LaW in order
Law school is a long ladder to climb, but worth it for the right candidates
THE harsh reality is that law school enrollments are down nationwide due to today’s tight job market and the financial commitment of such schooling. Yet this sobering outlook may improve the quality of student applicants, according to George A. Justice, Jr., assistant dean of admissions at Touro Law Center of East Islip, New York.
“Everyone should look at the investment in time and money and whether it’s the right direction for them,” says Justice Jr.
The Touro Law Center recently moved from Huntington to Central Islip, New York, to be near the Federal Court house across the street from the new campus.
“Giving students ready access to court houses in their first year here gives them an early idea whether this is the direction that they want to head or not,” says Justice Jr.
Within the building, “We invite public advocacy agencies in the area who need extra space [with reduced rent] so students can clearly see what’s going on. Our students are incorporated for experiential learning,” says Justice Jr.
At Hofstra, law school applications are also down.
“We recently made an institutional decision to reduce our class size to 210 students this past fall, which feels more appropriate anyway,” says Jennifer Gundlach, senior associate dean for experiential education and clinical professor of law at Hofstra.
Along the three year path to the Juris Doctor (JD), “There are more clinics and externships, which is a better experience. Students want practice-based situations,” says Gundlach.
There are several innovative elements of Hofstra’s program too, according to Gundlach.
“For their third and final year, we recently launched a semester in practice in D.C. externship, through which students work full time in a field placement either on Capitol Hill or at a Government agency. Several students have had job offers out of this placement,” says the dean.
During their second year, law students declare a concentration. Some of the specialty practice areas that are hot at Hofstra today include intellectual property, business/corporate, environmental law, international law, energy, healthcare policy and family law.
Today’s successful law students are those who,
Students have to take the initiative and get out there and make professional connections.” — Jennifer Gundlach, senior associate dean and professor of law at Hofstra (right.)
“Seek out every opportunity they can find to build professional mentors and develop a professional network,” says the dean. “The jobs are there. Students have to take the initiative to get out there and make professional connections, following up with alumni, doing unpaid internships, connecting with people at Bar Association events.”
Starting salaries span a wide range.
“In the New York market, there are government jobs with starting salaries of $40,000 and law firm jobs offering upwards of $150,000, and everything in between,” says Gundlach.