You Don't Have to Go to Law School

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You Don’t Have to Go to Law School: A Career Guide for Liberal Arts Graduates in the Digital Age | By Colin Eagan, M.S. 2014
IN THE DIGITAL AGE
BY COLIN EAGAN, M.S. ‘04
Davidson College | October 24, 2014
A CAREER GUIDE
YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL //
FOR LIBERAL ARTS GRADS

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COLIN EAGAN’04
PLEASED TO MEET YOU.
PRINCIPAL, USER EXPERIENCE | ICF OLSON
@colineags @davidsoncareers

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You're getting toward the end of your senior year at Davidson.
People are starting to ask "what are you going to do after this?"
But there's a problem. You are an English major (or history
major or philosophy major). You're not qualified to do anything
(or at least it feels that way).
So you have to ask the question that all English majors have
asked themselves since English majors were invented…
TELL ME IF THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR …

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SHOULD I
GO TO
LAW SCHOOL?

• Not a talk against Law School.
• Not here to tell you you shouldn’t go.
• Not here to tell you LS is a bad thing
(because its not and how would I know anyway since I never went)
• Just want to tell you that you don’t HAVE to go.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED…
What this talk is NOT…

WHO IS COLIN? AND WHY DO YOU CARE?
About Colin… Davidson College, Class of 2004
English
Major
Theseareallthe
papersIwrote…

YOWL FIRST ISSUE, JANUARY 2004

Cum Laude
Omicron Delta Kappa
Phi Beta Delta
Won the English Prize
Blah
Blah
OTHER STUFF THAT I THOUGHT WAS GREAT!
AND!

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MAN, PEOPLE MUST HAVE
BEEN BEGGING TO HIRE
YOU, RIGHT?

At least, not right away. Despite doing all that obviously cool
stuff, when I graduated I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do.
Being a Liberal Arts grad is hard!
WHA?
NOT REALLY.

I wrote applications and essays.
I took the LSAT. Twice.
I ask for recommendations.
We’ll go into the reasons why later.
But so you know, it didn’t work out.
SO I APPLIED TO LAW SCHOOL.
WHA?

COLIN’S ACTUAL CAREER PATH
English Major
2004
User Experience
Manager
2012
Waited Tables
Freelance
Copywriter
Accenture in
Charlotte
Advertising
Grad School
Took
Architecture
Classes
Became
an EMT
Took
Copywriting
Class
Lotsof differentthings!
UX
Internship
Applied to law schools

QUOTE!

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LIFE OF AN
ENGLISH MAJOR

Your Major
FOOLPROOF CHART: MAJORS VS. CAREER VIABILITY
How likely
your mother
is to brag
about it to
her sister/
friends.
Pre-Med
Pre-Law
Creative Writing?
English
Math
Econ
History

• Spent your summers doing internships
• Already know what careers you really like.
LIFE OF AN ENGLISH MAJOR
If you are lucky you…

Tours Seville Cambridge
• Spent your summers in…
If you’re like me you…
• Worked at the same summer camp I did in high school.

• Biology Major
• Chemistry Major
• Physics Major
• i.e. anyone who is going to Med School
and has always been destined to go to
Med School (or be a physics PhD. Etc)
Here’s who you are (probably) NOT:

I'm warning you right now. These are the
friends you will come to hate.
While are you figuring out "what do I want to
do with my life" they are cheerily studying for
boards and floating along as if nothing
matters.
Its hard work, yes, but it's on autopilot; at the
end of the tunnel they will have a fulfilling,
respected career and make a lot of money.
Warning!

But you don't have that luxury.
You're predicament is unique.
As a humanities major, you will have to answer …

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WHAT DO I WANT
TO BE WHEN I
GROW UP?

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(HINT: YOU CAN’T GO TO THE 24 HOUR
ROOM AND CRAM FOR THIS ONE)

Informal Survey of 46 Davidson Students, by Major:
WHAT YOU SAID…

By year:
WHAT YOU SAID…

My career / grad school plans are:
WHAT YOU SAID…

How much is planning for your career / future adding to your current Stress Level?
WHAT YOU SAID…

WHAT YOU SAID…
How much is planning for your career / future adding to your current Stress Level?

