A law degree is a graduate degree - you should probably focus on what they did before becoming a lawyer. Lawyers with STEM undergrad aren’t likely to be advertising on billboards along the side of the highway or chasing ambulances, but are well-represented in the ranks at major law firms and in corporate law jobs. Probably over represented compared to the population as a whole.
Lawyers with STEM undergrad aren’t likely to be advertising on billboards along the side of the highway or chasing ambulances
We STEM people are very impressed with ourselves, but really nobody is getting a job at a major law firm without major law credentials, just like nobody is getting a job as a FAANG developer without major developer credentials - could you imagine trying to sell your law degree to them as a substitute?
I don't think they were saying that STEM undergrads are getting law firm jobs without law credentials, they're saying that STEM undergrads are not likely to go into personal injury (for example) after law school - that they're going to be working on issues at least somewhat related to their undergrad field of study.
I get that. I meant (and should have said) that there's no reason to think STEM undergrads are going to have better law school credentials than anyone else. They may want to do IP at a a major law firm, but may end up in personal injury.
Also, undergrad degrees in anything do not signal much expertise in the field, only that you could manage to get a degree. Nobody will base their decisions on someone saying 'I have a BS in X and I think ...'; they will want to hire an experienced, successful professional for advice. There are IP lawyers with masters degrees, and/or who worked for years as professional engineers.
In fact, all else equal, I'd expect STEM undergrads to do worse in law school, which is a humanities endeavor. For example, an essential skill is writing at a high level.
I didn't read Kon-Peki's point as being about the quality of their law degrees & jobs at all—merely the subfields they go into. "Major law firms" may hire dozens of lawyers with credentials that aren't as hyperoptimized for law to work as clerks, paralegals, and lower-level lawyers (even if they're less likely to make partner), and corporate law jobs will span the spectrum in multiple axes.
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A law degree is a graduate degree - you should probably focus on what they did before becoming a lawyer. Lawyers with STEM undergrad aren’t likely to be advertising on billboards along the side of the highway or chasing ambulances, but are well-represented in the ranks at major law firms and in corporate law jobs. Probably over represented compared to the population as a whole.
We STEM people are very impressed with ourselves, but really nobody is getting a job at a major law firm without major law credentials, just like nobody is getting a job as a FAANG developer without major developer credentials - could you imagine trying to sell your law degree to them as a substitute?
I don't think they were saying that STEM undergrads are getting law firm jobs without law credentials, they're saying that STEM undergrads are not likely to go into personal injury (for example) after law school - that they're going to be working on issues at least somewhat related to their undergrad field of study.
I get that. I meant (and should have said) that there's no reason to think STEM undergrads are going to have better law school credentials than anyone else. They may want to do IP at a a major law firm, but may end up in personal injury.
Also, undergrad degrees in anything do not signal much expertise in the field, only that you could manage to get a degree. Nobody will base their decisions on someone saying 'I have a BS in X and I think ...'; they will want to hire an experienced, successful professional for advice. There are IP lawyers with masters degrees, and/or who worked for years as professional engineers.
In fact, all else equal, I'd expect STEM undergrads to do worse in law school, which is a humanities endeavor. For example, an essential skill is writing at a high level.
I didn't read Kon-Peki's point as being about the quality of their law degrees & jobs at all—merely the subfields they go into. "Major law firms" may hire dozens of lawyers with credentials that aren't as hyperoptimized for law to work as clerks, paralegals, and lower-level lawyers (even if they're less likely to make partner), and corporate law jobs will span the spectrum in multiple axes.