After the JD

"After the JD: First Results of a National Study of Legal Careers"  presents the initial results of a ten-year study of new lawyers in the first three years of their career. It should be mandatory reading for college students considering a career in law.

A few highlights

• " ...the mean number of hours reported for a typical work week was 49 and the median 50 — compared with a median of 40 hours for all full-time workers in the United States"
• "The median income of the full-time lawyers in the sample is $73,000."

Law, unfortunately, is a field that undergrads in the social sciences frequently default to when they aren't sure what they should do professionally.  It is a very expensive default.  This survey gives you a window into the lives of new attorneys.  It presents a good introduction to the challenges and rewards of different facets of legal work. Of course you should also  pursue internships and volunteer work in law to make sure it is right for you, but reading this study is a good first step.

Thanks to JD2B for alerting me to this article.