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Ask HN: Programming to law – has anybody here done this?
Ask HN: Programming to law - anyone here done this?
For the past two years I've felt disillusioned with my career as a web developer. I don't feel challenged and am rarely in "flow". I also find many aspects of programming rather frustrating - this didn't matter when I still got a thrill from building things, but with that no longer the case it has rather begun to grate.
I'm not that natural a programmer and I don't really want to learn about computer science. My degree was much more verbal (English literature) and I'd like a career that's more about researching, writing and explaining ideas.
I came into IT as a technical writer, but it didn't satisfy the right parts of my brain. My original aspiration was to go into academia, but I have been put off by the conditions in that field. The history of literature is still a great love - but as a hobby, not a career.
I am thinking about retraining in law. This looks promising in a few ways: the work looks intellectually stimulating; some of it feels socially relevant; it involves all that reading, writing and research I mention; it involves explaining complex ideas to laypeople and it's very "verbal".
I have a... less honorable reason too. Put bluntly, feel like web development, particularly front end, is quite a low status job. I thought I didn't care - now I'm watching my university friends' careers take off, and I want to do something more impressive. I do try and disregard this reason - but it has always been there.
I am inspired to study law in part by some work I did a year ago, trying to prove whether or not a piece of tech breached EU privacy regulations. I got myself quite involved in the weeds of exactly what the laws were and I found it the most interesting piece of work I've probably done in about two years.
So, what I want to know is this: are there any lawyers here, anyone who has worked both in law and technology, who can tell me how the experiences have compared? What skills I can transfer and what skills I need to learn anew?
- david927 9y agoIt sounds like you already have your answer. Yes, there are skills that transfer over, such as critical thinking and logical reasoning. And yes, it sounds like there are aspects which might be a good fit for you (remembering that there are many, many aspects to law). Talk to some experienced lawyers in your area and get their impression of what it takes and what they would recommend. I would consider studying for the LSAT for a couple weeks and taking it (even a practice exam) to see how you do. Also, are you willing and able to pay for law school? It's not cheap. And remember, also, that if you don't get a good school or pass the bar exam, it may not pay off at all.
- warrenm 9y agoIt is vital to note that you are going to spend a crazy amount of money on the JD, and startin salaries for lawyers are substabtially below IT salaries. Be ready to be paying back well over $100,000 in loans while earning $40-50k/yr
- _1hjn 9y agoI'm writing this from the UK, where the costs are much lower. But you're right, it's still a very substantial investment. I want to do some volunteering and hear from others before I take the plunge.
- warrenm 9y agoI'll freely admit I don't know a huge amount about UK salary comparisons .. but definitely talk to legal professionals you already know - and try to get them to talk you out of it If you still want to do it after hearing all the reasons not to, go for it :) Curious: would you prefer the barrister or solicitor aspect?
- _1hjn 9y ago> Try to get them to talk you out of it This is a great idea. If I can hear all the reasons against, and still feel confident - that's when I know I'm heading in the right direction. I don't intend to make any rash moves. And I'm investigating other options: working for the civil service, for example, or finding a way into a thinktank. These all appear to use similar skills but don't require the large initial outlay. > Would you prefer the barrister or solicitor aspect? Barrister. I do know that's a very competitive path. But I like the idea of working independently and I think I would prefer to work on advocacy. I'm keeping an open mind though.