Law school after dental school?

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sjdent

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OK, be honest (but not too mean ;) ). Am I freakin' crazy? Here's my story....I think I've posted on here before bitching about how much I detest practicing dentistry...and I truly mean, I hate dentistry in general, RCTs, FPDs blah blah. Don't try to talk me into it, I already know how I feel - I'm about to graduate in 2 months...it's not the school I went to, it's not burnout, I just don't like it. For the last year I tried to convince myself that it was just all about the school aspect of it that I hated. Nope, now that I am so close to actually practicing, I can't think of anything more depressing than working in this career. I was pre-law in college and have been kicking myself for the last 2 yrs. that I didn't go into it instead. I'm a reader/writer/analyzer - not a science person. While it's been personally satisfying to complete my DDS, ultimately I don't think it showcases my natural talents. So not enjoyable for me.

The dilemna? I'm having these huge urges to go back to law school....I live in So Cal where they're a dime a dozen. I could even go back part time and work 1-2 days a week. Very interesting possibility. However, I know that I can say goodbye right now to flexible hours and amazing money. Am I willing to commit to 3-4 more years of grad school....I honestly don't know. Ultimately, I'll end up working for at least a year, even if I decide to go back to law soon.

Any thoughts? Know anyone that's done this?
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sjdent said:
OK, be honest (but not too mean ;) ). Am I freakin' crazy? Here's my story....I think I've posted on here before bitching about how much I detest practicing dentistry...and I truly mean, I hate dentistry in general, RCTs, FPDs blah blah. Don't try to talk me into it, I already know how I feel - I'm about to graduate in 2 months...it's not the school I went to, it's not burnout, I just don't like it. For the last year I tried to convince myself that it was just all about the school aspect of it that I hated. Nope, now that I am so close to actually practicing, I can't think of anything more depressing than working in this career. I was pre-law in college and have been kicking myself for the last 2 yrs. that I didn't go into it instead. I'm a reader/writer/analyzer - not a science person. While it's been personally satisfying to complete my DDS, ultimately I don't think it showcases my natural talents. So not enjoyable for me.

The dilemna? I'm having these huge urges to go back to law school....I live in So Cal where they're a dime a dozen. I could even go back part time and work 1-2 days a week. Very interesting possibility. However, I know that I can say goodbye right now to flexible hours and amazing money. Am I willing to commit to 3-4 more years of grad school....I honestly don't know. Ultimately, I'll end up working for at least a year, even if I decide to go back to law soon.

Any thoughts? Know anyone that's done this?
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I know this is cheesy but, I would always have to say that it is important to do the things that you really want to do in life because you will always regret not doing what makes you happy.
 
Be an attorney, why not? Move to Vegas, work 4 days a week for a dentist or a company and go to UNLV law, they have a part time program, its 4 yrs, no summers, M-Thurs roughly 6-9 PM. Totally do able, you would be able to pay for school and pay your loans and living at the same time. There may be a lot of lawyers around, but there is always room at the top. Trust me I know, coming from an area that is saturated with attorneys, my father faired pretty well.
 
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sjdent said:
OK, be honest (but not too mean ;) ). Am I freakin' crazy? Here's my story....I think I've posted on here before bitching about how much I detest practicing dentistry...and I truly mean, I hate dentistry in general, RCTs, FPDs blah blah. Don't try to talk me into it, I already know how I feel - I'm about to graduate in 2 months...it's not the school I went to, it's not burnout, I just don't like it. For the last year I tried to convince myself that it was just all about the school aspect of it that I hated. Nope, now that I am so close to actually practicing, I can't think of anything more depressing than working in this career. I was pre-law in college and have been kicking myself for the last 2 yrs. that I didn't go into it instead. I'm a reader/writer/analyzer - not a science person. While it's been personally satisfying to complete my DDS, ultimately I don't think it showcases my natural talents. So not enjoyable for me.
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Are you sure? I used to hate extractions and root canals at graduation. Now I don't mind them as much - quicker results, patients are in so much pain they know they have no other option other than to trust you. Currently however, I hate composite fillings, crown preps, and periodontal disease. As much as I despise being the associate many days, the paycheck and having no stress when I get home does make it much more tolerable. Although I may clench my teeth when that darn contact stays open or there is saliva everywhere as the impression comes out like junk, having internet and coffee breaks often also help.

