I'm experimenting with a new writing format - thinking in public. These are my thoughts on a topic that I'm putting out there for two reasons: (1) clarify my thinking and (2) read your thoughts about my thoughts.

So let's do it.

I'm considering signing up for law school this year. What's more, I'm not looking to become a lawyer or practice any other legal profession. I'm explaining why I still think this is a good idea below. I already have a business degree and studied real estate development in graduate school, my career today. I enjoy my work and plan to keep at it for the foreseeable future.

At this point, I must apologize to my American readers because what comes next won't likely be applicable in the US. I will be getting my degree in Europe, where I live, and where I would incur zero debt and tuition cost is negligible - I'm talking maybe €4k for the degree from the top school in my state. Thanks to a flexible learning format, I will also not need to step back from work, so lost income is only marginally relevant.

I'm essentially exploring whether investing my time in law school is a good deal versus doing other stuff.

Now, here's why I think attending law school is a good idea.

Law Is The Operating System Of Society

We, fortunately, live in a society governed by the rule of law. To study the historical context and development of the law is to understand the evolution, challenges, and solutions that people before us proposed. It is both a way to understand the world and a tool to shape it.

To use an analogy, if a software developer is trying to figure out why his software misbehaves, he will look at the code. I believe this is also true for society and law. I want to study law to better make sense of the world and as a lever for impact. This brings me to my next point.

Law Is A Daily Presence In My Work Life

There is no secret real estate is a litigious industry. And even if no one is suing you at the moment, you still get to sign, evaluate, and receive legal advice daily on problems ranging from leasing contracts to construction permits. Studying law is a form of self-defense.

I also need to clearly say this: I am not looking to replace any of my lawyers. But I am looking to work more efficiently with them, to be quicker in understanding the legal context around a problem, and assess their proposed solutions. In short, I want to speak and think like a lawyer. I believe a good understanding of the law and having a solid foundation in finance are essential success levers in my career.

The Counterview

A simple counterargument to the above is that you can learn about the same ideas by reading books on law and talking to legal practitioners. There is no need to take exams for four years. For me, experiential learning in the real world is better than academic learning, and I'm already benefiting from that.

Lacking the community and structure that law school provides is probably a disadvantage. Then again, will studying a mandatory subject like transportation law be interesting or help me in the future? Likely not.

But the more significant point is this: I suspect introducing some randomness in your life in the form of skills or connections that are not useful to you today is a good thing. For example, I currently have no plans to be a legislator or pass the bar, but law opens possible new paths like these to a future I can't fully control or predict.

I don't care about graduating summa cum laude, but about exploring the big ideas in the field out of curiosity. I estimate I would invest about 15 hrs/week to law school on average. Over the next four years, this has opportunity costs, like certain learning experiences on other topics I would have to forego to keep a good standing in my degree.

Ultimately, I favor signing up for law school. It's an easily reversible decision with little costs associated with taking it and potentially significant upside for my worldview and professional excellence.

There you have it. Thinking in public about going to law school. If you've attended law school or just hold strong ideas on the topic please share them with me below. And if you're considering a similar decision I hope my thoughts will be a useful starting point for your own analysis of the subject.