Jill, Derick & the Kids: Moving On!!

[Ohiopirate02]

6 minutes ago, Growsonwalls said:

He's been delivering for grubhub for awhile now. That's not a glam job at all. 

But the Grubhub gig is just a way for him to earn cash on his own time while he studies to become a lawyer.  He can do that for a few years because he is training for a better career.  He can do an unglamorous job when he knows it's temporary, and pretty soon he will be a lawyer who will defend the rights of the unborn or whatever it is he fantasizes about doing.  Derick needs to find a job this year.  The money isn't going to last forever, and his student loans will become due 6 months after he graduates.  How picky will he be?

[Heathen]

15 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

The big issue for me with Derick is--what will he do if he doesn't get the job he envisions?  I think Derick will graduate, find some kind of employment using his law degree as he prepares for his bar exams, and will eventually pass those.  The issue is what will Derick do if he cannot find his dream job.  How many years is he willing to stick out working as a lawyer doing the basic boring stuff?  Derick has shown himself to have a hard time when his reality doesn't match up to his fantasy.  He can't continue to pivot from career to career every time things do go his way.  

I think his "pivoting" is a thing of the past. He wouldn't be the first person, or the last, to realize his undergrad degree led to boring and unfulfilling work, and he wanted to do something else. I attribute the missionary work and reversal to the multiple life changes he, and Jill, went through in a short amount of time.

Derick has stuck with law school, and the Dullards have apparently settled down, for the time being at least. They own a home near their families and Israel is in public school. That looks like stability to me. 

Have the Dullards said that Derick took out loans for law school? 

 

[Ohiopirate02]

5 minutes ago, Heathen said:

I think his "pivoting" is a thing of the past. He wouldn't be the first person, or the last, to realize his undergrad degree led to boring and unfulfilling work, and he wanted to do something else. I attribute the missionary work and reversal to the multiple life changes he, and Jill, went through in a short amount of time.

Derick has stuck with law school, and the Dullards have apparently settled down, for the time being at least. They own a home near their families and Israel is in public school. That looks like stability to me. 

Have the Dullards said that Derick took out loans for law school? 

 

No, Derick has always been cagy about their finances.  How he and Jill are financing his education along with their new home and the rest of the regular expenses of a family of four is a mystery.  What I do know is that there is no way that Derick's Grubhub side hustle is paying for all of it.  

[GeeGolly]

3 hours ago, Tikichick said:

Most of us have seen Jill and Derrick onscreen over the years and are used to the dynamic and demeanor.   Last fall I saw a video she posted of the four of them out shopping for school supplies.   Couldn't help but notice the completely different tenor of the interaction between all four of them, completely relaxed, enjoying the outing and each other.  Jill and Derrick could conceivably have decided to make an effort to give a different impression of themselves.   I don't believe either one of them has the acting skills to successfully pull off the pretense.  There's no way the kids have the ability to convincingly suddenly convince those watching that they're not stressed.   Since then I saw a decorating the tree video she posted where things didn't go to plan, the kids were very eager about Christmas stuff and were enthusiastically presenting their own agendas, and the atmosphere remained relaxed with everyone having fun

 IMO there's a distinct shift in that home.   Israel going to school and having the intellectual and creative outlets?   The positive effects of being on a schedule?   Jill progressing in her therapy and the impact it's having on their marriage?   IDK, but something's shifted in a positive direction.  All I can do is feel grateful for the kids' sake.      

I also have watched Jill & Derick on TV and SM over the years, from the beginning actually. I just don't see the difference with Jill.

I do see a difference in Izzy - he's much less skittish. Like you said, that could be due to school.

I don't know, I think sometimes we see what we want to see, and although I would love to see this improvement, and try to see it, I just don't. 

[Temperance]

23 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

I also have watched Jill & Derick on TV and SM over the years, from the beginning actually. I just don't see the difference with Jill.

I do see a difference in Izzy - he's much less skittish. Like you said, that could be due to school.

I don't know, I think sometimes we see what we want to see, and although I would love to see this improvement, and try to see it, I just don't. 

I see an improvement. Implying that those of us who see improvement are in denial is not cool. 