Sure you can go back to law school. Seems like dental schools need those DDS-JD types to teach the students the dental laws and stuff. I'm sure you can do other things too, like contract stuff requiring a lawyer for your fellow DDS colleagues. I met a DDS (orthodontist)-lawyer in this area who represents buyers and sellers in practice transitions (the contract stuff I was trying to describe) and does some court stuff too as well as practicing ortho.
 
I'm in law school now, and I am considering going the other direction -- from law to dentistry. It's true that if you hate your work, every day is a living hell (even if your dentist days are a couple hours shorter than lawyer days).

The good things about dentistry are that you seem make a good amount of money, have a high amount of control over your schedule, and work fewer hours. What you get paid in law initially is strongly correlated with what school you attend and how well you place within your class. The top 14 law schools are pretty solid bets for finding a high paying job if you're looking for $100,000+/year. Between the top 14 and the top 25 it starts getting a little spotty, but your prospects are still pretty good. The bottom 100 law schools or so are junk if you're looking for a high paying job. Between 25 and 100, there are lots of regional schools. Your fortune from those schools is incredibly dependent on class rank. As a lawyer you'll also have considerably less control over your schedule and you'll work more hours. More than half of all lawyer average over 50 hours/week.

It comes down to how much you think you'll like law. If you think your love of law will outweigh the negatives and will be better than dentistry, then do it.

Just make sure you spend a solid amount of time studying for the LSAT. The school you tend is extremely important, and the vast majority of your admissions fate is tied to your GPA and LSAT.

If you need law advice, I'd suggest this law and pre-law board: http://www.autoadmit.com/main.php?forum_id=2

They're a pretty brash bunch, but you'll get good info if you ask around.
 
DIRTIE said:
Be an attorney, why not? Move to Vegas, work 4 days a week for a dentist or a company and go to UNLV law, they have a part time program, its 4 yrs, no summers, M-Thurs roughly 6-9 PM. Totally do able, you would be able to pay for school and pay your loans and living at the same time. There may be a lot of lawyers around, but there is always room at the top. Trust me I know, coming from an area that is saturated with attorneys, my father faired pretty well.
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UNLV's placement isn't very good in terms of income. The median starting private practice figure is something like $63,000 (their website has placement info). For someone who has 4 years of dental school loans and maybe undergrad loans, that's something to consider.

$60,000 after taxes would be about $45,000/year. That would come out to about $23,500/year after taxes and loans if you're paying off $250,000 in dental, law, and undergrad loans. ( Estimate taxes here: http://www.paycheckcity.com/netpaycalc/netpaycalculator.asp )

Is that worth it? I don't know. It depends on your preferences.
 
do you have the name of that DDS/JD you talked to, out of curiosity?
 
I luckily only have one year of d. school loans, and my fiance is a pedodontist currently working, so we could technically afford it, but it's not ideal. Plus, I would probably only go to law school part time, to help with the finances....

you guys have been so helpful so far....keep it comin'!
 
