Q: Is a law school education a good buy in the current economic environment? Why is law school so expensive?
A: The debate over legal education deserves a slightly different starting point. A law school education is a good buy…for anyone who is serious about becoming a lawyer. If you are considering law school, I would advise you to think about how you want to spend the rest of your life. The investment you make is an investment of your intellect, time, talent and money. If the weak economy and the transformations of the legal field are making students think carefully about a legal career, that is a good thing. Those who have a passion and aptitude for the law should go to law school and become part of a great profession that is essential to our democracy and that helps people and institutions in vital ways. The field of law is going to be around long after this recession is over. It may have different contours; there may be avenues of the law that require fewer lawyers; and there will be new areas of law that emerge.
