Law Schools

Let's Create A New Law School Because We Certainly Don't Have Too Many Of Those

Why do we keep doing this?

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The legal academy pumps out far more law grads than the market can soak up, so we definitely should add a new law school to the mix.

At least that’s the tentative plan in Louisiana, where lawmakers agreed to look into establishing a new law school in Shreveport, which is ludicrous because Louisiana doesn’t need any lawyers other than Morris Bart.

Louisiana already has four law schools, but with the legal academy being the cash cow it is, the legislature is toying with building a Shreveport campus for Baton Rouge’s Southern University Law Center… a school that already dumps over half of its graduates into unemployment.

Southern Law Center Chancellor John Pierre put it this way:

“The vision of the Southern University System is to increase its footprint throughout Louisiana,” he said. “This is an opportunity to increase the footprint in a much-needed venue.”

Much needed? Is it? Can law students not relocate three hours to Baton Rouge? It’s not like America needs more Napoleonic Code attorneys kicking around. Yes, I know they aren’t on the Napoleonic Code anymore but the point remains.

Maybe instead of pumping out more attorneys who can’t get jobs, the state could address its glaring underfunding of public defenders. Once they fill those ranks and give the citizens decent representation, then we can revisit a new law school.

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But that might sacrifice a few million in revenue to pay mid-tier administrators, so let’s just build the law school instead.

Shreveport may get law school; LA Tech won’t get LSUS [Shreveport Times]

HeadshotJoe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.

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