Dentistry is a much better field than law.
 
go for law degree.. if you want to do it.. one of hte guys that was proctoring the WREBs last year - went back to school to get a law degree and now he is works as dental politican.. or whatever you call them..but he tries to help the dental community through his lawyering skills (they got any?? lol)
 
You could take up a career suing dentists. Or better yet, defending dentists in lawsuits.
 
sjdent said:
OK, be honest (but not too mean ;) ). Am I freakin' crazy? Here's my story....I think I've posted on here before bitching about how much I detest practicing dentistry...and I truly mean, I hate dentistry in general, RCTs, FPDs blah blah. Don't try to talk me into it, I already know how I feel - I'm about to graduate in 2 months...it's not the school I went to, it's not burnout, I just don't like it. For the last year I tried to convince myself that it was just all about the school aspect of it that I hated. Nope, now that I am so close to actually practicing, I can't think of anything more depressing than working in this career. I was pre-law in college and have been kicking myself for the last 2 yrs. that I didn't go into it instead. I'm a reader/writer/analyzer - not a science person. While it's been personally satisfying to complete my DDS, ultimately I don't think it showcases my natural talents. So not enjoyable for me.

The dilemna? I'm having these huge urges to go back to law school....I live in So Cal where they're a dime a dozen. I could even go back part time and work 1-2 days a week. Very interesting possibility. However, I know that I can say goodbye right now to flexible hours and amazing money. Am I willing to commit to 3-4 more years of grad school....I honestly don't know. Ultimately, I'll end up working for at least a year, even if I decide to go back to law soon.

Any thoughts? Know anyone that's done this?
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I've got a good friend who is a lawyer for State Farm Insurance at the corporate office in Illinois. Doing great, loves his job, makes good money, doesn't have to do things that makes him feel like he is compromising his integrity (a rareity in law I guess), works 9-5 hours, and he just read your post and says he thinks you are crazy...

Joke (I know I am diverting the potential direction of this post by submitting this but enjoy):
3 surgeons eating lunch, talking to each other, when one pipes up, "you know who the best people to operate on are? Mathmeticians! Their organs are all numbered"
The next surgeon says, "no the best are engineers, because their organs aren't only numbered but they are color coded-easier to get back together"
The last surgeon says, "nope, lawyers are the easiest because they have no spine, no guts, and the head and anus are interchangable..."
 
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sjdent said:
OK, be honest (but not too mean ;) ). Am I freakin' crazy? Here's my story....I think I've posted on here before bitching about how much I detest practicing dentistry...and I truly mean, I hate dentistry in general, RCTs, FPDs blah blah. Don't try to talk me into it, I already know how I feel - I'm about to graduate in 2 months...it's not the school I went to, it's not burnout, I just don't like it. For the last year I tried to convince myself that it was just all about the school aspect of it that I hated. Nope, now that I am so close to actually practicing, I can't think of anything more depressing than working in this career. I was pre-law in college and have been kicking myself for the last 2 yrs. that I didn't go into it instead. I'm a reader/writer/analyzer - not a science person. While it's been personally satisfying to complete my DDS, ultimately I don't think it showcases my natural talents. So not enjoyable for me.

The dilemna? I'm having these huge urges to go back to law school....I live in So Cal where they're a dime a dozen. I could even go back part time and work 1-2 days a week. Very interesting possibility. However, I know that I can say goodbye right now to flexible hours and amazing money. Am I willing to commit to 3-4 more years of grad school....I honestly don't know. Ultimately, I'll end up working for at least a year, even if I decide to go back to law soon.

Any thoughts? Know anyone that's done this?
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Hi I think you might try to work for a while to see how it goes but definetely I think the most important is to love your job. So if you know that you want to be a lawyer go for it. I know one dentist who used to be a lawyer for 10 years but she hated it so now she is a dentist:)

But it's a hard decision to make so unfortunately nobody can decide for you.
Good luck!
 
i feel obliged to weigh in here before the op makes a grave mistake.

