Many people choose the law as a career and decide to attend law school because they want to make the world a better place. Upon learning how much money The Firm pays its attorneys, however, most quickly come to realize that their own personal world will be a whole lot better if they go into private practice.
A recent study of incoming Harvard Law School students found that 80 percent expressed an interest in doing public interest work as an attorney. Upon graduation, however, only five percent of these same individuals actually end up working full time in that area.
Let’s not pick on Harvard. Declining interest in working outside the private sector is common at most law schools and to most law students. The desire to do good with one’s law degree is often the thing that drives people to the profession in the first place yet that desire seems to fade with each passing semester.
What’s most interesting about this change of heart or change of focus is what causes it to occur. There are no law school classes that expressly point future lawyers to the private sector. At the same time, law schools make the effort to encourage students to pursue careers with public interest employers.
To examine this change, let’s take a look at the attitude of the student as he or she makes his or her way through the law school years and see what causes this change to take place.
1. Upon entering law school. During the first few months of law school and the months leading up thereto, the attitude is: “I want to end poverty and social injustice wherever it exists.” The need to do good is overwhelming in the student’s heart and mind due to four years of college sociology and criminal justice courses. Upon graduation from college, it was either law school or the Peace Corps and law school only barely wins.
At this point, the plan for after graduation is to work for the public defender, legal aid or some such—maybe even get a foreign assignment working as a lawyer for an international relief organization. Sure, one will never make much money, but who cares? That’s not important. It’s a small price to pay for making a difference.
2. End of First Year of Law School. Now, the law student’s attitude is: “Maybe I’ll work for Greenpeace because that’s what I’ve always wanted. On the other hand, it might be better to work at Legal Aid, just in case, God forbid, I end up working in private practice someday.”
Working at the legal clinic is in some ways rewarding. One of the ways it is not, however, is in terms of cash. At the end of the summer, the student does the math and figures out that on the salary being offered for this type of work, student loans won’t be paid off until the future lawyer’s yet-to-be-born kids graduate from medical school. Suddenly, career alternatives enter the student’s mind.
3. End of Second Year. Just a year later, the law student’s thought is: “I’ve got to decide between going with a mega firm or a boutique securities firm.”
Following the first summer after the first year of law school, the student comes back to campus and listens to classmates speak of high salaries and being wined and dined by law firms hoping to hire them upon graduation. This leads to a change of heart. Helping the poor and needy is all well and good, but let’s face it, I’m going to need a new car upon graduation. Maybe it will be helpful working at a big firm. Maybe I’ll learn skills I can use to help the needy. Maybe they’ll let me do some pro bono work. Or maybe now there’s no chance of a career in public interest.
4. End of Third Year. Now the student walks around mumbling: “How do those clowns expect me to live on $120,000 a year?”
By this time, you are completely caught up in the competition for the best paying jobs. What’s important is outdoing classmates with tales of high salaries, interesting work and lots of perks. If you end up landing a bigger salary than the guy who sits next to you in class, you’ll consider yourself a success.
At this point, the metamorphosis is complete. The student who at one point was certain of doing public interest work is now going in another direction.
See the following articles for more information:
- How Much Does It Pay?
- Lawyers and Money
- 2015 Summer Associate Salaries of Top Law Firms
- Top 7 Tips for Succeeding as a First Year Associate: How to Succeed as a New Associate in a Law Firm
