Here is an inspiring story about a 71 year old former Nigerian presidential candidate who has decided to return to school to earn his J.D. Pretty wild!
By Steve Kanigher
Monday, Nov. 29, 2010
The admissions director at Boyd School of Law guesses that half of the first-year students have held professional jobs.
But surely none quite like Lawrence Eyo Ita.
He has earned doctorates in mechanical and civil engineering and served as a professor at UNLV.
Most of the students were barely toddlers when Ita helped rewrite the constitution in his native Nigeria and participated in the founding of a political party there.
Ita, who turns 71 on Wednesday, is the oldest of the 145 students who entered Boyd this fall. The next oldest is 54.
Some of Boyd’s students are victims of the economy, or were frustrated in old jobs, and are on the hunt for a new career. Ita, who stands out in a crowd because of his full white beard, certainly is not looking for a new career because he can’t find a job. His resume is a jaw-dropper.
“I have never not been a student,” he said. “Even when I was teaching, I was a student. I am involved in the constant search for truths and in the development of capabilities to solve human problems, societal problems.”
After leaving Nigeria in his 20s, he attended the University of Michigan in the 1960s at a time when many college students were preoccupied with protesting the Vietnam War. Not Ita. He was always hitting the books, and it paid off with his engineering doctorate.
He parlayed his degree into jobs in the 1970s as an engineering professor at UNLV and for a brief time as engineering director of what is now known as the state Public Utilities Commission.
Ita returned to Nigeria in the early 1980s because he wanted to get involved in politics, but his timing was off because he had been out of the country for years and was therefore considered an outsider. The West African nation, which gained independence from Great Britain in 1960, is a multiparty democracy whose government has been interrupted by a series of military coups. It was one of those coups that provided an opening for Ita, because the new leaders wanted to pursue a democracy with young, fresh politicians.
Seeing an opening, Ita, who had become general manager of a water agency, was elected in 1989 to the Nigerian Constituent Assembly, a body of 300 members who rewrote Nigeria’s constitution. While there he also became a founder of a political party, the Liberal Convention, which eventually merged into a larger party. It was Ita who came up with the name Liberal Convention.
“We wanted transparency in government, full representation for all parts of the country, more of a liberal philosophy on issues affecting segments of society,” Ita said. “I liked the idea of liberal because it allows everyone to have a say. And I wanted to get away from the name “party,” and convention sounded to me like something that would bring everybody together.”
Ita eventually took a stab at Nigeria’s presidency, but his candidacy in 1998 was marred by illness, and he returned to Southern Nevada. He resumed his career in academia, serving as a professor at what is now known as the College of Southern Nevada and helping to design a way for instructors to offer coursework to students over the Internet.
He also found time to take classes in computer programming and in 2007 earned his second doctorate, this time in education leadership from UNLV.
And he self-published a book, “Life’s Experiences, Science & The Name of God,” which explores the relation between science and prayer.
His pursuit of a law degree, he said, involves his quest to learn about international business transactions, treaties and other instruction that can help him reform Nigeria’s democracy. One change he seeks is to have ballot results posted on a wall at each ward where votes were cast.
“The ballot boxes now are transported to a higher level, like a county, and it’s in that process that boxes disappear, boxes are exchanged,” Ita said. “By the time you get to the final entry, like a presidential election at the national level, the results don’t mean anything.”
His proposal sounds simple, he said, but he realizes it will take much persuasion for those in power to hold more transparent elections and to add transparency to other government functions, including the awarding of public works contracts. Ita plans to hone those skills at Boyd.
“Out of the training and persuasive discourse, law school definitely instills that discipline,” he said.