2 years ago i took the lsat and applied to a bunch of top schools. i got a 172 (a strong score) and was accepted to several top 10's among them penn, uva, and northwestern. i had no idea what being a lawyer was all about (couldn't have told you the difference between litigation vs transactional!) but figured that with my liberal arts degree i couldn't do much else. i enjoyed reading, writing, and textual analysis and thought that being a lawyer would provide all of this.

thankfully, i got cold feet right before i was supposed to start at uva. i decided to work in a biglaw firm as a paralegal for a year to learn at least something about the field. 3 years and tons of debt is too big an investment to make without knowing what you're getting into. my parents just about killed me for it, but i said **** em. my experience as a paralegal was abysmal. i learned about billable hours and how much it sucks keeping track of your time in 10 minute increments every day. i saw associates eat their lunches everyday WHILE huddled over their desks looking through westlaw on the computer. that's right, no lunch breaks, too much pressure to bill all the time and "be efficient". they had no control over their lives, most of the partners (their bosses) are socially maladjusted napoleons. and of course you work the 60-70 hour weeks. litigation was even worse than transactional since it's constantly adversarial and involves a bunch of inefficient bull****. god help you if you have a conscience because you won't have any say over what clients you represent/work for in a lawsuit. your assigned partner will just stroll in to your office and tell you to do it. transactional (corporate) is better in a sense because it's less adversarial and you're at least playing a sum rather than zero-sum game, but you'd better like reading through dry contracts all day every day looking for mistakes because that's essentially what you do. also, keep in mind that you will always be the businessmen's "waterboy" since you are there merely to aid them, are just a nuisance that they have to deal with, and won't get to really be a part of any of the businesses that you're advising.

also keep in mind that your income is most definitely capped. if i had gone to uva i would have been guaranteed a biglaw job somewhere paying at least 125k. guaranteed. the problem is that it's an up or out system and even if it weren't you probably would never want to make partner since that is just complete and utter hell. the exit options for litigators are weak; basically either a smaller law firm (where you will face the same QOL issues but to a slightly lesser degree) or government, where the payscale is rigid and the work isn't necessarily the most engaging. the transactional attorneys usually have better exit opps, usually putting in the requisite 3-4 year stint at biglaw and then moving "in-house" where they take a ~20% salary cut to be able to work a 45-50 hour workweek and then pray that the gc and agc either retire or get fired so they might be able to someday get to a 200k income, but even then you're back to the 60 hour workweeks since you have more responsibility.

i'm rambling and i could keep going on and on but i think i hit the main points of lawyering. trust me, it was very tempting for me to go to uva and so nice to know i had at least 125k per year waiting for me on the other side. but you have to think long-term and really think about what you want to do with your life. being a lawyer is an incredibly stressful profession that requires an incredibly anal personality coupled with a prodigious ability to notice every piece of minutiae while analyzing the most boring documents you will ever come across. it is not law and order. even as a litigator, you will likely never see a courtroom and certainly not for the first few years.

you have a dental degree. even as a general dentist, with any reasonable social skills and work ethic you will have 250k/year guaranteed once you buyout an existing dentist's practice and get some kind of rep established. and that's at 32 hours/week. AND that's with total control over when you take your vacations, when you take days off, etc. it sounds to me like you haven't spent much time in corporate america and i think this has warped your judgement somewhat. trust me, you have no idea how good you have it. although you may hate dentistry, about every job sucks and at least it's only 32-40 hours/week that you'd be doing it. do drugs or get drunk during the day to help you get through it or something; god knows the lawyers do! please think long and hard before throwing your degree away, as i would love to be in your shoes right now and hope to get their someday! good luck.
 
Leehrat, thank you so much for your good insight. I hate reading on these boards how everyone in medicine/dentistry thinks everyone from law school graduates and gets a 140K job with biglaw, works 40 hours a week, does really cool cases, and makes partner after 7 years with a salary of 500K+. In reality, as you correctly summed up, it is nothing like this. Only the top few students get hired with those types of salaries, many more come out and make 50-60K. Biglaw attornies also work very long hours and have a slim percentage of ever making partner. On top of that the work is boring as **** and is sitting at a desk all day doing tons and tons of paperwork.
 
i wouldn't look too much into that. if you take into account having a joint DDS/JD degree, those averages don't apply (assuming you utilize your DDS in some form). same goes for, example an engineer who goes to law school and then practices patent law. only a select few are qualified to work in this niche field, and thus they command a mighty hefty salary.


mdub said:
UNLV's placement isn't very good in terms of income. The median starting private practice figure is something like $63,000 (their website has placement info). For someone who has 4 years of dental school loans and maybe undergrad loans, that's something to consider.

