LSAT Takers Hit 16-Year High, But Most Grads Regret Going to Law School
Why is law school popular again? One theory is the Trump effect, which is that people are so morally and politically outraged by the direction of the country that they want to go to law school to set things right.
February 22, 2018 at 04:16 PM
5 minute read
This news brief is directed at you young'uns—those of you who are thinking about pursuing a career in law. Some issues we'll look at today: Are you nuts to go to law school? And if you do so, will you regret it? And will you be loved?
LSAT is in vogue again! According to TaxProfBlog, the rate of LSAT test-takers “skyrocketed 29.7 [percent] in December,” which is on top of the 19.8 percent jump in June, and the 10.7 percent surge in September/October. The blog reports that the 19.2 percent overall increase for last year is the largest bump since 2001-02.
That bump also translates into more law school applications: Compared to last year, there's been a 10.6 percent increase in applicants.
Why is law school popular again? One theory is the Trump effect, which is that people are so morally and politically outraged by the direction of the country that they want to go to law school to set things right.
According to a survey of 500 students by Kaplan Test Prep, the Trump effect is real. Kaplan's press release says: “Nearly one third of pre-law students surveyed (32 percent) say the results of the 2016 election impacted their decision to become lawyers.”
Law students might start out inspired, but they don't stay that way. This is rather disheartening. According to Gallup, only 20 percent of law school grads feel law school prepared them well for their careers and only 23 percent feel it was worth the money: “Law graduates, in particular, rate the value of their degree poorly. Less than a quarter of law degree holders strongly agree that their education was worth the cost, compared with about six in 10 of those with medical (58 percent) or doctoral (64 percent) degrees.”
Wow, that's a lot of bitterness among law grads—even worse than what I would have guessed. So why the discontent among law grads? Well, it certainly doesn't help that the employment picture isn't rosy. As Law School Transparency reports: Only 60.1 percent of law school graduates got full-time, entry-level law jobs. Though the Big Law sector is far healthier than it was during the recession, most firms aren't hiring at the rate they once did.
And let's not even get into the malaise that befalls the “lucky” lawyers who get hired by Big Law.
Of course, it's ironic that law school applications are spiking at the same time that so many law grads are expressing buyers regret. Why the disconnect? Are these two groups not speaking with each? Or are the aspiring lawyers just young and heedless?
May I just offer this advice to prospective law students? Before you send in the law school deposit, please corner current law students and lawyers and ask them if they'd do it all over again.
Everyone wants to date a lawyer. I know I've given you some reasons to think twice about going to law school, but let me give you a compelling reason to go: You will be desired! Yes, you, the lawyer.
According to Dow Jones' site Moneyish, lawyers rank first as sought-after dates. What's more, lawyers are considered desirable by both sexes! (And you thought the legal field lacked gender equality.)
And what professions came after lawyer? The hot male jobs are analysts, engineers, salesmen, and doctors, according to Mashable, which reported on the survey, while designer, teacher, marketer, and physician came out on top for women.
Frankly, some of those other professions sound rather dull (salesmen and engineers?). In any case, when it comes to being hot, lawyers rule.
Speaking of hot: Guess which porn star is going to law school? No, silly, it's not Stormy Daniels, who seems to be doing just fine without a J.D.
The porn star is Belle Knox (real name: Miriam Weeks), who's now attending New York Law School, according to The New York Post. (Hat tip: Above the Law.) The Post reminds us that Knox “put herself through Duke” as an undergraduate by performing porn.
Knox might not be a household name, but she is quite famous and outspoken. As the Post notes, she “is not secretive about her sordid past, which was turned into a Lifetime movie released about a year ago, From Straight A's to XXX.”
I don't know what prompted Knox to become a lawyer. (Query: Is she part of the Trump Bump?). In any event, I have no problems with her legal aspirations. I'm all for reinvention. Frankly, the system could use more lawyers who can draw on their life experiences.
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