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Mr. Ita's story is very inspiring. A man of his position with so much experience deciding to humble himself and return to the class room shows the importance many people pace on having an education in law. Many students coming into their first year of law school do not have the experience that Mr. Ita has, and this causes them much anxiety about what to expect from law school. eCasebriefs.com offers a FREE Law School Prep Course for future law students. This FREE lecture series includes 12 online lectures, given by professors from top law schools from all over the country. While there are courses similar to this offered, this is the only course that is 100% FREE. If you want to be prepared for law school, eCasebriefs.com FREE law school prep course is the only way to go!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Law school students to assist veterans with claims
University of Detroit Mercy School of Law • Reader Submitted • November 15, 2010
University of Detroit Mercy School of Law's (UDM Law) Project SALUTE is traveling across the State of Michigan in a mobile law office, a recreational vehicle custom designed, built and generously donated by General Motors Corporation, providing FREE legal advice to low-income veterans on their federal veterans' disability and pension benefits claims.
Project SALUTE's three primary goals are: 1.) Educate law students by providing one-on-one contact with real clients with real cases. 2.) Educate veterans of their rights under federal law and provide individualized legal counsel to obtain benefits. 3.) Educate attorneys in Veterans' Benefits Law to create a network of FREE assistance for veterans.
Utilizing a grant from the State of Michigan, Project SALUTE will host a veterans' legal clinic in Battle Creek on Wednesday, November 17, at the Battle Creek Health Fair, located at 35 West Hamblin Ave., from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The state grant is also being used to establish a freestanding Veterans Clinic at the school dedicated to specifically addressing veterans' disability and pension benefits matters. Under the supervision of law school faculty, law students are able to provide assistance to Michigan's veterans in their efforts to seek Federal veterans' benefits payments.
To date, Project SALUTE has counseled more than 600 veterans and trained more than 200 pro bono attorneys across the state of Michigan.
eCasebriefs.com offers the only FREE law school prep course. This course is the BEST way for potential law students to prepare for real world law classes. It is FREE and going on NOW
University of Detroit Mercy School of Law's (UDM Law) Project SALUTE is traveling across the State of Michigan in a mobile law office, a recreational vehicle custom designed, built and generously donated by General Motors Corporation, providing FREE legal advice to low-income veterans on their federal veterans' disability and pension benefits claims.
Project SALUTE's three primary goals are: 1.) Educate law students by providing one-on-one contact with real clients with real cases. 2.) Educate veterans of their rights under federal law and provide individualized legal counsel to obtain benefits. 3.) Educate attorneys in Veterans' Benefits Law to create a network of FREE assistance for veterans.
Utilizing a grant from the State of Michigan, Project SALUTE will host a veterans' legal clinic in Battle Creek on Wednesday, November 17, at the Battle Creek Health Fair, located at 35 West Hamblin Ave., from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The state grant is also being used to establish a freestanding Veterans Clinic at the school dedicated to specifically addressing veterans' disability and pension benefits matters. Under the supervision of law school faculty, law students are able to provide assistance to Michigan's veterans in their efforts to seek Federal veterans' benefits payments.
To date, Project SALUTE has counseled more than 600 veterans and trained more than 200 pro bono attorneys across the state of Michigan.
eCasebriefs.com offers the only FREE law school prep course. This course is the BEST way for potential law students to prepare for real world law classes. It is FREE and going on NOW
Monday, November 8, 2010
UC Irvine School of Law to offer 1/3 tuition scholarships for class of 2014
With the cost of law school gradually becoming a hot topic in the education world, the University of California Irvine School of Law is taking aggressive steps to make sure that they are able to attract top candidates. The school recently announced that they will provide scholarships of at least one-third tuition to each member of the Class of 2014.
Opened in 2009, UCI Law is the first public law school in California in more than 40 years but has already become a competitor with the nation's top 20 law schools. Tuition at UCI Law comes with a hefty price tag of $40,000 for in-state students and $50,000 for out-of-state students. However, the school provided full-tuition scholarships to its first class, and half-tuition scholarships to the second. UCI Law has been able to offer these enticing scholarships thanks to private donations, including a substantial gift from Mark P. Robinson Jr., chair of the Dean's Advisory Council and senior partner at Robinson, Calcagnie Robinson Inc in Newport Beach, Calif.