[GeeGolly]

1 minute ago, Temperance said:

I see an improvement. Implying that those of us who see improvement are in denial is not cool. 

Sorry Tempie, that wasn't my intent.

[Heathen]

6 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

I also have watched Jill & Derick on TV and SM over the years, from the beginning actually. I just don't see the difference with Jill.

I do see a difference in Izzy - he's much less skittish. Like you said, that could be due to school.

I don't know, I think sometimes we see what we want to see, and although I would love to see this improvement, and try to see it, I just don't. 

I don't watch the show and haven't in years. That said, from Instagram and media coverage, I see a big difference in Jill. I think it's more than just a good schedule and stability could give her. I don't remember any concrete confirmation that she's in therapy, but if she is, I think that's the game-changer for her. 

I don't have any use for the Duggars, and I don't even find them interesting in a freak show kind of way anymore. But I wish Jill and the other molestation victims the best, and their abusers the worst. 

[crazy8s]

Jill has changed a bit and no longer presents herself on social media as a clinging wife who doesn't know how to entertain herself or her boys.

The filming of Derick driving off to school and how long her day with the boys would be. Taking both boys to bring Derick lunch at school, etc. has stopped. Either she has moved on from being that person, or she just stopped posting about it.

Edited February 3, 2021 by crazy8s

[SMama]

2 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said: Derick has shown himself to have a hard time when his reality doesn't match up to his fantasy.  He can't continue to pivot from career to career every time things do go his way.  

You’d think he’d be used to disappointed by now. 

[Tikichick]

1 hour ago, GeeGolly said:

I also have watched Jill & Derick on TV and SM over the years, from the beginning actually. I just don't see the difference with Jill.

I do see a difference in Izzy - he's much less skittish. Like you said, that could be due to school.

I don't know, I think sometimes we see what we want to see, and although I would love to see this improvement, and try to see it, I just don't. 

 

49 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Sorry Tempie, that wasn't my intent.

I'm at a loss of how to respond.   I rely on my observational skills professionally to offer recommendations regarding parents and children on a routine basis and while I've been accused of being many things,  I've yet to be accused of being Pollyanna.

Yes, I am rooting for things to improve for Israel and Sam's sake.  As for whether that means I'm deluding myself about my observations, I'll have to accept you at your word that your comments weren't intended to be so offensive and we'll have to agree to disagree.  

 

[SMama]

2 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

  Derick has shown himself to have a hard time when his reality doesn't match up to his fantasy.  

I was answering to the above when I wrote Derick must be used to it by now. 

[GeeGolly]

12 minutes ago, Tikichick said:

 

I'm at a loss of how to respond.   I rely on my observational skills professionally to offer recommendations regarding parents and children on a routine basis and while I've been accused of being many things,  I've yet to be accused of being Pollyanna.

Yes, I am rooting for things to improve for Israel and Sam's sake.  As for whether that means I'm deluding myself about my observations, I'll have to accept you at your word that your comments weren't intended to be so offensive and we'll have to agree to disagree.  

 

Oh my goodness no. In my head what I said was a compliment to you all and a bit of a nag about myself. Like I said in my post, I'm trying to see it that way. No Pollyanna reference at all.

I, too, am seeing this through my professional lens. But as you know, its hard to draw a true conclusion without speaking directly with the clients. I'm not trying to get anyone to agree with me, or say I'm right. I though I was sharing an observation. I obviously missed the mark.

Please accept my apology of insulting you, and any others who took offense. As I said to Tempie - not my intent.

 

[Ohiopirate02]

16 minutes ago, SMama said:

I was answering to the above when I wrote Derick must be used to it by now. 

He should.  Time will tell if he has matured or if he will pivot to another new career.  I have said this before, Derick reminds me of my late friend's husband.  The husband was a dreamer who was never satisfied with his job.  I only really knew him for about 7 years and in that time he had changed his major 2 or 3 times before finally getting a degree.  He attempted to get work related to said degree, but only lasted in them for about 9 months to a year.  He was always too good for the job.  This guy was like Derick where his dad died when he was in high school.  He also had a very codependent relationship with him mom and his late father was the one who always had to burst J's bubble.  J went from job to job knowing he was somehow better than the job because Mommy said so.  I'm paraphrasing here a bit, but dude was downright exhausting at times.  We were all young and broke, but the rest of us knew the only way for our situation to improve was for us to improve it.  Oh, he was also working on a novel.  In the 20 plus years I have known him, that novel has never seen the light of day.  He is now married to his second wife and is a stay-at-home dad to their 3 boys.  

