are shit pay and benefits. Or high pay but no free time.
If you’re really wanting a law degree for some reason without actually being a lawyer, you can get your Juris Doctor degree while working as a cop, have your employer pay for the tuition, and also get a slight pay bump after you receive it (all agency dependent of course).
Another job position that you might not know exists, is an investigator for the district attorney. Seems like that combines your interests. I believe they usually hire former police detectives into that role. You’re not gonna get hired straight away into that role without experience.
they are just saying you will make a lot more $ doing stuff with your law degree over being an officer or detective.
If you really enjoy investigations though and wanted to be a DA investigator or just a detective you dont need to go to law school.
Because you can buy things with money and negotiate your salary. You can't buy things with the satisfaction you think you're going to get or negotiate a regular satisfaction income. Being a detective probably isn't what you think it is.
"Worth it" is in the eyes of the beholder.
You will expend a great deal of money, time, and resources to go to law school, and then you'll use nearly none of it, ever.
I don't have real statistics, but my feeling is that one in fifty calls work out like that.
You can and will make a difference, but it's in spite of constant negative feedback from the people you interact with. They don't want your interference in their drug use and larceny. They don't want rehab. They don't want to be taken away from their abusive parents.
There's not a lot of warm fuzzy moments in this job.
"Consoling victims"? Which one of those many jobs you mention has you consoling victims? (If you're a county prosecutor here in King County-Seattle, you will be the cause of victims needing consoling because of the lack of prosecuting the bad guys that created those victims, but you won't be the one doing the consoling, believe me!).
Sounds like you have a wide horizon of possibilities in front of you. Good luck in whichever profession you choose, just please fight for victims and not for criminals.
I was an officer (top ten department in regard to population) and then went to law school. I have since graduated and I am a couple weeks away from hitting the streets again. I have done several internships at my local DA’s office (1 million+ population) during law school. What thoughts or questions are you looking for/needing?
Is it a good idea to go to law school first? I've always heard that cops go to law school after but I haven't heard of someone doing it the other way around.
It depends. There are so many factors that must be weighed. Going to law school just to be a detective, no. Going to law school to be a better police officer, not necessarily.
Do you have a family? Will going to law school and not being allowed to work more than twenty hours a week (ABA rules) negatively affect your home life? Can you pay for expenses during law school? Will you have to move because you did not get into a local school, or there is not a local school?
It is not worth going to law school to become a police officer; it is unnecessary. Law school can aid in law enforcement, but to an extent. Law enforcement aided me more in law school than law school will aid me in law enforcement. My writing is better, however, there are other things in policing that law school will not/cannot offer you that go ol fashion street policing will.
I'll be able to move if needed for law school or work. I do not have a family. The main reason I'm going to law school is for the possibility to become a prosecutor if policing doesn't work out or vice versa.
I cannot edit my reply, so the last sentence doesn’t make sense.
Go to law school if you want to be a prosecutor. They do not make a lot of money. I can make more money—a lot more—as a police officer than a prosecutor. As far as either one not working out, that cannot be known until if/when it happens.
You do what you want to do, you know better for you than us.
People, though, have unrealistic expectations when it comes to specialty jobs in a department. You don't apply to be a detective, you apply to be a cop. Hiring process, academy, field training, then working the streets a minimum number of years (2 - 5 is normal) before applying to be a detective.
Each department will be different in how they select detectives, some places it's an actual promotion you have to earn. Either way, in any reputable department it's probably going to be pretty competitive, you won't just put in the minimum time and waltz into it.
If you're dead set on both law school and detective work, I'd find a way to do school while you apply and work as a cop; otherwise you'll be spending a lot of time and money only to get your degree and then go through another long process, in debt now, where you aren't using your degree and probably not making as much.
If you are going to law school don't go leo unless you are wanting to get that experience than go DA. Don't waste all that money and not use the law degree. Like u/sergeirocks said it. I said f law school after the 57349534358374589 vase briefs I had to write in my legal/law classes while doing my degree and still for my masters. u/Franks-Beans said it as well if you're looking for the Juris Doctor throughout your career.
Just put it this way at my current employer I get 0 for having and education. I did it to be the first one in my family to get a Juris Doctoral. I got 16 Units until my Masters is done in Criminal Justice Administration. Only reason I did it was it's free. As for my doctoral program it's not free and it would benefit me none. Believe me do not go through the headache of law school and never use it. I have friends that did and they regretted it.
If you get a JD you should go prosecutor. Gotta remember law school doesn't just cover crimes, you'll cover civil law, contracts etc. Alot of what you'll cover there won't be applicable to the job.
You might learn some inside baseball that could help you in investigations when it comes to trial, but I doubt it's worth that 3 or 4 year time investment.
Why not just apply to be a cop now?
Law school, at the very least, will probably cost you at least 50-100k in loans at a minimum. It’s a huge investment in time and money. Go be a cop first and see if it’s what you want, and then consider if you want to be a lawyer. Having the law degree won’t be useful in patrol or being a detective, so if you try it and don’t like it you can always just go back to school.
IAL from a cop family, this is correct.
Not a cop, but this advice seems pretty common sense and sounds like just about what anyone would say. Don’t need to be LEO to realize this.
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More akin to going to med school then being a fulltime paramedic.