“Because of the generosity of Mark Robinson and others, UCI Law will continue to provide generous scholarships to help us attract top-quality students,” said Dean Erwin Chemerinsky. “These schoarlships will also help reduce the debt burdens of our students by the time they are ready to pursue careers in law and public service.”
National Jurist
The financial sacrifices most law schools students make in order to pay for law school are immense. Whether it is student loans, or working extra jobs to pay for school, students make sacrifices in order to pursue their dreams. Financial preparations, while important, are not the only preparation necessary for law school. Many students find the transition to law school classes overwhelming, however you can mitigate this issue by taking a law school prep course. There are many of these courses available, however for students saving for law school the FREE Law School Prep Course offered at eCasebriefs.com
Opened in 2009, UCI Law is the first public law school in California in more than 40 years but has already become a competitor with the nation's top 20 law schools. Tuition at UCI Law comes with a hefty price tag of $40,000 for in-state students and $50,000 for out-of-state students. However, the school provided full-tuition scholarships to its first class, and half-tuition scholarships to the second. UCI Law has been able to offer these enticing scholarships thanks to private donations, including a substantial gift from Mark P. Robinson Jr., chair of the Dean's Advisory Council and senior partner at Robinson, Calcagnie Robinson Inc in Newport Beach, Calif.
“Because of the generosity of Mark Robinson and others, UCI Law will continue to provide generous scholarships to help us attract top-quality students,” said Dean Erwin Chemerinsky. “These schoarlships will also help reduce the debt burdens of our students by the time they are ready to pursue careers in law and public service.”
National Jurist
The financial sacrifices most law schools students make in order to pay for law school are immense. Whether it is student loans, or working extra jobs to pay for school, students make sacrifices in order to pursue their dreams. Financial preparations, while important, are not the only preparation necessary for law school. Many students find the transition to law school classes overwhelming, however you can mitigate this issue by taking a law school prep course. There are many of these courses available, however for students saving for law school the FREE Law School Prep Course offered at eCasebriefs.com
Monday, November 1, 2010
Why the job market is changing
In the most recent issue of The National Jurist professor William D. Henderson of Indiana University highlights recent changes in the job market for law school graduates. Keep yourself in tune with the changing job market so you can easily transition into the working world.
Why the job market is changing
The law firm world that we have all known is changing. Fueled by new economic realities. Law firms are beginning to adapt to a new reality. And that makes it hard for law students to understand the part they care about the most — the entry-level hiring market.
By William D. Henderson, professor of Law at Indiana University Maurer School of Law—Bloomington and director, Law Firms Working Group, for The National Jurist magazine.
As someone who spends a large amount of time studying the history and structure of the legal services industry, I might have some useful insight on the vagaries of the current job market, including how things might change in the future.
Here are three relevant observations:
1. The traditional law firm hiring model (pedigree and grades) doesn’t do a very good job of selecting candidates who are likely to succeed as large firm litigators or corporate lawyers.
2 The traditional credential-based model is gradually being dismantled because clients are no longer willing to absorb the cost of bad hiring decisions.
3. The skills and behaviors you need to set yourself apart are not taught in law school—indeed, your typical law professor is completely unqualified to serve as your jungle guide.
How we got here
Although these observations may seem extravagant, they make more sense when placed in historical context. At the beginning of the post-World War II era, the vast majority of U.S. lawyers were general practitioners working as self-employed businessmen. They did not make much money, primarily because there were more generalist lawyers than work.
In contrast, the average partner working in a “large” law firm made approximately five times as much as the typical solo practitioner. Although big firm lawyers comprised only a small fragment of the private practice bar (less than 4 percent of lawyers worked in firms with five or more partners), they had specialized skills that were in short supply relative to demand.
For the next several decades, market forces favored the larger law firms. During this time period, the rise of the administrative state and the growth of transnational commerce created an enormous need for sophisticated business lawyers. And the only credible way to fill this talent gap was for the specialists — the partners in large firms — to train younger lawyers (associates).
Indeed, if a firm had an established reputation, the business clients were willing pay for this training.
