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More Blows for the Legal Job Market
Law school graduates still aren't getting jobs, and they've moved past frustration. According to simplyhired.com, an employment search engine, the legal industry was one of a scant few that is still seeing a decline in job opportunities (down 1.9% for August 2011). The National Association of Law Placement--an organization that collects job placement data-reports that just 51% of 2010 law school graduates had jobs, including part-time and temporary positions. With essentially every 100 law school graduates vying for a single job, it is no wonder that these hopeful lawyers with five to six-figure law school debt are feeling a little desperate.
As I've written before, there has already been a huge push by legislators and law students alike for greater transparency regarding post-graduate job prospects. In response, the American Bar Association recently imposed stricter reporting standards upon its accredited law schools. But for many graduates, these developments are too little, too late. As such, disgruntled law school grads are beginning to coalesce into growing numbers of organized groups suing their respective alma maters. The cause of action? Essentially, false advertising. They claim that their schools promised them jobs and failed to deliver.
I see the reality as more subtle. The field of law is gilded with a pointed prestige equated with power and money. While disdain for lawyers is never in short supply, attorneys and judges do occupy the tiny but exalted hall in the top 1% of society's workforce. Law school and the practice of law are not for the faint of heart, or mind. So for those with the grades and commitment to tackle law school, the idea that there is no pay-off is a real slap in the face. It may not actually be anyone's fault, but that prospect is, perhaps, an even harder pill to swallow.
Labels: more blows for the legal job market
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