[BitterApple]

I agree time will tell. Derick's had a lot of course corrections in life. From missionary to Walmart to missionary to Bible course to Law School, that's a lot of flailing. I hope Derick finds a job in the legal field and sticks with it, because otherwise that's an insane amount of money down the drain.

 

[GeeGolly]

2 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

No, Derick has always been cagy about their finances.  How he and Jill are financing his education along with their new home and the rest of the regular expenses of a family of four is a mystery.  What I do know is that there is no way that Derick's Grubhub side hustle is paying for all of it.  

Did Derick imply in one of the Q & A videos that they were using the money JB paid back to Jill?

[Ohiopirate02]

2 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Did Derick imply in one of the Q & A videos that they were using the money JB paid back to Jill?

He did, but he also claimed that the money was the equivalent of minimum wage.   Still not enough to pay for law school and a house.  

[GeeGolly]

5 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

He did, but he also claimed that the money was the equivalent of minimum wage.   Still not enough to pay for law school and a house.  

But minimum from when? When Jill was 10? When Derick joined the show?

[ginger90]

4 pictures:

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CK2JyoCgE-f/?hl=en

[GeeGolly]

41 minutes ago, ginger90 said:

4 pictures:

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CK2JyoCgE-f/?hl=en

I'm starting to get jealous of the AR weather.

[crazy8s]

1 hour ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

He did, but he also claimed that the money was the equivalent of minimum wage.   Still not enough to pay for law school and a house.  

Derick also claimed at one point they had money because they budgeted well and he had worked at paying jobs for 20+ years or some such nonsense.

from 2017 "someone asked Derick Dillard if he had got a job yet. He said that he had worked full-time jobs and school for the last 23 years. Basically, Derick was Counting the time that he was going to elementary school and high school. Derick is only 28-years-old. He has only been out of school for ten years. He may have worked some while in high school, though.'

Edited February 3, 2021 by crazy8s

[Growsonwalls]

A few things: when Derick married Jill he thought he was marrying fundie royalty and there'd be income from TLC rolling in. They were young, naive, stupid, and had no life experiences. 

It's many years later. They're off TLC. Estranged from Jim Bob and the rest of the Duggar fam. I think Jill gets SOME money because of her IG following but it's probably enough to give them a bit of a cushion and that's it.

So I think the Derick who graduates law school is a different Derick than the one who thought the world was his oyster because he had married into fundie royalty.

[andromeda331]

I'm stiill in the wait and see catagory. I really do want to believe that Derick's changed at least enough that when he graduates law school he'll get a job and keep it. I didn't think he'd make it through law school and was wrong. There also has been a lot of positive changes. Izzy's going to school, Jill's seen or still seeing a therapist, they've moved past a lot of Gothard crap, and do seem better for it. Derick and Jill seem more relaxed with their sons and seem to enjoy them. Many of their past stuff does keep me from believing that. Derick's still cagey about a lot of answers and there is a question how their paying for law school, their house and everything else. Part of that due to Derick he'll says they got money from JB for Jill being on the show but then says it wasn't a lot. Derick switched jobs a lot and seemed in capable of sticking with one thing long. Law school is the longest thing he has stuck with it. That's good. But will he stick with it after graduating? If he can't get a job that he likes or wants? Or is he going to decide a year or so that he doesn't want to be a lawyer and do something else? He hasn't really worked that long. Or does he just like going to school? He paid a lot of money for that stupid certificate that lead no where. Being off TLC is good but Derick's also made comments that he'd happy be on a show if he could get on one. Being off TLC seems to come more from Derick being pissed over being paid then seeing the light about Gothard stuff. The break with the Duggars is the same thing. None of the decisions he's made have come from seeing the light but being ticked at someone else. Derick doesn't even seem that ticked at how Jill was treated through her childhood by her parents. But on the other hand the changes from those decisions have been good.  I hope they remain. I hope and want to believe they will.  I hope and want to believe Derick's going to get a job at law firm or whatever after he graduates and sticks with it. But I don't know.  