Historically, the leading business law firms recruited at elite, Ivy League law schools, in part because these schools had full-time, learned faculty and required an undergraduate education. In the days before the LSAT and stringent state bar admissions standards, there was a general belief that the Ivy League model produced better thinkers and problem-solvers.
After lawyers and law professors organized themselves nationally — through the ABA and the Association of American Law Schools — they were then able to successfully lobby state governments to adopt the Ivy League model as the template for all law schools. This movement coincided with the rise of the great public law schools, which made legal education affordable to a large number of first generation professionals.
These changes in legal education substantially diluted the business rationale for law firms to recruit at elite law schools. But, the self-image of law firms had become intimately intertwined with the educational pedigree of their lawyers. And because large firms were still only a small proportion of the total legal market, any pay premium for the top academic graduates was still small enough to pass along to clients. In short, there was no economic downside to being an academic snob.
These favorable economic conditions lasted for several decades, and it became the industry-wide presumption that partners from the most elite schools were the best lawyers. The institutionalization of on-campus interviews by large law firms further perpetuated this pattern. In turn, 20-year-old college students looking for a reliable path to prestige and wealth set their sights on the so-called national law schools.
Most current law students are quite familiar with the rest of this story.
As the financial and technology sectors boomed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, law firms went on a hiring spree. And for the first time in history, the demand for elite law school graduates outstripped supply. This produced an entry-level job market that was “bi-modal”—a large proportion of graduates clustered at salaries of $40,000 to $50,000, a second large cluster at $140,000 to $160,000, and only relatively few jobs in between.
By William D. Henderson, professor of Law at Indiana University Maurer School of Law—Bloomington and director, Law Firms Working Group, for The National Jurist magazine.
While staying in tune with the changing job market for law school grads will help you prepare for after law school, the best way to prepare for law school itself is by participating in a preparation course. There are many such courses, however they can be quite pricey. eCasebriefs.com offers a FREE Law School Prep Course Lecture Series. To find out more go to http://www.ecasebriefs.com/blog/category/pre-law-prep-course/
Why the job market is changing
The law firm world that we have all known is changing. Fueled by new economic realities. Law firms are beginning to adapt to a new reality. And that makes it hard for law students to understand the part they care about the most — the entry-level hiring market.
By William D. Henderson, professor of Law at Indiana University Maurer School of Law—Bloomington and director, Law Firms Working Group, for The National Jurist magazine.
As someone who spends a large amount of time studying the history and structure of the legal services industry, I might have some useful insight on the vagaries of the current job market, including how things might change in the future.
Here are three relevant observations:
1. The traditional law firm hiring model (pedigree and grades) doesn’t do a very good job of selecting candidates who are likely to succeed as large firm litigators or corporate lawyers.
2 The traditional credential-based model is gradually being dismantled because clients are no longer willing to absorb the cost of bad hiring decisions.
3. The skills and behaviors you need to set yourself apart are not taught in law school—indeed, your typical law professor is completely unqualified to serve as your jungle guide.
How we got here
Although these observations may seem extravagant, they make more sense when placed in historical context. At the beginning of the post-World War II era, the vast majority of U.S. lawyers were general practitioners working as self-employed businessmen. They did not make much money, primarily because there were more generalist lawyers than work.
In contrast, the average partner working in a “large” law firm made approximately five times as much as the typical solo practitioner. Although big firm lawyers comprised only a small fragment of the private practice bar (less than 4 percent of lawyers worked in firms with five or more partners), they had specialized skills that were in short supply relative to demand.
For the next several decades, market forces favored the larger law firms. During this time period, the rise of the administrative state and the growth of transnational commerce created an enormous need for sophisticated business lawyers. And the only credible way to fill this talent gap was for the specialists — the partners in large firms — to train younger lawyers (associates).
Indeed, if a firm had an established reputation, the business clients were willing pay for this training.
Historically, the leading business law firms recruited at elite, Ivy League law schools, in part because these schools had full-time, learned faculty and required an undergraduate education. In the days before the LSAT and stringent state bar admissions standards, there was a general belief that the Ivy League model produced better thinkers and problem-solvers.
