[imechura]

I know this is anecdotal, however after topping out salary-wise in the programming field after 11 years, I often wish I would have gone the law school route. Don't get me wrong, it is a good living. Its just not on par with an I.P. lawyer or general council with an equal amount of education and tenure.

I just don't see many options available to a tenured programmer beyond the obvious (stop programming) and the extremely risky (join a start-up w/ equity). Whereas a decade of dedicated service in the right law firm can lead to partner status which often times is a lucrative engagement.

[joonix]

No, you won't make partner. Nobody does anymore. It's more risky to go to law school with hopes of being partner than to join a startup.

You should factor in quality of life, predictability of work hours and number of them, hourly billing requirements, quality of people you will work with (shitty), job security (shitty), and debt ($240k+ at high interest rates!).

IP is hot right now, but it might not be in a few years, and demand for your technical background may wane. Software patents are shaky anyways.

Don't ruin your life. If you absolutely want something else, why not try a top MBA? Technical expertise may help you.

I'm a newly minted lawyer who wishes he went the programming (or maybe IT) route.

[Evbn]

Don't forget to factor in 3 years of lost wages, tuition, nd a lifetime of mind numbing, soul crushing, meaningless paperwork. Oh, and 90% of firm lawyers don't make partner. Look at how many rich lawyers there are, subtract off the ones that are actually rick salesmen, and compare to how many rich programmers their are at big cos and liquidified startups, some of whom actually make something cool.

You can do great work as lawyer, as a broke public defender. Or a supreme court justice -- one of nine.