Why is AU building such a large law school, given the job market?

[Anonymous]

Doesn't WCL have a pretty big contingent of foreign students who come for their LLM? I wonder if that's partly how they'll fill enrollment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's almost like they plan to milk thousands of naïve students and saddle them each with tens of thousands of dollars in debts that they can't repay, or something.

Bingo!

[Anonymous]

Wow, when was American ever ranked in the 40s? I feel like it has always been considered the shitlaw of the DC area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a WCL grad and it has tanked in the past 5 years. It was ranked 40/50, right up there with Maryland and GMU, and now is down in the 70s. Catholic was sub 100s for awhile but now is in the 80s. WCL is a joke. I would say about 10- 15% go biglaw each year - and that is the order of the coif kids and then connected kids. If you are out of the top 15% good luck. another 20% gets government jobs. Not all of these are "attorney advisor" but they are at least goo government jobs. The other 70% - good luck, see you later, Ill email you for a donation in 3 months.

Perhaps WCL believes that a splashy new campus will help it to rise again in the rankings. Maybe so, but it's still hard to understand why they intend to expand to 2000 law students.

[Anonymous]

+1 money

+2 the "dream" is still alive for college new grads that going to law school is a way to start out at an elevated income. It's only after graduation do they realize that only a small minority make big law starting salaries and those that do are working themselves to the bone.

I knew dozens of new law grads in my mid 20s clinging to the dream. 2008/2009 crash changed the game. years later less than 10% are in big law, 40% still practicing any type of law (govt, in house or doc review) and the rest moved on . Those not in big law are still saddled with debt, most in big law are pretty miserable..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what % of grads get biglaw or solid fed atty jobs in dc?

DC biglaw is even more elitist than NYC biglaw. After t14 kids their fill, then select t20's, and then gw, do you have any hope if you are outside top 10-20% of the class?

I run into lots of american law grads on the hill toiling in obviously non legal jobs without great paths.

Okay, I posted before about knowing successful WCL grads. One that I know of is in what I would consider mid-to-big law - works at a nice global firm, but not one of the top, elite ones. The other works as in-house counsel for an association, and the other works in the MD state's attorney's office.

Another is one of the leading advocates in the Supreme Court bar and perhaps the foremost lawyer-commentator about the court.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I graduated from WCL, there were less than 600 students. They've lowered their standards and tanked in the ratings as a result. With the job market being what it is, I'll be shocked if they're able to increase enrollment further.

BTW, I graduated in the top 20%, went into govt and am now in house at a Fortune 1000. Many of my friends went to BigLaw. I'm guessing the job options were better when we were ranked in the 40s than they are today.

Wow. They've gone from 600 to 2000 students in a softened job market? That's kinda' nuts.

[Anonymous]

The job market is soft to near existent for many college majors. I can't forsee schools getting rid of programs just because they won't equal a job. I just don't think colleges care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The job market is soft to near existent for many college majors. I can't forsee schools getting rid of programs just because they won't equal a job. I just don't think colleges care.

No, the correct thing to do would be to reduce the numbers admitted in order to maintain quality. But of course, AU and others do the opposite - increase admissions because it has been a cash cow. They obviously have to lower admissions standards, which has been happening in many schools. Many students are about to take on an enormous amount of debt for a very uncertain return. I would feel sorry for them, but hey, they wanted to be lawyers....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, when was American ever ranked in the 40s? I feel like it has always been considered the shitlaw of the DC area.

UDC Law is the shitlaw of the DC area. We've hired and fired two UDC attorneys as temporary paralegals. Neither could find their way out of a paper bag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, when was American ever ranked in the 40s? I feel like it has always been considered the shitlaw of the DC area.

UDC Law is the shitlaw of the DC area. We've hired and fired two UDC attorneys as temporary paralegals. Neither could find their way out of a paper bag.

God help UDC students if Vincent Orange's bill passes, to rename UDC as "Marion Barry University."

[Anonymous]

I blame the ABA - they don't protect the profession like the AMA does.

ABA needs to close 50% of schools tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because unbelievably, people are still applying to law school in droves.

No, they are not. Applications are way down from historic highs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because unbelievably, people are still applying to law school in droves.

No, they are not. Applications are way down from historic highs.

and the levels are still too high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, when was American ever ranked in the 40s? I feel like it has always been considered the shitlaw of the DC area.

UDC Law is the shitlaw of the DC area. We've hired and fired two UDC attorneys as temporary paralegals. Neither could find their way out of a paper bag.

God help UDC students if Vincent Orange's bill passes, to rename UDC as "Marion Barry University."

If this happens, I should hope that future tv shows showcase scumbag defense attorneys as MBU Law grads. I'm looking at you Saul Goodman.