<p>Interestingly, the February 2011 ABA Journal (magazine published by the American Bar Association) includes two articles, one entitled: "Law School? Bag It, Bloggers Say: More Disgruntled Grads Are 'Scamblogging' Their Job Frustrations" and one entitled "Why I Love Being a Lawyer (Seriously)". I thought you might appreciate some excerpts from these articles. I found the positioning amusing.</p>
<p>I hope that you find them enjoyable!</p>
<p>From the Disgruntled Grads article:</p>
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The legal profession is shrinking. The number of people employed in legal services has shrunk 7.8 percent since 2007.
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While the most prestigious law firms pay $160,000 annually to new associates, 34 percent of starting salaries ranged between $40,000 and $65,000, according to a report by NALP, the Washington, D.C. association that oversees lawyers' career planning, recruitment and retention. The average law school debt load is $100,000. Scambloggers argue that the average graduate can't make enough money to even pay back the loans. Despite these problems, college graduates are still showing an increased interest in getting a JD. Between 2007 and 2009, the number of students taking the LSAT jumped 20.5 percent.
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ABA President Stephen N. Zack says one of the biggest problems is that students enter law school with high expectations of their earning potential but little understanding of the reality of the legal market these days.
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[The ABA] is considering a proposal that would require schools to disclose more detailed placement information -- not just the overall employment number -- and also to break it down by categories. Under this proposal, law schools would have to disclose whether the employment is full- or part-time and temporary or permanent.
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. . . since the recession hit, some schools have been hiring graduates for temporary work, which can bring their overall employment numbers up.
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<p>From the Love article (most are direct quotes from practicing lawyers):</p>
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We've all sen the downbeat headlines -- surveys show as many as half of all lawyers wouldn't enter the profession if they had it to do over, wouldn't recommend their children become lawyers, would rather be digging ditches or breaking rocks. As the profession struggles to recover from the Great Recession, it's certainly not easy being an attorney. But what about the other half of the profession -- the half that doesn't grab eht headlines, that finds satisfaction in their jobs? There's still much to recommend the practice of law, starting with serving clients and the public good.
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I love being a lawyer because when I stand up before a jury and thank my clients for the privilege of representing them (and I usually feel pretty emotional whenever I say that, with chills) I realize that I am being trusted to present them, what they feel, what they believe. And I take that very seriously.
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[Describes criminal case with wrongly accused defendant] It was at that precise moment of dismissal that I realized being a lawyer was about helping people who needed help. And I felt that I had found my calling in life.
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Best job in the world: I get paid to read, write, think, talk and argue -- all things I would do anyway.
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I love the creativity involved with handling virtually every case or matter. Law is a thinking profession, not just a doing job.
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What I love the most about being a lawyer is freedom. In 35 years, I have had three different careers in law, and even within those careers, I have been free to pursue my own professional desires.
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What I love most about being a lawyer is that it never has to be boring. As a lawyer, you always have the opportunity to redesign your practice to accomplish different goals. In 30 years of practice I have seen the way in which law is practiced change radically and rapidly. I hope it keeps on changing.
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I just find the intellectual side of the law deeply satisfying. Add to that a chance to help clients solve very difficult problems and to argue before the Supreme Court on a regular basis, and I often have to pinch myself to convince me it is real.
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