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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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....

Well colleges and universities are in it to make money, it's still a business.

[Anonymous]

OMG.... the LAST thing this country needs are more 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.

Thought that was Catholic.

[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.

I want me a "goo" government job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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....

Well colleges and universities are in it to make money, it's still a business.

Uhhhhh. Colleges and universities are non-profits.

[Anonymous]

Edifice Complex.

[Anonymous]

Because there are many waiting in line to be fleeced...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

"Bitch set me up" will be the first line of defense offered.

MBU would be better suited as the name of a clown college.

[Anonymous]

I believe that American decided to build many years ago before the law school crash. From about 2006-2010, law school applications were at a peak. Since 2011 or 2012, applications have been way down, which has affected law schools across the country, including WCL. But I believe the plans for the building were already in motion, so I'm not sure there was much the school could do. Also, I'm not sure how many of those 2000 students are JD students and how many are LLMs, but as a PP said, WCL has a lot of foreign/LLM students.

And, btw, law school rankings (like most rankings) are seriously flawed. Schools game the system all the time. For example, GW employs many of its own graduates to improve its employment rate at graduation and, therefore, its US News ranking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Edifice Complex.

Well done, Sir/Madam, well done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I believe that American decided to build many years ago before the law school crash. From about 2006-2010, law school applications were at a peak. Since 2011 or 2012, applications have been way down, which has affected law schools across the country, including WCL. But I believe the plans for the building were already in motion, so I'm not sure there was much the school could do. Also, I'm not sure how many of those 2000 students are JD students and how many are LLMs, but as a PP said, WCL has a lot of foreign/LLM students.

And, btw, law school rankings (like most rankings) are seriously flawed. Schools game the system all the time. For example, GW employs many of its own graduates to improve its employment rate at graduation and, therefore, its US News ranking.

WCL may have a broader purpose, to anchor part of the AU campus solidly at Nebraska and Wisconsin. Long term, the vision would be to develop Nebraska past Massachusetts to the main campus as a dense corridor with major campus buildings, including mixed-use development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG.... the LAST thing this country needs are more lawyers!

Well, to the extent that these students pass the bar, they will be entitled to call themselves practicing lawyers. The trick is actually getting a job and becoming an employed lawyer.

It's also sad that this country does in fact need more lawyers, especially in legal services and for poor people. But coming out of law school with $200K in debt means that the new lawyers can't afford to work for non-profits, legal services, or low incomes with all that debt to service, and those jobs are few and far between anyway so the competition is intense. I work for a non-profit and for every entry-level legal position we post, we get hundreds of applications for a job that pays $50K. We can afford to be as selective as we want to be, and can go for those from brand-name top law schools with significant field-specific work experience, because there are so many people who want to do the work we do and so few jobs to go around.

[Anonymous]

It's also sad that this country does in fact need more lawyers, especially in legal services and for poor people. But coming out of law school with $200K in debt means that the new lawyers can't afford to work for non-profits, legal services, or low incomes with all that debt to service, and those jobs are few and far between anyway so the competition is intense.

Yeah, I think in addition to the debt the problem is that even lawyer jobs that don't pay a lot of money are few and far between. I had a full scholarship to a top 20 law school, and graduated in the top 1/4 of my class, but I was still unable to get an ADA or public defender job in any major metropolitan area (including areas like Indianapolis and Cleveland, where my siblings live, but are not considered desirable by many). There were just very few jobs available, and intense competition for the few that were.

[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.

Thought that was Catholic.

When I went to WCL, it was ranked in the 40s and many BigLaw firms recruited there. I was admitted to Catholic, GMU & several schools out of the area but chose WCL. Even now, it's ranked higher than Catholic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Edifice Complex.