After lawyers and law professors organized themselves nationally — through the ABA and the Association of American Law Schools — they were then able to successfully lobby state governments to adopt the Ivy League model as the template for all law schools. This movement coincided with the rise of the great public law schools, which made legal education affordable to a large number of first generation professionals.
These changes in legal education substantially diluted the business rationale for law firms to recruit at elite law schools. But, the self-image of law firms had become intimately intertwined with the educational pedigree of their lawyers. And because large firms were still only a small proportion of the total legal market, any pay premium for the top academic graduates was still small enough to pass along to clients. In short, there was no economic downside to being an academic snob.
These favorable economic conditions lasted for several decades, and it became the industry-wide presumption that partners from the most elite schools were the best lawyers. The institutionalization of on-campus interviews by large law firms further perpetuated this pattern. In turn, 20-year-old college students looking for a reliable path to prestige and wealth set their sights on the so-called national law schools.
Most current law students are quite familiar with the rest of this story.
As the financial and technology sectors boomed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, law firms went on a hiring spree. And for the first time in history, the demand for elite law school graduates outstripped supply. This produced an entry-level job market that was “bi-modal”—a large proportion of graduates clustered at salaries of $40,000 to $50,000, a second large cluster at $140,000 to $160,000, and only relatively few jobs in between.
By William D. Henderson, professor of Law at Indiana University Maurer School of Law—Bloomington and director, Law Firms Working Group, for The National Jurist magazine.
While staying in tune with the changing job market for law school grads will help you prepare for after law school, the best way to prepare for law school itself is by participating in a preparation course. There are many such courses, however they can be quite pricey. eCasebriefs.com offers a FREE Law School Prep Course Lecture Series. To find out more go to http://www.ecasebriefs.com/blog/category/pre-law-prep-course/
Monday, October 25, 2010
Project Helps Send 2 Ugandan Women to Law School
Recently a U.S based grassroots organization traveled to Uganda to give two women a chance of a lifetime; the opportunity to attend law school in the U.S.
Karen Sloan
The National Law Journal
October 21, 2010
Ms. JD, a grassroots organization committed to advancing women in the legal profession, is looking beyond the borders of the United States.
The group has launched a Global Education Fund that is intended to help women in developing countries become lawyers. The inaugural recipients of the grant are two Ugandan women who will study law at Makerere University in Kampala -- a pursuit that would be out of reach without financial backing.
"We've had this idea kicking around for a long time," said Ms. JD Executive Director Jessie Kornberg. "A lot of what makes Ms. JD work at home is a real sense of solidarity: We're all in this together. That extends beyond borders. We derive our strength and energy from a sense of collaboration and mutual support. This is in keeping in the same vein of women helping women."
Ms. JD will spend about $5,000 a year for five years of undergraduate and law training for recipients Joaninne Nanyange and Monica Athieno. The women were selected for the grant by the Gender Mainstreaming Division at Makerere University based on their financial need and academic credentials. A mere 3 percent of the adult women in Uganda have access to higher education and 45 percent have never received any schooling, according to Ms. JD.
Nanyange intends to use her law degree to assist women and children as a human rights lawyer. She paid her own way through elementary and secondary schools despite the death of her mother and abandonment of her and four younger siblings by her father.
Athieno aspires to become a judge and help develop the rule of law in Uganda. She sold vegetables at a local market to pay for her secondary school education. "In Uganda today, girls and [widows] are faced with challenges from the relatives of a deceased father or husband, they threaten to take the few assets left," Athieno told Ms. JD. "If widows had knowledge about where to seek refuge, they would not be abused in this way."
Ms. JD initially considered supporting women's education in Ghana, but settled on Uganda for this round of funding because the Gender Mainstreaming Division at Makerere University could administer the grant, Kornberg said. The logistics of the program proved far more complicated that initially expected due to tax issues and State Department restrictions on sending money overseas.