$60,000 after taxes would be about $45,000/year. That would come out to about $23,500/year after taxes and loans if you're paying off $250,000 in dental, law, and undergrad loans. ( Estimate taxes here: http://www.paycheckcity.com/netpaycalc/netpaycalculator.asp )

Is that worth it? I don't know. It depends on your preferences.
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Leehrat - Frankly, I've heard all this before (but thank you of course, for your very detailed synopsis, it is a reminder for me about the cons). And that is definitely something to consider - everyone knows lawyers works their butts off and it can be quite tedious. In all honesty, I wouldn't be doing this for the $$. I have no expectations about making $100K in law, trust me. By the way, I only have one year of dental debt, and IF i actually went through with this crazy plan, I would only go back to law school part time and practice dentistry 1-2 days/week.

This is all assuming that I'm actually going through with this. Sigh. It's a pretty rough decision. The idea of working 50-60 hrs/week is incredibly depressing. I'd like to have kids in the next 5-6 years, which would make going to law school pretty hard. Yikes, I'm just really confused about what to do. The fact is - I'd rather be a paper pusher 8 hours a day than be a dentist - I really do dislike it that much.

I'd love to get some value out of my fine dental education - i.e. specializing in some sort of medical/dental law, whether it be malpractice, contracts, practice sales, consulting, etc. I doubt I would ever be a hard core, traditional, big firm corporate lawyer. But I need to know MORE. What I really need to do is speak several DDS/JDs. Hey, thanks for all of your opinions....keep 'em coming!
 
wow leehrat.. that is one of hte most informative posts i have seen on sdn.. i had never known it sucks that much.. I LOVE dentistry alot more now ;)
 
Go for it. What do you have to lose? It's just time and money. But here's another thought: What about ortho?! If your board scores aren't up to it you can do a GPR/AEGD and apply to an OEC program. You'd never have to touch another patient. I guarantee ortho residency is easier than law school.
 
Jone said:
i wouldn't look too much into that. if you take into account having a joint DDS/JD degree, those averages don't apply (assuming you utilize your DDS in some form). same goes for, example an engineer who goes to law school and then practices patent law. only a select few are qualified to work in this niche field, and thus they command a mighty hefty salary.
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Intellectual property law pays about the same as other fields of law. The biggest difference is that people with certain science degrees can get lower grades in law school and/or go to lower ranked law schools and still do well in their job search. There aren't many JD/DDSs running around, but there are some JD/MDs running around. The ones who go into law don't generally command a meaningful premium over JDs, they simply work in a different specialization. That might mean they make partner in the firm when they otherwise wouldn't, but having additional degrees in legal practice simply isn't all that useful in most legal practice situations. You'd really have to have a very specific and in-demand niche in mind in order to make being a JD and a DDS useful in combination. Most of law is just manipulating concepts. If you're doing tort law, it doesn't matter much to the lawyer, for instance, whether they're talking about medical malpractice, dental malpractice, legal malpractice, engineering malpractice, etc. At first, it might help the lawyer spot the technical issues faster, but with a little experience that's not much of a problem.
 
drhobie7 said:
Go for it. What do you have to lose? It's just time and money. But here's another thought: What about ortho?! If your board scores aren't up to it you can do a GPR/AEGD and apply to an OEC program. You'd never have to touch another patient. I guarantee ortho residency is easier than law school.
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;)

Although I must say that reading DentalTown has made me realize it's not dentistry that I despise, it's my current practice of ghettodontics that makes me cringe.

sjdent, I'm looking for the guy's contact info. Check your PM.
 
sjdent said:
The idea of working 50-60 hrs/week is incredibly depressing.
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That leaves a couple options. (1) Do government work. Government work is much more likely to be 9-5 (more like 9-6). (2) Find a firm that will let you do part-time work. Part-time lawyers in Arizona average about $45,000/year. But "part-time" often means 30 or so hours per week. (3) Make your own path. That seems to be your best realistic hope. I would imagine you'd do something like keep practicing dentistry after you get your JD and then slowly work your way into more law by getting involved in whatever local dental organizations there are and making lots of contacts with other dentists.

