Apr 25, 2011

Shrinking Biglaw and Career Planning

Professor Paul Caron, aka Taxprof, over at the always-worth-reading Taxprof Blog, has posted two items today that bear on our ongoing discussion of job markets, presuming on the future, and planning about law school.

First, he notes that the recent National Law Journal survey of the NL250, the largest law firms in the country, shows a continuing downward trend as BigLaw loses lawyers. TaxProf concludes:

"In the 34 years the NLJ has been surveying large firms to gather headcount numbers, there have never been multiyear declines of this magnitude."

Second, he quotes Stanford Law Dean Larry Kramer:

"Many college graduates jump into law school because they don’t know what they actually want to do. Parents and friends suggest it because they think it’s a safe default. But a grad should choose his life’s path only once he knows himself well enough to be sure of what he wants. I think people should first spend a few years exploring to figure out what engages their passions...."

I couldn't have said it any better myself.

If you are not sure how these two TaxProf posts are related, read them again, slowly.

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