The recent U.S. News 2014 rankings of law schools (reported here last week) apparently have created quite a dust up. That’s not surprising. U.S. News changed its methodology and, naturally, there were winners and losers. Considering that law school applications are continuing to plummet (down over 21% this year), there is tremendous pressure on law school deans. It’s understandable some would be upset over the impact rankings may have on applications. I’d be upset, too, especially if I knew my law school was preparing new lawyers well, at a reasonable price.
That said, law schools have themselves to blame for their current predicament. For years universities have been opening new law schools and expanding enrollment capacity at existing schools. It was obvious to most observers that capacity expansion was far outpacing the demand for new lawyers. Meanwhile, tuition escalated, apparently buttressed by students’ mistaken belief that a pot of gold awaited new members of the bar. Reality has set in, and basic economic forces have finally asserted themselves. Hence, apps are down, student debt is up and law schools are scrambling for bodies to fill their seats. So what does this mean for a high school student considering a legal career? Check out my earlier post on the topic.
Finding My College 