Shrinkrap

Regarding th OCRegister article. Perhaps things have echanged but when I was in medical school ( Howard University in the eighties) on of my favorite memories was collaborating on a spaghetti fundraiser for our note taking service.FWIW, my BIL reminds me may goal was to work barefoot in Africa ( I didn't). Also of note is that my loans were insignificant.

epistrophy

I haven't followed this thread, but nonetheless offer a few brief observations for what they're worth (speaking as a lawyer who went to the University of Chicago Law School 25 years ago and now practices in a big city, specializing, as a sole practitioner, in criminal defense):

--If other professions, like investment banking, now seem "hotter" than law, because (among other things) they offer the allure of bigger and faster money, that's fine by me. I would be more than happy if anyone whose "ambition" is fueled largely by monetary rewards were to avoid law altogether. They wouldn't be likely to find much satisfaction as a lawyer, nor would they be likely to contribute much to the profession (or public) in any event.

--As for what I gather is the one poster's ambition to be a human rights lawyer (and the cries of caution from others re how will you ever be able to pay back your student loans, etc.), while I don't know all the details about these programs, I do know that many law schools (especially, I think, many of the finer ones) have been instituting loan-forgiveness programs for students who go into public service work.

--I haven't gotten rich as a lawyer - nor did I expect to. But I have had the experience, for example, of seeing someone whom I represented for over a decade finally get off of Death Row. Could I have had that sort of impact on the life of an individual (not to mention his family) - and the resulting personal and professional satisfaction - as an investment banker?

imaginationpower

wow that's amazing epistrophy. I agree with you.
Can I ask you to elaborate on why it takes over a decade for someone to finally be taken off Death Row. I'm just interested.

epistrophy

It's a long story - it usually is in capital cases - but the relatively short version goes like this:

--After a protracted post-conviction evidentiary hearing, the judge vacated my guy's death sentence on the ground that his original lawyer had rendered constitutionally defective assistance. The basis for the judge's ruling was a determination that the original lawyer had failed properly to develop and present highly relevant mitigating evidence at my guy's original sentencing hearing.

--The State appealed that decision, so we went off to the State Supreme Court for a full-blown appeal. The Supreme Court upheld the post-conviction judge's decision, so we went back to the circuit court for a new sentencing hearing.

--The judge then granted a presentencing motion that I filed to preclude, on legal grounds, consideration of the death penalty at my guy's new sentencing hearing.

--The State appealed that decision, so we once again went off to the State Supreme Court for a full-blown appeal. This time the State won.

--We then returned to the circuit court for a new capital sentencing hearing. The result of this hearing, which involved the introduction of a lot of evidence on both sides, was that the judge declined to impose the death penalty, declined to impose a sentence of life imprisonment, and instead sentenced my guy to imprisonment for a term of years.

The result of all of this is that my client, who has been in prison since 1979 (when he was 19 years old), will probably get out sometime later this year, after serving nearly 30 years in prison.

imaginationpower

that's very interesting. may I ask what state this is?

epistrophy

imaginationpower:

If you have more questions about this case, why don't you pm me. (I don't see much point in turning this thread into a discussion of this particular case, nor am I sure that I would feel comfortable divulging additional details about it - or any of my other cases, for that matter - here.)

Americanski

Let me guess: high school student?

lkf725

How will you save lives AND protect human right all in the same 24 hour day? It really is not a practical goal. Choose one and go for that.

UCLAri

Anyone who's gone to school and worked and actually understands the value of one of those degrees understands how unrealistic it usually is. xALTRUISTx's reasons, while noble, are not grounded in the time and dollar cost of doing both. Nor does it account for the fact that it's nearly impossible to do both.

imaginationpower

"Anyone who's gone to school and worked and actually understands the value of one of those degrees understands how unrealistic it usually is. xALTRUISTx's reasons, while noble, are not grounded in the time and dollar cost of doing both. Nor does it account for the fact that it's nearly impossible to do both."

Once again, you don't know his financial background nor how capable he is.
Therefore, you don't have enough information, provided that you don't know anything about him, to make a judgement like that.
There are MD/JD's out there.

imaginationpower

"How will you save lives AND protect human right all in the same 24 hour day?"

I'm guessing what he meant is that he plans to become a doctor and THEN become a lawyer. Not do it at the same time obviously.

lkf725

Why would a person go to the trouble to become a MD if the goal is to be a lawyer? The MD is totally overkill to qualify as a lawyer and in fact might detract from activities that would improve the legal education.

dtex50

I know a few MD/JDs, and most went to law school after practicing medicine for a while. Reasons varied from "bored" to tired of being sued and wanted to go into doc defense. I suppose there would be a niche somewhere for someone with no residency training or experience in practicing medice and a law degree (11 years of school, including college, add minimum of 3 years more for residency) . That person could (maybe) read a medical record and would know (some of) the lingo, but so could a good nurse paralegal.

I think in most states, the MD needs at least one year of post-graduate training to be licensed (internship year).

There was one lawyer in my med school class. I don't think he was planning on returning to law practice.

As for xALTRUISTx's plans, why not? Having been over the MD hurdle, if that is one of your goals, I would do the doc training first. If you wanted to be employed ($$$ for law school) a minimun 3 year residency would be needed.
Most hospitals require board-certification for docs practicing at that hospital.
Then support yourself and finance the law degree by working at clinics on weekends. I am not an attorney, but I think medicine would be easier to do on a part-time basis (my wife does this) than law.

imaginationpower

"Why would a person go to the trouble to become a MD if the goal is to be a lawyer?"

Everyone has different reasons. We're not here to judge them.

lkf725

I'm not judging, I'm just curious. I can't think of any reason a person would become a MD in order to become a lawyer.