Working For the Man, Pt. II

Yesterday's post about working for law firms generated numerous updates from both myself and Waddling Thunder and I thank him for really pushing me on what started out as a pretty unsophisticated post. It seems that the only real source of disagreement between us is on the empirical question of how many law students show up to law school actually serious about doing public interest work.

However, after really fleshing out my complaint, it seemed to rest almost entirely on autonomy grounds, not on any inherent judgment on the value of working for law firms vs. public interest/public sector. It sounds like WT has been subject to numerous debates along those lines, and has had to repeatedly defend the choice to work in a law firm from self-righteous attacks.

I seek to make no such self-righteous claims. One of the reasons I'm really looking forward to working in the Army JAG Corps is not that I think it inherently better to do public service (although I have a few things to say about military service which are unrelated to the employment decision of law students), but that I know it will give me early opportunities to work hand in hand with young soldiers. The early client interaction and increased responsibility are quite appealing to me, and constitute self-interested advantages. I would suggest the more crusading aspect of my interest in JAG is that I have a great deal of concern about the treatment of young soldiers, the opportunities they do and do not have, and the role a JAG officer can fill as a mentor and advocate for them.

I'm sure Waddling Thunder is quite right to point out that great things can be accomplished by lawyers working in law firms, and this is especially true if you believe, as he does, that most corporations are a positive force in our country.

Unlike him, however, I'm not yet sure which path is right for me. Fortunately, I'll get a chance to see both sides, working for a law firm this summer and perhaps for some time after law school, and then serving four years in the Army. What I want to be careful of, and this is a pit that I do think law students fall into, is being seduced by the prestige, money and image that law firms use to lure students in. Their recruiting departments are marketing the firm like any potential employer does. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but for students who want to make truly informed decisions about the best place for them to end up, I think it important to look deeper and be more conscious of what you're really getting yourself into.

It may turn out that I look deeper into this law firm, absolutely love it, and pine for the end of my Army committment when I can return to private practice. Or maybe it will not be for me, and I'll be glad to have the Army opportunity to better fit my career ambitions. Time will tell.