COVID and the JD job market

Comments

• 11 Likes

  studyingandrestudying Core Member

  May 2020 5254 karma

  I join you in being worried.
• 2 Likes

  Tzvi___H Alum Member

  May 2020 205 karma

  You have to compare the decline with other professions as they also will take a hit.
• 1 Like

  dansykes94 Core Member

  May 2020 112 karma

  There will be a recession.

  Honestly thinking of postponing to Fall 2021.

  High chance the damage will peak in 2-3 years
• studyingandrestudying Core Member

  May 2020 5254 karma

  Around 2008 and in the years following the legal job market wasn't a happy scene. It wasn't the only field to have this situation, but it was definitely one that hit very tough times.
• 6 Likes

  mellomel Alum Member

  May 2020 292 karma

  I share everybody's concerns. But I also think that the legal job market could do relatively better than other sectors in these sorts of mass instabilities. A lot of people will need lawyers to pick up the pieces. Not to say all will be well and good, but just a glass half full perspective.
• MIT_2017 Alum Member

  May 2020 edited May 2020 470 karma

  @dansykes94 said:
  There will be a recession.

  Honestly thinking of postponing to Fall 2021.

  High chance the damage will peak in 2-3 years

  I have heard a few people mention that they expect the damage to be much worse in a couple years than it is now/later this year. Is there a good reason to think this other than just going off of what we saw after 2008?

  Another question I have is if people expect the impending legal recession to have a strong impact on those graduating from a T14? How about T6?

  Relatedly, can anyone provide links to recent articles that talk about expectations for the legal market in the near future, beyond simply "hiring is down"?

  Thanks.
• studyingandrestudying Core Member

  May 2020 5254 karma

  @MIT_2017, I don't think we can post links, but Spivey has some good articles and he tracks this information. He also has a good podcast. I've heard there was also a recession in 1992 that was pretty bad, but I don't know as much about it as 2008. The thing is, both these recessions didn't involve a pandemic, and when you thrown in the health considerations, obviously we're living in tough times and right now unemployment is at a high percentage rate--not isolating law here just quoting headlines for general labor rates. While I don't know about specific schools and graduate outcomes, I do know Law School Transparency is very concerned about employment outcomes. And the Reddit School of Law has discussions about some internships and summer associate positions being virtual and others cancelled.
• MIT_2017 Alum Member

  May 2020 470 karma

  @lsatplaylist thanks very much, i'll check out those sources