Let me clarify a few points:
First of all, when I say 8 years, I am counting residency. I understand that residents get paid, but not much. So when I say that lawyers can make $160K straight out of law school– well, doctors can’t make anything close to that until they finish residency, so that’s why I start the clock there.
Second of all, it is true that many law school graduates do not end up working as lawyers. But that is because they don’t WANT to work as lawyers, not because they CAN’T. A lot of liberal arts college graduates just go to law school for something to do, because they aren’t qualified for any job and don’t really know what they want to do. But they aren’t really passionate about law. Some end up going into policy; others go for an MBA (more loans!) and work in the business world. Yes, the law schools are overcrowded and there aren’t enough jobs. But for someone who truly cares about law and works hard, it is possible to excel. I think the profession as a whole would be better off without the glut of students who are just lost and looking for a direction. But even as is, law is lucrative and responsible, and a good choice from a frum person. There are even law firms with high percentages of frum lawyers, from large firms (Mintz Levin) to small firms (Rothenberg). My husband has an interview with Mintz Levin next week (and others). The first year of law school was incredibly hard to get through, not least because we got married ten days after final exams ended, but now that we are over that hump, I’m very excited for his future success.