Professional Responsibility?

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By Leah Weaver

As new attorneys, we know that the legal job market is terrible. You can check out any of the numerous law school “scambloggers,” who’d be happy to tell you just how awful it is, or (for those who know that the plural of “anecdote” isn’t “data”) you can check out the recent post on Minnlawyer.com , regarding lawyer overproduction.

So what do you do when someone tells you that they’re planning on going to law school? Encourage them to chase their dreams? Or start forwarding links to the scamblogs?

I currently know of two people who recently sat for the LSAT and are in the law school application process. I think they’re both going into the law for the right reasons and with reasonable expectations, so I think they’ll both be all right. Yet I find myself sending them links to articles and blog posts like this one, warning of the glut of young lawyers and the potentially ruinous debt load.

I asked my friend Howard this question, and unsurprisingly, he’s not encouraging people to follow their bliss to law school. He says, “unless they have a background that complements the JD, it’s not worth it. If they’re 22 and just out of undergrad that’s okay as well, as any graduate degree can cost a ton. But mid-30’s thinking of a new career… NNNOOOOOOO!!!!!”

So readers: how about you? I feel like we all know someone who, despite all evidence that it’s a terrible idea, is planning on attending law school. How do you approach the topic?