* First the Jones verdict, then the Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Jose Padilla’s torture lawsuit. It’s enough to make ACLUers develop bipolar disorder. [Washington Post] * Release the Kagan! The Supreme Court rejected Freedom Watch’s motion for time to argue that Justice Elena Kagan should recuse herself from the Obamacare case. [CNN] * […]
There's a really funny post up on Constitutional Daily, in which the protagonist -- who holds a J.D. from NYU Law and was laid off from Biglaw during the recession -- recounts his inability to secure a job at Target. It got us thinking of that other great lie that law schools tell incoming law students: "Yada yada, you can do anything with a law degree... also, I'd like to interest you in partial ownership of the Brooklyn Bridge." But many J.D. holders have found out the hard way that holding a law degree only opens doors to "law" jobs. They aren't degrees of general utility. If anything, they close more doors than they open....
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When the story about the head of the ABA's tactless remarks broke, Elie had the good fortune of being in Washington, D.C., at the annual conference of the Association of American Law Schools. Law school professionals -- the people who have to deal with the perception of general ABA incompetence on a day-to-day basis -- were not at all happy with William Robinson's comments....
William Robinson, the newly appointed president of the American Bar Association, is taking a stand on the status quo of legal education in our country. But instead calling for reform, Robinson is defending the ABA's role, stating that young lawyers "should have known what they were getting into." Isn't it wonderful to know that the man in charge of the ABA is essentially playing the "blame the victim" card when it comes to debt-saddled and unemployed law school graduates?
* Rick Santorum and the Sweater Vests can join Rick Perry’s ballot access lawsuit in Virginia. It’s funny, because at this rate, Perry will have dropped out before the first hearing. [Washington Post] * If you’re an unemployed law grad drowning in debt, you should’ve known that you’d be screwed. Warning! Danger, Will Robinson! Opinion […]
The National Law Journal reports that Jim Chen, Dean of the Louisville School of Law, has come up with an easy to apply salary figure to determine whether law school was a financially sound decision on a case-by-case basis. I'd like for people who constantly defend the value of law school to start pointing out the high salaried jobs that are needed to make law school worth it....
Legal work isn’t slowing down, and the firms that win won’t be the ones working harder — they’ll be the ones working smarter.
Here's an interesting idea: what if law schools just started posting comprehensive, accurate employment data on their websites? On a voluntary basis -- not compelled by politicians, lawsuits, or the American Bar Association? Take a look at what they're now doing at the University of Chicago Law School. Could it perhaps serve as the model for law school reporting of employment data?
* The Supreme Court will hear Obama’s challenge to Arizona’s immigration law. Upside: we can probably expect a decision by June. Downside: Lady Kaga has to sit her ass out. [New York Times] * Depressing fact of the day: unless you’re earning six times your law school’s annual tuition, you’ll probably never be able to […]
* The American Bar Association can’t handle law schools, yet Obama trusts them to vet potential judicial nominees. Well, seems like they’re doing a bang-up job with that, too. [New York Times] * First the New Jersey bar exam results, and now more MF Global drama. Angry investors want to know if a lawsuit will […]
[L]aw school is a very risky (and expensive) investment; it should not be entered into lightly…. [E]ach potential student’s calculus will be based on a host of factors unique to him or her. For some, like an English major (relatively low opportunity costs) who gets some scholarship assistance (somewhat lower out-of-pocket costs) to attend Harvard […]
Law firms and legal departments are writing the future of the profession in separate rooms. What happens when they actually work together?
In August, we reported on National Jurist's list of the 60 Best Value law schools. The list was unranked, but the final tallies for the honor roll have now arrived. In addition to the rankings, National Jurist has given letter grades to the rest of the schools on the list, ranging from A- to F. Wouldn't you hate to be a student or an alumnus of a law school with a failing grade?
Whenever we ask law school deans to explain their BS employment statistics, they just shovel more BS our way. But maybe if students themselves asked where these figures come from, they'd get some straight answers. One student, at a law school that at this point is undisclosed, asked her dean why the school's employment statistics were clearly misleading. And it looks like the dean broke things down for her. She used the information to tell another story of the 99%....
Here at Above the Law, it seems like we complain about the American Bar Association on an almost daily basis. But you know what? It’s Friday, so we’re going to cut the ABA some slack. We’re a little tardy to the party on this one, but today we have some news for law students that […]
Make a law that for every student graduating from law school, he replaces an existing lawyer. That existing lawyer is then sent to an island to make dog bonnets and leg warmers. In a way, it’s a lottery designed to dissuade people from wanting to be lawyers, and increase the quality of our nation’s dog […]
Today, we have a great infographic that explains the student loan "racket." Government secured loans, collection agency premiums, non-dischargable debts through bankruptcy -- this graphic has everything. Let's check out the graphic....