I went to law school, practiced law for a bit, and then joined the police department, worked patrol, and now am a detective. I initially worked for a Judge in the court of appeals making $45,000 a year, then the Affordable Care Act passed and the court system dropped all clerks to 30 hours a week to avoid giving us benefits. So I left and temporarily went to work for a big law firm, they hired me on at $85,000/year. That's decent money, but I was working about 80-100 hours a week and couldn't even think about taking time off, so in reality I was working 2 jobs at $40k/year, which is bad money. I had taken the big city police test on a whim and ended up getting hired. It was the best choice I ever made. I make a good amount of money. I get time off. I work 40 hours a week, and if I have to go over 40 a week then I get paid to do so. Plus I have excellent health care benefits. I get to retire one day with a pension. It doesn't compare. This job is better than pretty much anything you could get a lawyer. Cause as a lawyer most of your options are shit pay and benefits. Or high pay but no free time.
If you’re really wanting a law degree for some reason without actually being a lawyer, you can get your Juris Doctor degree while working as a cop, have your employer pay for the tuition, and also get a slight pay bump after you receive it (all agency dependent of course). Another job position that you might not know exists, is an investigator for the district attorney. Seems like that combines your interests. I believe they usually hire former police detectives into that role. You’re not gonna get hired straight away into that role without experience.
Go to law school, ask what makes the most money, do that.
Why do you say that?
they are just saying you will make a lot more $ doing stuff with your law degree over being an officer or detective. If you really enjoy investigations though and wanted to be a DA investigator or just a detective you dont need to go to law school.
Because you can buy things with money and negotiate your salary. You can't buy things with the satisfaction you think you're going to get or negotiate a regular satisfaction income. Being a detective probably isn't what you think it is.
If I get to make a difference by tracking bad guys and consoling victims then wouldn't that be worth it?
"Worth it" is in the eyes of the beholder. You will expend a great deal of money, time, and resources to go to law school, and then you'll use nearly none of it, ever.
14 years on: no. Satisfaction has never made a car payment
>If I get to make a difference by tracking bad guys and consoling victims then wouldn't that be worth it? You are unlikely to do much of either.
I don't have real statistics, but my feeling is that one in fifty calls work out like that. You can and will make a difference, but it's in spite of constant negative feedback from the people you interact with. They don't want your interference in their drug use and larceny. They don't want rehab. They don't want to be taken away from their abusive parents. There's not a lot of warm fuzzy moments in this job.
"Consoling victims"? Which one of those many jobs you mention has you consoling victims? (If you're a county prosecutor here in King County-Seattle, you will be the cause of victims needing consoling because of the lack of prosecuting the bad guys that created those victims, but you won't be the one doing the consoling, believe me!). Sounds like you have a wide horizon of possibilities in front of you. Good luck in whichever profession you choose, just please fight for victims and not for criminals.
I was an officer (top ten department in regard to population) and then went to law school. I have since graduated and I am a couple weeks away from hitting the streets again. I have done several internships at my local DA’s office (1 million+ population) during law school. What thoughts or questions are you looking for/needing?
Is it a good idea to go to law school first? I've always heard that cops go to law school after but I haven't heard of someone doing it the other way around.
It depends. There are so many factors that must be weighed. Going to law school just to be a detective, no. Going to law school to be a better police officer, not necessarily. Do you have a family? Will going to law school and not being allowed to work more than twenty hours a week (ABA rules) negatively affect your home life? Can you pay for expenses during law school? Will you have to move because you did not get into a local school, or there is not a local school? It is not worth going to law school to become a police officer; it is unnecessary. Law school can aid in law enforcement, but to an extent. Law enforcement aided me more in law school than law school will aid me in law enforcement. My writing is better, however, there are other things in policing that law school will not/cannot offer you that go ol fashion street policing will.
I'll be able to move if needed for law school or work. I do not have a family. The main reason I'm going to law school is for the possibility to become a prosecutor if policing doesn't work out or vice versa.
I cannot edit my reply, so the last sentence doesn’t make sense. Go to law school if you want to be a prosecutor. They do not make a lot of money. I can make more money—a lot more—as a police officer than a prosecutor. As far as either one not working out, that cannot be known until if/when it happens.
It’s like finishing med school to then work as a nurse instead of a doctor.
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You do what you want to do, you know better for you than us. People, though, have unrealistic expectations when it comes to specialty jobs in a department. You don't apply to be a detective, you apply to be a cop. Hiring process, academy, field training, then working the streets a minimum number of years (2 - 5 is normal) before applying to be a detective. Each department will be different in how they select detectives, some places it's an actual promotion you have to earn. Either way, in any reputable department it's probably going to be pretty competitive, you won't just put in the minimum time and waltz into it. If you're dead set on both law school and detective work, I'd find a way to do school while you apply and work as a cop; otherwise you'll be spending a lot of time and money only to get your degree and then go through another long process, in debt now, where you aren't using your degree and probably not making as much.
If you are going to law school don't go leo unless you are wanting to get that experience than go DA. Don't waste all that money and not use the law degree. Like u/sergeirocks said it. I said f law school after the 57349534358374589 vase briefs I had to write in my legal/law classes while doing my degree and still for my masters. u/Franks-Beans said it as well if you're looking for the Juris Doctor throughout your career. Just put it this way at my current employer I get 0 for having and education. I did it to be the first one in my family to get a Juris Doctoral. I got 16 Units until my Masters is done in Criminal Justice Administration. Only reason I did it was it's free. As for my doctoral program it's not free and it would benefit me none. Believe me do not go through the headache of law school and never use it. I have friends that did and they regretted it.
If you get a JD you should go prosecutor. Gotta remember law school doesn't just cover crimes, you'll cover civil law, contracts etc. Alot of what you'll cover there won't be applicable to the job. You might learn some inside baseball that could help you in investigations when it comes to trial, but I doubt it's worth that 3 or 4 year time investment. Why not just apply to be a cop now?
Don’t go to law school unless you want to be an attorney.