And where do all these new lawyers think they are going to work? According to the New York Sun :
“There isn’t going to be a decrease in demand for the very best talent, but that doesn’t indicate much at all,” Mr. Zaremski said. “There are plenty of attorneys who are happy to accept very low-level, mind-numbing positions doing whatever’s at the bottom of the barrel.”
The surplus of lawyers has created an entire industry that places attorneys in law firms on a temporary basis, Mr. Zaremski said.
Now I’m not entirely clear what is meant by “the very best talent,” since none of these newbies have as yet had an opportunity to demonstrate any talent as a lawyer. But I’m sure the honchos at Biglaw know what they’re doing when they dole out a couple hundred thou per head to that select group of future rainmakers. Of course, the competition for these Biglaw, big money positions will be fierce, particularly since Biglaw is suddenly telling the less-than-stellar first year youths that they may not have a future there and should consider a different position.
But what of the rest? Well, there’s always public defense or consumer interest law. Oh, wait a sec. There’s no funding for these jobs, and my guess is that a lot of these new lawyers have loans to pay and want to eat on a fairly regular basis. So that won’t work.
Perhaps they can hop on the solo freight train and shingle their way to fame and fortune. Except law schools don’t teach them to actually practice law, making their ability to go forth and prosper a little limited. They could always put ads on Craigslist and do felony pleas for $100 a pop. If you can get 50 of those week, there’s some good money to be made.
It’s not like we haven’t talked about what you yung’ins are getting into. Yet you just keep flooding the market. New lawyers, all bright eyed and bushy tailed, showing up at our doorsteps expecting us to appreciate your enthusiasm and “give you a chance,” as if it’s our fault that you made the decision to go into a profession that is being crushed by its own weight.
So here’s the scoop, in my personal effort to help young attorneys. If you can’t find a job with Biglaw making a those big bucks that you dreamed about when you should have been dreaming about torts, or if you don’t feel the calling to forgo the big bucks and want instead to use your education to help people, then there probably isn’t much of a future for you in the law. I don’t care what mommy told you about being a professional, or how proud daddy is of your accomplishment.
New York City has 1 lawyer for every 3 people already (my math may be off, but consider the hyperbole as a tool to make a point). It doesn’t need another 10,907 new lawyers looking to make their bones. And guess what? Next year, there will be another 10,000 new lawyers, right on your heels, trying to get your job if you’re lucky enough to find one.
Go find a real job. Something that’s productive. Societally useful. Something that provides a decent income. It’s just not going to be the law. Don’t say I didn’t tell you.
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Don’t give up so fast Scott! You are focusing solely on the supply side. It’s true that if your price point equilibrium is too low to suit you, it will certainly help if you can convince all those pesky new lawyers to go away.
But don’t forget the demand side of the equation.
Fist we need to eliminate those 1500 non-lawyer magistrates in New York and replace them with bona fide lawyers, people who understand due process and who won’t send people to jail for being in the same room as somebody else’s cell phone.
And while we’ve got the Legislature’s ear, let’s mandate a lawyer clerk for each local court and a public defender, there’s another 4000 right there.
And more courts. Drug court, youth court, asbestos court, shellfish court, the sky’s the limit.
And here’s another one that I don’t believe anyone has thought of yet. All State Troopers should be lawyers. Why not? The money’s there and the lawyers are available, let’s put the two together, it’s a win-win.
And although there’s been a lot of progress in this area, there’s plenty of upside in the newer-tougher-law arena. I know my business really picked noticeably when AUO became the crime is deserves to be.
So cheer up, there’s a lot of good news out there. New lawyers should open their eyes to it and seize the opportunities!
That’s a very imaginative solution. I particularly like making all State Troopers lawyers. I always wanted to put a siren in my Healey.
I had to google AUO. Your legislature is really taking care of its criminal defense lawyers.
Completely off topic, but thanks for changing the font color. That light blue was really hard for old eyes.
Glad you like it better. I’m trying. Because my blogging program is the worst piece of crap available, it forced me to make some changes yesterday because things suddenly got all screwed up. So, as long as I had the chance, I tried to improve it.
And my wife told me she couldn’t read it either (old eyes too). Since I never actually read anything I write, it never occurred to me to see what it looked like.