The principle of supply and demand infiltrates all aspects of life, and unfortunately it's become especially relevant when talking about the influx of college graduates into a tough job marketplace. Law students are one group feeling that stress in major ways, and that comes at a time when critics are proclaiming that the American Bar Association is failing in its task of ably accrediting law schools.
Hard Times for Lawyers
According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, there are currently 200 accredited law schools in the United States. The American Bar Association (ABA) reported that 49,082 students entered those schools in 2007, and of the graduating 44,004 only 64% held a full-time position requiring their degree within nine months of leaving school. Further, median starting salaries for those graduates dropped 13% from the year prior. For students, that equates to roughly a two-thirds chance of securing a job you paid a lot to be educated for, and then likely not getting paid enough to do it.
Of course, the job market's tough for many professions right now. In May 2011 The New York Times reported that only 56% of bachelor's degree-holding college graduates from the class of 2010 had found a job by the spring after their graduation, down from 90% from the classes of 2006-2007. Worse, only about half those jobs required a degree in the first place. But then, those are undergraduate degrees - people who continue their schooling beyond their first four years often do so to obtain a measure of job security.
But that purported security may be part of the problem. In a bad economy, admissions to law schools and various graduate programs tend to jump as people look for dependable, high-paying jobs, and the past few years have been no exception. Unfortunately, it seems the job market that greets graduates of these programs isn't much more favorable than the one they'd be dealing with sans advanced degrees.
Bar Association Under Fire
However, the ABA - the accrediting body responsible for essentially determining the value of a school's law degree - has other problems on its hands. In June 2011, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity seriously questioned the association's competence in presiding over law schools. The committee found 17 areas where the ABA fails to comply with accrediting body standards, mostly related to their inability to track student loan default rates, to consider third-party criticisms and, yes, to hold a sufficiently decent standard of job placement.
The advisory committee, a branch of the federal government that reports to the Secretary of Education, has given the ABA a year to submit a report showing it's corrected or correcting their 17 missteps. Yet some within the committee advocated for taking away the ABA's accreditation recognition already, arguing that 17 errors is a lot to fix within one year. So although the Bar Association's free to continue its work for now, it's not quite business as usual - they'll have to tread carefully and fix some serious problems if they wish their authority to continue.
Higher Standards
And so the ABA has taken steps towards tightening up its own accreditation standards. They hope to elicit a better performance out of their schools, which should calm some of their critics. Among the proposed changes: making school administrators keep better records of their graduates' careers and raising the required percentage of students passing the bar exam on their first attempt (The Chronicle reports that that number currently sits at 75%, but the ABA may raise it to 80%).
Some law professionals feel that it's only a matter of time before the job market corrects itself - these things tend to move in cycles, after all. Victor Gold, dean of Loyola's law school, told The Chronicle that we're currently facing the 'worst job market' he's seen, and that 'those jobs will come back.' But that doesn't necessarily let the ABA's accrediting standards off the hook. Even with more jobs available for their charges, their other errors would still exist - and the next time the labor market experiences a downturn, they'll again be in a position to do their students a serious disservice. If nothing else, the ABA holding their institutions to tougher reporting and academic standards will produce stronger law schools, which should produce stronger lawyers. In any job market, that's a positive.
How are the demands of the job market changing the law profession?
What Can You Do With a Masters in Law?
A master's degree in law is not sufficient to practice law and is different from a Juris Doctorate, which is the degree earned before passing a state bar, part of the requirements to work as a lawyer. This article details a master's degree in law and the associated careers.
Careers with a Master's Degree in Law
Students who complete a general law master's degree program are often business owners and others in the business field whose profession often involves dealing with legal boundaries. Others include international businesspersons, who may enroll in LL.M. programs to gain a knowledge of international law so they can run and work a business on the international market.
These degrees are also useful for those working as lawyers. Lawyers often specialize in a specific type of law based on their monetary and personal interests.
Educational Requirements for the Different Law Professions
Programs in the legal field typically cover the legal system at distinct levels of education for specific careers in law. Find out about the education requirements of programs for a few careers in the legal field and learn about these career options, job growth, and salary information for graduates in this field.
Master's Degree in Law: Overview
Master's degrees in law are often called legal studies master's degrees or studies in law master's degrees. These degree programs are often meant for working professionals and can be taken at night and on weekends as part of a part-time master's degree program. These degrees may be offered online, as well. However, this program may also be offered as a full-time LL.M. degree for international students and American students looking for the study of international law.
