Are There Non-Economic Reasons to Go to Law School?

Professors R. Lawrence Deesem and Gregory M. Stein think so: 

The True Value of a Law Degree, or, Why Did Thurgood Marshall Go to Law School?

Abstract:     

There has been vigorous debate in recent months over whether a law degree is a worthwhile investment. Much of this discussion has focused on whether the economic costs of obtaining a degree pay off over a lawyer’s career. This conversation has largely overlooked the many non-economic benefits of a law degree. In this essay, we seek to re-introduce several non-economic factors back into this important dialogue. We suggest that prospective law school applicants would be wise to consider these non-economic factors in addition to economic ones.

(Scott Fruehwald)