You pose a reasonable question - and I would agree that the ordinary path of getting hired into a well paid first year associate job at a law firm would probabl

You pose a reasonable question - and I would agree that the ordinary path of getting hired into a well paid first year associate job at a law firm would probably be off the table. But I also suspect a lot of people would hire you. The US has a glut of lawyers, no doubt, but also a huge number of people who can't afford lawyers (and are pretty screwed without them). If you were willing to work for $50 an hour or less, I suspect you'd be booked up pretty quickly. Another thing to keep in mind - I'm actually skeptical that law school is the only good path to become a lawyer. Keep in mind how talented people from non-CS fields can become at programming. A lot of people with degrees in math and physics, or no degree for that matter, who study intensely can become truly exceptional programmers. Some people learn much faster than others, and some people are extremely good and disciplined at self-study. Abraham Lincoln is probably the most famous lawyer who never went to college or law school. Keep in mind, you still have to pass the bar, and there are often apprenticeship requirements or other educational requirements for the non-law school route. And (like the math or physics major who becomes a programmer), many of these non-law school lawyers might very well have impressive academic credentials in other fields.