A career in security policy - advice needed

[Schmedlap]

120k$ would be tuition only at a top law school, and would not include books, housing, travel etc. Even in a place like NC which has a few top schools that can easily top 200k$. If you are looking at Cambridge, Mass. you might even top 300k$. A law degree won't hurt you, but it won't help you any more as a non-lawyer than a MA from a good program, which will be much cheaper.

I am by no means the authority on law school. I'm the first in my family to go to college or even leave my small town (aside from men in my family being drafted for Vietnam), so I went into everything blind with no guidance, mentoring, or other advice. But, just a few more points in response to the quote above. The higher-ranked law schools certainly are able to charge a more outrageous premium. But that can be offset by the summer internships. I know of people who earned tens of thousands of dollars over a summer (usually in New York City law firms where they get internships based primarily upon alumni networks). When you're a student and don't have a mortgage or family to support, those dollars can go a long way. And, as has been stated, the top-tier diploma will open doors to ridiculously high paying jobs that you can just gut out for a few years and then have the financial freedom to do whatever you want. The original poster earlier commented that he is "already" 25. I would say "only."

In recent years I mingled with a lot of individuals who came from very affluent backgrounds. It was quite a shock to see how many kids step into a 6-figure job straight out of undergrad after 4 years of boozing and mediocre academic performance. For them, it was not a shock. It was expected. I just marveled at it, wondering, What does this 22-year-old with no life experience, no work history, and mediocre education bring to the table? Not much, really. The secret? Primarily the alumni network. I always wondered why it was such a big deal among rich folks that their kids get accepted into Harvard. Now I know. It's not the education. It's the network. That is a ticket to buckets of money. Maybe we're not so different from the Mideast?

Also, in regard to bottom-tiered law schools; I know a few students who went to low-ranked schools in their first year of law school and then transferred to mine. Their description of the experience at those schools sounded awful. It was cutthroat competition of the sorts that sound like urban legends - people trying to deceive and undermine one another, the old tale about ripping pages out of books so that others can't find it actually happens in some schools, etc. Basically, they are clawing at one another in an attempt to grab the highest class rank (important in law school) so that they can transfer to a higher ranked school and go on to a higher starting salary. If you do not get into a decently-ranked school where most of your peers will likely be content, then you may not want to attempt the lower-tier programs. There, a passion for law might truly be necessary. For the individuals I know who did their first year at those places, it sounded like a year-long version of Ranger School where everyone in your squad wants you to fail.