[ginger90]

57 minutes ago, Growsonwalls said:

A few things: when Derick married Jill he thought he was marrying fundie royalty and there'd be income from TLC rolling in.

Oh but they didn’t know there was money involved. 🤦‍♀️

[louannems]

21 hours ago, awaken said:

That was my thought when I saw this on IF!  A cutesy weird face talking about trials doesn’t fit. 

I sincerely doubt they do realize pepperoni is pork!

My bil was born and raised Seventh Day Adventist.  Twelve years of their schools, SDA college and on to Loma Linda U to become an anesthesiologist.  He is not religious at all.  He wouldn't dream of eating pork.... except for pepperoni pizza!  For whatever reason, he doesn't seem to think a pig is the same thing as his beloved pepperoni, even though he knows it's pork!

[Zella]

I'm not sure how Derick will handle an actual law career. I will concede that I never thought he'd last a whole year in law school, so I'll give him kudos for hacking it out. Unlike his brother-in-law in California, I do believe that Derick actually studies.

But he does have a pattern of flaking out pretty hard on jobs. It wouldn't surprise me if Derick is one of those people who does well in school--responds well to the structure of it--but flails around pretty hard in non-academic settings. 

I have several friends like that. Three in particular. They're all lovely people, really smart women who excelled academically and were fun to be around. There were other friends I worried about once they left school because they were such colossal fuck-ups, but never those girls. The ones I worried about have ended up being the most successful of my friend group, and two of those three girls have just drifted from one job to another. They never stay anywhere very long, and I could basically write the social media posts that chronicle every one of those jobs for them because it's the same damn thing every time. It's the most magical thing they've ever done and was meant to be until they decide it is the most horrible job they've ever had. [The third one seems to have had something go very badly wrong with the dream job she landed right after graduation. Getting that job is all she ever talked about, but she left her contract early and basically has just spent the last several years working at a job I know she hates, but after the one time she tried to find something else blew up in her face, she seems to have just stagnated. Wouldn't be surprised if she's also dealing with some untreated mental health issues, unfortunately.]

They have confessed to me that they really struggle with what they feel like is a lack of direction. Life doesn't give you a syllabus about expectations and then grade assignments to let you know how you're doing.

I wouldn't be surprised if Derick has some similar issues, and though I do think things seem less tense in the Dillard house, I'm not sure that Derick himself has done much changing. 

Edited February 4, 2021 by Zella

[awaken]

21 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

I pictured them demonstrating lotion time/poses from the sex book they advertised. My brainnnnn. Help.

I assume this is best their big exciting video is about as well!  Maybe new sex games with skittles?  

7 hours ago, Heathen said:

 

Have the Dullards said that Derick took out loans for law school? 

 

He said through careful budgeting and saving up they were able to pay for it. Which really doesn’t make sense since in the years prior he was in the pastoral training and they were missionaries, with a short gig at Walmart and more missionary-ing before that. It truly doesn’t add up- not much income there to save up or pay outright for law school. 

6 hours ago, Heathen said:

I don't watch the show and haven't in years. That said, from Instagram and media coverage, I see a big difference in Jill. I think it's more than just a good schedule and stability could give her. I don't remember any concrete confirmation that she's in therapy, but if she is, I think that's the game-changer for her. 

She’s mentioned seeing a licensed counselor and encouraged others to do the same if needed. 

2 hours ago, ginger90 said:

Oh but they didn’t know there was money involved. 🤦‍♀️

Yes, they assumed it was a volunteer position, per Derick 🙄

Edited February 4, 2021 by awaken

[rue721]

I don’t think Derick has flailed around all that much, honestly. He seems to have married the first girl he ever dated. He went to his dad’s alma mater and majored in accounting (the least romantic subject possible), went on a couple missions like the religious fanatic he is, then came home to raise his kids and go into law. He’s not even 30 yet and his life is already as predictable and secure as he can make it. His great passion in life seems to be rules. He’ll probably be a lawyer forever, doing meticulous, endless work, being boring, aggravating and pedantic as hell for the rest of his days.

