WASHINGTON, D.C. March 9 (DPI) – An Emory University law school professor, in an op-ed in The Washington Post today, characterizes the community of legal education – America’s law schools – as paralyzed by self interest and incapable of reform. She writes that tenured law faculties have remained a fixed cost for universities, the base of a once-profitable model that could count on a steady flow of law-school applicants. No longer. As Dorothy Brown of Emory Law School wrote:
No law school has figured out how to handle the new normal of legal education: the lowest number of applicants in four decades; fewer legal jobs for graduates, and, according to Moody’s, “no relief in sight.”
And readers, responding on the attached comment board, gave an equally brutal assessment of what law students should do if they don’t get top grades in their first semester or two: Drop out immediately.
America’s law schools, writes Brown, are run by their faculties, and that tenured staff is simply incapable of embracing such actions as staff cutbacks or pay cuts to allow their schools to compete more effectively in the legal-education marketplace. And to Dr. Brown’s credit, she freely admits that she is “grateful” for her tenured position and the job security and stature it allows her.
But by far the most practical advice came from the the best-liked comments on the attached board:
The most inaccurate thing I was told before going to law school was, that no matter what happens, a law degree will *always* be worth the cost because “you can do anything with a law degree.” Turned out to be complete hogwash. If there are any people out there considering going to law school, think VERY long and hard about your choice and talk to practicing lawyers (and currently unemployed lawyers). You will find that 95% of them will try to discourage you. Heed their words. I didn’t.
My advice to all law students: At the end of your first semester, if you are not in the top third, drop out immediately. At the end of your first year, if you are not in the top 20%, drop out immediately. It’s the concept of sunk costs. You will never recoup those dollars, so it’s best to stem the outflow of funds early.
Yup. If you have any grade less than a B and more than one grade less than a B+ after your first semester, drop the heck out of law school immediately. Law schools will try to sell you on an “academic improvement” plan for the next semester or some other tripe, but the damage is already done. You will never get an entry BigLaw job and every law job that pays enough to service your loans will request your transcript even five+ years after graduating. And once you have a big employment gap like that, you’re never getting a law job that will pay enough to service your loans. The career services office and the school’s administration will try to convince you otherwise because they want your student loan money, but don’t listen to them. They’re not the ones who will pay for your rent, groceries, car payment, etc. in the future. Look out for yourself.
Unfortunately this is true. For those who are not aware, the law school grades that matter by far the most are the ones that come as soon as you walk in the door — the first year grades. If you are not in the top 20% (preferably higher than that), you’re very much sunk in today’s market, and sticking it out is a waste of both time and money. You get no credit from employers for improving your performance over the course of law school — first year grades are what matters.