Hi everyone. I thought I would contribute my perspective, as someone who came to Columbia set on public interest (for context-- I had to take out a bunch of loans, but I have the privilege of not supporting my parents financially). One of the reasons I chose Columbia is the public interest loan repayment program. It's allegedly the best in the country. I know that I'll have debt for a while after law school, but with the LRAP program, it feels like it might be manageable. I also have to frequently remind myself that public interest jobs can have a solid income (especially compared to jobs outside of the legal field). Ending up in a government or nonprofit job that I'm passionate about, and that eventually surpasses 100k, is a balance that I hope will bring me happiness. Enough money to live comfortably and a career that I truly care about. I grew up in a public interest family, so I have the security of knowing this route is feasible. It's easy to look at big law salaries and feel like 100-150K is inadequate, but before I entered the law school ecosystem, big law salaries would have honestly horrified me. I now have to actively work to not succumb to the narrative that we need to make an amount of money that I previously thought was insane to live happily. I am also interested in the idea of starting my own environmental firm after taking this class, but I have no idea what essentially a nonprofit firm would look like..

So overall, of course no judgment for people who are going into big law but for those who feel pressured by the money, just wanted to serve as a reminder that it's not the only way to make a living!

-- EmmaShumway - 08 Feb 2021