Ms. JD is in the process of raising the $25,000 needed to pay for Nanyange and Athieno's education. The organization plans events in New York, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles. Ms. JD hopes to name more Global Fund recipients, possibly as early as next academic semester.
Ms. JD was founded in 2006 by law students from 12 different schools, and conducts research, offers scholarships and hosts a number of online resources for women in the profession.
"We are open to all suggestions from anyone who wants to help or get involved," Kornberg said. "We think this is just the beginning for the Global Education Fund."
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One can only imagine the hardships these women have endured in order to make their dreams of going to law school come true. However, the ordeal of preparing for law school can be difficult, no matter your upbringing. Being prepared for the law school experience is the only way to ensure that your transition into law will be a smooth one. There are many law school prep courses, but the eCasebriefs.com “Law School Prep Course” Video Lecture Series is the only free online prep course available to student preparing for law school.
Karen Sloan
The National Law Journal
October 21, 2010
Ms. JD, a grassroots organization committed to advancing women in the legal profession, is looking beyond the borders of the United States.
The group has launched a Global Education Fund that is intended to help women in developing countries become lawyers. The inaugural recipients of the grant are two Ugandan women who will study law at Makerere University in Kampala -- a pursuit that would be out of reach without financial backing.
"We've had this idea kicking around for a long time," said Ms. JD Executive Director Jessie Kornberg. "A lot of what makes Ms. JD work at home is a real sense of solidarity: We're all in this together. That extends beyond borders. We derive our strength and energy from a sense of collaboration and mutual support. This is in keeping in the same vein of women helping women."
Ms. JD will spend about $5,000 a year for five years of undergraduate and law training for recipients Joaninne Nanyange and Monica Athieno. The women were selected for the grant by the Gender Mainstreaming Division at Makerere University based on their financial need and academic credentials. A mere 3 percent of the adult women in Uganda have access to higher education and 45 percent have never received any schooling, according to Ms. JD.
Nanyange intends to use her law degree to assist women and children as a human rights lawyer. She paid her own way through elementary and secondary schools despite the death of her mother and abandonment of her and four younger siblings by her father.
Athieno aspires to become a judge and help develop the rule of law in Uganda. She sold vegetables at a local market to pay for her secondary school education. "In Uganda today, girls and [widows] are faced with challenges from the relatives of a deceased father or husband, they threaten to take the few assets left," Athieno told Ms. JD. "If widows had knowledge about where to seek refuge, they would not be abused in this way."
Ms. JD initially considered supporting women's education in Ghana, but settled on Uganda for this round of funding because the Gender Mainstreaming Division at Makerere University could administer the grant, Kornberg said. The logistics of the program proved far more complicated that initially expected due to tax issues and State Department restrictions on sending money overseas.
Ms. JD is in the process of raising the $25,000 needed to pay for Nanyange and Athieno's education. The organization plans events in New York, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles. Ms. JD hopes to name more Global Fund recipients, possibly as early as next academic semester.
Ms. JD was founded in 2006 by law students from 12 different schools, and conducts research, offers scholarships and hosts a number of online resources for women in the profession.
"We are open to all suggestions from anyone who wants to help or get involved," Kornberg said. "We think this is just the beginning for the Global Education Fund."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One can only imagine the hardships these women have endured in order to make their dreams of going to law school come true. However, the ordeal of preparing for law school can be difficult, no matter your upbringing. Being prepared for the law school experience is the only way to ensure that your transition into law will be a smooth one. There are many law school prep courses, but the eCasebriefs.com “Law School Prep Course” Video Lecture Series is the only free online prep course available to student preparing for law school.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Best Value Law Schools
In their October issue, National Jurist magazine has listed the top Law Schools based on their value.
