Dean Jill Backer’s article “JD Advantage Versus JD Required: The Old Rules No Longer Apply” (Special Report: Law Schools, NYLJ April 20) was dangerous misinformation, and the New York Law Journal should have vetted her conclusory arguments more carefully.

I’ve been practicing for more than 30 years, and I’ve heard time and again that a JD is a versatile degree. While I suppose it is true that a law degree does not necessarily damage one’s career prospects in non-law fields (I would dispute this, by the way), six figures of non-chargeable debt is a hell of a price to pay for a credential that confers no real economic advantage. An MA in history is a fine degree to have too, and every bit as useful for someone who does not wish to practice law.

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