By Renato Petocchi
Many who graduate from colleges around the country find themselves unable to transition into the working world successfully. It isn’t surprising then that many who graduate from law school find themselves without any actual knowledge of what it means to be a lawyer and face the same problem.
Among the many problems with law school is the concept of the curve. Specifically, all first year grades and some second year grades are curved. This results in a situation where you can be right but still be wrong (because you are “less right” than a better answer from somebody else). Theoretically, this system could also leave some with virtually no legal knowledge whatsoever depending on the sum of the abilities of the students in the class. If everyone in the class doesn’t know a topic, then none are penalized for their ignorance.
Perhaps legal education’s greatest problem is from the lack of practical experience it imparts on students. In my own experience, I found myself unprepared to perform the tasks required of me in my summer work at a small firm. “You have to be prepared to do everything” an associate told me, and I realized I really didn’t know how to do anything. I had only written a few briefs and memos my first year, and research was not my strong suit because only one class required any research at all. Within the classroom, students are taught with the case method, which only teaches them how to analyze the law, but not how to practice it.
Virtually all knowledge about what it means to be a lawyer comes from outside the classroom by way of internships or summer jobs. Law students should not be limited to honing their craft only in the brief summer months between semesters. Also, given the current job climate, these opportunities are becoming increasingly scarce, so where must our students turn now? Should we allow law students with little experience to represent clients simply because they have passed the bar exam?
The answer to these questions is quite simple: why not make internships a requirement, or require students to perform apprenticeships with practicing attorneys in areas of the law they are interested in? With such a requirement, law students could continue their regular classes, but perhaps have one day a week dedicated to working in their field of interest. Numerous studies have shown that lawyers suffer from great job dissatisfaction. They have levels of depression and substance abuse well above other professions. Requiring internships may provide a solution by allowing law students to enter their fields with their eyes open. They will know what to expect from their employers, and what is expected from them in their work. Additionally, they can find out what area of the law appeals to their skill sets and interests. Requiring law students to perform internships will make happier, more dedicated lawyers, employers, and clients.