[Zella]

14 minutes ago, rue721 said:

I don’t think Derick has flailed around all that much, honestly. He seems to have married the first girl he ever dated. He went to his dad’s alma mater and majored in accounting (the least romantic subject possible), went on a couple missions like the religious fanatic he is, then came home to raise his kids and go into law. He’s not even 30 yet and his life is already as predictable and secure as he can make it. His great passion in life seems to be rules. He’ll probably be a lawyer forever, doing meticulous, endless work, being boring, aggravating and pedantic as hell for the rest of his days.

I wouldn't consider the mission work in Nepal flailing, per se, but going through a Wal-Mart corporate job and a stint in Danger America with SOS Ministries, with both of them appearing to end abruptly, before doing a random year-long religious internship program and then pivoting to law school, all in a matter of 3-4 years, doesn't seem like someone who can handle day-to-day work life. Law school seems to be the longest amount of time he's spent at anything after his undergraduate years. 

If I saw Derick's resume, even without knowing him, I'd have questions about so many workplaces in such a short period of time. 

And I say all this as a humanities person. I flail; therefore, I am. Or more precisely, I flail because it took me awhile to be gainfully employed with my degrees. But Derick's educational background was already tailormade for the corporate world. If he'd just have stayed put at Wal-Mart HQ and survived the periodic purges they like to do, he'd probably have moved up the food chain. But perhaps not if he's hard to deal with, which wouldn't surprise me. 

Edited February 4, 2021 by Zella

[emmawoodhouse]

1 hour ago, rue721 said:

I don’t think Derick has flailed around all that much, honestly. He seems to have married the first girl he ever dated. He went to his dad’s alma mater and majored in accounting (the least romantic subject possible), went on a couple missions like the religious fanatic he is, then came home to raise his kids and go into law. He’s not even 30 yet and his life is already as predictable and secure as he can make it. His great passion in life seems to be rules. He’ll probably be a lawyer forever, doing meticulous, endless work, being boring, aggravating and pedantic as hell for the rest of his days.

Derelict will be 32 next month. 

[GeeGolly]

I have no idea what the landscape looks like for a new law school grad, but Derick has a bigger problem than the jobs, or lack thereof, on his resume. He has his exit from TLC. He abruptly quit his job over a pay dispute and then called out his former employer on SM. Interview rule #1. Never say anything bad about a former employer.

In this world of SM and '"cancel culture" how is he going to navigate that? Derick may try and use their exit from TLC as the reason he pivoted to law school, but that exit was bad. He also attacked a kid, when attacking TLC. Even if the potential employer agrees with Derick's horrific opinion of Jazz, kids are always off limits.

And Derick has one more problem to contend with - his haters. Any new employer will likely be contacted by them, and what employer wants that?

[floridamom]

Like Derick or hate Derick, the man should have the right to work and support his family regardless of his personal beliefs. As long as he doesn't preach at work and interfere with other employees' beliefs he should be interviewed and considered for a job on his own merits. I agree with the possibility that Derick may be a professional student; does well at schooling but flails in a real work environment. Classes are not a 40 hour a week, 50 weeks a year situation.

[Quof]

Lots of people with deplorable views - even those who espouse them publicly - have jobs.  He'll be fine. 

[GeeGolly]

13 minutes ago, Quof said:

Lots of people with deplorable views - even those who espouse them publicly - have jobs.  He'll be fine. 

But most aren't well known, with a social media outburst picked up by online magazines, as well as robust crowd of hate followers. I'm sure he'll gain employment, but the path there may not be easy.

[Fosca]

1 hour ago, GeeGolly said:

But most aren't well known, with a social media outburst picked up by online magazines, as well as robust crowd of hate followers. I'm sure he'll gain employment, but the path there may not be easy.

He just needs to find a place where the presence of haters will be a badge of honor.  I'm sure there are plenty out there, and I'm sure he'd rather work for a place like that anyway.

[JoanArc]

I'm still thinking law is a stepping stone to politics.

