Until even the middle of the 20th century, many attorneys entered the legal profession through the process of apprenticeship. As we know, the legal profession has evolved and entry to the legal profession today requires a three-year J.D. degree program followed by the bar exam. Solid legal education has always contained the element of hands-on learning, whether in an apprenticeship or now in law school clinics or jobs with legal employers. Today, law schools are taking practical skills to a higher level to achieve the type of readiness that legal employers require and demand. But what does this new “practice ready” movement currently taking place in law schools mean for current law students?

New Hiring Criteria

Recently, Google told the New York Times that GPA is “worthless as a criteria for hiring,” while law firms, some even while acknowledging this as a fact, continue to hire based almost entirely on academic credentials. Thankfully this is changing, but slowly. Now firms are increasingly looking for performance and experience rather than an “A” in Con Law. Firms have taken steps to identify who the MVPs are at the firm and are beginning to realize that it may not be those from the top schools or with the top grades. What is coming more slowly is the movement in hiring criteria to reflect these new understandings.

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