Yikes, I'm just really confused about what to do.
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I understand the feeling. I'm considering going the other direction (from law to dentistry). It's hard when you're playing around with big chunks of your life.
 
It appears to me that your problem is that you like school. You should be a professor.
 
Dutchboy said:
You could take up a career suing dentists. Or better yet, defending dentists in lawsuits.
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Personal opinion, I don't think there are enough cases out there for lawyers in the field of dentistry. Even if there are, the monetary amounts aren't that great.

By the way, did you tell us why you hate dentistry so much. Why do you hate dentistry so much?
 
Jone said:
i wouldn't look too much into that. if you take into account having a joint DDS/JD degree, those averages don't apply (assuming you utilize your DDS in some form). same goes for, example an engineer who goes to law school and then practices patent law. only a select few are qualified to work in this niche field, and thus they command a mighty hefty salary.
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I am currently an attorney going the opposite direction, so take my advice with that in mind. I wouldn't count on a DDS adding much value to a JD. It is just to specialized a degree to make a difference to 99.99% of law firms. That being said, it will probably still seperate you from the crowd.

The most important thing I would point out is that the demand for attorneys is far outstripped by the supply being cranked out by the three hundred odd law schools every year. At best, you can hope to work 80-100 hours a week and pull down 125K to start. The significant majority make well under 100K a year. Take school income statistics with a grain of salt because most of the time, they are based on reported numbers. Who do you think is more likely to report, the guy pulling down 125K or the guy who is stuck bartending looking for a job?

Sorry about the length of the post, but my last piece of advice is that if it is really what you want to do, then go for it. Every day, I have family, friends, strangers, etc. tell me that I'm crazy for wanting to go back to Dental School. To hell with all of them because it is what I really want to do.
 
jfitzpat said:
To hell with all of them because it is what I really want to do.
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Good for you! Dental school is a blast and you'll still surpass your law buddies (your old classmates) in income your first year out as a DMD after four years that you gave them for a head start.

With a JD, it will look favorable in dental admissions. Good luck.

May I suggest a DMD dental school and NSU is a great choice! ;)
 
I didn't quite realize that lawyers income is around 125K.

I returned from operative lab today, and I can't believe that's actualy what we are doing, cutting preps. It's so much fun. It's like a hobby. I don't even see it as a burden.

Good to know that dentist make more money than lawyers.
 
...
 
Yea, tell us what you ended up doing.
 
Law school blows, but you can always go into IP law and do patents. Big bucks. Higher partnership potential. No competition for dental patents.
 
dentstd said:
Law school blows, but you can always go into IP law and do patents. Big bucks. Higher partnership potential. No competition for dental patents.
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i buy cereal in a bag

but in your analogy, it would be more like i was forced to buy Kellogg's b/c my store didn't have cereal in a bag. :(
 
lotexigeus said:
i buy cereal in a bag

but in your analogy, it would be more like i was forced to buy Kellogg's b/c my store didn't have cereal in a bag. :(
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EVERYONE buys cereal in a bag. Like the Ivy League schools, the only difference an extra layer of pretty packaging, doubling the price of the product inside without improving it at all.