[GeeGolly]

1 hour ago, JoanArc said:

I'm still thinking law is a stepping stone to politics.

I think you're right.

Scary.

[MsJamieDornan]

23 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

No, Derick has always been cagy about their finances.  How he and Jill are financing his education along with their new home and the rest of the regular expenses of a family of four is a mystery.

I guess they do it the same way Ginger and  Fancy Pants do it. At least Derrick has a job, it might just be Grub Hub, but its something.

 

Yup, just noticed how I spelled Jinger. ugh

Edited February 4, 2021 by MsJamieDornan

[rue721]

Between Cross Church, the missionary work that's no doubt plastered all over his resume, and marrying a Duggar, Derick is already deeply, deeply embedded in a community of like minded people. If anything, his views will probably be helpful to him because of that community and network. I doubt he'll have more trouble getting a job than any of his classmates do, and probably less. He's already managed to score a good internship (or two? I forget) just fine, and is a spokesperson for a major study guide for the bar.

I personally can't see Derick going into politics, he doesn't like or get along with people very well at all. He's more of a gadfly type. I can certainly see him writing endless bitter and obnoxious letters to the editor and haranguing politicians as he gets older, but I doubt he'll run for office himself or get very far if he does.

I think Jill will have a stable and financially comfortable future, but she'll also have to live with Derick. You win some, you lose some.

[Zella]

6 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

I have no idea what the landscape looks like for a new law school grad, but Derick has a bigger problem than the jobs, or lack thereof, on his resume. He has his exit from TLC. He abruptly quit his job over a pay dispute and then called out his former employer on SM. Interview rule #1. Never say anything bad about a former employer.

In this world of SM and '"cancel culture" how is he going to navigate that? Derick may try and use their exit from TLC as the reason he pivoted to law school, but that exit was bad. He also attacked a kid, when attacking TLC. Even if the potential employer agrees with Derick's horrific opinion of Jazz, kids are always off limits.

And Derick has one more problem to contend with - his haters. Any new employer will likely be contacted by them, and what employer wants that?

Yeah, Derick might have a response to his ugly exits from past jobs that he's thought out and thinks sounds good if he's ever asked about it in a job interview. But he always sounds so spiteful and petty on social media, even when it seems like he thinks he's being witty, and a tentative Google of any of it will show that his story has changed multiple times. 

I think he still will likely find something, but it will be interesting to see if he has another melodramatic, burn-all-the-bridges exit. 

[Jeeves]

58 minutes ago, rue721 said:

Between Cross Church, the missionary work that's no doubt plastered all over his resume, and marrying a Duggar, Derick is already deeply, deeply embedded in a community of like minded people. If anything, his views will probably be helpful to him because of that community and network. I doubt he'll have more trouble getting a job than any of his classmates do, and probably less. He's already managed to score a good internship (or two? I forget) just fine, and is a spokesperson for a major study guide for the bar.

I personally can't see Derick going into politics, . . .

I think that's ^^ not unlikely. I have mixed feelings. I know Derick has his spiteful SM history that some people will remember. And since @Zella knows Arkansas and I don't have firsthand knowledge, her opinions carry a lot of weight with me.

OTOH, Arkansas is Bible Belt country and Derek's home turf. He did a deep dive into the fundie end of evangelical Christianity when he joined Duggarworld, but has since returned to his more mainstream Southern Baptist religion. He seems to be navigating through law school just fine, and I'd bet a hot dinner that there are lots of his classmates there whose world views and opinions align pretty well with his. 

Depending on the job and employer, I don't think his past excursions into social media controversy with TLC would be barriers to employment. He may have some explaining to do. In my experience, people with any hope of being competent lawyers emerge from law school and bar exam success, with an understanding of the difference between their personal life and their professional obligations. I wouldn't be surprised if Derick's journey through law school has already caused him to regret some of his reckless/stupid/hateful outbursts on social media. I doubt he'd ever say that publicly; but he may just get quieter on SM as time goes by. 

I don't see him as a political operative, either. He may be interested enough in an issue or a race, to volunteer in some way now and then. But I think that if he were drawn to a political career, we'd have seen him working with political campaigns or organizations, and we haven't. 

