If You Are Considering Law School, Think About This.....

The median salary for lawyers is $62K.

The graph (shown above) illustrates the distribution of salaries for members of the law school Class of 2006 and is a surprise to many because of its dramatic bimodal peaks. Despite all the publicity about large law firms and their race for talent, the fact is that most new graduates neither take jobs in big firms nor start at salaries that have now reached $160,000 at many large firms. For the Class of 2006, the vast majority of graduates who were employed as of February 15, 2007 (71% of those employed) started work in small firms of 50 or fewer lawyers, or in non-firm settings, such as government, public interest, or business. Just 20% took jobs in firms of more than 100 lawyers.

I had been saving this chart and I knew that it was time to write this post
when I saw the Times article on the perks that lawyers receive at their firms.

In addition, the July bar passage scores were just released last weekend
and my aunt told me that a friend of hers didn't pass.

She missed it by 11 points.

I told her that a disproportionately number of Black and Brown folks
take the bar multiple times before they pass.

In fact, Black folks being an oral people, I mentioned that if the BAR were
an oral exam, 80% of attorneys would be Black.

"If the glove doesn't fit, then you must acquit".

My aunt then asked me why the the Black Lawyers teaching bar classes?

My response was that once folks have made it through the system,
a mindset sets in and they feel that OTHERS should go through
what they went through. That hazing sh*t.



Then I found this article on Black Bar Passage statistics and how
they aren't even available,

In issuing the report, the commission will be weighing in on two fairly heated controversies over affirmative action at law schools: a debate over the bar association’s diversity standards, which first came under attack by groups critical of affirmative action early last year, and a more recent fight by Richard H. Sander, a professor of law at the University of California at Los Angeles, to try to gain access to data from the State Bar of California showing bar-passage rates broken down by racial and ethnic group.

NOW how are we suppose to help a group of people when we don't
have the statistics?

Sounds like a classic case of hide the ball to me.

But. You know WHO does have the power to get the stats?
Current practicing Black lawyers.

And I commented that some Black People take multiple times
to pass the exam.

Now back to the "perks for lawyers" article.

Now peep game.

Top 20 firms offer 140K starting out, and top it off with bonuses
with the knowledge that they expect you to burn out.

“Money is not the only thing that drives these lawyers right now,” said Marina Sirras, who runs a recruitment firm in New York for lawyers. “They want to be able to have a family and enjoy their family. This has never been as hot an issue.”

Law firms have been slower than some other businesses to award benefits, in part because of their smaller, and often complex, private structures.

On offer now are concierge services, in which a lawyer can have the equivalent of a personal valet pick up theater and sports tickets, the dry cleaning, take a car to the repair shop or even choose a Halloween costume.

The schools want students to take summer and eventually full time jobs
with these firms because it raises the schools stature.

Once an L-school student receives their summer internship
with a top 50 firm, they are all but guaranteed a job after they graduate
granted they don't curse out a partner at the weekly Tuesday
night happy hour.

There is a mutually beneficial relationship working here.
The firms offer the students the jobs. The schools are happy
because of the placement. Further ensuring that the pipeline for fresh
meat is available next year.



When a first, second or third year lawyer is making $125/hour
and the firm is billing the work out at $400/hour the partners
split the $275/hr amongst themselves.

And don't even get me started on the loss of human capital
that occurs when women leave firms to start/raise families.

Lawyers say the conventional system of charging clients by the hour can make for very long days. Firms often require associates to bill 1,800 to 2,200 hours a year - up to 42 hours a week, 52 weeks a year.

Coupled with the time needed for non-billable tasks, that can translate into grueling 10- to 12-hour days, plus weekends.

Gillette said an alternative system could measure performance and set salaries without reference to the number of hours billed, and instead focus on productivity, efficiency and quality of work.

In fact ANY industry that is willing to hemorrhage 10-20% of their employees/
year begs for scrutiny.

But it doesn't surprise me that current structure is resistant to change.

Many Fortune 500's are willing to tolerate their employees
racist behavior and risk a institution killing law suit rather
than monitor and discipline those who display soft bigotry.

When I was a young buck. I believed the hype.
Work hard. Get Cake. F*ck A Old (White) Boys Network.

Now, with the scars and years of experience under my belt I can see
that sh*t coming a mile away.

THEN.

I learned that the Old Boys Network is the Original Affirmative Action.

I was like hold up.

YOu are sitting up her questioning me, and my credentials, when you
got YOUR JOB because your Daddy is one of the firms biggest clients.

F*ck outta here!

=========
=========

What did you believe the hype about when
you were a young buck?

Did you become more cynical when you learned
the truth?

For the folks that have attended or OPTED not to attend grad school,
what role did you future earning potential play in your decision?

=========
=========