If We Close Some Law Schools, Legal Education Will Be Saved! Wrong.

Closing schools doesn’t solve the problem.

This is the height of idiocy, the willful sticking of one’s head in the sand, hoping when they peek out the world will be just as they remembered in the good ‘ol days.

Horses 1

Imagine, if you will, two horse traders during the first decade of the 20th century saying, “You know, we’re not selling as many horses as we used to because there are just too many horse traders.” This discussion takes place on a busy street where crowds of  people are awed and enthused as they see one or two of these new-fangled contraptions called the automobile weaving in and out between the horse and buggies and pedestrians.  The conversation continues, “Now, if we can just shut down those horse dealers who are already in trouble, make it a little harder for them to succeed, regulate them right out of business, we can corner the horse market for ourselves.”  These same horse dealers aren’t paying attention to the fact that using horses as a primary means of transportation is just not cutting it anymore. People want to go further in faster time than any horse can reasonably transport them and without their high maintenance costs.

Horses 2

That’s why this idea put forth through a survey of law schools is so deliberately naive, self-serving, and ridiculous that it makes my skin hurt:

65 percent of schools surveyed agree it “would be a good idea if at least a few law schools closed.”

No, we do not have too many law schools.  I know this is the main thought most law school administrations are struggling with.  To their point, we do have a confluence of events (questionable for-profit schools and questionable lenders) making a real stretch when they jump to “too many law schools.” What we have is too many law schools operating under an antiquated model and that is why we are turning out too many under-educated lawyers who cannot qualify or compete in a changing market. This creates a glut of debt-ladened, disillusioned students, ill-equipped to fend for themselves.

Sponsored

Closing schools doesn’t solve the problem.

Closing schools just reduces the number of debt-ladened, disillusioned students still ill-equipped to fend for themselves. Changing the education model and method of delivery of this education will fix the problem.  But… these schools want to keep selling horses to people who want and need cars in order to be gainfully employed, and the only solution they are presenting is to cut down on the horse traders so they can protect themselves with the least amount of effort toward changing their model.

Until they start educating for today’s marketplace, people are going to stay away from law school as a bad bet for their hard-earned dollars and valuable time.  More and more alternatives for delivering legal services to consumers will infiltrate the market, putting further pressure on the existing lawyers who don’t know how to function or price their services in this ever-changing profession, causing them to ultimately leave the profession. And the problem will remain unsolved by the law schools unless we allow more progressive law schools to be accredited.  Wake up, people.  Evolve the law school model to address the education deficit or loosen the regulations for legal education to allow a responsible, innovative response to the educational shortfalls!


Susan Cartier Liebel is the Founder and CEO of Solo Practice University®, an online educational and professional networking community for lawyers and law students who want to create and grow their solo/small firm practices. She is a coach and consultant for solos, an entrepreneur mentor for LawWithoutWalls.org, a member of the advisory board for the innovative Suffolk School of Law – Institute on Law Practice Technology and Innovation, an attorney who started her own practice right out of law school, an adjunct professor at Quinnipiac University School of Law for eight years teaching law students how to open their own practices, a frequent speaker, and a columnist for LawyersUSA Weekly, The Connecticut Law Tribune, The Complete Lawyer, and Law.com. She has contributed to numerous legal publications and books offering both practical knowledge and inspiration. You can follow her on FacebookTwitterLinkedIn, and Google+, and you can email her at Scl@solopracticeuniversity.com.

Sponsored