Is CLS (and the like) a good investment?
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 3:13 pm
I'm leaving for Columbia in a few weeks, but rather than feeling excited, I'm honestly just terrified because of the job market.
Many have discussed how well Columbia's "held up" during the recession, placing 55% of its 3L's into NLJ250 positions according to the latest National Law Journal list of "go-to schools." But few have discussed what happens to the other 45%. Even if one allows 10% for clerkships, 5% for public interest and 5% for academia, that still leaves fully 25% of the class unaccounted for.
So, what happens to that 25%? I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for law school, but this has become literally all that I can think about. Sometimes I feel like I'm digging myself a $150,000 hole that I'll never climb out of. I don't mean to sound morbid or anything - I think I'll place well enough in my class that it won't be an issue - but so does every other student at Columbia, and inevitably at least one in four of them don't.
I've even occasionally thought that it might make more sense to just find a job, or pursue a post-bac and go to medical school. (Because honestly, how many starving physicians do you know?) These options seem a little on the extreme side, and I do want to go to law school - at my dream school, no less - but I need to know that I'm making a wise investment.
So, does anyone know one of the "unaccounted for" 25%, 35%, even 45% at schools like Columbia, NYU, and Chicago? What happens to them?
(Note I'm not posting this in "Choosing a Law School" because I want the opinion of current students, and because I already know what school I'm attending.)
Many have discussed how well Columbia's "held up" during the recession, placing 55% of its 3L's into NLJ250 positions according to the latest National Law Journal list of "go-to schools." But few have discussed what happens to the other 45%. Even if one allows 10% for clerkships, 5% for public interest and 5% for academia, that still leaves fully 25% of the class unaccounted for.
So, what happens to that 25%? I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for law school, but this has become literally all that I can think about. Sometimes I feel like I'm digging myself a $150,000 hole that I'll never climb out of. I don't mean to sound morbid or anything - I think I'll place well enough in my class that it won't be an issue - but so does every other student at Columbia, and inevitably at least one in four of them don't.
I've even occasionally thought that it might make more sense to just find a job, or pursue a post-bac and go to medical school. (Because honestly, how many starving physicians do you know?) These options seem a little on the extreme side, and I do want to go to law school - at my dream school, no less - but I need to know that I'm making a wise investment.
So, does anyone know one of the "unaccounted for" 25%, 35%, even 45% at schools like Columbia, NYU, and Chicago? What happens to them?
(Note I'm not posting this in "Choosing a Law School" because I want the opinion of current students, and because I already know what school I'm attending.)
), and, at least in the class of 2010, it seems that the amount of "lost" students is closer to 10 %. It's been an especially tough year in public interest especially but MOST firm kids seemed to do alright. There are some people still looking, but I'm pretty confident they'll find a decent job.