Monday, March 11, 2013

Today's News Reads (Featuring a Cautionary Tale)


“Another Law School Dean Misses the Target” by Steven J. Harper (The AmLAw Daily)

This article is a criticism of a Wall Street Journal op-ed by James L. Huffman, emeritus dean at Lewis & Clark Law School. Huffman's February 20 Wall Street Journal op-ed recommends eliminating ABA law school accreditation requirements.

Harper’s best line: “Likewise, Huffman observes correctly that the ABA has become a victim of regulatory capture, but doesn’t connect that phenomenon directly to the worst consequences of that victimization: deans free until recently to engage in deceptive behavior to fill their classrooms.”

Harper is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University. He is the author of The Lawyer Bubble: A Profession in Crisis (Basic Books, April 2, 2013.) His blog about the legal profession is “The Belly of the Beast” at http://thebellyofthebeast.wordpress.com/.


“You and the Law: Law School – A Road to Debt and Maybe the Law” by Dennis Beaver (The Hanford Sentinel)

A cautionary tale featuring an ambitious Armenian-American lawyer who did everything right and now has $200,000 in student loans and no legal job.

Best line: “For Karnikian and thousands of other law grads across America, it is an unemployment train wreck. ‘Today, at least half of my friends from law school who have passed the bar are unsold products, sitting on the shelves, because no one will ‘buy’ them,’ Karnikian observes.”


“Nonprofit Law Firms: A Solution for Graduates?” on The Huffington Post

The Huffington Post is scheduling a live-talk under the heading “Nonprofit Law Firms: A Solution for Graduates?” Its not really clear when the talk is going live although you can sign up for an alert. Comments are currently being accepted.


3 comments:

  1. Urp, time to do some commenting and possibly save some lemmings...

    "Pre-law prep free to disadvantaged students":

    http://www.ocregister.com/news/law-499057-school-program.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. "Northwestern Law to cut class sizes, hold tuition in check

    Cut in law school enrollments comes at a time when graduates have hard time finding jobs as attorneys"
    http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-nu-law-to-cut-class-sizes-hold-tuition-in-check-20130311,0,5283579.story

    That is so altruistic of NU Law! I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that applications (minus those from non-law-material idiots) have dropped to the point that NU is forced to do this in order to maintain standards and not fall in US News, etc.

    Now, just trim faculty and superfluous deans by 10% and you'll be off to a good start, NU.

    ReplyDelete
  3. http://issuu.com/statebarmt/docs/marchmontana_lawyerl

    Looks like University of Montana is cutting the number of admittees for their incoming class as well (not that they have many to begin with). See President's message Page 4 on why the bar should come to the aid of the university.

    ReplyDelete