Slate Covers the Attorney Glut, Once Again:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/view_from_chicago/2013/04/the_real_problem_with_law_schools_too_many_lawyers.html
On April 2, 2013, Slate published an Eric Posner piece, entitled “The Real Problem With Law Schools.” The sub-heading reads “They train too many lawyers.” Take a look at the following excerpt:
“A crisis is looming in legal education. Last month, a notable group of legal educators who call themselves the Coalition of Concerned Colleagues released a letter declaring that law schools have spewed forth more graduates than the legal market can absorb, resulting in rising unemployment among young lawyers, who cannot pay off colossal student loans. As the New York Times recently reported, applications are plummeting, and a movement is on to reduce law school educations from three to two years—advocated in the New York Times by law professor Samuel Estreicher and law dean Daniel Rodriguez. The CCC letter similarly argues that legal education should be less expensive and less uniform, which sounds fine in the abstract. But in the details, the proposed fixes will make the crisis worse than ever.” [Emphasis mine]
Later on, Posner correctly points out that reducing JD programs to two years will lead to an even larger flood of graduates. However, check out his faulty conclusion:
“The only realistic way to help lawyers today is to increase the demand for legal services—somehow convincing governments, for example, to pay for adequate representation of indigent defendants[.]”
Apparently, the author is unaware that local, state and federal agencies are resorting to furloughs, while employing other cost-cutting measures. Also, taxpayers are not too keen on providing additional legal help to indigents. Posner’s best contribution was including a hyperlink to the document below.
The Letter from the “Coalition of Concerned Colleagues” to the ABA Swine:
http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/professional_responsibility/taskforcecomments/032013_coalition_revcomment.authcheckdam.pdf
In a joint letter to the ABA Task Force on “Legal Education” labeled “The Economics of Legal Education: A Concern of Colleagues,” a total of 67 “law professors” and deans admitted the following:
“The price of legal education has risen as the job market for lawyers has declined. More than two out of every five 2011 graduates did not obtain a full-time long-term job requiring a law degree; the median starting salary of the class, among the less than half of graduates for whom a salary was reported, was $60,000. The problematic economics are captured by this fundamental mismatch: a graduate who earns the median salary cannot afford to make the monthly loan payments on the average debt.” [Emphasis mine]
Even these academics understand that the actual median starting salary - for the JD Class of 2011 - was much lower than the $60K figure. For $ome rea$on, these “educators” do not voluntarily reduce their bloated incomes. Apparently, they are not THAT concerned about the situation facing students and recent graduates. The "plea" includes the following admission:
“Legal education cannot continue on the current trajectory. As members of a profession committed to serving the public good, we must find ways to alter the economics of legal education…As legal educators, it is our responsibility to grapple with these issues before our institutions are reshaped in ways beyond our control.” [Emphasis mine]
Of course, these guys provided several Band-aid “solutions” to this big-ass problem. For instance, reducing the undergrad education requirement for law school admission to three would lead to larger \enrollments at ABA toilets. Also, handing out a “professional” degree after two years of law school will cause a bigger glut of recent attorneys.
Salary Data for Some Members of the "Notable" Group:
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2011/135/645/2011-135645885-083e58a6-9.pdf
Let’s check out the 2011 Form 990, for the pile of rubbish doing business as New York Law School. Head to Part II - Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees, and Highest Compensated Employees. Richard MaTTTTa$ar raked in $734,173 in TOTAL COMPENSATION, for the tax year ending June 30, 2011. Yes, that is correct. The Fat Pig made $538,374 in base compensation; $34,410 in bonus and incentive compensation; $28,653 in retirement and other deferred compensation; and $132,736 in nontaxable benefits. Keep in mind that New York Law Sewer is currently ranked as a fourth tier trash pit, by US "News" & World Report.
http://www.collegiatetimes.com/databases/salaries/university-of-north-carolina-chapel-hill-2010?name=daye&dept=law
According to the salary database at Collegiate Times, Charles Daye received $205,228 in 2010 - as Henry Brandis “professor of law” at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He is a minor academic thief, in comparison to Matasar. However, he is still "earning" a tremendous income at the expense of taxpayers and student debt slaves.
Conclusion: In the final analysis, this is a mere ploy for the “professors” and deans to maintain some level of control over the upcoming change facing the law schools. This letter also allows these “professors” to come across as “reformers.” Notice that they $omehow did not propose a reduction in law faculty compensation. This is akin to reducing federal spending, without touching the "Defense" budget. Lastly, does anyone with an IQ above room temperature believe that Pig Richard Matasar gives one damn about his NYL$ victims?!?!