Mixing Law And Computer Science Degrees? 17
Janthkin asks: "I'm finishing my BS in computer science this year, and I'm looking for some advice. Grad school is a given: I want a master's in computer science. However, I'm also very interested in pursuing a career in law. Given the number of high- (and low-) profile cases we've seen just in the last year or so involving technology in general, and computers in particular, it seems reasonable to believe that a lawyer with significant computer knowledge would do quite well, much as the medical doctors with law degrees do. Anyone out there have experiences (personal or otherwise, finanacial or not) to share that might help me decide what to do?"
Good lawyers are worth a lot of money (Score:1)
The first applicant, an engineer, was asked how much he wanted to be paid for going. "A million dollars," he answered, "because I want to donate it to M.I.T."
The next applicant, a doctor, was asked the same question. He asked for $2 million. "I want to give a million to my family," he explained, "and leave the other million for the advancement of medical research."
The last applicant was a lawyer. When asked how much money he wanted, he whispered in the interviewer's ear, "Three million dollars."
"Why so much more than the others?" asked the interviewer.
The lawyer replied, "If you give me $3 million, I'll give you $1 million, I'll keep $1 million, and we'll send the engineer to Mars."
do it...it will payoff intellectually and $$ (Score:1)
Go 4 It (Score:1)
Re:Certainly a similar combo exists for Chem/Law (Score:1)
I've heard that IBM has hundreds of patent attorneys. They've been awarded the most patents of any company for several years running.
Technical lawyers = Job Security (Score:1)
Don't do it (Score:1)
Combining degrees can give you a new perspective (Score:1)
For example, the psychologist in me tries to make machines represent human thought. The computer scientist, however, is constantly amazed at how his brain can beat a binary search in some cases.
Those who will be most successful are the ones who can integrate diverse areas of thought, such as Law and Computers. Anyone can write code, but not everyone can solve problems that span multiple disciplines.
do it for love (Score:1)
Don't just look at your educational choices as decisions in picking a trade. You already know that a CS profession is a continuous learning process. And the same is true in most other trades today. Gone are the days when if you simply became a lawyer or a doctor, your success was virtually guaranteed. Whatever trade you pick, you will have to work at it to be successful. And, I believe, if you continuously work at something--anything, you are bound to succeed. So why not do something you love?
If you love the Law, both the theory and the practice, then go for it. If you are a crusader, looking to free software production from the closing shackles of property law, then you must love it, and I believe you will find a vast army of peasant woodworkers like myself behind you. If you got into CS for the money, and now you're thinking of a strategic shift to maximize your return, then you're like the rest of us, and no amount of riches can save you.
stick to your plan (Score:1)
Law Schools Specializing in IP / Tech Law? (Score:1)
I haven't done a lot of research, however. Does anyone knew of any particular law schools that specialize in Intellectual Property and Technology Law?
Re:Go for it.... (Score:2)
Go for it.... (Score:2)
Re:Don't do it (Score:2)
Also, I respectfully disagree that a CS degree would be useless outside of patent law. There's a lot to be done in the area of computer crime, to name one. [H,Cr]ackers need defense attorneys; prosecutors need to know what they're talking about when they prosecute [h,cr]ackers; goodness knows we need more technically-aware people pushing for better laws against computer crime and regarding the whole IP-rights-field. We spend so much time here complaining about how inept/uninfomed lawyers are/can be. I applaud someone who wants to change that.
Personal Experience (Score:2)
Go for it, my son.
My own CS knowledge was acquired at the University of Life, with postgrad work and the College of stuff I figured out as I went along, but I find it tremendously useful in practice as a lawyer.
I'm in a CS & Law course right now (Score:3)
I'm currently taking an undergrad course entitled Computers and The Law of Information Technology. It's a CS course, taught by 2 lawyers, and it's VERY interesting.
According to the lawyers, several students of this class have gone on to become lawyers. There is a huge demand for lawyers who understand IT in both public and private law.
The only caveat is that most of the stuff that's relevant to IT (the stuff we're being introduced to right now) doesn't really surface until your last year of law school.
But if Law interests you, I would persue it. At worst, you decide not to be a coder or a lawyer and get a fantastic job elsewhere because you've specialized in two fields that most people know very little about, even though it affects them all the time.
PLEASE DO! (Score:4)
Okay, it must be a personal decision. However, as a pure tech let me encourage you to do so. I've thought about self-study to get a law degree equivelent myself (I don't know if I'd be allowed to take the bar) just because of all the stupid cases we have seen on /.
Once you do get your degree we would like it best if you would make your night job a technical one that paid the bills, and for the day work on some of these technical cases for those of us without the ability to deal with law. Sort of an EFF lawyer without taking money from the EFF. Since in reality you can't do this, just find something that you can make work for you.
Certainly a similar combo exists for Chem/Law (Score:4)