The state of legal education in the USA
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The State of Legal Education in the USA Stephen M. Bainbridge William D. Warren Distinguished Professor of Law, UCLA 2014 Cameron Visiting Fellow, University of Auckland Faculty of Law 1
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This is a presentation I gave to the University of Auckland Faculty of Law on May 19, 2014, on the state of legal education in the United States.
Transcript of The state of legal education in the USA
The State of Legal Education in the USA
Stephen M. BainbridgeWilliam D. Warren Distinguished Professor of Law, UCLA2014 Cameron Visiting Fellow, University of Auckland Faculty of Law
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Legal Employment Before Financial Crisis: Growth Plateaus
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Demand for Legal Services, 1960 = 1
19451948
19511954
19571960
19631966
19691972
19751978
19811984
19871990
19931996
19992002
20052008
20112014
20172020
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
Legal Services as % GNP Federal District Court Filings Per Capita
Source: Richard Sander, UCLA
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Supply of Lawyers versus Demand for Legal Services, 1960-1
19451948
19511954
19571960
19631966
19691972
19751978
19811984
19871990
19931996
19992002
20052008
20112014
20172020
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
Legal Services as % GNP US Lawyers Per Capita Model of Licensed Lawyer Per Capita
Source: Richard Sander, UCLA
The Recent Past: Declining Opportunities The Future Looks Grim
Legal Employment: Post 2008 Financial crisis
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Latest UCLA Data
76%
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Tuition Debt
Financial Trouble
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Effect
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Client pushback on costs continuesIncreasing reliance on non-lawyer legal service providers
• Paralegals• Self-help (e.g., Legalzoom.com)
Outsourcing to legal support service companies in low wage English-speaking countries (especially India)• Market growing at 30% per year since 2009
Probably a Permanent Shift
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In rough order of probability:1. More transparency from law schools on employment data2. More “experiential learning”
a. Clinicsb. Simulationsc. Externships
3. More online educational opportunities4. Tuition freezes5. Reduction in class sizes6. Reduction in faculty size7. Reduction in size of law school administrations8. Law school closures9. Third year apprenticeship10. Two year J.D.11. Three-Three Degrees (3 years undergraduate; three year law school)12. Making law an undergraduate major
Reform
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For More Information
Schools for Misrule: Legal Academia and an Overlawyered America• Walter Olson
Don't Go To Law School (Unless): A Law Professor's Inside Guide to Maximizing Opportunity and Minimizing Risk• Paul Campos
Failing Law• Brian Tamanaha
