How to Fix Law School

[Ulty]

The cause of the "economic collapse" of the legal profession isn't so much with the law schools themselves or the structure of the curriculum, but with the hordes of legitimately stupid people who are chasing the dream of being a "lawyer". Go to lawschoolnumbers.com or whatever it is and take a look at the profiles of a lot of the people on there, particularly those applying to T3-T4 schools. I wouldn't trust those people to clean my apartment yet alone to represent my in court. GPAs in the low 2s? LSATs in the low 140s? Yet these kids are getting in to law school. Of course, they have no legitimate credentials and when they graduate, they're lucky to get paralegal gigs.

This is true in some areas but it's not accurate in Nebraska . . .

I have heard from colleagues, although I do not know if it is actually true, that Nebraska has some of the lowest standards in the country for passing the bar.

 

I would believe it, I've seen some really pathetic attorneys. My last two jobs have been in professions where I work with many attorneys, and there are some total dunces out there.

[Ulty]

I had a criminal justice professor once say (this was back in 1997) that attorneys, on average, create a one million dollar drain each on the economy. He proposed giving each law school grad $100K right off the bat if they chose a different career, to reduce the number of lawyers and help the economy.

[carlfense]

I have heard from colleagues, although I do not know if it is actually true, that Nebraska has some of the lowest standards in the country for passing the bar.

The Nebraska bar was one of the easier bar exams . . . that's probably somewhat changed with the recent changes.

 

Anyways, I wasn't referring to the Nebraska bar exam. I was referring to the law schools in Nebraska . . . and they're both pretty respectable. UNL is top tier, Creighton is generally hovering around 1-2. Students have decent GPAs and LSAT scores.

 

I would believe it, I've seen some really pathetic attorneys. My last two jobs have been in professions where I work with many attorneys, and there are some total dunces out there.

No doubt. The scary thing is that those total dunces are probably still way above average when compared to the total public. There's no shortage of stupid.

[carlfense]

I had a criminal justice professor once say (this was back in 1997) that attorneys, on average, create a one million dollar drain each on the economy. He proposed giving each law school grad $100K right off the bat if they chose a different career, to reduce the number of lawyers and help the economy.

I'd love to see how that could possibly be quantified.

 

I don't think that there is any other profession that is so loathed . . . until a given individual needs help. At that point the change is remarkable.

[knapplc]

I don't think that there is any other profession that is so loathed . . . until a given individual needs help. At that point the change is remarkable.

 

Perhaps that's because attorneys have, over the course of the last couple of centuries, made the law codes in America so nebulous that the common man can't possibly represent themselves. Kinda how everybody might hate surgeons, but when you need your appendix out they're the first person you call. It could be a remarkable change, or it could be the fact that they have no other choice.

 

And I know I'm bagging on attorneys a lot in this thread. Mostly I like attorneys and have had positive interactions with them. Sometimes that's not the case, though. One bad apple, so to speak.

[carlfense]

Perhaps that's because attorneys have, over the course of the last couple of centuries, made the law codes in America so nebulous that the common man can't possibly represent themselves.

Attorneys or judges and legislatures? (Not that there isn't overlap . . .)

 

Kinda how everybody might hate surgeons, but when you need your appendix out they're the first person you call. It could be a remarkable change, or it could be the fact that they have no other choice.

At which point it becomes "sorry about all those things that I said . . . please help me!"

[rawhide]

Byzantine by nature that makes their (attorneys) services necessary. Maybe convoluted would better describe the laws, regulations and codes the USA has been creating for a long time now.

 

I would never compare the legal and medical field. Big differences.

 

The only comparison would be that there are both good and bad schools for either profession.

[BigRedBuster]

I will tell you one thing. I hate selling projects to attorneys. Right now, I have a collections issue with an attorney and that is VERY common. They have some little issue (many times made up) and they will call, complain and then expect a discount on their final bill. When you refuse to do that, they will remind you that they are an attorney.

 

I simply say...."So, you are smart enough to know that when you go to collections is can show up in the court news.".

 

Usually they pay up then.

[carlfense]

I will tell you one thing. I hate selling projects to attorneys. Right now, I have a collections issue with an attorney and that is VERY common. They have some little issue (many times made up) and they will call, complain and then expect a discount on their final bill. When you refuse to do that, they will remind you that they are an attorney.

 

I simply say...."So, you are smart enough to know that when you go to collections is can show up in the court news.".

 

Usually they pay up then.

That's really lame.

[Creighton Duke]

Byzantine by nature that makes their (attorneys) services necessary. Maybe convoluted would better describe the laws, regulations and codes the USA has been creating for a long time now.

 

I would never compare the legal and medical field. Big differences.

 

The only comparison would be that there are both good and bad schools for either profession.

I disagree with this statement. The easiest medical schools to get into in the continental U.S. are hovering around 10-12% acceptance rate. Caribbean you'll see a bit higher. There are some law schools that accept over half of the applicants. That's pathetic.

[BigRedBuster]

I will tell you one thing. I hate selling projects to attorneys. Right now, I have a collections issue with an attorney and that is VERY common. They have some little issue (many times made up) and they will call, complain and then expect a discount on their final bill. When you refuse to do that, they will remind you that they are an attorney.

 

I simply say...."So, you are smart enough to know that when you go to collections is can show up in the court news.".

 

Usually they pay up then.

That's really lame.

 

 

OH...I agree....This last one, when my salesman came back from the sales call he walked in and said..."Well....she's a lawyer". I rolled my eyes and jokingly said..."I don't want the job".

 

Well....she went to collections today. I should have been serious.

[rawhide]

Byzantine by nature that makes their (attorneys) services necessary. Maybe convoluted would better describe the laws, regulations and codes the USA has been creating for a long time now.

 

I would never compare the legal and medical field. Big differences.

 

The only comparison would be that there are both good and bad schools for either profession.

I disagree with this statement. The easiest medical schools to get into in the continental U.S. are hovering around 10-12% acceptance rate. Caribbean you'll see a bit higher. There are some law schools that accept over half of the applicants. That's pathetic.

Plz to state why you disagree