Hi, guys. I hope I'm posting this in the correct place on the forum.
As my freshman year is coming to a close, it's coming time (at least, ostensibly) for me to pick a major/career path. Since I was little, I've been hovering between BigLaw and Medicine. I truly am attracted to both careers – some people pursue these jobs because they tend to be relatively high-paying, but I'm attracted to different facets of each job. It's not about money to me.
But here's the deal: I am naturally more gifted in philosophy/verbal reasoning/debate than I am in science. I've done well enough in the first few premed classes, so I can do the work, but I've had a MUCH easier time in philosophy than in, say, chemistry. I'm not sure if that's because chem is innately more difficult that philosophy or if I'm just worse at chem.
I know it's probably difficult to give any sort of advice based on the relatively small amount of information that I've been able to provide here, but do you guys/girls have any suggestions as to what I should choose or HOW I should choose?
Medicine Pros: HEALING PEOPLE, more prestige in the profession, get to work in a hospital.
Cons: Probably longer workweeks, much longer schooling.
Biglaw Pros: I have a better shot at a t14 law school than a top medical school, out of school by 25, get to work with large business figures.
Cons: I won't really be helping people and might turn into an insufferable person if I spend my days arguing all the time.
Thanks so much for your time. Hopefully this wasn't too much of a rambling post.
*Also, I have in fact searched this very topic on this forum, and have read the threads. I'm just looking for a little more info in regard my personal situation.
1. You can go to law school regardless of your undergraduate major. Good grades will help you get a scholarship.
2. Finance, business, and engineering are great undergraduate majors for Big Law. A lot of Big Law attorneys are either patent attorneys (engineering degree preferred), or drift back and forth between business finance and law, working at a financial firm as an investment banker, for example, and then in a large law firm as an attorney doing mergers and acquisitions, helping companies invest, counseling higher-ups on various problems, etc. Going back and forth is good for networking, gaining clients, getting bumps in pay. (Unless you hate money, you should look into how much they make It's impressive.)
3. Doing pre-med doesn't rule out law school, or make it less likely.
4. Try to get a (paid or unpaid) undergrad summer internship at BigLaw firms and volunteer at a doctor's office or hospital. This will help you make connections to help you get hired later on and will give you a better idea of what both are like. Some law firms are happy to have an intern one day a week (or more) to run errands (like photocopying) in exchange for the experience of being in the firm and seeing how it runs. (There's plenty of info. on here about the dr side so I won't get into that.) If you want to go into litigation or be a trail attorney, join speech and debate clubs now. [A financial side note: Financial firms and some law firms run a credit check on potential interns, associates, and employees. They don't mind if you are poor. They do mind if you don't pay your bills on time. Be responsible!]
5. Your best shot for Big Law: Pick an undergraduate major from #2 above, or just get really good grades. Then spend a year as a paralegal gaining experience. (It costs a couple thousand dollars and takes 3-6 month to become a paralegal.) Prepare yourself to get excellent grades your first year of law school (partially by having been a paralegal and partially by looking into course material ahead of time). First year law school grades are very very very important. Try out for the journal and moot court. Your best bet is to become a SUMMER ASSOCIATE the summer after your 1st year of law school. That is when most "associates" are first hired into "BigLaw." Then they tend to get invited back each year, which means fewer spots are open later on. You will be selected based on grades, experience, other accomplishments, and if they like you. Maybe diversity. If that doesn't work, try to become a clerk for a judge and reapply to become an associate later on. But really, that 1st summer after year 1 of law school is your best bet - grades and experience.
Regarding the "Pros" you listed for medicine, I believe some apply to law as well. Many or most top lawyers take on pro bono cases to save lives or better lives of people in need. If you are wealthy, you can direct charitable contributions to help heal people, and broken systems in society. There is plenty of prestige in being a millionaire, which I've heard is not difficult on a partner's salary. (If you don't know how to invest, your colleagues will.) And you can take cases in the hospital. Although, I do admit that a doctor's work sounds more interesting. (To me anyway.)
Regarding your "Cons" you will spend some days arguing in court and your peers will be naturally competitive and somewhat argumentative, but not necessarily bad company. Most of your days will be in the firm, where you work with a group of attorneys (partners and associates), paralegals, and staff on a case. You will share ideas and divide up the work. It's a team project and can be fun! You will start out by writing lots of briefs, then learn more advanced skills from your mentors at the firm. Prior to arguing in court, you will argue to your team. They will make suggestions to help you. Court can be like a sports tournament, where you win as a team or lose as a team. If you are a litigator and do an awesome job arguing, then win the case, everyone will congratulate you all week long! You will also spend time counseling your clients about how to handle difficult situations. In that sense, you are "helping people" make good decisions during tough times.
Between Big Law attorneys and doctors, I really don't know who does more work. It might be an individual thing (case by case basis) or a toss up. Large law firms often have sleeping rooms or floors too, page each other to come in on nights and weekends, and require travel.
Good luck!
Edit (more goodies about law):
Many lawyers also choose to go back and forth between holding public office or working in politics and in firms. Many a lawyer has written laws and changed society. While this isn't exactly "healing people" the "pro" you mentioned, it is a way to help people large scale. You can take a crummy law that doesn't work, and fix it. (Sometimes regular citizens can but it's much easier for a lawyer. And yes, sometimes it take more effort than just that, gathering support, blah blah.)
Family people might be interested in that law firms often have the best health insurance too. Lawyers are great at negotiating riders into their policies so much more is covered. (To anyone who doesn't already know, what's covered by insurance is based on the policy rather than the insurance company. For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield likely has thousands of policies that cover different things. Large employers can negotiate with BCBS and ask them to include whatever in their policy so such and such is covered, which normally wouldn't be covered.)
The other person I know went to NYU, which is top 5 actually, and is currently working in consulting.