The delicious irony of it all is that none of the "smart" people going to the Ivy League schools are bright enough to catch on to the scam. It's the kind of thing that makes you glad you're just a garden-variety dumb***.
 
lotexigeus said:
i buy cereal in a bag

but in your analogy, it would be more like i was forced to buy Kellogg's b/c my store didn't have cereal in a bag. :(
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We all start somewhere. You buy cereal in a bag, but once you graduate and have kids, your kids can enjoy the pleasures of Kellogg's cereal. mmm mmm sugar-filled goodness.
 
...so very true and LOL hilarious too.
 
aphistis said:
EVERYONE buys cereal in a bag. Like the Ivy League schools, the only difference an extra layer of pretty packaging, doubling the price of the product inside without improving it at all.

The delicious irony of it all is that none of the "smart" people going to the Ivy League schools are bright enough to catch on to the scam. It's the kind of thing that makes you glad you're just a garden-variety dumb***.
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The depth of the analogy's kinda cool. I do enjoy cereal in a bag from time to time. You get a pound of cereal for 20 cents. How can you say no to that?
 
dentstd said:
The depth of the analogy's kinda cool. I do enjoy cereal in a bag from time to time. You get a pound of cereal for 20 cents. How can you say no to that?
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Kellogg's is in a bag too brah. it's just also in a box.

:laugh:
 
lotexigeus said:
Kellogg's is in a bag too brah. it's just also in a box.

:laugh:
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You say that as if everybody in this country doesn't already know that. It's a saying, brah :rolleyes:
 
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Follow your heart. Money shouldn't be the reason to stay in a job you hate espescially when you have a Sugar MAMA!!!:laugh:
 
I know someone who went to dental school and is now a lawyer. He graduated with my dad and now refers to my dad for cases. He seems to really like it.


edit: oh wow old thread!
 
aphistis said:
EVERYONE buys cereal in a bag. Like the Ivy League schools, the only difference an extra layer of pretty packaging, doubling the price of the product inside without improving it at all.

The delicious irony of it all is that none of the "smart" people going to the Ivy League schools are bright enough to catch on to the scam. It's the kind of thing that makes you glad you're just a garden-variety dumb***.
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Everyone that buys cereal in a bag says this but everyone knows that they would really rather eat Kellogs out of the box (which also has a bag).
 
coacoa dyno bytes out of the bag.... mmmm
 
mdub said:
I'm in law school now, and I am considering going the other direction -- from law to dentistry. It's true that if you hate your work, every day is a living hell (even if your dentist days are a couple hours shorter than lawyer days).

The good things about dentistry are that you seem make a good amount of money, have a high amount of control over your schedule, and work fewer hours. What you get paid in law initially is strongly correlated with what school you attend and how well you place within your class. The top 14 law schools are pretty solid bets for finding a high paying job if you're looking for $100,000+/year. Between the top 14 and the top 25 it starts getting a little spotty, but your prospects are still pretty good. The bottom 100 law schools or so are junk if you're looking for a high paying job. Between 25 and 100, there are lots of regional schools. Your fortune from those schools is incredibly dependent on class rank. As a lawyer you'll also have considerably less control over your schedule and you'll work more hours. More than half of all lawyer average over 50 hours/week.

It comes down to how much you think you'll like law. If you think your love of law will outweigh the negatives and will be better than dentistry, then do it.

Just make sure you spend a solid amount of time studying for the LSAT. The school you tend is extremely important, and the vast majority of your admissions fate is tied to your GPA and LSAT.

If you need law advice, I'd suggest this law and pre-law board: http://www.autoadmit.com/main.php?forum_id=2

They're a pretty brash bunch, but you'll get good info if you ask around.
Click to expand...

No offense, but I have very little respect for people who go into dentistry simply for the working hours and income potential. This means that you aren't there to improve the lives and health of their patients, and is a violation of the foundation of health care practitioning.

Now, there is no doubt that being a doctor or dentist can provide these things, and these absolutely should be taken into consideration when picking a career. But they should be viewed as perks not as the main motivation. I would never want to have a dentist who is a greedy lawyer and went into dentisry because they wanted more money. I would be scared of such a dentist.
 
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