Comments on: Law Schools and Law Firms http://madisonian.net/2008/04/07/law-schools-and-law-firms/ a blog about law, tech, culture, and related things Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:59:42 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Stephen M (Ethesis) http://madisonian.net/2008/04/07/law-schools-and-law-firms/comment-page-1/#comment-246406 Stephen M (Ethesis) Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:01:47 +0000 http://madisonian.net/?p=1351#comment-246406 I do think you need to distinguish between the 10% or so of students who are hired by large law firms and the rest that are not, in terms of suggesting that firms should train young lawyers. If small (2-3 lawyer) and solo firms are expected to train young lawyers, who is expected to have provided them with the skills and training on how to train young lawyers? I've seen the numbers, and I've dealt with a number of people who left the practice of law, not because they did not desire to practice law, but because they could not find employment and lacked the skills and ability to practice that would have gained them employment as lawyers. At present, too many kids graduating from law school end up as just human debris. There is a reason why alumni giving follows the pattern it does, and I think that is a key to determining just how well served alumni feel they were. Apply the metrics that anyone else in a service industry applies, and what do they tell you, what do they suggest? I do think you need to distinguish between the 10% or so of students who are hired by large law firms and the rest that are not, in terms of suggesting that firms should train young lawyers.

If small (2-3 lawyer) and solo firms are expected to train young lawyers, who is expected to have provided them with the skills and training on how to train young lawyers?

I’ve seen the numbers, and I’ve dealt with a number of people who left the practice of law, not because they did not desire to practice law, but because they could not find employment and lacked the skills and ability to practice that would have gained them employment as lawyers.

At present, too many kids graduating from law school end up as just human debris. There is a reason why alumni giving follows the pattern it does, and I think that is a key to determining just how well served alumni feel they were.

Apply the metrics that anyone else in a service industry applies, and what do they tell you, what do they suggest?

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