After getting a law degree??

Question

My goal has always to do criminal law. I am about to head off to law school within the next 8 months. My question is that once i am finished i really do want to return home and practice but then again..theirs always this side of me that has always wanted to get my hands into law enforcement at least for a little while. Im thinkin atf, fbi or some type of federal job and then return after a few years and begin practice..do you think i should start law immediately or dive into law enforcement for a little bit..i just dont want to get side tracked..sorry so long thanks

Answer 1

If you are thinking about taking time off between law school and practice I would just put law school off until you are ready.  From a financial point of view why would you want to pay intrest for a few years on 100k in student loans.  Plus the legal knowlege could get stale between graduation and when you take the bar.

A buddy of mine was an officer in a neighboring city when we were in law school together.  He liked the idea of being a law student with a law enforcement background.  Also he wanted to earn a good salary for a while and then go back to school so when he was done he would be in less debt.

You can practice law till the day you die, but being a cop on the beat is something you should do when you are young.  If it is something you are passionate about go into law enforcement first, the law will be there when you get back.

Incidentally I met several officers in the twilight of their law enforcement careers in bar study class.  They wanted a career after being officers and considering they testified so many times through their careers, felt they would not be intimidated by trial work.  

Either way good luck.