I have not been too fond of law school rankings. I think they are convoluted and make law schools do things that are not in the best interest of their students. Only after a student committed suicide at my law school, did the administration start to think that maybe they were catering to the wrong people. (stepping of the pedestal now)
Now I have just heard that there is another law school ranking system looking to overtake the U.S. News & World Report rankings. Jonathan Turley has blogged about the Cooley Law School rankings. Now we can all say once again that my law school is better than your law school (yes, my alma matter is in the top 20, but that does not mean I think it is better than yours).
Personally, I think all law schools need to revamp the way they teach law. Since when does legal theory get you anywhere? When I found myself tossed into a trial at the last minute this week, I kept thinking that I had never been prepared for this. Trial Advocay prepared me a little but Moot Court didn’t do jack. But if you want to know the theories behind our Nation’s penal system, I can tell you that! I guarantee that my client could have cared less. All she wanted was to make sure her child was not taken away by DCS. Law school never prepared me for that.
Grumblings aside, if you go to law school, know that you are going to get out of it what you put in it. And select a law school that works for you. It is a reality that most of use will not end up at huge firms making six figures. Those firms are letting associates go left and right in this economy. Know that it is a great possibility that you will need more preperation than what your law school can provide. And hope that maybe some day that will change.
But while you are waiting, read Jonathan Turley’s blog. It is an enjoyable read every day.
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My email in response to the recent “State of the Law School” email from our Law School’s Dean:
“Dean ______:
Thank you for your email. I agree that [law school] will indeed weather this storm, and in fine shape, I’m sure. I also agree that the people at [law school] are its greatest strength – without a doubt, the professors and students were the best part of attending [law school].
I would like to offer a suggestion as you consider the future of [law school]. A little background: I graduated this Spring, took and passed the Oregon bar, and started my own firm. I’ve only been in business for about two months, but I’m doing pretty well, and finding clients has not been a problem. I believe that a good part of this can be attributed to my ability, as a solo practitioner, to keep my expenses (and therefore my rates) low, unlike the large firms that are laying off attorneys. I’m involved in my community and am already taking on leadership roles, and I’ve been able to experience the wonderful joy of helping my clients solve their problems.
On the other hand, I am often petrified because I don’t feel that I really know what it means to practice law (although I’m starting to get an idea). Sure, I can write an apellate brief…but I don’t need to do that, and most attorneys don’t. I need to write pleadings and motions, dig up dirt on opposing parties, bill my clients, and call GE to complain about my phone not working right. Among about 500 other things. I ended up hiring a contract paralegal to teach me many of these things – I had never heard of a conformed signature before she explained it – and she has saved me.
So my suggestion is this: make this a viable option for more of your graduates. Teach them what it actually means to deal with a case from start to finish, including the nitty gritty details. The entire focus of career services is on getting a traditional job, and “going solo” is never mentioned as an option. It has to be an option in this job climate. Yes, the majority of graduates will go to work for firms – and those firms will really appreciate getting associates that actually know how to be an attorney, know how to talk to clients, and know how to properly review the work of their support staff.
I realize that this is part of a larger, broader debate at [law school], one of theory versus practice, and my voice is one of many. Theory is important, and I’m well aware of how important the “retraining” of my brain at [law school] has been. But practice has to be there, too, and not in just a tiny 3 unit requirement. I’m not sure why the two can’t go hand in hand, much as they do in LW&R.
Again, thank you for your email, and I look forward to seeing how [law school] grows in the future. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of further assistance.”
Great letter Bev. I don’t even know if I got an email from my school about that. They are forgetting me already