When the Rankings are Rank

Spring is here, faithful reader, and that means lots of different things to different people. If you're a new law student just wrapping up a hectic first year, it means bring able to see some light at the end of the tunnel. If you're a graduating law student, it means finals and bar applications, and being in a pretty foul mood all of the time. But there is another breed out there--the applicant. I want to turn my attention now to people who may be thinking about law school, or who have already put in some applications because times are different now than they were just 5 years ago when I applied.

You may have heard that we had some economic problems recently (they may or may not be over, depending on who you talk to). The economy had such a far-reaching impact on the legal field, I don't think anyone could have seen it coming. Law firms slashed the number of available jobs, while cutting thousands of already established associates, creating a simultaneous job deficit and a glut of supply. It went far beyond belt-tightening; more like they all started wearing whalebone corsets. Anxious students across the country waited for things to get better. They didn't, and they won't.  I'm not trying to be a negative nelly, it's a fact. Firms (and not just law firms--I'm using the word "firms" as short-hand. This goes for government, non-profit, private sector, and even contract work as well) condensed and merged to save on overhead, and the life-blood of the law firm (the "billable hour") was killed at many firms. Clients started speaking up and demanding more experienced attorneys on their cases, so firms became much more reluctant to hire new blood. There are jobs out there, and things have picked up, but the golden age of ample internships and guaranteed placement is over.

Which brings me back to the title and topic of this post: Rankings. Applicants need to care about this, because whether we like it or not, rankings matter. They matter even more now since firms are being more selective about hiring recent graduates. Going to a "top" school matters, even though we all know the ranks are a systemic pile of steaming subjective and false crap. Not that I'm bitter.

But, most evening students don't really have much choice when it comes to being selective. They go to law school at night because they have certain responsibilities -- whatever they may be -- that usually tie them to a geographic area. Pickins' are slim. So, people considering an evening program are basically stuck with whatever schools are closest to them that happen to have an evening program. (I know US News is ranking evening programs separately, and that's great -- but no one really cares. When someone asks where you went to law school, they don't follow-up with "Was that the crummy day program or the stellar evening program?" Doesn't happen. Your legal reputation is inextricably linked to the "overall" school ranking.) So, how does one cope and mitigate the need to rely on a school with a "poor" ranking? There are a few things you can do:

1. Prep your network. I've talked about networking before, because I can't stress it enough. Find out who you know that is an attorney. See if you can get in at a firm or do some legal work before you start law school. Experience and contacts are going to matter so much when you change careers. You don't want to be in a position of coming to graduation, needing a job, and then reaching out to people for the first time in 7 years. It's tacky and transparent. If you develop and sustain long-lasting relationships with people you will be better off in the job search--and thus less dependent on your school's reputation to get you that interview or job. 
2. Focus. I blogged about this before, too, but the advice still applies. The more focused you are in school, the more that will come through on your resume. If you can find a niche in the market that you are wild about, where there may not be as much competition, go for it. Develop that interest and skill through coursework, legal writing projects, and even independent research. Again, by focusing more on your unique skills, your resume will "pop" and you will be less beholden to those rankings. 
3. Aim High. Bu this, I mean go to the "best" ranked school with an evening program that you possibly can. Yes, I know I'm a hypocrite and after writing this bog I'm going to have to take a shower. I bemoan the ranking system, I talk about their patent unfairness and how they disproportionately impact evening student--then I go and tell you to succumb to the pressure and review the rankings. It's not a perfect world, what can I say? Even if you get a better financial aid offer from another school; even if you have to travel out a little farther, I would advise going to the more esteemed school (I won't say "better"), only because this is a huge investment and you need to ensure that your investment is protected long-term. No guarantee that your highly ranked school will always be at that rank, but it's a decent bet that it will hover in that area for a long time (at least long enough for you to get your first job). 

Despite all that has happened over the last few years, I'd still always advise people to go to law school if they have a real interest in the law. It's a great learning experience, and it gives you a much deeper understanding of the technicalities of our civil society. But, it would be a perfect world if all J.D.s were created equal. U.S. News has ensured that there will always be an elite hierarchy, so do your best to not fall victim to it!

When was it a "Winning Proposition?"

Room for one more?

There has been a lot of talk recently about the "value-added proposition" of a legal education, and the "lose-lose" game of going to law school these days.  A recent New York Times article features this addition to the fray. Well, far be it for the New York Times to exaggerate a story (snark). The Times seems to indicate that all is doom and gloom. Recent law school grads and current 3Ls are in the "perfect storm" of unspeakable debt, scaled back employment options, and an ever-increasing backlog of competition.

Others have been talking and writing about the prestige and opportunity that come merely from having a J.D.  Simply expand your search parameters outside of Big Law, and you too can join the ranks of the successful Juris Doctorates. If you aren't being tapped for interviews for your "dream job," it's your own fault for having such limited dreams. Besides, no one promised you a rose garden. It's a tough world out there. Suck it up and stop feeling entitled.

