Not going to law school really paid off for Louise Kelly.
Kelly, a 37-year-old music teacher, is the winner of the inaugural "Anything but Law School" scholarship from local attorney Matthew Willens.
"Oh my gosh, I'm elated," said Kelly, who teaches music in west suburban Hillside and performs for weddings on weekends.
Kelly plans to use the $1,000 scholarship to pay for a course at VanderCook College of Music in Bronzeville, where she is working toward her master's degree in music education. A graduate degree will help her move up on the pay scale and better provide for her two children, she said.
The scholarship was open to students getting an advanced degree in any field but law. Willens announced the program last year because, he said, too many people see law school as a sure thing-an easy route to guaranteed employment. But now, he says, the market is saturated, and there aren't enough jobs to go around.
"If part of your reason for going to law school is that, well, there'll be a good job that you like and will pay well afterwards, then you're maybe mistaken," he said. "There's more than 90,000 lawyers in Illinois, and I'm not confident there's enough jobs."
The scholarship drew dozens of applicants-as well as some pushback from other attorneys, who were offended by the premise of the scholarship.
But Willens said the landscape for law school grads hasn't changed in the year since he announced the scholarship, and he stands by his opinion that only those who are specifically passionate about law should try to become lawyers.
"Law school is no longer a safe road to a successful career," he said.
Willens said he was not yet sure whether the firm would offer a similar scholarship next year.
mcrepeau@tribune.com | @crepeau
