Is law school worth it?

U of M law school
University of Minnesota law school
MPR Photo/Tim Post

The recession affected thousands of law students who thought their newly minted JD degree would be a golden ticket to financial security. Instead, many graduates were unable to find any type of legal-related work and face the anxiety of repaying their loans. Some even sued their alma mater for fraudulently misrepresenting their post-graduate employment numbers. What kind of return on investment does a law degree really bring?

Aaron Taylor, assistant professor of law at St. Louis University, will join The Daily Circuit Thursday to discuss the value of a law degree.

"Lawyers have not been immune to the effects of the recent recession," Taylor said in The National Jurist. "However, they have fared much better than most workers. According to U.S. Department of Labor data, the unemployment rate for lawyers was 1.5 percent in 2010 -- more than six times lower than the overall rate of 9.6 percent."

Kyle McEntee, co-founder and executive director of Law School Transparency, will also join the discussion.

TOM'S TAKEAWAY

People need to do their homework before deciding to go to law school. Many people go into law school thinking they will be the one who makes it out of school with a well-paying job unlike their classmates.

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