Like a lot of people in the academy, I've been mighty worried of late about the effect of the economy on schools. We never do really well and in tough economic times, we're hit particularly hard. So this news (also here) from Williamsburg that the College of William and Mary has frozen hiring doesn't surprise me. Sounds like a responsible move. (By the way, belated congratulations to Taylor Reveley, William and Mary's new president--and former dean of the law school. They've very lucky to have him as president.)
I'm expecting freezes on hiring at many universities. I asked a friend at a major law school a few weeks back what he thought the effect of the economy would be on law school hiring. His response was -- characteristically -- insightful. First, fewer people are going to be retiring; second, schools will be reluctant to fill vacancies. A handful of elite schools will be insulated from the downturn, I suppose. For all the rest of us, get ready for some more belt-tightening, which may include increased teaching loads. Maybe the real crunch will be felt next year; that's hard to know. You may recall that I mentioned these issues of slowing down on (at least lateral) hires and increasing teaching loads last spring in a post on trend spotting in the legal academy (points four and five). That was before our nation's financial crisis become so severe. Finances will just accelerate those trends.
Miami is hiring. See http://www.discourse.net/archives/2008/09/ten_reasons_why_you_should_teach_here_and_three_why_you_shouldnt_v_20.html
Posted by: Michael Froomkin | October 19, 2008 at 11:21 PM
There is a good article in today's Philadelphia Inky about this topic, reporting on an upcoming meeting of the Association of American Universities on the financial crisis.
Posted by: Roger Dennis | October 20, 2008 at 08:07 AM
The hiring freeze does not affect the Law School at W&M.
Posted by: Hark | October 20, 2008 at 10:21 AM
Connecticut and South Carolina have also apparently cancelled their AALS interviews. A number of schools are continuing to interview, but rumors have it that many schools will be cutting hiring in half or freezing hiring later this year. How many of these schools will actually be making offers? Candidates interviewing with schools should not be optmistic at all that most schools will be making offers. In light of the unprecedented cuts that seem to be occuring, it would be helpful if someone would start a blog post on hiring freezes and how many offers each law school expects to actually make.
The message to entry level candidates is unmistakable -- if you receive an offer for employment, accept it before it is revoked and make sure that you get it in writing!!!!!!!
Posted by: anon | October 21, 2008 at 02:21 PM
Is it acceptable to call/email a school and just ask them about this? I mean, if the school is not going to be hiring, isnt it fair to know as the candidate?
Posted by: anon | October 21, 2008 at 03:15 PM
Someone needs to start a blog reporting the maximum number of slots various schools wuill fill this year. If a school doesn't have any slots, or if it is uncertain whether it will do any hiring at all, it is unfair to interview candidates and to ask them to give up other interviews. If course, it still is early in the year and things change, but many state schools may now think they have lines but may lose them by January or February of next year.
As to whether it is appropriate to ask, I think it is if you have a good reason such as a) an offer of a tenure-track position from another school which you might accept, b) a full dance card for interviews that would require you to cancel other interviews to interview with the school in question, or c) have read in a newspaper about hiring freezes at that university. Already, it is looking to me as if this will be one of the worse markets for candidates (translation, one of the best markets for those law schools hiring) in my 15 year career. There simply are not goiong to me as many offers going around as there usually are -- I'd anticipate it will be in the range of 2/3 of the ordinary hiring we see by law schools.
Candidates will need to recognize that the game has changed from recent years and old strategies of interviewing with as many schools as possible without thinking about the likelihood of an offer may not work as well.
Posted by: hiringvet | October 21, 2008 at 03:44 PM
It's unclear how this translates to the law school, but Arizona is also announcing a campus-wide hiring freeze: http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/byauthor/262292
Some schools limit such freezes to positions that are not "essential", and maybe some law teaching jobs are, but it doesn't look good for those of use who have signed up to interview with Arizona.
Posted by: anon | October 21, 2008 at 04:08 PM
BU has also called for a hiring freeze -
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2008/10/01/bu_head_calls_for_a_hiring_freeze/
The University of Washington has implemented a hiring freeze too --
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/383471_uw16.html
Definitely don't count on offers from these places!!!!
Posted by: anon | October 21, 2008 at 04:13 PM
Add Colorado to your list:
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/sep/25/gov-orders-hiring-freeze-halts-new-construction/
Posted by: rockymountainhigh | October 21, 2008 at 04:20 PM
How do/should all of these cuts and hiring freezes change the strategies for a candidate? Will things get better or worse as the year goes on???
Posted by: anon | October 21, 2008 at 04:24 PM