THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF LEGAL JOBS ON EARTH
LawCrossing Feature
Law Students Lose Interest in ‘Public Interest’ after Law School There is a great amount of literature that proves that while a substantial number of students entering law school show interest in careers in “public interest law” by the time they pass out, a majority of ‘interested’ students avoid jobs in the sector. Just for example, a study by Granfield and Stover (1992) found that 70% of first-year students at Harvard Law School (1986) wanted to practice public interest law, but by the time Harvard Law School had done the magic on them, only a “few third-year students perceived … settings other than a large private law firm.” In fact, out of the initial 70% of interested students, only 2% still indicated an interest in legal aid jobs.
In fact, by most law students who perceive that they
the federal Office of Economic Opportunity which held
would like to contribute to the system at the beginning,
legal aid recruitment to be moralistic and passive.
the interest fizzles out by third year and ‘public interest’ is relegated to ‘alternative’ career category.
Law school culture is not found to communicate a sense
In a study done by Erlanger, Epp, Cahill, and Haines
of meaningful commitment to the norm of professional
(1996) that the majority of students who opted for
altruism. While not openly disparaged, helping the
jobs in legal aid, did not make it to the Dean’s list at
poor and disadvantaged is a concept that is limited at
law school. Out of those who regularly made it to the
law school only to “ritualistic invocations at ceremonial
Dean’s list, all took jobs in private law firms, though
occasions.” (Erlanger, Epp, Cahill, and Haines 861)
many of them had expressed severe concerns at the state of the system and individual wish to contribute
Ultimately the finding of Erlanger and Cahill was
in ‘public interest’ law at the beginning of their student
summed up in a few words: Many more law students
careers.
talk about taking a nontraditional “public interest” type job than actually do so. Nonetheless, we are able to
Research finds, that one of the greatest factors of
establish this fact more firmly than have prior studies
influencing student decisions were the large amounts of
… political commitments, combined with involvement
student-debts on law students and their desperation to
in a supportive subculture during law school, are very
find relatively stable and higher paying jobs that would
important determinants of the “staying power” of a
allow them to start repaying student debts comfortably.
pre-law school interest in a nontraditional career. Of
However, the study of Erlanger, Epp, Cahill, and Haines
course, this staying power only lasted through the first
(1996) found that students coming either from low-
job; nine years later only a very small proportion of the
income or high-income families had twice the chance
sample was employed in legal aid, as a public defender,
of joining ‘public interest’ than students coming from
or by a nonprofit organization.”
middle-income families. Reference: Politics also plays a major part. Students who do not take active part in politics or student demonstrations
Howard S. Erlanger, Charles R. Epp, Mia Cahill, and
rarely go into public interest law, compared to more
Kathleen M. Haines, “Law Student Idealism and Job
than 30% of students who show active participation in
Choice: Some New Data on an Old Question,” Law &
student demonstrations. This refutes the contention of
Society Review 30.4 (1996)
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