Beer+lawyer=?

[samc]

I would think that a Lawyer who was an officer in the military would have opportunities in the civilian world that non military lawyers don't have.

Seriously though, if you are going to get put off of your dreams, desires and goals by a bunch of know it alls (me included) on a public beer forum, then maybe you ain't cut out for legal work.

Drop and give us fifty - now !
And investigate the opportunities by networking with former military lawyers in public practice. You might find that they desire to hire people with military experience.

 

[Jklinden]

Nah I wouldn't alter my life based on advice on this forum though I am impressed with the general level of expertise of those in this forum every day. I am having just an awful run of things here in general. Some opportunities I had lines up fell through and I thought I had this sweet gameplan worked out now I feel lost and alone. That in turn caused me to doubt my entire gameplan to begin with and so the cycle goes until the present where I really dont know how to balance everything and make a new plan. It's pretty easy when someone tells you what to do and where to go all the time...

 

[klars]

There are things that are worse than being a lawyer, being unemployed, barely meeting your bills....

Or you could be, gasp, an accountant like me! I have been scouring adverts for finance geeks in the brewing industry. Nothing yet, someone hook me up!

 

[Carter5112]

I think a degree in Industrial Engineering would pair well with ambitions to work in the brewing industry. Or Manufacturing Technology along those lines. Maybe something specialized in Biology to deal with Yeast.

I found that step 1 of growing up was freaking out that I didn't know what I was doing but there was no one there to tell me. Step 2 was figuring out that nobody knows what the hell they're doing and that sort of makes it all ok!

 

[MalFet]

I think I am more depressed and demotivated than before this thread ever started. I feel like I have worked my butt off as an officer in the AF for the last decade and now I want to not deploy and spend time with my family and am not qualified to really do much of anything and everyone wants me to quit trying to go to law school. I don't care about making a lot of money, if I did I would have stayed in. I care about making enough to feed my family and brew the occasional batch of beer. I like the idea of going to law school as a path to future service in the government, possibly in the FBI or justice department if i get lucky. I feel so lost and unqualified. Thanks to all those who honestly tried to help it is appreciated and I am simply frustrated right now.

Here's the punchline of it all: If you really love law, go for it. S*** will work itself out. If you don't particularly love law but are looking for a nice job, consider one of the many other equivalently professional, equivalently comfortable, and equivalently interesting careers out there with a better job market right now. I'm sure folks will help you brainstorm if nothing specific jumps out at you.

Vets (particularly officers) who take advantage of the GI Bill tend to do alright for themselves, and you have a wonderful opportunity (well earned) to pursue whatever you want to pursue without incurring scads of debt. I certainly understand the post-discharge feeling of directionlessness, but you're in a great situation. Use it however will make you happy.

 

[Airborneguy]

I can attest to what Malfet just said about the GI Bill. I actually have two payments left on mine (to the end of this semester). I hit ten years since my discharge in January. While I didn't use every penny, I managed to gain a lot from it. If I hadn't changed directions, I would have finished a Bachelor's by now. Either way, I earned enough credits to be promoted in my job, and have enjoyed expanding my knowledge base with every class I've taken, always appreciating the fact that the GI Bill is a big "Thank you for your service" from the great nation we served.

 

[DannPM]

Op, set my prior joke beside. The Air Force has JAG right? Or something similar? Why not go to law school while active, be a JAG lawyer till you hit your 20 and then hunt for a job after you've racked up that quality experience?

 

[Jklinden]

I am totally sold on the GI bill. I agree it is amazing. Part of my problem is exactly what maltfest said that I dont know what being a lawyer is. I know it's not perry mason or Matlock or anything, but I like the idea of serving others and perhaps wiling for the government again, something equally as fulfilling as serving on active duty minus the deployments and moving around the country every two years. I just don't know what's out there and feel like I have no skills that apply (I'm a navigator). I feel sort of lost and overwhelmed... The support here has been very cool and any ideas from those doing "cool" jobs I am all ears

 

[Jklinden]

Unfortunately I am in a career field that I cannot be released from. I am a navigator so either I stay in and fly or I get out, the air force doesn't want to pay me take three years off and go to law school, wish they would....

