Don't borrow money for school...it can hurt you and those close to you...

[mednat]

I think that means the he could have gone in other directions that led to a profession other than law, but not necessarily that his BA qualifies him for work. I think there are so many things in this story that it's easy to say this guy is some kind of exception- that he wasn't studious or resourceful, which would be true if this wasn't happening all. The. Time. to people. This kid went in with a 4.0, so he's not a dummy, but he also didn't pass the bar twice (in fairness CA has a terrible reputation for low bar pass rates, but if I'm not mistaken, isn't CA still a state that you can take the bar without a law degree?) Anyway, the rub for me is how he's trying to be resourceful applying outside the normal jobs but can't get hired because of the brand of his law school. I beg to differ, that's simply ridiculously ignorant.

CA has strange bar requirements (in comparison to the rest of the US). My general take on it is, it's easier to sit for the bar there, but much harder to pass. Most say the CA bar is the hardest to pass. I like this approach, especially for professions that serve others. I want my lawyer to be competent, i don't care much about which school he attended, but I DO care that he knows the law.

The bigger problem I see here, is the assumption that education is a guarantee of a job. I see it time and time again, and have even been guilty of it myself. The fact of the matter is, it's just not true. There seems to be a certain amount of entitlement that some students have after they obtain their degree that will likely lead to serious disappointment. There are many other factors that are required to get a job.

Some may call me insensitive, but I believe it's important to decide if you really want to be a lawyer before you rack up 170k in debt. If you do decide that is the path you want, I think it's critical to study for and pass the bar. No matter how many attempts it takes. It is not uncommon to fail the bar twice or even more times. Determination is required here. The CA bar is hard, you're not a dummy if you fail twice. Giving up on the goal just short of attainment after racking up 170k in debt on the other hand....