5 ms·

This is a classic underestimation of the expertise afforded by non-PhD graduate programs. Three years is a fair length when compares to quite a few graduate pro

by linhir 18y ago

This is a classic underestimation of the expertise afforded by non-PhD graduate programs. Three years is a fair length when compares to quite a few graduate programs. Expertise does come through experience, like in almost anything else, but I am hesitant to accept the ease with which you wipe away legal education's value. Many of the comments here are underestimating the technical (although perhaps not technological) training a lawyer receives, at least a good one. If you look at the first year of law school, it is often about learning how to think like a lawyer. That, to respond to the comment below, is logical thinking, but within the legal system. Legal research, even the use of LexisNexis or Westlaw is an ability not easily mastered by the novice, no matter how brilliant their startup idea or programming acumen. The truth is that almost everyone underestimates the difficulty of other's expertise. I could point to (hundreds of) thousands of blog posts about individuals who think it is easy to whip up a good website, program, etc and how stupid those people are. The parallel to that is programmers who think the law is easy. Matt's key point, to address other comments, at least in my view, is not necessarily that you have to go to a lawyer when you have no money, but 1) when you have some money, go to a good lawyer and 2) know that you're ignorant. Know that you, your friends, the people you often talk to, likely have no idea what they are talking about where the law is concerned, and do not under any circumstance forget 1) because you did not realize 2).

dhimes 18y ago
Ummm... The length of the JD, a doctorate, is 3 years; Ph.D.s tend to be 4 or 5 (or 6 or ...), and an MD, 4. Short of someone who's done all three degrees, my estimate is probably pretty good. I had room-mates and friends in graduate school (Ph.D.) who were law students, and a friend of mine went on to get a JD after his Ph.D. My wife is an MD. You could say I have a bit of knowledge about this. Perhaps you didn't mean to reply to my post, but rather to someone else's. I am not saying the law is easy, I'm saying that being a lawyer is not enough of a qualification for getting your hard questions answered. Experience matters. Consider accounting: you can do the numbers yourself, but an experienced accountant can bring more to the table than just how to classify expenses. (You could, of course, make the same arguments for the other degrees in various situations.)
- donw 18y ago
  A newly-minted MD is just as useless as a newly minted JD, only more dangerous. Which is why MDs have to go through rotations and interning, because the medical system recognizes that a doctor with zero experience should not be dealing with patients without a few years' worth of supervision. Law firms often work the same way, with junior lawyers spending a few years 'learning the ropes' before they get put in charge of anything truly important. I think I'm supporting your post, but I'm not sure. :)
  - dhimes 18y ago
    Agreed.
- linhir 18y ago
  "As far as graduate programs go, the law degree isn't really that long." I did not interpret this to mean doctorates. When you said graduate programs, I took you mean, all post-undergraduate programs. Since there are many master's programs out there of the one to two year length (especially professional degrees that can confer "expertise") I took a three year law degree to be fairly long. I have no doubt that you have a lot of knowledge about this, and obviously the number of years you state for the length of degree programs is accurate (although I guess, even more on your side would be the argument that although an MD is four years, medical education is much longer), I just had a misunderstanding of the sample space we were talking about. Obviously you're correct that three years is not that long when compared to six. I did mean for some of my reply to be in response to your post, obviously, but by no means was everything I said a reply to your post, but rather the thread at large.

by linhir 18y ago

dhimes 18y ago

Ummm... The length of the JD, a doctorate, is 3 years; Ph.D.s tend to be 4 or 5 (or 6 or ...), and an MD, 4. Short of someone who's done all three degrees, my estimate is probably pretty good. I had room-mates and friends in graduate school (Ph.D.) who were law students, and a friend of mine went on to get a JD after his Ph.D. My wife is an MD. You could say I have a bit of knowledge about this. Perhaps you didn't mean to reply to my post, but rather to someone else's. I am not saying the law is easy, I'm saying that being a lawyer is not enough of a qualification for getting your hard questions answered. Experience matters. Consider accounting: you can do the numbers yourself, but an experienced accountant can bring more to the table than just how to classify expenses. (You could, of course, make the same arguments for the other degrees in various situations.)

donw 18y ago
A newly-minted MD is just as useless as a newly minted JD, only more dangerous. Which is why MDs have to go through rotations and interning, because the medical system recognizes that a doctor with zero experience should not be dealing with patients without a few years' worth of supervision. Law firms often work the same way, with junior lawyers spending a few years 'learning the ropes' before they get put in charge of anything truly important. I think I'm supporting your post, but I'm not sure. :)
- dhimes 18y ago
  Agreed.
linhir 18y ago
"As far as graduate programs go, the law degree isn't really that long." I did not interpret this to mean doctorates. When you said graduate programs, I took you mean, all post-undergraduate programs. Since there are many master's programs out there of the one to two year length (especially professional degrees that can confer "expertise") I took a three year law degree to be fairly long. I have no doubt that you have a lot of knowledge about this, and obviously the number of years you state for the length of degree programs is accurate (although I guess, even more on your side would be the argument that although an MD is four years, medical education is much longer), I just had a misunderstanding of the sample space we were talking about. Obviously you're correct that three years is not that long when compared to six. I did mean for some of my reply to be in response to your post, obviously, but by no means was everything I said a reply to your post, but rather the thread at large.