Here are some of my wishes for the legal industry in 2011.  I know these kinds of things aren’t generally your ‘bag’, but I thought I’d give it a shot. 

I’d like law students to graduate prepared for the real world of law.  What’s the number one complaint of law firms?  That they have to teach students how to do their job because they are not taught the ‘business of law’ in school. A whopping 90% of attorneys surveyed by Lexis Nexis say that while schools teach legal ‘theory’ they do NOT teach students the practical skills they need to practice law and 60% of students agree.  When will schools wake up and change their curriculum to produce law school grads that EVERY law firm would want to hire?  That would be a great way for schools to push their students to the top of the ‘must hire’ list!

Survey PDF  HERE

I’d like law schools to be transparent about the number of students who receive job offers within the field of law.  A JD graduate working at Starbucks, should not be counted in the ‘employed at graduation’ statistic.  This information should be offered to each prospective student before they apply to law school.  Would you buy a $40,000 car without knowing it’s specs and safety record? NO.  Yet students generally make decisions about their future (law school choice) without knowing their true chances of employment within the law after graduation.

Articles HERE and HERE

I would also like law students to CARE about a school’s job placement statistics and not simply rely on the (now apologetic) ranking system of U.S. News and World Reports to guide their law school choice. Law students seem married to the idea that rankings matter more than job prospects and other factors.

Articles  HERE and HERE

 I’d like the ABA to consider the argument that there are too many law schools producing too many graduates each year. Remember when folks were ringing alarm bells about that?  I guess no one listened. Law school applications have been on the rise, even though their job prospects are still shaky.  A disconnect?  A mere lack of information?  A dearth of any other compelling prospects?  Could be all 3. 

Articles, HERE

I’d like law firms to remember what the world was like a year ago.  We’re seeing law firms raising the bar for bonuses once again. Of course, we’re also seeing staggering bonuses again on Wall Street – doesn’t anyone remember just a few months ago when layoffs were rampant and cost cutting the norm?  Lockstep was pronounced dead, and suddenly it’s being revived (Linklater’s, Morgan Lewis).  Are our memories so short? 

Hot Spot  Keyword search – lockstep and bonuses

Thanks Santa.  If you can pull this off, next year I’ll ask for world peace!