Customer Reviews

What Can You Do With a Law Degree?: A Lawyer's Guide to Career Alternatives Inside, Outside & Around the Law

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

This book was almost completely worthless.
Basically, the author's suggestions are along the lines of "With a law degree, you can be a doctor!!! Of course, you will have to go to med school first..."; "with a law degree, you can be a chemist!!! But you may have to go back to school and pick up some of those science and math courses you skipped in undergrad because you knew you were going to law school..."
I mean, yes, I already KNEW I could go and be WHATEVER, given the proper additional training and/or sufficiently low expectations ("a drug dealer...WITH A LAW DEGREE!!!"). What this book's title suggests is an anlysis of alternative career paths utilizing a law degree, and what it delivers is a worthless list of random jobs that you are at least not banned from by virtue of having a law degree. I admire the author for tapping into what is an almost genetic yearning in the legal profession to GET OUT (and thereby getting out herself), but as a useful tool, the book fails miserably.

I am a career counseler at a law school in Chicago, and I used Ms. Arron's book about a year ago to decide what career I should pursue when I left the practice of law. I bought other career-change books and found none of them to be as useful as this one. I knew I wanted to stop practicing law, but was completely lost as to what career I wanted to pursue next. I kept dragging my feet because I felt so unsure of what awaited me. As soon as I started reading Ms. Arron's book, I instantly felt that she understood exactly what I was going through. Doing the self-assessment exercises really brought me a lot of clarity, and helped me decide what career I wanted to pursue next. Her book also contains an abundance of valuable resources which I used to research my options. By the time I applied for my job as a career counselor, I felt 100% ready to leave the practice of law and very excited about embarking on my new career. I had a much better understanding of my strengths, weaknesses, and values than I ever had before. Without this book, however, I think I would still be unhappily practicing law (or worse yet, that I would have left the practice of a law for a job that suited me even less than being an attorney). I recommend this book to all the law school alums I counsel with respect to career change issues, and I have also recommended it to several laywer friends of mine who are struggling with the question of whether they should continue practicing law. Everyone I know who has read the book has enjoyed it as much as I have and found it to be just as useful. It is, without a doubt, the best career-change handbook for lawyers.

I have looked through practically every book on career change/transition for lawyers, and generally found them totally lacking in concrete advice as to lawyer-specific issues, self-assessment and options. This book not only hits the nail on the head as to reasons for dissatisfaction with the law, but offers sound ways to evaluate possibilities for change, both inside and outside the law, in terms of one's personal interests. And the examples of people who did make changes are very inspirational. The resources offered are the most comprehensive I've seen. Very valuable. If, as a lawyer, you question the path you are pursuing, this book will make you feel less alone in the process.

Deborah Arron covers career assessement, career change, issues and concerns unique to lawyers. I read her book and didn't feel so alone when I finally admitted to myself I didn't want to practice law after three years of law school and $X in student loans. After thoroughly covering psychological issues specific to attorneys considering transitions to non-traditional careers, Arron provides effective assessments to determine a new direction. The final chapters teach exactly how to obtain that new career, including cover letter and resume tips. Arron's book also helps attorneys who want to continue to practice law, but in a different way. Buying "What Can You Do With A Law Degree" is among the best investments I've made.

BE WARNED! Of the 15 people who give the book 5 stars half are anonymous, and the other half have only written reviews of this book, they have never written a review for any other book. These reviewers have sought out every copy of this book to write 5 star reviews. Reviewer "Law Practice Management Magazine" wrote 5 glowing reviews of this book.

I would bet money that the author or someone close to the author wrote all of these glowing reviews, especially since there are so many reviews from legitimate people which state this book is pure trash. I have seen it before, and reported it to Amazon in the past.

I also contacted Law Practice Management Magazine letting them know that "Law Practice Management Magazine" is using their magazine's name.

As a former attorney turned career coach for attorneys and JDs, this book is an invaluable part of my "tool chest." I also prescribe it for clients and for those thinking about career options in or out of the law. It is the best resource available today for the JD or attorney wanting something MORE. When I was transitioning out of the law after over 10 years of practice, this book was a godsend -- it offered a real understanding of a lawyer's life and a myriad of tried and true career options. The author profiles hundreds of non-legal careers actually transitioned into by lawyers. (In addition, the resources and references are the most extensive I've ever seen.) Dissatisfied lawyers feel stuck and immobilized -- not knowing what else to do but a slight variation of what they are already doing. While the book underscores the need for self-assessment (i.e., figure out what you really want to do, based on who you are and what really matters to you), it also provides grounding reassurances that the journey to a fulfilling "lively-hood" is to be taken at the pace and stride most comfortable to the journeyer. There is no "jumping into the void" strategy recommended here. The author's approach and recommendations are very pragmatic and practical -- which can be implemented by the busiest. The exercises are user-friendly and help the reader self-assess easily. It also provides the reader the ability to design a clear career path and undertake meaningful actions to progress. The book opens expansive frontiers for attorneys in a world where being in control of your career is absolutely necessary -- there are no clear paths to follow other than those one dynamically creates for Self.

My problem with all these books that are supposed to help us lawyers find a job or a new career is that they assume we are already successful lawyers. Most of the advice offered is for people who've been practicing for years and therefore have an established network of contacts. The advice for those without experience in the law is geared toward those who already had another career prior to law and suggests that job seekers focus on that career.
This book, all the other "how lawyers can find job" books, and my useless Career Services Office simply assume that all job seekers have parents who are partners in law firms, great networks, and years of related experience.
Even the one of the good reviews given on this site is from someone who has years of experience. Duh! The book promises that it can help anyone at any level of their career. It fails.

I could sum this book up in eight words:
So you didn't like law school? Try teaching.
There I just saved you the time of ordering and reading it. This book was a typical one of those books you see in a public library with really basic common sense ideas and little insight.

I'm very disappointed in this book. As a recent law school grad WITHOUT years of experience, I was looking for ALTERNATIVES to practicing law at all!! Instead, this book wasted my time and money by assuming I would have the legal work experience to make me attractive to other professions or give me the knowledge to begin some business of my own.

All I really learned was what I already knew was available as an alternative -- teach!

Phoey!! What a waste of my money and time.

I bought this my first year of law school. As I went to law school mid-career, I thought it may help me understand marketable avenues for a law degree. IT DOESN'T.

Arron spends a 1/3 of the book whining about how legal practice is not a good career. Another third of the book provides sample responses for interview questions to persons who have only practiced law and worked for a couple of years. Such gems include, "I really didn't like the culture." The last third of the book is a career list of jobs held by people with law degrees. I am not really sure how this list would differ from someone that has any type of degree.