Unemployed Law Graduate Continues Hunger Strike

Now it seems that other law school graduates are expressing their regrets about entering law school. Scott Bullock, who graduated from the Seton Hall School of Law, is particularly displeased with the outcome of his law school education.

Bullock claims that law schools are scams. In a statement to the Star-Ledger, Bullock said, of law students: ''they might as well be bussing tables.'' He added that, ''Law school'' is really just a big ponzi scheme. They're just cranking kids out for 45,000 a year.''

Carolyn Lamm, the president of the American Bar Association isn't completely disagreeing with Bullock. In a memo released on the internet, Lamm admitted that ''Obtaining a degree from an ABA-accredited law school is not cheap'' and that, ''Over the last twenty-five years, law school has consistently risen two times as fast as inflation.''

The opening paragraph of that memo is perhaps the most ominous to undergraduates considering law school. Lamm wrote:

''Choosing to attend law school is a big decision that prospective law students should not take lightly. Although many factors may influence one's decisions about whether and where to attend law school, a proper understanding of the economic costs of a legal education is vital for making educated decision. Far too many law students expect that earning a law degree will solve their financial problems for life. In reality, however, attending law school can become a financial burden for law students who fail to consider carefully the financial implications their decision.''

Lamm states that, ''many students borrow far more than $100,000.'' That debt combined with undergraduate debt, which may rival any law school debt, is especially crushing in the current economy.

Law firms all across the country are feeling the recession in a bad way. Even the most prominent law firms in the country have been making drastic cuts. Bryan Cave LLP, based in St. Louis and New York-based Clifford Chance, laid off 24 associates last March.

These examples are a mere fraction of the scaling back law firms have been doing since the recession began. Summer programs have been heavily under attack as well. AMLawDaily's Summer Hiring Survey showed that, out of the 114 firms surveyed, on average 31 summer associates were hired in 2010, versus an average of 55 summer hires in 2009.

However, not all news is bad. Several firms have made 100 percent offer rates, which were common in the years before the recession hit. Latham & Watkins offered positions to all of its summer associates, as did Dewey & LeBoeuf, Covington & Burling, and several others.

As for Ethan Staines, he is in stage 2 of starvation, which, according to Haines, happens between day 4 and 20. At stage 3, which is 21 days and up, Haines says death is highly probable.

On his blog, he writes ''I will continue my hunger strike until law schools respond or my body gives in. Change, positive change, is all that I am after. If not for me or my classmates, then for the future of legal education.''