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Law Students

After Big Lottery Win, 18-Year-Old Still Plans Legal Career

Posted Sep 30, 2008 5:22 PM CST
By Martha Neil

She no longer has any need for the income that a legal career will bring. But 18-year-old Ianthe Fullagar is still planning to pursue a law degree, after a holiday in Egypt.

And, says the United Kingdom teen, the $12.5 million or so (in U.S. dollars) that she just won in the EuroMillions lottery will come in handy when she is ready to pursue her own practice, reports the Scotsman.

"Her wealth will help her foray into the legal profession after her course—she intends to start her own law firm," the newspaper writes.

She was one of 15 winners who shared a total jackpot of nearly $180 million on Friday, notes the Daily Mail.

"I've worked very hard to get where I am and I still plan to go to university," she tells the Mail. "'I just plan to live like a normal student and not like a millionaire. I love my beans on toast."

Comments

1.

chris daniels
Oct 3, 2008 6:05 AM CST

Follow this story up in one year.

Especially after the first year at an AMERICAN law school. If she still wants to be derided, insulted, socratized, and beaten for another two years, kudos to her spirit.

More likely she’ll realize $12.5 million U.S. is plenty more than 99% of lawyers ever make and she should just enjoy life.

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2.

Bill
Oct 3, 2008 7:17 AM CST

If she waits another two or three years, she’ll be able to spend that full $12 million on her law school tuition.

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3.

Jeffrey
Oct 3, 2008 7:25 AM CST

Don’t do it! You’ll work 55-70 hours a week and make 1/10 of what your lottery winnings will earn in interest over a year….

12.5 Million USD in a 365-day GIC @ 4% is $500,000.00.

Half a mill and you don’t have to bill a single hour!

OR you can become a first year lawyer, work 60 hours a week and make between 52-150k.

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4.

Bill
Oct 3, 2008 7:29 AM CST

Seriously.  I already am a lawyer at a biglaw firm, making damn good money, but if I won $12.5 million in a lottery, they’d never see my fat ass again.  I’d leave a sonic boom going out the door.

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5.

Chicago Attorney
Oct 3, 2008 7:31 AM CST

Good for her.  The debt I incurred in law school has rendered the practice of law a constant reminder of my regret, and is making it exponentially more difficult to start a practice.  Unfortunate.  Especially when I actually love the substantive practice of law.  So, again, good for her.  I hope she gets the degree she desires, and develops a successful practice, without the worries that financial hardhsip can bring.  Best of luck.

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6.

Sharon
Oct 3, 2008 7:38 AM CST

Who said she was going to law school in the U.S.?  They do have law school in the UK, and its largely a very different way of life practising law back there.

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7.

Envious American
Oct 3, 2008 7:41 AM CST

She’s a Britton, meaning law is an undergraduate degree (notice she’s an 18-year old).  Also, because she’s in the UK and assuming that she’s a citizen, she had very little to worry about in the first place in terms of funding her education.

I would gladly trade her for any of those three:  I wasted 4 years getting a degree in poli sci knowing I wanted law; I’m incurring massive debt to fund my degree; and I don’t have lotto moneys to fall back on (but I don’t play).

Kudos to her.

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8.

El Gordo
Oct 3, 2008 7:43 AM CST

You’re all forgetting that she’s in the UK, not the US. An LLB over there is now an undergraduate, 3 year degree (4 years, I think, if you want EU qualification as well - not sure about that though). It’s also exponentially cheaper than schools in the US (a few thousand pounds a year if you’re local). It’ll be hard work, sure, and maybe she’ll change her mind about what she wants to do once she’s graduated and/or finished her articles, but would any of you really want to go through your entire life without a university education just because you had a few million in the bank at 18?

Sounds to me like she’s one of the few lottery winners with her head screwed on the right way.

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9.

El Gordo
Oct 3, 2008 7:46 AM CST

Sorry about that Envious American, I see you were typing the same thing at the same time as me.

My brother in law was going to go to the US to study law but we recommended he go to the UK instead. He can get his degree, qualify and then write the NY bar exam and be dual-qualified in the same amount of time and with half the cost as if he’d gone direct to the US.

And that’s as a non-EU-resident. It’s obviously more expensive for him but it’s still substantially cheaper than studying in the US.

Wish I’d had that option. Well, actually I wouldn’t trade in my university experience for anything but… all the same, 3 years and you’re done? Wow.

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10.

HLS1L
Oct 3, 2008 8:39 AM CST

I am jealous of her. If I were in her little shoes, I would probably rather get a degree in film or aeronautical engineering. The coolest thing about Harvard is that everyone here is uber-liber.

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11.

Chicago Attorney
Oct 3, 2008 8:45 AM CST

Actually, sadly, yes, I would almost definitely trade my education for a few million then (or now).  I didn’t used to think that way, but the negative repercussions of educational debt have a way of messing with one’s views.  Then again, the grass is always greener, right?  Who knows….

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12.

J.D.
Oct 3, 2008 8:57 AM CST

MOST importantly, she can stop eating “beans and toast.” Ugghh….

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13.

MJH - STL Associate
Oct 3, 2008 9:18 AM CST

Some people live to work, while others work to live. I absolutely fall into the latter. If I won the lottery I would absolutely quit the practice of law. Maybe it’s a dream of this girl to become an attorney. If so, great for her. At least she has an excellent fallback plan (e.g. early retirement)!

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14.

Andy the Lawyer
Oct 3, 2008 9:33 AM CST

Anyone with $12.5 million in the bank who still wants to become a lawyer isn’t smart enough to function as a lawyer.

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15.

BR
Oct 3, 2008 12:47 PM CST

I just hope she has the good sense not to convert it into US dollars and put it in our stock market…

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16.

Stevenm
Oct 3, 2008 12:55 PM CST

Hey, Andy the Lawyer, some people actually entered this field because they ENJOY it; further, because they feel they are doing some GOOD.  If all you’re about is money and you don’t give a rat’s behind about people, become a doctor, a politician, or a broker, but PLEASE get out of law.  Some of us actually feel HONORED to be a part of this profession.

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17.

sb
Oct 3, 2008 1:05 PM CST

Poor whiny people ... As Stevenm said, some of us are lawyers because we want to be and we like the work.  Take it from someone who has had more than one profession.  I had a paper route as a kid, worked at McDonald’s, walked beans, put up hay, was in the Marines, delivered pizza, worked customer service and sales, managed apartments, worked tech support, and ran an in-home daycare.  Some jobs I liked, some jobs I did for money, and some jobs I hated, but I figured out what I liked to do and what I didn’t like to do…

And most importantly, I figured out that ALL jobs have some portion that is less desirable, but not to let that portion lead me to believe that I didn’t like doing the job.  I love being an attorney—and I didn’t do it for the money, as you can see from my meager bank account and my 1997 Saturn.

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18.

thetruth
Oct 4, 2008 10:48 AM CST

I don’t think this is a bad thing to want to work being a lawyer without the stress of money.  What would you do if you had 24 hours a day with nothing to do, nothing to think about, except leisure.  It sounds good for about 6 months but then my mind would be numb with lack of any ambition or drive to accomplish something of value.  It doesn’t matter that he’s choosing to be a lawyer (it just makes it relevant for this website).  So if he chose to pursue a degree in anything, well that’s the “smart” thing to do.  Andy, you must be a really lazy lawyer who probably sits at his computer and looks at porn while at work.

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19.

chae
Oct 4, 2008 11:09 AM CST

get the law degree….don’t bother practicing law. and be smart and start a more exciting and creative business!

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