 

[DannPM]

Unfortunately I am in a career field that I cannot be released from. I am a navigator so either I stay in and fly or I get out, the air force doesn't want to pay me take three years off and go to law school, wish they would....

I'm sure if you go to law school while being part of a good sized veteran program you can make some damn good connections to be at least a little better off.

Are you willing to relocate? What about getting a doctorate in something you love and try being a professor?

 

[MalFet]

I am totally sold on the GI bill. I agree it is amazing. Part of my problem is exactly what maltfest said that I dont know what being a lawyer is. I know it's not perry mason or Matlock or anything, but I like the idea of serving others and perhaps wiling for the government again, something equally as fulfilling as serving on active duty minus the deployments and moving around the country every two years. I just don't know what's out there and feel like I have no skills that apply (I'm a navigator). I feel sort of lost and overwhelmed... The support here has been very cool and any ideas from those doing "cool" jobs I am all ears

MaltFest...I love it

Perhaps you can get a scut job for a year or a summer in a law office? That would really give you an opportunity to see if it's something you truly enjoy.

Otherwise, what about:
1) water management?
2) med school?
3) geographic information systems for law enforcement?
4) public health?
5) city planning?
6) education technology?
7) business school?
8) green energy systems?
9) foreign language interpreter?
10) civil engineering?
11) international relations?

...lots of very cool things out there.

 

[MalFet]

Are you willing to relocate? What about getting a doctorate in something you love and try being a professor?

Ha! That's my bag. It's a MUCH worse job market than law, trust me.

 

[DannPM]

Ha! That's my bag. It's a MUCH worse job market than law, trust me.

News to me, I had no clue lol

 

[Jklinden]

My twin is an English phd, that's both awesome and a tough road to travel. My respect. I don't know if I have that kind of patience. I have a masters in international relations but a doctorate...that is true commitment

 

[lpdb185]

just wanted to throw in my 2 bits:

don't plan on brewing while your in law school, LOL. i thought i'd be able to get in a few batches here and there to keep my keezer topped off, but that went out the window the first week. needless to say, i've got a 4-tap keezer that's full of air. my fingers are crossed that i can brew a few batches over christmas break.

 

[Jklinden]

Where are you going to school? Just curious

 

[lpdb185]

Where are you going to school? Just curious

mississippi college school of law. it's no t-1 school, but the wife was unwilling to quit her job and i wasn't going to leave my 1-year-old behind. so, it was the closest.

like you, i already had my MS and was trying to decide between a PhD and JD. instead of the military, i was well into my law enforcement career. i figured the JD was a better fit and the job market for college professors is pretty slim around here right now.

 

[viking73]

Given the sucky job market out here right now you'd be better off staying in until things start to improve.

But best of luck to you in whatever you decide to do! And Thank you!

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I think I am more depressed and demotivated than before this thread ever started. I feel like I have worked my butt off as an officer in the AF for the last decade and now I want to not deploy and spend time with my family and am not qualified to really do much of anything and everyone wants me to quit trying to go to law school. I don't care about making a lot of money, if I did I would have stayed in. I care about making enough to feed my family and brew the occasional batch of beer. I like the idea of going to law school as a path to future service in the government, possibly in the FBI or justice department if i get lucky. I feel so lost and unqualified. Thanks to all those who honestly tried to help it is appreciated and I am simply frustrated right now.

Somebody else mentioned JAG, which might be a good option. You might have to get out of the service and then try to come back in JAG. I don't know what the conditions are to leave and come back though. I do know that the people who recruit into JAG are well considered and they do not take the position that they have to hire straight out of Harvard.

The only reasons to get a JD if you want to work in government is if you intend to work in a legal position, the judiciary, a politician, or a lobbyist. While certainly legal positions are abound in the Justice Dept. there are plenty of law enforcement roles. Same goes for FBI. I've never known anybody to need to go from law school to an FBI agent. The reason why a lot of people in the government have JDs or are former lawyers is because being a lawyer is a lot of work and if you don't like the work, government work seems to be the default next best option.

