Scant employment opportunities, withdrawn offers, deferred start dates — law school deans and placement officials have seen it all this year. I am sure law schools hope that 2009 goes down as the worst legal job employment market of all time — because the only other alternative at this point seems to be that 2010 will be worse. And nobody wants that — particularly not the Class of ’09, which is desperately hanging on for better times.
Law schools have taken unprecedented measures to help their students and grads bridge the employment gap. (Minnesota Lawyer has an article on just that topic this week.) Kudos to the law schools for being so proactive and getting creative to aid their struggling alums. And for the students and new grads, here’s to hoping there’s something good at the end of that bridge.
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The Wall Street Journal had an interesting (troubling) article a few weeks back arguing that not only is the class of 2009 in for a hard time this year, but that they may be at a disadvantage throughout their careers.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124181970915002009.html
Let’s hope not.
And another wrinkle is the growing consensus that law firms will not go back to “business as usual” once things get better. A lot of things being reconsidered right now, particularly at the big law firms, may result in permanent changes.