The Real World As Referred In the World of Law School

The world of work, often referred to in law school as "the real world" (as if law school were some kind of fantasy world!), is complex, varied, and frequently confusing to the job hunter. Careful preparation beforehand can do much to make the trek through the job search minefield less treacherous.

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This article deals with four areas which should interest the job seeker: (1) the distribution of lawyers, (2) future trends, (3) employment and salary patterns, and (4) hiring issues for women and minorities.

Distribution of Lawyers

The choice of a place to practice law may depend on where jobs are available. Some places are glutted with lawyers, giving rise to the view that the job market is tight everywhere.

This simply is not true; some areas are very short of attorneys. San Francisco, Boston, and other large cities which are attractive geographically or have a number of law schools tend to be crowded. Smaller cities, with only one law school may have the same problem.

Research indicates that a population/attorney (P/A) ratio of 1000:1 is normal, excluding commercial activity. Increased commercial activity will reduce the ratio substantially because business seems to increase the amount of legal work. Thus, major cities typically have a ratio of around 250:1 or less. An interesting question is; how many lawyers can the market bear?

Future Demand for Legal Services

In what fields will the biggest demand of lawyers be in the next twenty years? Where will lawyers be needed in the future? Will there be too many lawyers? Will they be too few? These and similar questions arise every day.

The medical profession has a much easier time predicting future demand. Medical patients, unlike lawyers' clients, are always individuals. Consequently, it is possible to take the projected population of the country, the frequency of various physical affiliations, and even projected problem areas that may arise, and come within a reasonable estimate of the demand for medical personnel.

For lawyers, a similar estimate would begin with determining what the client mix of the future might be individuals, small businesses, corporations, government and others and the kinds and qualities of legal services they will require. Then you would need to predict what legislative and judicial decisions will be made in the future. Of course, it is more difficult to foresee what Congress and the Supreme Court will do, let alone 50 state and hundreds of local legislatures and lower courts.

Now add into the mix the entire realm of economics. The real estate market goes sour, and suddenly property attorneys face difficult times. The economy takes a downturn, and bankruptcy attorneys do extremely well. Research and development programs by corporations are cut back, and patent attorneys are in oversupply.

Such economic factors touch upon all areas of practice. Fortunately, their impact is usually for a relatively short period of time. But that very uncertainty is the reason every new lawyer should remain flexible in his or her career thinking.

In addition to changes in the economy and profession during your career, there may be political changes which will have an impact on you and your goals. Many lawyers have been subjected to government hiring freezes or to a change in a political party that wiped out the positions they held.

Changes on the professional level may have substantial impact on the future demand for lawyers. Among the more likely of these are the increase in law office automation, legal assistants, affiliated or subsidiary business ventures by law firms in non legal fields, de facto specialization, branch office and multi-jurisdictional practice, mandatory continuing legal education, and concerns about professional competency.

Even though many changes cannot be predicted, it is essential that you monitor current events and developments in the profession throughout your career so you are not caught completely unawares. In so unpredictable a world, "adaptability" and "flexibility" become career watchwords that no young lawyer can afford to overlook.

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Future Practice Trends

Who will be your clients? The development of neighborhood clinics, group legal services, law stores, and insurance plans will bring substantial demands from middle income clients for a variety of services. Increased appropriations for the federally funded legal services have provided greater access for individuals in low income groups to seek legal assistance in civil and, increasingly, criminal cases.

Some changes will occur in the areas of advertising, specialization, the self-regulation of the legal profession, and questions of competency and responsibilities for giving advice. The adversary system is not immune from the evolution: new methods of dispute resolution are being tried. Old concepts of how trials should be held are being challenged. Arbitration agreements and no-fault laws all lead many to believe that the function of the courts will change dramatically in coming years.

Within the legal profession, the growth of really large law firms with several branches is redefining the law firm pyramid. Assembly-line procedures and other office management improvements, including the use of paralegals is helping to reserve the lawyer's time for more complicated legal work. The expansion of legal departments of corporations and the employment of more lawyers in governmental agencies are affecting the traditional attorney-client relationship. These organizational changes are touching every important activity of the individual practitioner and the environment in which he works.

Why are changes occurring? Many, of course, are brought about by forces within the profession, but often lawyers have waited to react to external pressures. Because the profession has changed and will continue to change at such a rapid rate, it is important for students to critically reflect and examine the new directions their profession is taking as well as their role within it if they expect to act as agents of change rather than simply to react to change it occurs.

Many law students are reluctant to challenge employment practices they consider improper, or at least they are uneasy about their situation vis-a-vis employers. It is true that women and minority students have special concerns, and they may face career issues that do not impede their majority/male counterparts.

If you have particular questions about their career planning or job search process related to your status as a woman or minority law student, you should discuss these questions with a career counselor at your school. You may also find it useful to share your concerns with fellow students, or to speak with graduates who have completed the job search successfully.

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