In common legal studies and studies in law degree programs, students may take broad, required courses. These include an introduction to law and legal reasoning, in which students read and analyze cases in order to understand and predict answers to legal questions. Students also take classes in tort claims and economics. After taking these classes, students may choose a subject in which to concentrate. Concentration areas include constitutional law, disability law, criminal law, business law, environmental and real estate law, regulatory law and sports and entertainment law, among others.
Essential Information
Professional law careers include jobs like lawyer, paralegal and judge. All law professionals are required to have a comprehensive understanding of the legal system, but the level of education required and pay for each position varies greatly.
| Career Titles | Lawyer | Paralegal | Judge |
| Education Requirements | Bachelor's and Juris Doctorate | Associate's from Paralegal program | Bachelor's and Juris Doctorate |
| Projected Job Growth (2012-2022) | 10%* | 17%* | 1%* |
| Median Salary (2014) | $114,970* | $48,350* | $115,140* |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Career Options
There are many career options in the legal field. These three, lawyer, paralegal or legal assistant, and judge, are probably the three most common positions to be found in this field. Lawyers try cases in court. Paralegals and legal assistants handle clerical work and research for lawyers and within law offices. Judges preside over courts and ensure that laws are applied correctly.
Continue reading for more in-depth discussions of these career options in the legal field, as well as salary and job outlook information and education requirements.
Lawyers
Lawyers instruct clients on what their constitutional rights are and their best approach for legal action. They work in different industries, such as corporate, public interest and government, and also specialize in certain types of law, like criminal or civil. Lawyers use their thorough legal knowledge to interpret rulings, present and analyze testimony and evidence, write legal reports and develop winning strategies.
Education Requirements
To become a lawyer, a student must earn bachelor's degree, attend law school, earn a Juris Doctor (J.D.) and pass the bar exam. Undergraduate degrees can be in any field, but the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that programs focused on good research, writing, communication and thinking skills are best (www.bls.gov).
Taking the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is required of all students applying to law programs. Once accepted, law students spend three years studying to become lawyers. Students commonly spend the first half of the duration studying subjects like constitutional law, contracts, property law, torts, civil procedure and other legal fundamentals. Students decide on a specialty during the second half of schooling and take classes related to that specialty. They also participate in projects where they apply what they've learned.
Each lawyer must pass a state bar exam to gain licensure prior to professional practice. To qualify for the exam, individuals must have a degree from an American Bar Association-accredited law school, or one accredited by the proper state authorities.
Employment Outlook and Salary Information
According to the BLS, employment opportunities for lawyers are expected to increase by 10% over the 2012-2022 decade, with 74,800 new jobs expected to be added over that time frame. The median salary for lawyers in 2014 was $114,970, based on BLS income data.
Paralegals
Paralegals assist lawyers with their cases by researching and analyzing evidence, testimony, rulings and laws. They commonly prepare and file paperwork, search public records and update clients regarding their cases. However, paralegals are prohibited from providing clients with legal counsel or representing them in court.
Education Requirements
To become a paralegal or legal assistant, most students attend a paralegal program that may last up to two years and result in an associate's degree. Individuals who already earned a bachelor's degree in a different subject can take a certificate program in paralegal studies. The BLS reports that a few schools also offer bachelor's and master's degrees in paralegal studies. Paralegal curriculum generally involves legal terminology, court procedures, litigation, ethics, types of law, state and federal laws, torts and real estate.
Employment Outlook and Salary Information
Demand for paralegals and legal assistants is projected to increase 17% between 2012 and 2022, as reported by the BLS. Paralegals and legal assistants earned a median salary of $48,350 in 2014, as indicated by figures from the BLS. The BLS data shows the District of Columbia, California, New Jersey, Alaska and Hawaii are among the top-paying states for paralegals and legal assistants.
Judges
Judges preside over court proceedings by ensuring laws are applied appropriately and proceedings are conducted fairly and orderly. Judges determine a case's outcome when a jury isn't required and they decide whether cases should proceed to trial. Other specific duties depend on the court a judge works in.
Education Requirements
A bachelor's degree and practical experience are typically the minimum requirements to become a judge, according to the BLS, but most judges get their start as lawyers. In fact, some jurisdictions require judges to have previous experience as lawyers.
Judges are typically elected or appointed to their positions. During their term, judges are usually required to take continuing education classes, and may also have to participate in a training program after taking office.
Employment Outlook and Salary Information
The BLS predicts opportunities for judges and magistrates will increase at a rate of just one percent during the 2012-2022 time frame, which is below the average expected growth for other professions. Judges and magistrates earned a median salary of $115,140 in 2014, according to the BLS.
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