Solo Practice

This title is provocative from the New York Lawyer but the information is just not new:

In this reprinted article, it give examples of law school graduates taking non-traditional law jobs because they have to as legal jobs are drying up.

Some experts disagree, but Jeffrey Brand, dean of the University of San Francisco School of Law, says Luros' experience may be the start of a bigger trend?at least for students graduating from law schools that aren't among the nation's most elite. Because of economic factors, he says, a number of law firms are scaling back job offers to new graduates.

Alumni report that even large national firms increasingly are looking to hire experienced attorneys, rather than new graduates, either as lateral associates or on a contract basis, Brand says. "There are fewer associate positions for recent graduates. It's going to require them to be more resourceful in figuring out what they're going to do."

Again, I have to make my argument, if law schools don't teach law students how to be entrepreneurs they are guilty of educational malpractice.  Failure to expose students to entrepreneurship and then train them for this very important option available with their legal license, regardless the school, leaves the majority with incredible debt and forced to consider not practicing law.  But that doesn't mean they are unqualified to open their own practice; it just means it presents additional challenges which could have and should have been addressed during their legal training.  To prepare them only for employment when employment options are both changing and dwindling at the same time is just flat out wrong.

Then when others in the profession say, "get a law job first before starting out on your own to get some training, knock down your debt, learn on another's dime' you have to wonder if they are considering this advice makes it seem even more impossible for new lawyers to accomplish anything.

The conversation goes something like this:

New Law Student:    I want to go solo.

Advisor:                  But you don't know anything.

New Law Student:  But I can't get a legal job.

Advisor:                  Well, at least go work for a law firm first to get some experience.  Then go out on your own.  Pay down some debt.  Learn on another's dime.

New Law Student:   That's a great idea.  But did you hear me.  I can't get a legal job.

Advisor:                  Oh?  Well, it sucks being you.

What do you think?