Law Student Seeks Damages Against Law School For Broken Chair

03/25/13

Considering the current legal job market, legal students across the country are planning for their future in a variety of ways. One University of New Mexico law student has come up with a novel way of putting her law degree to use and earning money; namely, suing the school! According to KOB Eyewitness News, the law student Jennifer McCabe suffered injuries after the chair she was sitting in collapsed during class.


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According to the lawsuit, the McCabe was assigned a “think chair” to use during a class. The lawsuit claims that the think chair was missing a bolt which caused it to collapse, sending the student tumbling down to the ground. The lawsuit names both UNM and New Mexico Office Furniture, the supplier and manufacturer of the chair, as plaintiffs in the suit.

Though neither UNM nor the law firm handling the suit commented on the matter, KOB spoke to several UNM students, who described the lawsuit as “stupid.”

“This sounds like the student came up with an excuse to make money,” said Suraj Bhatka.

“It would be a tragedy for the school if tuition went up because of cases like this,” said Kristin Padilla. If the lawsuit moves forward, it could mean significant defense costs for UNM, and a victory on the part of the student would no doubt put further financial stress on UNM, which, like all schools, is facing significant challenges from the legal job slump in the United States. Though lawsuits like this may not directly affect tuition rates, the proceedings will no doubt be an expense, and a victory for McCabe would reduce the operating overhead of the school, resulting in less resources for students and faculty.

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While law students are expected to be able to handle themselves both in the court room and behind the desk of the country’s top law schools, the simple act of sitting in a chair may be too much too handle for some of them. Perhaps the LSAT should include a portion in which the test-taker is required to sit in a chair for one hour without falling onto the ground.

Regardless of the frivolity (or not) of the lawsuit, the law student that took the tumble is showing strong initiative in her search for a financially secure future. It can be assumed that thousands of students sit in broken chairs or fall over during class each school year, but so far very few of them have turned this embarrassment into opportunity.

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