ETA: It's possible that although he doesn't seem like someone I would like if I knew him, Derick has done some growing up since first we heard of him on the TV show. Stranger things have happened! 🤣

Edited February 4, 2021 by Jeeves

[Suzn]

I'll add my speculation about Derick.  Derick is still the spiteful little creep he always has been.  I feel very certain that there has been no change there,  just because we haven't heard a lot from him lately.  This doesn't seem to have hampered him so far and I think he will finish law school, become a lawyer and find a job.  Whether he finds one with all the influence I think he craves is something else.  I can see him not bursting forth as big success as he may think he deserves and he easily could become bitter.

Something I've always found irritating is Derick's evasiveness about where their money comes from.  This would be nobody's business but their own, but they spread their personal business all over so freely, so I think they should tell the truth or tell nothing.  The very idea they can buy a house, pay for law school and a comfortable standard of living supported by Grub Hub and budgeting well is utter nonsense.  That is bullshit as well as the fiction that Jill was paid minimum wage to be on the show.  Minimum wage for all the hours in all the years of the show or minimum wage for  the time actually shown?  Meaningless, without specifics.  Again, tell the truth or tell nothing.

[Ohiopirate02]

10 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

I think that's ^^ not unlikely. I have mixed feelings. I know Derick has his spiteful SM history that some people will remember. And since @Zella knows Arkansas and I don't have firsthand knowledge, her opinions carry a lot of weight with me.

OTOH, Arkansas is Bible Belt country and Derek's home turf. He did a deep dive into the fundie end of evangelical Christianity when he joined Duggarworld, but has since returned to his more mainstream Southern Baptist religion. He seems to be navigating through law school just fine, and I'd bet a hot dinner that there are lots of his classmates there whose world views and opinions align pretty well with his. 

Depending on the job and employer, I don't think his past excursions into social media controversy with TLC would be barriers to employment. He may have some explaining to do. In my experience, people with any hope of being competent lawyers emerge from law school and bar exam success, with an understanding of the difference between their personal life and their professional obligations. I wouldn't be surprised if Derick's journey through law school has already caused him to regret some of his reckless/stupid/hateful outbursts on social media. I doubt he'd ever say that publicly; but he may just get quieter on SM as time goes by. 

I don't see him as a political operative, either. He may be interested enough in an issue or a race, to volunteer in some way now and then. But I think that if he were drawn to a political career, we'd have seen him working with political campaigns or organizations, and we haven't. 

ETA: It's possible that although he doesn't seem like someone I would like if I knew him, Derick has done some growing up since first we heard of him on the TV show. Stranger things have happened! 🤣

Derick has gone quieter on Twitter since he has been in law school.  His tweets are sporadic and bland.  I think it's a combination of the workload while he is in school, and someone getting through to him that tweeting controversial stuff is not the best path at the moment.  When he does post to garner a reaction it tends to happen during his law school breaks, and even then those have dried up.  Whether or not he regrets his earlier outbursts is something I think we will never know.  I haven't checked to see if he has deleted any of those from years past.  He may soon when he really begins to look for work.  

[Dehumidifier]

2 minutes ago, Suzn said:

The very idea they can buy a house, pay for law school and a comfortable standard of living supported by Grub Hub and budgeting well is utter nonsense. 

They do seem to be pretty frugal to me. You can see from the photos they show that they haven't done much yet as far as decorating the house or gussying up the yard.

[Zella]

22 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

And since @Zella knows Arkansas and I don't have firsthand knowledge, her opinions carry a lot of weight with me.

Aww, well, thank you! 

Personally, I think within certain circles, the hateful opinions Derick expressed are not going to be a problem. But I think the way he handles them might still give that group/likeminded organizations pause. 

I'm avoiding being too specific because I don't want to violate the site's politics policy, but there's been quite a bit of a brouhaha in Arkansas lately over certain persons' opinions expressed online and how unprofessional they came across. 

I think Derick's biggest problem is he's not even very good at being confrontational and belligerent. So, people who don't have a problem with it probably aren't all that impressed, and it might turn off other people who otherwise agree with him but prefer a more civil veneer. 

