1. Should I Attend Law School? The Nuts and Bolts of a Big Decision

Overview
   Most of us who have attended law school never gave much thought to the issues raised in this chapter.  Perhaps that's because until this book came along there was no resource that discussed the overall costs of attending, tested your character for law school "aptitude", discussed widely believed "myths" about law school, looked at the future job market, and made the simple suggestion that you go out and talk to practitioners in the field.  Or it might be that there exists a blithe assumption in American society that law is always an appropriate career track for those interested.
    This chapter will give you the information you need in order to make a better informed decision about whether or not to attend law school.  Many of you are so gung ho to attend law school that you will be tempted to skip this chapter.  Don't do it!  Do yourself a favor and read this chapter, keeping your mind open.  Even if you believe you were born to be an attorney, the contents of this chapter will likely provide food for further thought.  If it turns out that your premonition was correct, and you were destined to attend law school, you will go in better informed having thoughtfully weighed the pros and cons.
    This chapter is not designed to encourage or discourage you from attending -- that's up to you.  Rather, this chapter’s purpose is to provide excellent information and suggestions with which you can make an informed choice regarding a major life decision.  You don’t want to wake up several years from now only to realize that you jumped into law school blindly and are a heavily in debt, unhappy, Juris Doctorate (J.D.) holder.