labor law academia Forum

[bluedvl]

I've heard that some areas of law such as corporate law are easier to become professors in than others such as constitutional law. I was wondering where labor law falls in this spectrum?
Also am I right in assuming securities law is easier as its part of corporate law?

I do recognize that the easiness is just relative and it is always difficult to become a professor

[Anonymous User]

Just anecdotally, labor law seems to be an easier field for practitioners to break into than others. I personally know three people who got labor/employment tenure-track jobs without federal clerkships (two were HSY grads; one had a state supreme court clerkship).

As far a securities reg, yes, it's going to be a much easier academic field to break into that the average. The problem is that you're probably going to have to have an econ PhD if you want to be taken seriously these days. Same for corporate law.

(By the way, if you are trying to pick an academic field based on hiring prospects, pick commercial law or property. It also might be a good idea to get an MPH and do health law -- there are surprisingly few of those, for some reason.)

[Richie Tenenbaum]

Just anecdotally, labor law seems to be an easier field for practitioners to break into than others. I personally know three people who got labor/employment tenure-track jobs without federal clerkships (two were HSY grads; one had a state supreme court clerkship).

As far a securities reg, yes, it's going to be a much easier academic field to break into that the average. The problem is that you're probably going to have to have an econ PhD if you want to be taken seriously these days. Same for corporate law.

(By the way, if you are trying to pick an academic field based on hiring prospects, pick commercial law or property. It also might be a good idea to get an MPH and do health law -- there are surprisingly few of those, for some reason.)

Tax is another field where the competition can be thinner. The downside to this is you would have to teach and do scholarship on tax.

[Anonymous User]

I know that, at least this year, schools were looking for securities professors, and that you don't need a phd to be competitive. Securities work at a top firm and a great clerkship, though.

[Anonymous User]

I know that, at least this year, schools were looking for securities professors, and that you don't need a phd to be competitive. Securities work at a top firm and a great clerkship, though.

Now you got me curious. This is this year's hiring list. It doesn't reflect a lot of need for securities reg, but those openings could be "disguised" as corporate or business law.

http://prawfsblawg.blogs.com/prawfsblaw ... -2012.html

Also, I looked at last year's entry level hiring report on prawfsblawg. It looks like a handful (5ish) of people were hired listing securities reg as their first or second main teaching interest. One had a PhD. So it's less of a prerequisite than I imagined!

[Anonymous User]

I know that, at least this year, schools were looking for securities professors, and that you don't need a phd to be competitive. Securities work at a top firm and a great clerkship, though.

Now you got me curious. This is this year's hiring list. It doesn't reflect a lot of need for securities reg, but those openings could be "disguised" as corporate or business law.

http://prawfsblawg.blogs.com/prawfsblaw ... -2012.html

Also, I looked at last year's entry level hiring report on prawfsblawg. It looks like a handful (5ish) of people were hired listing securities reg as their first or second main teaching interest. One had a PhD. So it's less of a prerequisite than I imagined!

Anecdotal only so YMMV but the market is flooooded with wannabe crim profs and someone who teaches securities reg (and yeah, you'll be expected to teach 1L corp too) is more valuable this year. But who knows what next year or the year after will bring.

[Anonymous User]

I know that, at least this year, schools were looking for securities professors, and that you don't need a phd to be competitive. Securities work at a top firm and a great clerkship, though.

Now you got me curious. This is this year's hiring list. It doesn't reflect a lot of need for securities reg, but those openings could be "disguised" as corporate or business law.

http://prawfsblawg.blogs.com/prawfsblaw ... -2012.html

Also, I looked at last year's entry level hiring report on prawfsblawg. It looks like a handful (5ish) of people were hired listing securities reg as their first or second main teaching interest. One had a PhD. So it's less of a prerequisite than I imagined!

Anecdotal only so YMMV but the market is flooooded with wannabe crim profs and someone who teaches securities reg (and yeah, you'll be expected to teach 1L corp too) is more valuable this year. But who knows what next year or the year after will bring.

You mind revealing source? Also: you happen to know if historically there's a glut of crim/crim pro ppl, like there is when it comes to con law? I had thought that crim wasn't as glamorous as some of the other areas. Is that just wrong?

(aynon bc I dont want to out self)

[Anonymous User]

You mind revealing source? Also: you happen to know if historically there's a glut of crim/crim pro ppl, like there is when it comes to con law? I had thought that crim wasn't as glamorous as some of the other areas. Is that just wrong?

My understanding (it's secondhand, but from a very reliable source -- think entry level academia advisor at one of the big feeder schools) is that there generally aren't a ton of criminal academic jobs open on a year-to-year basis, but that isn't true this year (i.e., there ARE a good number of openings) for some reason. S/he is not sure if it's a blip or a long term phenomenon.

The really hard-to-get fields are con law, civ pro (because every con law person says that they also can teach civ pro), admin, fed courts. Contracts, torts, evidence, corporations are fairly neutral -- you don't need to be a superstar, but you do need to look promising. Property, UCC, and ethics are all reputedly underserved.

[Anonymous User]

You mind revealing source? Also: you happen to know if historically there's a glut of crim/crim pro ppl, like there is when it comes to con law? I had thought that crim wasn't as glamorous as some of the other areas. Is that just wrong?

(aynon bc I dont want to out self)

Source: I know several people in that area who did the meat market this year; at least two were told by several universities that they have too many crim applicants and wouldn't they consider [another area]?