Law School Lawsuits over Law School Scam?

October 12th, 2011. By AbiK

It’s a Catch-22. Law school enrollments have been declining—they’re reportedly down about 10 percent nationally in 2011, with some schools like Vermont Law School down 23.8 percent. Law schools, in order to drive enrollments, need to show that their post-graduate job placement rates are fairly high (Marketing 101).

But the economy is not exactly cooperating as it leaves newly minted attorneys loaded with debt and schlepping coffee orders at Starbucks. And that’s left some students with that WTF? feeling—after all, those published post-grad job placement rates (promises, promises) are looking rather bogus once that graduation cap is tossed in the air.

(Toss that law career, too!)

The cycle is nothing new—very textbook, if you’ll excuse the pun. But, let’s face it, it’s a scam that schools have been known to employ—not just law schools—to bolster enrollment. So while there has been at least one lawsuit filed, according to an AP report, against Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, looks like more are en route…

Two lawyers—David Anziska and Jesse Strauss—are hoping to put a reality check on the marketed outlook for law firm gigs post-graduation.

So far, they’ve filed two lawsuits in New York and Michigan alleging that New York Law School and Thomas Cooley Law School (MI) inflated their post-grad employment rates. Next up, 15 more law schools:

• Albany Law School
• Brooklyn Law School
• California Western School of Law
• Chicago-Kent College of Law
• DePaul University School of Law
• Florida Coastal School of Law
• Hofstra Law School
• John Marshall School of Law in Chicago
• Pace University School of Law
• St. John’s University School of Law
• Southwestern Law School
• Villanova University School of Law
• Widener University School of Law
• University of Baltimore School of Law
• University of San Francisco School of Law

According to Anziska and Strauss, the above 15 schools individually reported post-grad employment rates in a range of 80-98 percent; along with an average debt per student of $108,829.40 (2009 graduates).

That’s more than some folks’ mortgages.

Figure in also that the National Association for Law Placement reported that only just over two-thirds of spring 2010 law grad had landed jobs requiring law licenses nine months post-graduation (source: AP).

And, the same report states that the national median salary for new 2010 law school grads dropped to $63k, down from $72k.

Sure makes the graduation party a bit less festive, and certainly makes the “80-98 percent” placement picture seem like b.s. (assuming, of course, that the 15 schools’ placement rates are in line with national averages, which, I’m guessing they are).

Times are tough, indeed. But having a bunch of eager, aspiring and, dare I say, impressionable lawyer wannabes ramp up their law school application process with visions of plum positions (partner!) in their heads is misleading at best, fraudulent at worst.

Anziska and Strauss are looking for lead plaintiffs. And somehow, I think they’ll find them.

Tags: Albany Law School, Brooklyn Law School, California Western School of Law, Chicago Kent College of Law, David Anziska, DePaul University School of Law, Florida Coastal School of Law, Hofstra Law School, Jesse Strauss, John Marshall School of Law, Law School Post-Graduate Employment Rates, Law School Scam, New York Law School, Pace University School of Law, Southwestern Law School, St Johns University School of Law, Thomas Cooley Law School, University of Baltimore School of Law, University of San Francisco School of Law, Villanova University School of Law, Widener University School of Law

This was posted on Wednesday, October 12th, 2011 at 3:02 pm and is filed under Class Action, Consumer Fraud, Emerging Issues, lawsuits, Lawyers . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.