SOUTHAMPTON, England – The story of Ella Hughes, a former law student who now makes her living performing in porn, has spread far and wide since the BBC published an interview late last month.

The question that seems constantly lurking behind the often breathless, pearl-clutching headlines is why? More specifically, why would a young woman turn away from a potential career in law to live the smut life?

To hear Hughes tell it, the move initially was motivated largely by job security concerns and the relative barrier to entry offered by the two disparate fields.

“I weighed up how much money I could earn per month from porn, and how much with law,” Hughes said. “Depending on your profile, you can earn between £500 to £1,000 for a shoot – and up to £2,000 in America. I realized that by the time I finished my bar exams, I could have bought myself a house and car from doing porn.”

It wasn’t just the short-term financial considerations on Hughes’ mind, though. While probably a better bet than a degree in philosophy, literature or film, a law degree is no sure thing when it comes to securing your financial future.

“I know lawyers can eventually earn six figures a year,” Hughes said, “but it’s also really hard to pass the bar, and there’s no guarantee you’ll find a job after university, so I decided that finishing my degree wasn’t for me.”

While clearly she’s comfortable with her choice and sounds as though she legitimately enjoys her newfound career, Hughes has, unfortunately, already confronted several of porn-work’s severe “cons,” too.

“Porn does have its downsides,” she said. “We get checked for [sexually transmitted infections] every fortnight, but we don’t use condoms on set so there’s a real risk of catching something. I do also get trolled a lot online. There’s a lot of harassment, and I get called a dirty slut on a daily basis.”

True, a lot of the people calling her a slut are likely the same people furiously masturbating to her work at the same time they proclaim their superiority to her, but I’m sure this doesn’t take all the sting out of the insults hurled at her online.

If it’s any consolation to Hughes, lawyers aren’t exactly free from public criticism or vitriol, either. For that matter, sometimes lawyers and porn stars wind up shoulder to shoulder in joke form.

“How are lawyers like porn stars?” goes one twist on an old line about politicians and prostitutes. “Both get paid to fuck people.”

Naturally, the best lawyer jokes are told by lawyers, one of whom sprung this forgotten gem on me during a recent interview: “Why do lawyers wear neckties? To keep their foreskin from slipping up over their head.” Then there’s my personal favorite (speaking of politicians): “What do you call a lawyer gone wrong? A senator.”

In any event, Hughes is off to a good start in the mental fortitude department, saying she has already developed “a really thick skin.”

Of far greater concern than the slings and arrows of social media trolls, Hughes also has attracted a dedicated stalker.

“He’s been doing it for three years, and though I can’t really go into details, it has put a dampener on things,” Hughes said, demonstrating a talent for understatement. “It’s been really frustrating and tiring, especially when my family were targeted.”

Even so, Hughes stands by her career choice and plans to continue performing in porn for a long time to come, by the sound of it.

“I don’t think I’ll ever move out of the industry, and I don’t believe I have a shelf life,” she said. “There are women doing amazingly as GILFs, and though I doubt I’ll do that, I want to keep going ’til I’m financially stable. I’m hoping that when I get my website set up, I’ll keep earning revenue from it after I quit… Honestly? I just can’t imagine a life without porn anymore.”

Welcome aboard the porn career train, Ella. We couldn’t be happier to have you join us for the ride.