Malthus Goes to Law School
Simple Justice:
I have long been of the view that the United States produces far too many lawyers for society to absorb. Law, being the profession of last resort, takes in the strays that couldn’t hack organic chemistry, or can’t bear the sight of blood. Law schools, which exist to support the scholarly endeavors of its professorate, needs as many warm bodies with cash as they can squeeze though the door to support its addiction.
The bottom line is miserable Biglaw associates, frivolous lawsuits brought by lawyers whose hands would otherwise be idle, a cause of action for every wrong, no matter who was at fault, and a society with no respect for the law or its practitioners. Familiarity breeds contempt, and we all know a lawyer.
Since we, the stewards of the legal profession, have neglected to take responsibility for thinning the herd to manageable levels, enough that there is “food” for everyone, nature will do it for us. Enter my old buddy, Thomas Robert Malthus.
According to David Bernstein at Volokh, who cites to Al Brophy at The Faculty Lounge, the current economic situation is having its impact on law schools, resulting in a hiring freeze at William & Mary, with more to come:
I’m expecting freezes on hiring at many universities. I asked a friend at a major law school a few weeks back what he thought the effect of the economy would be on law school hiring. … First, fewer people are going to be retiring; second, schools will be reluctant to fill vacancies. A handful of elite schools will be insulated from the downturn, I suppose. For all the rest of us, get ready for some more belt-tightening…. Maybe the real crunch will be felt next year; that’s hard to know.
Bernstein wonders whether this means that newer (or lesser?) lawprofs…