The LSAC is now reporting that "As of 05/20/16, there are 335,605 applications submitted by 52,363 applicants for the 2016–2017 academic year. Applicants are up 1.2% and applications are up 1.7% from 2015–2016. Last year at this time, we had 93% of the preliminary final applicant count." The last post in this series is here. The next post in this series is here.
The problem is that many professors and Deans believe they are making a tremendous sacrifice in the name of public service when they compare themselves to an Equity partner at Jenner or Sidley. However, the fairer comparison should be to us Solos, Micro-firms and the legions of unemployed attorneys which comprises the vast majority of the legal profession. For me and thousands and thousands of other legal practitioners, you guys are fabulously wealthy.
Posted by: Captain Hruska Carswell, Continuance King | May 26, 2016 at 01:03 PM
And the comparison of Law Professors to Solos or Partners is relevant to the posting above because......?
Posted by: Anon | May 27, 2016 at 04:25 PM
Greater numbers of students would enroll if tuition and fees would go substantially down. Law School for many folks, me included, is/was not a good ROI (financially). Law Professor and Administrator Salaries should reflect what a neighborhood, store front solo earns. More than fifty percent of the legal profession are solos and micro-firms. The Paul Campos data suggests earnings from 35-40K per year for the median solo. A few years back, a Solo like me earned a nice, sustatinable, middle class income with a pipeline of volume work. To attract the "best and brightest" law schools and court systems had to be "competitive" with the private sector (Solos) and offer six figures with pensions. Not today. Government and Law School jobs are now the high earning gold standard. You guys won the "lottery." I got the financial booby prize. Compensation needs to come down to reflect reality on the street.
Posted by: Captain Hruska Carswell, Continuance King | May 27, 2016 at 04:52 PM