Should You Go To Law School In 2019?

The answer is the most lawyerly one possible: it depends.

(Image via Getty)

A year ago I wrote a series of posts here at Above the Law on whether attending law school made sense in 2018. I recently had the occasion to revisit this issue when a junior in high school — my own daughter — asked me about law school, since it’s apparently something she’s pondering.

Truth be told, I was less than thrilled by her expression of an interest in becoming a lawyer. As someone who tracks and writes about trends in legal technology and the industry as a whole, I’m cautiously optimistic that our industry will weather the effects of rapid technological innovation, but what it will look like in 10 years is anyone’s guess. The way that legal services are being delivered is changing, as are lawyers’ roles. I’m not entirely convinced that many of the functions that lawyers have traditionally performed will still be in existence a decade from now — right about when my daughter might graduate from law school.

So, when she asked me about law school, I was conflicted. I want her to follow her passions, but I likewise want her to make decisions that are well-informed and future-facing. So I gave a lot of thought to my views on the wisdom of attending law school in 2019, and figured I’d memorialize them by putting pen to paper, so to speak.

So would I recommend attending law school in 2019? My answer is the most lawyerly one possible: it depends.

The answer I provided in 2018 in response to a young man who had emailed me asking for my opinion on the issue still stands, and my general feeling hasn’t changed in one year’s time:

I wish I had better news, but prospects for new lawyers aren’t great. There are a lot of factors changing the legal market, ranging from economic influences (which began with the economic downturn in 2008), to technological change, along with increased competition from multiple sources. All of these forces contribute to the declining legal job market and are causing increased stress and lack of job satisfaction for current lawyers. Also problematic is that recent graduates tend to emerge from law school deep in debt with no light at the end of the tunnel given the depressed market. And to make matters worse, most law schools aren’t doing a great job educating students to succeed in the face of all the changes.

That being said, if you go in with your eyes open and lay the right groundwork, you’ll have a better chance at having a satisfying legal career. The key is to have a full understanding of all the changes occurring and how they’re affecting the delivery of legal services and then to position yourself to take advantage of the changes once you graduate. Also, I would highly recommend that you read the book “Tomorrow’s Lawyers: An Introduction to Your Future” by Richard Susskind from cover to cover prior to committing to law school.

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That being said, there are a few new pieces of information that have colored my current opinion. First are the replies that I received when polling other lawyers in my network on their thoughts about law school and practicing law.

Do lawyers regret attending law school?

When I polled my colleagues last year to learn their thoughts on attending law school, their satisfaction with their careers, and their perspectives on the future of law, their responses were telling.

When it came to their opinions on attending law school in 2018, the vast majority of the 100+ lawyers who responded were either opposed to the idea or were on the fence. But when I asked them if they regretted attending law school, virtually all responding lawyers were happy with their decision to do so, with only 10 of 150 sharing that they regretted their choice.

So although most lawyers wouldn’t recommend that recent college graduates attend law school, they are nevertheless satisfied with their own career paths. Certainly some of their reticence about pursuing a legal career path now is colored by their understanding of the legal industry as it exists here and now, but no doubt some of that is likewise impacted by a “get off my lawn, I walked uphill both ways, and kids these days” mentality as well.

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I have to admit I’m guilty of the exact same set of conflicting conclusions. I’m thoroughly satisfied with my career path — which was made possible because of my law degree and legal experience — and couldn’t be happier, so I have no regrets about attending law school. Even so, I nevertheless would not necessarily wholeheartedly recommend it to all would-be-aspiring lawyers.

There’s lots of potential for forward-thinking law graduates

The second reason I’m not entirely opposed the idea of a legal career path in today’s legal market is recently released statistics and analysis about the legal job market and law school graduates. There are signs that attending law school in 2019 might not be such a bad idea — for the right person with the right perspective.

I say this because in some ways, the legal job market is improving for recent law graduates as a result of a number of different market forces. Specifically, recent data shows that the percentage of new graduates obtaining a law-related position steadily increased since 2011, largely due to the declining number of law school graduates.

Also of import is that, as explained in this National Jurist blog post, nearly 50 percent of college students considering law school aren’t necessarily planning to practice law, but instead envision a career path in politics, government, or public services — a trend that isn’t unique to the current batch of aspiring law students:

Even before the Great Recession, it had long been the case that only a quarter of law grads went into the largest firms. Most graduates went into small firms, solo practice, government or public interest work, if they practiced law at all.

In other words, as long as aspiring law students are entering law school with their eyes wide open and are aware of the massive industry-wide disruption that is occurring due to technological advancements and make career path decisions accordingly, then law school might not be such a bad idea.

Not surprisingly, this is exactly what many of my colleagues said when I asked them to share their advice for future lawyers. The bottom line: avoid debt, gain practical experience, and choose your law school’s location wisely. And most importantly, maintain an open mind about career potentials and make choices that open up as many avenues for your personal vision of success and happiness as possible.

So would I recommend that a recent college graduate attend law school in 2019? Like I said, it depends. For the right person, with the right vision and the right plan, it might very well be the perfect path.


Niki BlackNicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney and the Legal Technology Evangelist at MyCase, web-based law practice management software. She’s been blogging since 2005, has written a weekly column for the Daily Record since 2007, is the author of Cloud Computing for Lawyers, co-authors Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, and co-authors Criminal Law in New York. She’s easily distracted by the potential of bright and shiny tech gadgets, along with good food and wine. You can follow her on Twitter @nikiblack and she can be reached at niki.black@mycase.com.