Law School is Most Definitely Losing its Mojo!

Wall Street Journal Blogs poses the question: Is Law School Losing its Mojo?  Hell, fucking yes it is.  Mizzou released news that it's applicant pool is down since last year, and down 12% nationwide.  So, these college kids are using their brains and getting a clue.  The WSJ blog ends with an appropriate question.  What else are kids to do?   After all, they can't find jobs.  So, why not go $100K+ debt and hide out from the recession for a few years, right?  Wrong.  Let's think of things that kids can do that are more productive than burying yourself under pile of debt:

• Nothing.  Sometimes, inaction is better than action.  Especially when action results in negative net worth.
• Volunteer.  It's an honorable thing to do and will be a better resume gap filler than the bullshit you make up to cover up the fact that you were in law school for 3 years, when you find yourself in the horrible position of having to drop the J.D. from your resume to find gainful employment.
• Take an entry-level job anywhere.  You may think you're too good to be an administrative assistant, but you're not.  It's in your head.  The market says your college degree is worthless.  Nothing will make you shine more than competence.  Your degree is not enough, so prove yourself.  If you're really as smart as you think you are, you'll be running the place before long.
• Explore your creative side.  If you are a writer, write.  If you're a painter, paint.  If you can build shit, do so.  This might be the only time in your life that you can focus on something that you enjoy.  I used to write poetry, and now I don't have time and I'm eternally uninspired because my life sucks.  Well, being a lawyer sucks.  Who knows?  You might end up the next Warhol or Edgar Allen Poe (hopefully you won't die a drunk in a gutter in Baltimore though).
• Become an Entrepreneur.  All of the richest people in our country are Entrepreneurs.  You're young. You're on the pulse of technology and innovation.  If you have an idea, run with it.  Ask the rents and their friends for start up money and start something.  Even if you fall flat on your face, you'll likely owe less money to more sympathetic creditors.

I understand you'd rather be earning money.  But if you go to law school, you won't be making money. You will owe money.  Trust me, it's so much worse to owe than to be broke.  As an unemployed law school grad, you can look at a homeless person and say, "I can't give you a dollar because you're wealthy compared to me."  No money is greater than $100K of debt.
At the end of the day, you're not entitled to what our parents had.  Our society is falling apart.  Our grandparents had the benefit of jobs for life with benefits and pensions.  Our parents had the benefit of relatively steady employment and health insurance and maybe a 401K.  We have nothing.  No one is going to give you a fair wage and health insurance because you're smart or good looking.  So get over yourself.  Stop drinking Obama's Kool-Aid.  Education is not a panacea.  Make your way, by yourself.  It's scary, but I have faith in you.