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

[Anonymous]

This subject could easily be in the real estate and education/college forums, but I'll ask it here. AU is building an enormous law school campus on the equivalent of several city blocks in Tenleytown. The current enrollment of Washington College of Law is about 1650 students, and the new campus is being built to educate 2000 students. The expanded enrollment is larger than the entire population of some selective liberal arts colleges. Why is AU/WCL expanding to this extent, when the current job market for new law graduates, including AU grads, is not great? And the long term prospects are even bleaker, with anticipated structural shifts in the legal services industry.

[Anonymous]

it is stupid.

[Anonymous]

Stupid is right. They aren't even in the top 50. They've actually lost quite a bit of steam over the past several years -- they're ranked at 71 now! They used to be around where Maryland is, in the high 40s/low 50s.

Considering the tuition is $50K/year (almost as much as any top 5, and certainly more expensive than many better-ranked schools), it's a joke.

[Anonymous]

Law schools are cash cows for universities. They make money. They really don't give a crap about whether their students are gainfully employed or not.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Law schools are cash cows for universities. They make money. They really don't give a crap about whether their students are gainfully employed or not.

This.

I do personally know several successful American University law graduates, though. They are buried under $150K+ worth of debt, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Law schools are cash cows for universities. They make money. They really don't give a crap about whether their students are gainfully employed or not.

This.

I do personally know several successful American University law graduates, though. They are buried under $150K+ worth of debt, though.

There are many successful graduates. But even AU grads are facing much tougher employment headwinds than pre-2008. Prospects have not improved that much in the economic recovery, and long-term trends do not look good for so many law students entering the job market. There's lots of pressure on law schools nationwide. Perhaps the top 10-20 law schools and their students are largely buffered from this, but AU is not quite in that tier. So it seems counter-intuitive for them to be expanding an already-large law school now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Law schools are cash cows for universities. They make money. They really don't give a crap about whether their students are gainfully employed or not.

This!!

[Anonymous]

I went to WCL, and I enjoyed it and think it prepared me well.
But this shit is just stupid. Moving to tenleytown was a good idea because student and faculty retention was affected by the distance from the metro. But law students need classrooms with lights and outlets, and that is about it. I will never give them any money because they clearly can't spend it wisely.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Going to AU is a terrible decision. Isn't it ranked the WORST of all the law schools in the DC area? How can grads ever expect to find a decent job when they are competing with Georgetown, GWU, Mason, UVA, University of Maryland, Catholic (just as crappy as American), and some other places I'm sure I'm forgetting for jobs in such a prestige-whore profession?

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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