Since I apparently don't have the credentials to post in the Old School thread about law school, I figured the Lounge was the next best thing?

I'm currently a junior double majoring in accounting (info sys conc) and bus. admin (finance conc). I'm getting to that point where my path can fork one of 3 ways. I can either go into:
-an IT/Info Sys field which I've always had a interest/passion for
-apply to the MAC program at State, pass the CPA exam, which seems the most obvious after 4 years of acc undegrad
-apply to law school, which I've always had an interest in without ever really knowing why

For any of you TWW lawyers:

Would being a CPA realistically benefit me as an attorney (with the exception of a tax attorney)?
Is law school/practicing law worth it for those of you that do it?

Any advice regarding this is appreciated

12/8/2009 3:58:01 AM

Go into tax law and make bank. It takes a special person to do law school and then go for another year and get your LLM in tax law...and I think if you've already done accounting and finance in undergrad, you might be that kind of person.

If you're not set on tax law, go sit in on a few law school classes (hasn't Campbell Law moved to Raleigh) and see if it interests you. Unless you do something really specific like tax law, there aren't great chances that you're going to be able pick your specialty in law any ways...you're more than likely going to have to take the best job available and possibly get back to a chosen specialty later on in your career if you're lucky.

My small $.02 for now. Gotta go witness a crazy baby mama move out of my client's house. There for legal purposes and partly for protection!

12/8/2009 8:16:38 AM

if you like AIS, I doubt you will like law school. Don't go to law school just to postpone your graduation or get an advanced degree in general.

BTW, going to law school (getting 150 hours total) and having 30+ hours of acct from undergrad will qualify you to sit for the CPA, however, you cannot get a CPA in NC unless you do two years of work under a CPA.

A CPA is beneficial for a number of legal jobs, tax being one of the more obvious. Corporate finance/M&A/securities law are other areas of law in which I find an accounting degree useful. I think that every inhouse person I have talked to says they wish they had taken acct courses in school.

Accounting firms and consultants like the acct/jd combo as well.

imo - If you are looking to make good money, I would get a masters in finance. accounting is not a field for large salaries (decent but not large).

[Edited on December 9, 2009 at 9:03 PM. Reason : imo]

12/9/2009 8:58:22 PM

This thread was a good idea; ive been wanting to post in the old school version for awhile! Anyway, im taking my last exam of the semester tommorow morning...

1L btw.

12/9/2009 10:50:59 PM

correct me if i'm wrong, but im pretty sure NC is still only 1 year of working experience for the cpa, under a cpa of course.

12/12/2009 12:34:29 AM

some schools have a combined mac/jd

[Edited on December 12, 2009 at 1:22 AM. Reason : sp]

12/12/2009 1:21:53 AM

^^ appears you are correct, looks like they reduced it to a year


A. Yes. All experience requirements for licensure were reduced by one year. The use of a Master's or more advanced degree for reduction of the experience requirement was eliminated for qualified applications received by the Board or postmarked after December 31, 2000.
http://www.nccpaboard.gov/Clients/NCBOA/Public/Static/150hourfaq.htm

12/12/2009 7:24:37 PM

Well, guess it's time to pay the piper....fall semester marks are being put up today. without a doubt expecting the worst marks of my law school career (3L)...roll on 4pm.

1/8/2010 11:55:19 AM

well, i survived judgment day. ended up with an A in the class that I was expecting to do the worst in -- crazy stuff.

Anyhow, that leaves me with 4 months to go....motivation is going to be the big problem this semester. i can just tell.

1/10/2010 2:28:47 PM

my grades this semester were DEF the worst so far

oops

3L lack of motivation here, too

1/10/2010 2:31:59 PM

not to ruin this thread, but all you have to do is PM omar badu or one of the other mods and they'll give you access. for me it took less than 5 minutes. just tell him you want to post in the law school thread

[Edited on January 13, 2010 at 3:39 PM. Reason : .]

1/13/2010 3:38:35 PM