Recent news articles describe soaring tuition costs and growing enrollments, all in the face of fewer jobs awaiting law school graduates. See, e.g., David Segal, “Law School Economics: Ka-Ching!” N.Y. Times, July 17, 2011, BU1. A related question is whether law students are receiving value for their tuition money. Law schools are charged with the responsibility of preparing students for the practice of law. Law schools grade students. How would the students grade law schools?
Although it is difficult to generalize about how law schools would respond to the question of whether they are doing a good job in preparing law students for the practice of law — or, more pointedly, whether they could do a better job — the general question is well worth asking. Some law schools may answer by stating that there is a broader purpose (or higher purpose) to a legal education. Nevertheless, the preponderance of law students go to law school to become engaged in the actual practice of law, which would include practicing in a law firm or working as a lawyer in business or government.
