The American Legal Profession: The Myths and Realities of Practicing Law

• Introduces students to the myths and realities of the legal profession in order to dispel the misconceptions about what it is like to go to law school and engage in legal practice. • Provides a simple yet comprehensive overview of the timing and logistics of preparing law school applications, helping students, parents, and advisors with practical advice. • Offers guidance for evaluating law school rankings in order to select the most appropriate law school when making decisions about where to apply. • Explores the journey from law school to legal practice, illuminating what students can expect upon matriculating into law school and what kind of employment they can secure after they graduate. • Helps students and parents understand the cost of law school, the nature of student loan debt, and how employment opportunities match up to these externalities. • Presents multiple career opportunities in pursuing a “functional” law degree, including non-legal alternative employment in government, business management, marketing, financial institutions, non-profit organizations in the United States and abroad. New to the Second Edition Expanded coverage to include paralegal and legal assistant training. New material on women and minority law students who are transforming law schools and the profession. Explores challenges to the legal profession posed by economic recession, Covid-19, high tuition rates, exploding student loan debt, internet technological advances, and global competitive pressures including legal outsourcing and DIY legal services. Updated data and tables along with all underlying research