Law Schools

Law Prof Predicts a ‘New Hierarchy’ of Law Schools

A law professor known for his studies of the legal profession is predicting a “new hierarchy” of law schools will emerge, one that will be based on educational quality and connection to the legal profession rather than student academic credentials. The top law schools admit students with higher LSAT scores,…

Nov 15, 2010 11:30 AM CST

Lawyer Wins YouTube Fame with Anti-Law School Video

A Virginia lawyer who is an aspiring novelist has now achieved YouTube fame with a humorous, animated video called “So You Want to Go to Law School.” The video by lawyer David Kazzie features a jaded lawyer meeting with an eager-would be law student whose father thinks she could use…

Nov 12, 2010 1:56 PM CST

After 4 Years with Fighting Irish, Notre Dame Grad Doubles Up in 5th by Entering Law School

A dedicated student as well as a dedicated athlete, Chris Stewart found time to focus on his education at the University of Notre Dame even as the offensive line starter starred on the football field. But now he’s found a way to add a new academic challenge as he continues…

Nov 9, 2010 10:02 PM CST

US News to End Hard-Copy Subscriptions But Keep Law School Rankings, Website & Newsstand Sales

Updated: A venerable news magazine best-known to many for its controversial law school rankings is ending hard-copy subscriptions as of next month. However, U.S. News & World Report will continue publishing the annual law school rankings, says Robert Morse, the magazine’s director of data research. “This change has no impact…

Nov 5, 2010 9:04 PM CDT

Judge’s Plea Deal for Law Grad in Chapel Fire Is Better Than Prosecutor’s

A Manhattan judge has offered a Harvard law grad a no-jail plea deal in the arson of a Sept. 11 memorial chapel. Prosecutors had asked for a one-to-three-year prison term for Brian Schroeder, 27, if he pleads guilty to the fire, set on Halloween morning last year. But Judge Rena…

Nov 4, 2010 11:23 AM CDT

Georgetown’s Law School Wins Popularity Contest

One out of every seven law school applicants applied last year to Georgetown University Law Center, making it the most popular law school in the nation. The school had 592 spots and 12,404 applications, the most of any law school in the United States, according to Georgetown University’s newspaper, the…

Nov 3, 2010 11:51 AM CDT

Arizona State’s Law School May Go Private, Raise Tuition

Like a handful of other states struggling to deal with belt-tightening budgets, Arizona is looking to make some of its public university graduate programs private and self-sustaining. At the top of the list of likely suspects for this approach is Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, reports…

Nov 2, 2010 9:29 PM CDT

Law Schools Grow as Jobs Shrink, Producing Irate Unemployed Lawyers

Law schools awarded more than 43,000 J.D.s last year, an increase of 11.5 percent since 2000, even as the legal job market was contracting. Law schools are producing more lawyers than America needs, and many of the jobless grads are irate and vocal, Slate reports. “They’ve got a point,” the…

Oct 28, 2010 3:08 PM CDT

Georgia State 3Ls Find Experience Through Research Pool Aimed at Solos, Small Firms

Solo and small-firm lawyers in need of inexpensive and skilled legal research in a pinch can now turn to Georgia State College of Law’s third-year law students and recent graduates thanks to a new service by GSU career services. The program, Short-term Research Assistance Pool (SHARP), matches lawyers with vetted…

Oct 22, 2010 4:30 PM CDT

Bleak Job Market and High Debt Isn’t Deterring Would-Be Law School Applicants, Survey Says

Overconfidence and a sustained belief in the intrinsic value of a law degree are two reasons why prospective law students remain undaunted by potential six-figure debt and the high unemployment rates of recent law school graduates. Only four percent of potential law school applicants polled said they’d scrap law school…

Oct 22, 2010 4:12 PM CDT

Private Donors Pick Up 1/3 of the Tuition for New Law Students at UC-Irvine

Law students in the class of 2014 at the University of California at Irvine are getting a break on tuition, but it’s not the same sweet deal given to previous classes. The entire class of 2014 will get scholarships to pay for a third of their tuition, according to the…

Oct 22, 2010 2:30 PM CDT

Jobless Boston College 3L Asks for a Refund

A Boston College 3L who is saddled with large student debt and bleak job prospects has a proposal for the interim dean: Keep the JD degree and refund my tuition. In an open letter to interim dean George Brown posted at the blog Eagleionline, the anonymous student writes that his…

Oct 21, 2010 2:32 PM CDT

Satirical Law School Blog Leads to Harassment Probe Against Syracuse 2L

Len Audaer isn’t disclosing whether he’s the author of a satirical blog about Syracuse University’s law school, but the 2L has revealed that he is now the focus of a harassment investigation because of the blog content. Audaer received an e-mail on Friday notifying him of the investigation based on…

Oct 20, 2010 2:29 PM CDT

ABA Weighs Required Disclosure of Law School Job Stats, More Rigorous Reporting

ABA President Stephen Zack says potential law students lack awareness about lawyer jobs and salaries, and the association is considering ways to correct the misimpression. Zack was quoted by the National Law Journal about concerns that a record number of applicants are applying to law schools even as law firms…

Oct 19, 2010 3:30 PM CDT

Profs Predict Law School Closings as More Grads Earn Less than Break-Even Pay

As large law firms continue to hire fewer highly paid associates, law school applications will eventually drop and the number of law schools will likely contract, two professors predict in a recent article. The most prestigious “super elite” law schools will remain, according to the article by University of San…

Oct 19, 2010 11:00 AM CDT