You're definitely not unqualified for work. A lot of companies look at it as a positive that you were in the service, especially as an officer. You should go to law school if that's what you want to do. I think the main point we're trying to share is that it's a lot of time, a lot of work and a lot of money if it's not the career you want. You could easily get a masters, or two, or three in the time and work involved in law school. That would definitely make you qualified for most jobs. You just need to figure out what career paths you're interested in and find somebody who does those jobs and talk to them and see if they will let you shadow them and see what a day in their life is like. Then go from there.

 

[Dynachrome]

Perhaps I misrepresented my goal. I want to work for a brewery. I have no desire whatsoever to defend DUIs or public intox clients. I want to combine being a lawyer with being a brewer. Any ideas, experience ? Let me know

...I took that to mean getting into the lobby or something involving politics.

...and this is not to start a political thread in the wrong forum, just to support my statement in this thread.

Wisconsin has just passed some legislation that is quite damaging to small craft brewers. They could use a hand fighting it. It has to do with distribution and taxes. That would be a task a good lawyer could help with. (It wouldn't pay as much as working for the big guys lobbying against small craft breweries... but that's a different thread. )

 

[BrewMU]

Beer+Lawyer= A good start? No, that's 200 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean - never mind.

 

[postalbunny]

At what point in the boil would you do that so as not to ruin the beer though? Unless you get it perfect, there's a good chance of spoilage.

60 min addition... All the bittering, no flavor or aroma impact.

 

[neko]

60 min addition... All the bittering, no flavor or aroma impact.

Sounds like the punch line of a lawyer joke

 

[user 30639]

Somebody else mentioned JAG, which might be a good option. You might have to get out of the service and then try to come back in JAG. I don't know what the conditions are to leave and come back though. I do know that the people who recruit into JAG are well considered and they do not take the position that they have to hire straight out of Harvard.

The only reasons to get a JD if you want to work in government is if you intend to work in a legal position, the judiciary, a politician, or a lobbyist. While certainly legal positions are abound in the Justice Dept. there are plenty of law enforcement roles. Same goes for FBI. I've never known anybody to need to go from law school to an FBI agent. The reason why a lot of people in the government have JDs or are former lawyers is because being a lawyer is a lot of work and if you don't like the work, government work seems to be the default next best option.

JAG is pretty tough to get into these days. I have no idea how it is if you have a military background though. I know a couple people from law school that tried it, and weren't able to get it.

Hell, and I'm sure you know this. All the "traditional" first lawyer jobs that you'd go to if you weren't big law are tough to get into these days. The DA's office, nonprofits, govt jobs, etc. A lot of places aren't hiring because of budget/funding issues. Those that are either want experience, or have their pick of candidates. When I was job searching, there was an entry-level prosecutor position open in a county outside of Dallas. They had 90 applicants.

A JD used to be the one of the best ways to get into the FBI if that's what you wanted to do. Not sure if that has changed in the post 9/11 era though.

 

[Dynachrome]

I think I am more depressed and demotivated than before this thread ever started. I feel like I have worked my butt off as an officer in the AF for the last decade and now I want to not deploy and spend time with my family and am not qualified to really do much of anything and everyone wants me to quit trying to go to law school. I don't care about making a lot of money, if I did I would have stayed in. I care about making enough to feed my family and brew the occasional batch of beer. I like the idea of going to law school as a path to future service in the government, possibly in the FBI or justice department if i get lucky. I feel so lost and unqualified. Thanks to all those who honestly tried to help it is appreciated and I am simply frustrated right now.

I have a relative that used to work for big insurance. He was sickened by the way it calously ground up common clients. He went back to school for law. He is now defending people. He finds it extremely rewarding.

I applied at Harley-Davidson twice. Didn't get an interview either time. Who knows, it may have turned a fun hobby into "a job".

...you can always find time for beer.

 

[davefleck]

There is an endless line of people you will come across in life that will resemble walls or speed-bumps inhibiting your passions and dreams. They are only singing the song of their experience. If it is something you truly want, go get it. Don't ask if, ask how. Leverage relationships. Family, friends, even here.

Sending good will your way