The Legal Recession: Law Students and Job Prospects

I previously blogged here, here and here about the effect the economic crisis is having on academic and nonprofit legal clinics, documenting the struggle to assist a growing number of clients in need. Last week, the ABA Journal focused on the reality law students face in today's job market:

"As the economic downturn hits big law firms, resulting in layoffs and a few dissolutions, legal job seekers— and the people who help them find jobs—are also feeling the pain. The effects extend even to Harvard Law School, ranked second-best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Mark Weber, assistant dean for career services at the law school, told the New York Times that law firms are extending fewer employment offers and hiring fewer summer associates for next year. The legal services industry lost more than 1,000 jobs in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The numbers are reflected in recent news reports of job losses at several law firms."

In fact, the ABA Journal publishes a running tally of large firms that have recently laid off employees. The Journal is also conducting a survey about the legal recession, with results to be published in January.