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Finished LSAT, Law School, and the Bar? Now Learn to Lawyer
The New York Times recently reported something that many pre-law and law students already know too well: after hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans and three years of study, law school graduates don’t possess the practical skills to practice law.
Now, for all our MCAT-taking future doctors out there, that might seem crazy. You go to a professional school to learn your profession. That’s what you’re paying the big bucks for, no?
Not for lawyers. Practical training for new associates is implicitly subsidized by law firms’ clients, who pay hundreds of dollars an hour for lawyers who are learning on the job.
If you think this sounds like a raw deal for clients, they increasingly agree, refusing to pay for work done by first or second year lawyers. The poor economy is hastening this trend, as clients watch every penny billed by their blood-suckers legal team.
Back in academe, where professors focus on theory and publishing, it will be a long and slow process to increase focus on the practical. Dean Edward Rubin of Vanderbilt Law School tried to implement some modest updates to the curriculum and “some members of the faculty got a little overstressed by all the change.”
What do you think: should lawyers learn practical skills in law school? Is the current system fine as is? Are clients being unreasonable in refusing to work with new lawyers? We’d love to hear from aspiring law students, current law students, and especially new associates! Comment below.
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Posted on: Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 at 10:14 am
Posted in: Trends
Tags: Law School, LSAT, MCAT, Medical School, new york times