The truth, of course, is rooted somewhere in the middle. It is a horrible job market for people looking to be associates in law firms (big or small). However, you can bet that by the time you have thought of an alternate career, there are 1,400 other applicants in ahead of you who already thought their way out of that same box.  Simply looking for other ways to make use of your J.D. really isn't going to be enough for everyone.

Why are we in this pickle? Are law schools to blame? Law firms? Clients? Dirty hedge funds, Ponzi schemes, and unregulated banking? If you picked "E: All of the Above", you're right. For decades we have been inundated with images, real and fictional, of the glamor and prestige of legal careers.  Law firms overpaid young associates in order to attract bright talent, and tuition rates skyrocketed commensurate with graduates' salaries. Clients spared no expense, and didn't bother questioning exorbitant legal fees, because people grew accustomed to massive legal bills.  Law firms charged what the market would bear, but now we know just what the limits of the market are.  Clients scaled back in a panic over cost-cutting measures (and many reached for the smelling salts when they noticed partners charging $600 per hour for legal "work"). Rather than trimming budgets and bringing expenses in line with sanity, firms went into massive lay-offs and hiring freezes. Think Billy Zane pushing the last half-empty lifeboat away from the Titanic.

So why does this matter, and how does it affect evening students?

It matters because people graduating law school feel so overwhelmingly ill prepared to practice law, that we are made to believe working in a multi-practice law firm is the only way to really get our feet wet, and build up credibility with clients.  (That's largely true. Law schools could benefit by being more pro-active in prepping students for real-world practice, and balance that with the need to prepare them for bar exams). The European practice of apprenticeship makes a lot of sense - there is too much to know and too little that can be covered in doctrinal classes. (see my piece on the importance of Clinics). So, we are looking at a very large wave of the next generation of attorneys who are being shut out from perhaps the best form of on-the-job training. That sound you just heard was a collective "gulp" from the next generation of clients.

However, much like the poor in 1929, evening students were already in a bad position to start with, so this current climate hasn't changed things much for us at all.  If anything, we are slightly better off economically if we have maintained our income while in school.  So there are fewer jobs out there, students have to do more to distinguish themselves, and work harder to network and make good connections.  Welcome to the world of evening students! This is nothing new for us; there are just more people in our lifeboat now.  Cue Billy Zane.

Just please, PLEASE, no Celine Dion!

Are you Serious?

Two years since your last blog post? Seriously, Christine?!? Two years? NO way have you been that busy. Well, faithful reader, you're right. I have been busy, but not so much that I couldn't drop a post here and there about law school life. So, why the ridiculously inexplicable delay? In a nutshell, I just ran out of steam for writing. I work full-time every day of the week, and am in class most nights. The weekends are spent reading and taking care of other business. There hasn't been much time for taking a step back and evaluating the experience. And by "time" I mean "energy." But, I have had an entire week off from work and school, and now have a few pieces of wisdom to impart. Prepare to be wizened.

So, what have I been up to for the past 2 years? Well, I joined a law journal, worked at a clinic, served on the executive board of 3 student organizations, held a plethora (yes, a plethora) of events, and participated in 2 mock trials. I also had a few job interviews, but in this economy, they truly aren't worth mentioning beyond that. I'm going to catch you up on each of these experiences in turn. There are a lot of pitfalls that evening students need to be aware of.

Oh, and I started running competitively. I'm starting my training for the 2011 NYC marathon. You know, cause I have nothing but time on my hands.

5 weeks to go!

This has been a rough few months. I am almost always tired, stressed, and feeling as though I'm falling behind. But, it's ok - because we all feel that way! Rule of thumb in law school: If you don't feel lousy, you're doing something wrong.

There are 5 weeks left until finals. For the first time in my life, I'm looking forward to exams - because that will mean a break from class (at least for 3 weeks). I took a practice exam for one of my professors this weekend, and thought I had submitted a rock solid answer, until I thought longer about all of the myriad arguments I could have pointed out and didn't, so I spent most of Sunday kicking myself (how could I forget the UCC 2-201 Statute of Frauds?!?). I am working my butt off to make sure that sort of brain freeze doesn't happen during the real exam.

So why all this complaining? Talk to any first year law student, all they do is gripe (which probably explains why most people have stopped talking to me). But, I don't want it to seem as if ye should abandon all hope before you enter law school. There is great stuff as well. I honestly feel really good when I think about the big picture and why I am putting myself through this. Also, this stuff is interesting - learning about the law and why things are the way the are; how justice works (in theory at least). I'm looking at the world in a different way already; reading things carefully before I sign them and walking around like a "reasonable person." So, I just wanted to drop in an update that I am still alive, though I have no life, and reassure you PTNers out there know that it can be done.