Should You Really?

By Mitch Schneider
special to the Light

Whether it was the tales of Perry Mason 40 years ago or the round-the-clock coverage of Court T.V. today, lawyers and the legal profession have long held a special attraction for people many people. Now two St. Louis natives have written a book to help lawyers, law students and those thinking about a career in law decide if it is in fact the career they want.

Deborah Schneider and Gary Belsky are the authors of Should You Really Be a Lawyer? The guide to Smart Career Choices Before, During and After Law School.

"Gary and I met 23 years ago, when he was 20 and I was 10," Schneider said. "He was my Hebrew school teacher through CAJE and classes met at B'nai Amoona. Through that he became a family friend, and my dad eventually talked him into going to law school, but he quit part way through. Ten years after Gary school at Washington University, I went, but I realized that didn't want to practice law. One of the common bonds between us is that we both went in not knowing a lot of what lawyers do. We hadn't done a lot of research."

The book came about as the pair interviewed career counselors, lawyers and law students. The book is divided into three parts, according to Schneider. The first part is aimed at prospective law students and takes them through what is involved in law school. The second part is directed at current law students and the issues of whether they should stay in law school and what they should do with their degree. The third part is aimed at current lawyers and is intended to help them decide what the right job for them is in the law or possibly outside of the legal profession.

"This book is a way for people to navigate one of the more complicated career decisions people make, the choice to become a lawyer," said Belsky. "For many reasons, the road is fraught with potholes, many of them resulting from wrong turns in decision-making. Our book, using the science of behavioral economics as our guide helps people navigates this journey."

Making career choices, Schneider found in their research, can often be a limiting decision for some Jewish families, resulting in a large number of Jewish lawyers, not all of them happy with their decision.

"Generally speaking, there is the expectation in many Jewish families that children will go into a profession, such as law or medicine, or they will get an MBA. As we were interviewing Jewish lawyers, many mentioned the expectations of their families. There is nothing wrong with this, but they didn't explore other career paths, and it is important for parents and families to encourage career and job options," Schneider said.

Information about the book can be obtained at www.shouldyoureally.com. Schneider has made a career at counseling lawyers, having worked in career counseling and development at the University of San Francisco School of Law and the University of California-Hastings College of Law. She also has worked in Washington, D.C., and New York with various political advocacy and public interest legal groups.

Belsky is executive editor of ESPN The Magazine. He has previously written for Money magazine, covering personal finance, and the St. Louis Business Journal. Other career highlights include contributing to various radio and television shows including Oprah and Good Morning America. He also lectures on decision-making psychology and behavioral economics, on which he has co-authored a book.