The main cause of my career-related stress is...
WHAT YOU SAID…

How many alcoholic drinks do you have
in the average week at Davidson?
(one drink = one shot or one beer)
WHAT YOU SAID…

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WHY IS LAW SCHOOL
PART ONE // YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL
SO APPEALING RIGHT NOW?

WHY IS LAW SCHOOL SO TEMPTING?
What you may be telling yourself…
• It's something you can do with a humanities major.
• It's a way for humanities majors to make decent money $$$.
• You're not good at math.
• Your mom wants you to be a lawyer.
• Your uncle is a lawyer, and he likes it.
• Really, you're just horrible at math.

Things You May Be That Lawyers Typically…
Analytical
Logical
A “Good Writer.”
Theatrical
Type “A”
YOU
+
LAW?
Practical
Artistic
Design-Focused
Digital
“Creatives”
Type “B”
Unstructured
YOU VS. LAWYERS

OH SNAP.
“For a long time there
has been this culturally
embedded perception
that if you go to law
school, it will be worth
the money. The idea
that law school is an
easy ticket to financial
security is finally
breaking down.”
Kyle McEntee of Law School
Transparency, a legal education
policy organization.

WHY I WORRY.
Here’s why I worry about you.
YOU ARE SMART.
• As a humanities major, YOU ARE GOOD AT B.S.
• You will accomplish what you put your mind to.
• You will write exquisite law school admissions essays.
• You will convince them you want to do it.
• But who are you fooling?

Sign Your Name….
YOUR CAREER NEEDS TO “FEEL” RIGHT
Right Hand
Left Hand

WANDERING THROUGH EGYPT…
You.

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COLIN’S RULES
PART THREE // YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL
OF CAREER ACQUISITIONESS

COLIN’S RULES
FAIL QUICKLY.
RULE #1
“Fail quickly, launch early, improve immediately.”
-- Charles Warren, User Experience Designer at Google
Liberal ArtsCareers

MULTITASK.
Take advantage of being young and single.
Not thrilled with your day job? Keep it, but take night classes in completely unrelated things.
EXAMPLE: After I graduated, I decided I was interested in
Architecture. Davidson doesn't offer architecture. So I took
classes at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte. I
didn't become an architect, but taking those classes let me
discover what it was like.
COLIN’S RULES
RULE #2

NETWORK.
You’re probably sick of hearing this.
But I mean work the Informational Interview.
EXAMPLE: After I graduated, I went to the career office and asked
for a list of all Davidson grads who lived in the Charlotte area in
the top three career areas I was interested in. I set up dozens of
interviews, just to go in a talk. People were extremely willing to
talk. My favorite question to ask: "Describe your typical day."
COLIN’S RULES
RULE #3

BUILD YOUR ONLINE
PROFILE.
AKA You need to know what happens when I Google you.
Are you on LinkedIn?
Do you have a website?
Do you have a Twitter handle?
Get these things now.
RULE #4
COLIN’S RULES

GET TO KNOW
THE REAL YOU.
Remember the signature test.
What qualities are important to you in a career?
Are you a people person? Do you prefer lots of alone time to think?
COLIN’S RULES
RULE #6

If you haven't seen it already I
recommend Do What You Are:
Meyers Briggs for Careers -- the
same system that they used for
matching roommates at
Davidson. Its great.
BOOK!

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JOBS OF THE FUTURE!
TODAY!
PART FOUR // YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL

• Helps design online experiences
• Research customers then design for them
• Made up of a whole bunch of sub-specialties
• Great if you are…
…analytical, creative, good at using “both sides of brain.”
CAREERS THAT DIDN’T EXIST 10 YEARS AGO!
User Experience Designer

• Draws “blueprints” for websites and things online
• Works with graphic designers and developers to make them
• Great if you’re into…
…layout, architecture, visual patterns
Information Architect

• Gets to know the audience you’re designing for.
• Conducts focus groups, surveys, contextual inquiries, etc.
• Analyzes results and trends
…psychology, anthropology, stats
User Researcher

