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From Lawyer to Programmer

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Re: From Lawyer to Programmer

#21

Post by unavoidable »

kijeda wrote: post #9

The article states "law is perhaps the only field where being a pessimist is actually an advantage", but I actually find this is an attribute that programmers and lawyers share. In developing code, one is always trying to think of all the possible inputs and outputs includes the unintended corner cases in order to write robust code. I would say the two professions are more alike than credit is given, and working as a…

The thinking process behind both are very similar indeed. At the core of both is true problem solving. You are given a set of constraints and facts, and you have to apply some set of rules (man made laws, or algorithms) in order to take the input and create a result that you want.

I think it is for this reason that many on HN enjoy discussing the law (of course it does have many other practical consequences as well). And although OP did the opposite, I would encourage many technical minded people to consider law as an option - much of the reason that laws suck for technology is because the people who work with the law on a daily basis do not understand the technology, and it would be great if we had more general tech literacy in the legal profession.

Re: From Lawyer to Programmer

#22

Post by wink »

kijeda wrote: post #9

The article states "law is perhaps the only field where being a pessimist is actually an advantage", but I actually find this is an attribute that programmers and lawyers share. In developing code, one is always trying to think of all the possible inputs and outputs includes the unintended corner cases in order to write robust code. I would say the two professions are more alike than credit is given, and working as a…

I think programming is a bit more rewarding in this special case as you can preempt the outcome with unit tests ;)

Re: From Lawyer to Programmer

#24

Post by cglee »

loginatnine wrote: post #4

What is a recommended accelerated developer program like hackbright but for everyone(not just women)?

We run Tealeaf Academy, which is an online based web dev bootcamp focusing on Ruby and Rails. Read more on our website: www.gotealeaf.com

Re: From Lawyer to Programmer

#25

Post by acchow »

fatman wrote: post #5

It's been just over 3 years since I last practiced law, and I just let my last state license go inactive. I couldn't be happier with how things have turned out. The job hunt can be frustrating, but after a few months, someone took a chance on me as a mobile developer, and now I've got 3 years experience in a decently hot field. The best part may be the people. There are jerks in every occupation, but nothing attracts…

Keep running hard! Great to read about other people taking a leap like this.

I went through something similar. Quit finance, hacked my ass off for a year then Google gave me a chance. Everything has been amazing ever since :)

Re: From Lawyer to Programmer

#26

Post by Ovid »

One of my former colleagues shocked me when he revealed that he was a medical doctor but gave it up because he hated it. Instead, we hacked on software together. It's amazing how many different backgrounds there are in the field of programming (I went to uni to be an economist).

Re: From Lawyer to Programmer

#27

Post by roel_v »

unavoidable wrote: post #21
kijeda wrote: post #9

The article states "law is perhaps the only field where being a pessimist is actually an advantage", but I actually find this is an attribute that programmers and lawyers share. In developing code, one is always trying to think of all the possible inputs and outputs includes the unintended corner cases in order to write robust code. I would say the two professions are more alike than credit is given, and working as a…

The thinking process behind both are very similar indeed. At the core of both is true problem solving. You are given a set of constraints and facts, and you have to apply some set of rules (man made laws, or algorithms) in order to take the input and create a result that you want. I think it is for this reason that many on HN enjoy discussing the law (of course it does have many other practical consequences as well).…

"You are given a set of constraints and facts, and you have to apply some set of rules (man made laws, or algorithms) in order to take the input and create a result that you want."

I'm a programmer and I have a law degree, but I don't quite agree with your assessment. Practicing law (as opposed to the study of it) isn't usually about applying the law to facts; most of the time, it's representing the facts in a way that is favorable to your party under a given set of rules. It's a lot more soul-crushing than I thought it would be (I still like the theoretical, academic aspects, so I stick to those areas now)

"I think it is for this reason that many on HN enjoy discussing the law"

Well now we're getting near a pet peeve of mine - the absolute cluelessness about law that most technologists have. Most take one or two paragraphs, read it literally in a way that is beneficial to their prejudices, and call themselves lawyers, using the 'law = algorithm' analogy. I see very little nuanced legal reasoning when it comes to topics nerds like to discuss (look no further than all the nonsense written about the Aaron Swartz case a few months ago, and the idiotic responses when people like Orin Kerr write an actually informed piece about it).

Re: From Lawyer to Programmer

#28

Post by tyang »

kijeda wrote: post #9

The article states "law is perhaps the only field where being a pessimist is actually an advantage", but I actually find this is an attribute that programmers and lawyers share. In developing code, one is always trying to think of all the possible inputs and outputs includes the unintended corner cases in order to write robust code. I would say the two professions are more alike than credit is given, and working as a…

Also painters.

Re: From Lawyer to Programmer

#30

Post by wooUK »

I'm a developer who has worked in law firms for over 10 years. There is an interesting overlapping career for legal/IT literate people - the Business Analyst. A good Business Analyst can analyze legal processes and recommend suitable IT solutions to help automate/streamline the legal workflow. One of the biggest problems law firms face is the disconnect between lawyers and technology. Anyone who can understand both will find a rewarding career in a Business Analyst position.
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