The Law School Decision Game: A Playbook for Prospective Lawyers (Law School Expert) Paperback – September 30, 2011

First off, a note about the one negative review that complains that this book does not help with deciding WHERE to go to law school: if you have already *made* the decision to go to law school and want a great book about the ADMISSION process - from where to go to how to get in there, check out Levine's other book -  The Law School ADMISSION Game: Play Like an Expert , which is the perfect companion for this book.However, there are a TON of books out there on admissions, and everyone differs as to which they consider the authority. I've read quite a few of them myself, and what few of them address (and none address as well as this one) is the big question that comes before the application process - the decision of whether to even apply.And in terms of answering that question - probably the most important decision any law student can ask themselves - this book is invaluable.Like other reviewers, I would recommend it to anyone at any stage of the law school process, whether deciding to apply, applying, or already in law school. I read the book early on in my application process and it helped me to clarify the reasons I wanted to attend law school.Knowing I was going to law school for the right reasons - reasons that were true to myself - gave me true motivation and drive for the long haul of the application process itself.There are a number of things this book does well, but there are two that stand out to me the most. They alone make this book worth the purchase, in my opinion.The first is the fact that Levine's book compiles opinions and feedback from a survey of 300 lawyers. Levine opens the book by assigning readers a task at the end of the first chapter - a task that is commonly suggested in many law school application guides: if you really think you want to be a lawyer, your very first task is to talk to real lawyers. And you absolutely must - having this book is no excuse to not do so yourself. And the more you talk to, the clearer a picture you'll have of whether law school is for you or not.The problem is that everyone has a different experience with law school - even though I interviewed quite a few lawyers myself, I was never certain what information was typical of the experience, and what information was particular to that lawyer's situation.This is where Levine's book becomes so helpful - while other books tell you to simply interview lawyers and leave it at that, Levine's book gives you a place to start so that you can ask informed questions when you do those interviews. After all, few people have the ability to survey or interview 300 lawyers themselves. So Levine does it for you. The result is a book that really gives the reader a sense of both what is typical and what is possible in a career after law school.And because the information comes from actual people at all stages of their career as lawyers (or non-lawyers who went to law school), it's the perfect overview of the profession and the possibilities of what can and cannot be done with a law degree.In the absence of being able to interview 300 lawyers themselves, a lot of potential law students turn to the web, hoping to find the "truth" about whether they should go to law school. I did this myself and was discouraged to see page after page of search results dedicated to warning prospective students to get as far away from law school as quickly as possible.Many other books briefly address the standard issues, perhaps by providing examples of bad reasons to go to law school. But few directly address the negativity found throughout today's media. In Chapter 6, Levine lists many such articles and directly addresses the issues raised in them - not glossing over the issues that might not make law school the best choice for everyone, but pointing out why that doesn't mean law school is not the best choice for some.Whether or not law school is the best choice for you is a question you can only answer with some soul-searching, but The Law School Decision Game is great way to start the journey.

The law school book market is filled with books telling you how to get into law school, but few if any actually provide any insight or information to help people decide if they *should* go. Ann Levine's book seeks to address that gap.There are two competing pieces of conventional wisdom about law school:The first, promoted mainly by baby boomers and law school admissions offices, is that a J.D. is an extremely useful all-purpose degree that can be used for your choice of law (the fun, exciting Ally McBeal kind that pays everyone $160k/year starting) or business or politics or academia or journalism or anything else, really. The fact that many schools have terrible employment track records is commonly obscured through the use of selective statistics and unrepresentative success stories.The second, promoted mainly by recent law graduates and online forums, is that a J.D. is a complete waste of money that will leave you hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, doing a miserable document review job for $60k/year ($20k of which is consumed by interest payments on your loans) if you're lucky enough to get one. The graduates of "HYS", perhaps, can find gainful employment if they have family connections, perhaps, but anyone else can hang it up. The fact that most recent J.D.s from the top 50 schools are employed and relatively happy in spite of the recession is usually overlooked."The Law School Decision Game" steers a middle course by taking a look at the reality of law admissions and the legal practice. The book is built around an unscientific survey of 300 lawyers from across the legal profession, and reaches a few key conclusions:1.) Law school is not for everybody, not even every Poli Sci major with a high GPA and LSAT.2.) It is for some people, however. There are certain personality types that thrive in it.3.) Even people who hate their first job usually find another one they enjoy.4.) There are lots of career paths, not just a binary choice between BigLaw and DWIs.5.) Most lawyers are not fabulously wealthy, but do make enough to live comfortably.6.) Going to a good school is important, but US News rankings alone do not predestine success.If you're contemplating going to law school, I highly recommend reading this book first. You'll probably recognize both the happy lawyers and the unhappy lawyers you know in the survey responses. The book won't try to talk you into law school or out of it, but it will help you make a far more informed choice than you could make merely by talking to your lawyer uncle and reading a law applicant discussion board.

With a combined page count of about 430, the two books by Ann Levine, Esq. are highly recommended. In addition to sharing her career journey, Ms. Levine also grounded each chapter in research: data analysis, individual testimonies, surveys, and academic and news articles. The books' shared purpose are to present a clear and unsentimental understanding of the seriousness of a legal education -- and the challenge for finding meaningful employment afterwards. Aside from an apparent passion to help pre-law and current law students, Ms. Levine neither encouraged nor discouraged the target audience. The author has instead challenge the readers to spend considerable time reflecting on their career choice. That may be this duo of books most important lesson.

A good, informative book. A very pleasant read overall.