• Content can be words, images, etc
• Content is King!
• NOTE: This is NOT a copy editor
• Helps plan how content gets created, placed and updated
…writing, editing, linguistics, visual systems
Content Strategist

• Yes, this is a job.
• Help clients make smart use of Facebook, Twitter, etc.
• Develop social media campaigns
• Great if you’re…
… desperate.
Social Media Expert

• Business Consulting
• Marketing / Brand Management
• Video production and editing
• Tons of jobs that have "Interactive / Digital" in them
• Journalism (higher levels)
• Advertising (higher up levels)
• Architecture / Urban Planning (higher up levels)
Other Careers for Humanities
Grads that Generally Pay Well $$
MORE!

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OK FINE. BUT HOW DO WE
YEAH RIGHT // YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL
ACTUALLY GET THESE JOBS

1. Getting a Job.
(i.e. starting real life).
2. Grad School.
(i.e. postponing real life).
3. Teach for America, Peace Corps, Jesuit Volunteer, etc
(i.e. postponing postponing real life).
WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?
Options for when you leave here.
Classic Davidson move.
(I have friends who are on
their third PhD.)

GRAD SCHOOL.
MORE!
Is NOTfun,people.
• It’s more like a job (i.e. think 9-5 + 5 hrs homework)
• Is very focused on getting you to do one thing.
• If you think its going to be more Davidson, think again.
COLIN’S RULES

That said,it can be a great way to launch your
career if you’re set on doing a specific thing.
E.g.
2 years. Intensive. Real-world
education. Gain a Master's degree
and skill set demanded by top
agencies and companies.
- Art Director
- Copywriter
- Strategist
- Brand Manager
- Technologist
WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?

1. Consulting Firm Analyst
• Have specific roles for non-experienced undergrads
• Pros: Crash course on “the business world” – and get paid!
• Cons: Formulaic
• Examples: Accenture, Deloitte. Booz Allen, Mckinsey
2. Marketing Assistant, etc.
• Take an entry level job at an agency, marketing firm, etc.
• Pros: Get paid (but not much) to learn the environment
• Cons: Can be very difficult to get these randomly
3. Internship (unpaid if necessary)
• Companies do post internships for recent grads
• Sometimes unpaid can be worth it for experience (just make sure it
leads to something paid before long)
Remember Rule #3 – best way to find these is to talk to people!
JUST GETTING A JOB

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REQUIRED CAVEAT SECTION
BUT WAIT.. // YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL
DON’T 100% RULE IT OUT

In addition to loving this:
this:
Yes,somepeopleloveitandneverlookback.
But remember!
Make sure you love this:
Law
School
Actually being
a Lawyer.
Vs.
GAHH!

1. Wait a few years.
Law school will be there in a few years. Admissions committees will
want to see that you have thought through your decision and aren't just
doing it for lack of options.
2. Visit law schools.
(or any other schools you're interested in). Visits will usually include
sitting in on classes. If they don't, ask to. Talk to students. See what you
think. Imagine yourself in that environment. For three years.
3. Break it down.
Saying you want to 'be a lawyer' is like saying you want to 'cure cancer.'
Cancer is actually hundreds of different diseases. What specifically do
you want to do in law? Do you like litigation or transactional law? Do
you want to work at a big firm or small firm? Do you even know what
lawyers do? Law school will teach you these things, but its an expensive
way to find out. If you're un-sure, do some research.
IF YOU’RE NOT SURE…

Want a Serious Book on
Law School?
This one is nuts. This guy goes into
complete detail of what you’ll cover
in Law School to the point that you’ll
sort of feel you went. And he’s really
sarcastic about everything.
IF ALL ELSE FAILS, ASK ATTICUS FALCON, ESQ.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlI1MR-qNt8
AND IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME:

FINAL RULE.
LAST!
Stop worrying and start doing.
Start somewhere.
“More is lost to indecision than wrong decision.”
-- Ciscero
(and popular boardroom mantra).
COLIN’S RULES

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And who knows.
You might realize…

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@ColinAEagan
Colin.A.Eagan@gmail.com
www.colineagan.com
YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO.
THANK YOU.

You Don't Have to Go to Law School

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