Want to Make a Difference with Your Life

This article argues that altruistic young lawyers ought to eschew conventional social justice careers in favour of a career in corporate law. It proceeds by way of two propositions. First, it suggests that the positive impact made by a decision to pursue a social justice career is much smaller than it first appears. This is because, in the vast majority of cases, taking a social justice job does not cause there to be additional social-justice workers in the world: the decision instead simply displaces a similarly-qualified person who would otherwise have filled the role. Secondly, the article highlights the extraordinary good which can be effected by working in a high-income field and donating a significant portion of one’s earnings to highly effective charities

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