•Bar passage higher than the state's average
•Average indebtedness after graduation < $100,000 •Employment rate 9 months after graduation > 85%
These 59 schools were ranked in four tiers, based on this methodology:
•45%: tuition
•45%: average indebtedness
•7%: employment nine months after graduation
•3%: bar passage rate
Here are the Top 20 Best Value Law Schools:
1.Georgia State
2.BYU
3.Louisville
4.Nebraska
5.Kansas
6.New Mexico
7.Mississippi
8.Florida State
9.Memphis
10.Florida International
11.Tennessee
12.South Carolina
13.Northern Illinois
14.Kentucky
15.Georgia
16.Alabama
17.Texas Tech
18.LSU
19.North Dakota
20.Florida
Doing your due diligence on getting the best value for Law School is obviously a neccesary part of preparing for law school, however the only sure fire way to get the best bang for your buck out of law school is to be fully prepared. Try the FREE online Pre Law Prep course at eCasebriefs.com
•Bar passage higher than the state's average
•Average indebtedness after graduation < $100,000 •Employment rate 9 months after graduation > 85%
These 59 schools were ranked in four tiers, based on this methodology:
•45%: tuition
•45%: average indebtedness
•7%: employment nine months after graduation
•3%: bar passage rate
Here are the Top 20 Best Value Law Schools:
1.Georgia State
2.BYU
3.Louisville
4.Nebraska
5.Kansas
6.New Mexico
7.Mississippi
8.Florida State
9.Memphis
10.Florida International
11.Tennessee
12.South Carolina
13.Northern Illinois
14.Kentucky
15.Georgia
16.Alabama
17.Texas Tech
18.LSU
19.North Dakota
20.Florida
Doing your due diligence on getting the best value for Law School is obviously a neccesary part of preparing for law school, however the only sure fire way to get the best bang for your buck out of law school is to be fully prepared. Try the FREE online Pre Law Prep course at eCasebriefs.com
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Angry Law Grads
A troubling story from the National Jurists most recent edition. It is clear that law school alone is not enough, pre-law students must excel academically if they wish to find gainful employment.
Law grads are angry
They say that law schools and banks are running a scam. “Dishonest” law schools report misleading employment data, which lures prospective students into the profession like “hapless lemmings” to their death. The “greedy” banks happily give the students oppressive loans to pay for the exorbitant tuition fees. And then the students graduate to discover that the high-paying salaries and jobs are just not there.
“It’s really just a ponzi scheme,” Scott Bullock told the New Jersey Star-Ledger in August. “They’re just cranking kids out for $45,000 a year.”
Bullock was, until recently, one of a dozen or more law school scam bloggers. The 2005 graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law stopped his blog soon after the Star-Ledger story revealed his identity, but not before thousands of readers visited his site.
And his was not the most popular. Shilling Me Softly, a blog by Kimber Russell, a 2008 graduate from DePaul University College of Law, has attracted almost 30,000 visitors in just over three months. Third Tier Reality is the most visited site to date, with more than 100,000 visitors since it launched more than a year ago.
“There are elements of fraud and misrepresentation,” said Fernando Rodriguez, who authors the blog. “The cost is the biggest thing that upsets us. If tuition was more reasonable, it would not be such a scam.”
Rodriguez, who graduated from Drake University Law School in 2008, said his goal, and the goal of most scam bloggers, is to warn prospective students of the dangers of an overpriced legal education. He says it is one of the only things disgruntled recent graduates can do to fight the problem.
While some have referred to these critics as a “deeply unhappy” minority, William Henderson, a law professor at Indiana University Mauer School of Law, said the anger and frustration is real.
“The new math of legal education is grim reading for the large number of today’s law students and new lawyers earning less than they need to meet their loan payments,” Henderson wrote in a recent article. “Prospective law students need better information about the legal marketplace. Law school brochures are filled with glossy pictures of alumni at large law firms. Many law schools fail to provide the complete picture of what their graduates do and how much they earn.”
Last year two Vanderbilt law students started an effort — Law School Transparency — to collect more accurate employment data from law schools. The students, Patrick Lynch and Kyle McEntee, unveiled their plans to schools this summer. In August, another recent graduate, Zenovia Evans, waged a nearly month-long hunger strike to support their cause. While her strike was ridiculed even by some of the scam bloggers, her action shows just how deep the anger and frustration has grown.
