Bad Time to Be a Law Student

Considering the way law firms have been shedding attorneys and staffers, it's hardly a surprise that being a summer clerk this year wasn't exactly the full five-star experience the summer class of 2009 may have dreamed about in law school. Instead of being courted and catered to, this year's summer class came face to face with the rough realities of the continuing economic downturn.


It is a scary time to be a law student. One indication of just how scary: The number of summer clerks who said they expected to receive full-time job offers was down sharply, according to our survey, while anecdotal evidence culled from respondents' answers to open-ended questions suggested that stress and anxiety levels were up.

Almost half of this year's summer class said they weren't sure whether they would get full-time offers from their firms, compared to just 17 percent last year and 12 percent in 2007. Many of the rising 3Ls expressed deep frustration -- and in some cases outright panic -- over being kept in the dark about firms' hiring plans.

With the recession already in effect by mid-2008, last year's summers were more nervous than those in prior years. Summer supervisors say that worries were even more pronounced this year. That may have had the effect of making the 2009 summers a bit more competitive and less collegial.


Warmest Regards,

Bob Schaller


Your Bankruptcy Advisor Blog
By: Attorney Robert Schaller (Bob's bio) of the Schaller Law Firm

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