I can’t examine the motives of all the people I know who went to law school as a second career, but presumably most have done it not to get rich but because they thought they could make a difference or because some aspect of the law intrigued them. Clearly they thought it would be a good career.
Most people anticipate that they’ll like practicing law. Unfortunately I don’t know anybody who practices law who actually likes it, and too many really hate it. I have been troubled when I’ve heard of friends preparing to go to law school for this very reason. My own lawyer tells me that the profession has changed in the last twenty years and he told his own kids he wouldn’t pay for them if they wanted to go to law school, he hates it that much.
But the credential is a good one to have even if you’re going into some other field. Or at least, it used to be.
OK, things are different now. They have reached their goal of "making a difference".
Hope they're happy.
IMO, the "make a difference" faction will be lucky to avoid mass executions and just be allowed to return to productive work, but part of the charm of Obamunism is that no one, myself included, has a CLUE about how and when it will come to an end.
I have also been told by a lawyer who has been practicing for 35 years that practicing law has changed dramatically in the past 35 years and he would not recommend it as a career choice.