Also, something that might come back to bite him in the ass is the people who are probably more okay with Derick being such an ass on social media are allies with Jim Bob. So . . . that might not be a well he can go to for jobs. In fact, the places I'd automatically assume might hire Derick are probably not options since he and Jim Bob are so clearly on the outs. 

It's hard to know where Derick will land, but I am assuming he probably will have better luck with networking through law school contacts. And that's really one of the benefits of going to the U of A if you stay in Arkansas. You really can't underestimate the automatic bonding potential of being a Razorback. LOL I've never met an Arkansas lawyer who didn't go to U of A law school. The networking advantage that gives you is pretty vast in the state.

And I also noticed that he tended to be pretty quiet in all of his internship-like things for law school. My assumption is he's learned not to advertise where he's working, and they might be more okay with him doing whatever on social media if there's not an advertised connection between him and his workplace. 

Edited February 4, 2021 by Zella

[Ohiopirate02]

1 minute ago, Dehumidifier said:

They do seem to be pretty frugal to me. You can see from the photos they show that they haven't done much yet as far as decorating the house or gussying up the yard.

Derick and Jill may be frugal, but the income they have shown does not add up to their spending.  If they were still living in a JB owned property or an apartment, then maybe Derick could have saved up enough money for law school.  Even then that is a stretch.  

[Suzn]

3 minutes ago, Dehumidifier said:

They do seem to be pretty frugal to me. You can see from the photos they show that they haven't done much yet as far as decorating the house or gussying up the yard.

If Grub Hub pays enough to buy a house and law school, and all the rest, I guess I need to look into getting a job for them!

[Zella]

10 minutes ago, Suzn said:

I'll add my speculation about Derick.  Derick is still the spiteful little creep he always has been.  I feel very certain that there has been no change there,  just because we haven't heard a lot from him lately.  This doesn't seem to have hampered him so far and I think he will finish law school, become a lawyer and find a job.  Whether he finds one with all the influence I think he craves is something else.  I can see him not bursting forth as big success as he may think he deserves and he easily could become bitter.

Something I've always found irritating is Derick's evasiveness about where their money comes from.  This would be nobody's business but their own, but they spread their personal business all over so freely, so I think they should tell the truth or tell nothing.  The very idea they can buy a house, pay for law school and a comfortable standard of living supported by Grub Hub and budgeting well is utter nonsense.  That is bullshit as well as the fiction that Jill was paid minimum wage to be on the show.  Minimum wage for all the hours in all the years of the show or minimum wage for  the time actually shown?  Meaningless, without specifics.  Again, tell the truth or tell nothing.

Yeah that's my thing with Derick. He has no problem calling out Jim Bob about his finances (and, you know, I'm sure Jim Bob's finances are sketchy as hell), but Derick has never been transparent about his own, even when he was actively soliciting donations. I get the impression he is someone who can never take what he is more than willing to dish out. 

[Dehumidifier]

13 minutes ago, Suzn said:

If Grub Hub pays enough to buy a house and law school, and all the rest, I guess I need to look into getting a job for them!

I'm sure he took student loans but doesn't want to admit it. They are Dave Ramsey fans.

[Zella]

As for law school financing, I think it is quite probable he took loans. I also think he may have gotten some financing from the law school, especially if he had decent grades as an undergrad and had a respectable LSAT score. During a quarter-life crisis a couple of years ago, I looked into going to law school, and the U of A seemed to be much more generous with financing than other regional institutions. (Here's looking at you, University of Tulsa.)

U of A law school is also quite inexpensive. Even if he financed all of his tuition with loans, he wouldn't even have as much debt as he would going to U of A as an undergrad. The tuition rate for law school is cheaper. 

[BitterApple]

30 minutes ago, Suzn said:

That is bullshit as well as the fiction that Jill was paid minimum wage to be on the show.  

I agree. Derick claims Jill was given a pittance, but somehow that "minimum wage" has translated into purchasing a house and three years of debt-free law school (allegedly). Granted they don't live lavishly but they still have to pay for their mortgage, utilities, cell phones, internet, insurance, food, clothing, etc. 

Derick's statements don't add up. Either he took out student loans or Jill got a bigger chunk of change than he'd like to admit.