The jury is out on whether Law School Transparency’s efforts will succeed. But most agree that it has added to an overall conversation among professors and deans on the matter.
In August, Brian Tamanaha, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis wrote a wake-up call to his peers (read it on page 6).
“Law professors know there is a problem,” Tamanaha said. “We see students. We know about the heavy debt burdens. I am just the guy who wrote about this one afternoon to prompt some collective conversation.”
The conversation may be making some progress. The American Bar Association accreditation committee has announced that as part of an overall review of its standards, it will look closely at employment data.
But the scam bloggers say the ABA is unlikely to make substantial change.
“If they really feel the pressure they may institute some change,” Rodriguez said. “But I don’t think it would be long term. More of a band-aid approach to make it look like there is real change when there is not."
Read the full story in the 2010 October issue of The National Jurist.
The best way to prepare for the task of excelling academically is to start early. eCasebriefs.com is now offering a FREE pre-law school lecture series that will prepare you for the type of learning you can expect!
Law grads are angry
They say that law schools and banks are running a scam. “Dishonest” law schools report misleading employment data, which lures prospective students into the profession like “hapless lemmings” to their death. The “greedy” banks happily give the students oppressive loans to pay for the exorbitant tuition fees. And then the students graduate to discover that the high-paying salaries and jobs are just not there.
“It’s really just a ponzi scheme,” Scott Bullock told the New Jersey Star-Ledger in August. “They’re just cranking kids out for $45,000 a year.”
Bullock was, until recently, one of a dozen or more law school scam bloggers. The 2005 graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law stopped his blog soon after the Star-Ledger story revealed his identity, but not before thousands of readers visited his site.
And his was not the most popular. Shilling Me Softly, a blog by Kimber Russell, a 2008 graduate from DePaul University College of Law, has attracted almost 30,000 visitors in just over three months. Third Tier Reality is the most visited site to date, with more than 100,000 visitors since it launched more than a year ago.
“There are elements of fraud and misrepresentation,” said Fernando Rodriguez, who authors the blog. “The cost is the biggest thing that upsets us. If tuition was more reasonable, it would not be such a scam.”
Rodriguez, who graduated from Drake University Law School in 2008, said his goal, and the goal of most scam bloggers, is to warn prospective students of the dangers of an overpriced legal education. He says it is one of the only things disgruntled recent graduates can do to fight the problem.
While some have referred to these critics as a “deeply unhappy” minority, William Henderson, a law professor at Indiana University Mauer School of Law, said the anger and frustration is real.
“The new math of legal education is grim reading for the large number of today’s law students and new lawyers earning less than they need to meet their loan payments,” Henderson wrote in a recent article. “Prospective law students need better information about the legal marketplace. Law school brochures are filled with glossy pictures of alumni at large law firms. Many law schools fail to provide the complete picture of what their graduates do and how much they earn.”
Last year two Vanderbilt law students started an effort — Law School Transparency — to collect more accurate employment data from law schools. The students, Patrick Lynch and Kyle McEntee, unveiled their plans to schools this summer. In August, another recent graduate, Zenovia Evans, waged a nearly month-long hunger strike to support their cause. While her strike was ridiculed even by some of the scam bloggers, her action shows just how deep the anger and frustration has grown.
The jury is out on whether Law School Transparency’s efforts will succeed. But most agree that it has added to an overall conversation among professors and deans on the matter.
In August, Brian Tamanaha, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis wrote a wake-up call to his peers (read it on page 6).
“Law professors know there is a problem,” Tamanaha said. “We see students. We know about the heavy debt burdens. I am just the guy who wrote about this one afternoon to prompt some collective conversation.”
The conversation may be making some progress. The American Bar Association accreditation committee has announced that as part of an overall review of its standards, it will look closely at employment data.
But the scam bloggers say the ABA is unlikely to make substantial change.
“If they really feel the pressure they may institute some change,” Rodriguez said. “But I don’t think it would be long term. More of a band-aid approach to make it look like there is real change when there is not."
Read the full story in the 2010 October issue of The National Jurist.
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