334 karma · joined December 17, 2008
I obtained a CS degree, worked in tech for several years, and decided to attend law school to study IP like you’re intending. I attended one of best schools for IP, and worked writing patents. Despite a great law firm and clients, the work was not stimulating and a net drain on society. I left to start my own company in tech again.
My work as a core Django developer during school was more fulfilling intellectually and professionally.
Studying law will not bring the prestige you’re seeking. I didn’t listen to the lawyers who told me that either.
Source: Lawyer that hated writing patents and went back to tech.
¹ https://www.nalp.org/salarydistrib
² 20+% of lawyers have alcohol problems: https://www.americanbar.org/publications/youraba/2016/march-...
³ 4x rate of depression and highest suicide rate among occupations: https://www.americanbar.org/publications/gp_solo/2015/march-...
If you can hold off on needing the funds for a year, then US I-Bonds can be purchased from TreasuryDirect. I-bond rates are adjusted semi-annually so they always yield more than inflation and currently at 2.52%. Treasury T-bills can be purchased in 4, 8, 13, 26, and 52-week terms. Current rate for 4-week bills is around 1.89%.
- Weekends (40 hour week)
- Minimum wage
- No child labor
- Workers compensation
- Not being massacred by your employer¹
Don't be so glib about the necessity of unions -- the Fair Labor Standards Act was written with blood.¹ See, e.g., the Ludlow Massacre, the Thibodaux Massacre, Battle of Blair Mountain.
¹ https://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/CEOperform...
It should be known that the US isn't immune to this graft either (e.g., my aunt passed her driving test in Chicago via a conveniently placed $20 bill).
I can personally vouch that this is true. I traveled to Kiev in 2010 to present at the local PyCon. On the way back home to the airport my taxi was pulled over for "speeding" (he was not). The situation was resolved by an exchange of cash, no ticket necessary.
More realistically, Colorado gets severe thunderstorms and tornadoes all the time -- like the one that killed two in Limon in 1990.
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896768.as...