Tesla, I graduated from law school in Pennsylvania in 1980. Some of my classmates were making $20/hr doing legal research for local firms while still students. To expect to find a licensed lawyer, 32 years later, charging only $40/hr is unlikely.

Depending on what you want done, you might find someone retired who is willing to help you out at below market value. In fact, I might know someone, but it would depend on how extensive the work is. And the person I'm thinking of lives in Harrisburg.

I know a woman that had a technical background and went into patent law- she's doing well.

Don't go to law school unless you would absolutely love (not just like) being a lawyer.

That would eliminate about 90% of the law students.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahljaco....

Anecdotal for sure, but the 50 or so Attorneys I have met in my life were basically the same person in different sizes. Some kind of creature. Not really human. I learned to toy with them. I would ask them the same question over and over until they answered it, or exposed themselves as the sellouts they are. And I mean I would ask them 10 times. 20 times. They always thought they could out talk me or bull**** their way threw the issues. Anecdotal, but **** all of them.

Agree with Rule10's observations. I've dealt with them twice in my life: once in my divorce and once when I had to go after a driver and his insurance company that refused to settle after he totaled my car.

In both cases, the lawyers (both highly recommended and expensive) never gave me a straight answer to my questions. At the very best, it was "Well, it depends on how the judge reacts. Either this could happen or that could happen, or maybe something else." This is entirely consistent with what I've been told by everyone I know that has also had some dealings with lawyers, either civilly or criminally.

WTF??? Isn't the law supposed to be the law? It is most certainly NOT a "system of law" if outcomes depend primarily on the whims/predispositions of a judge or in the manner in which the facts may be presented, rather than on the facts themselves.

Also just anecdotal, but, yeah, agree with Rule10, **** 'em all, from the lowest all the way to the USSC. Unfortunately, for many situations, they have set up things to make it impossible to avoid having to deal with them.

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Anecdotal, but **** all of them.

I'll bet you really hate Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, both of whom were lawyers.

Don't shoot all the dogs because a few of them have rabies.

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Don't shoot all the dogs because a few of them have rabies.

What if the woods are full of rabid dogs and you have two sane ones chained to your kennel?