Legally blue: Even law firms are going under

The Economist ^ | August 7, 2003

[sarcasm]

I doubt that many tears will be shed.

[RJCogburn]

A feel-good post.

[Drango]

Law firms going under is a bad thing?

[the bottle let me down]

Law firms going under is a bad thing?

It is for the employees of the law firm. For every partner, a big city big firm of the type described in this article will typically have 2-3 non-partner attorneys, and 2-3 other employees.

[dfwgator]

The thing is, a lot of upcoming law school graduates are in for a huge shock. The grunt work that many new associates performed to get started in law firms, is now being outsourced to India as well. Thus, fewer law firms will bother to hire law students fresh out of law school, unless they go to a prestigious Ivy League Law School or have serious connections.

[Nick Danger]

[uncbob]

Now if only all the Law Schools would go bankrupt for at least 10 years

[Drango]

Law firms going under is a bad thing?
>It is for the employees of the law firm.

Well I don't want to make light of anyone's unemployment except lawyers, but ~snicker. I mean, the employees knew they were sleeping with and enabling the lowest scum element in society.

That said, I hope the get a real job quickly if they get laid off...

[Old Professer]

This has very little to do with the general economy; bad debts lead to bankruptcy and over-expansion is the cause of most bad corporate debts as well as partnerships.

[The Duke]

Bump for killing the goose that lays the golden eggs!

[longtermmemmory]

That would be very hard. Law schools are a very very CHEEP school to run. all you need are warm body professors and books (now computer access)

In FL they opened up two new law schools. (jacksonville's is a national joke) There is presently one first year seat for every law school applicant in the USA. In other words anyone who wants to be a lawyer can.

[MCSTex]

GREAT!!!! Now if the rest of the scumbags would go "belly up", at some point maybe we could get our country back.
Many will probably enter the "journalism" trade.

[TLI]

The grunt work that many new associates performed to get started in law firms, is now being outsourced to India as well.

Any info on this? I would just love to read this from another source. It was many law firms that made such recommendations to the IT honchos that only cared about the very bottom line.

I could just see it now, heavy-hitter "rainmaker" attorney has big case, picks up phone for research and Lexus-nexus searches and can't understand a word the guy is saying.....

[billhilly]

When someone needs a lawyer it is a good thing that they are around. Like lifeguards, it is easy to make fun of them until your own stupidity or misfortune makes their rescue efforts necessary.

[RJCogburn]

When someone needs a lawyer it is a good thing that they are around. Like lifeguards, it is easy to make fun of them until your own stupidity or misfortune makes their rescue efforts necessary.

Right, but how many times does one need a lawyer because some other lawyer has started cranking up the meter?

[putupjob]

Can we send these jobs to India? Seems like we're sending EVERYTHING to India. Why not the overpriced services of these professional leeches.

[chris1]

Some of the stupid comments on this board are incredible. Especially coming from "conservatives" who fear the growth and creep of gov't into theirlives. How many of you will proceed with a case pro se if you are wrongly accused of a crime??? Slamming lawyers is all fun until you need one.

[putupon]

[putupon]

Slamming lawyers is all fun until you need one.

And they'll keep making more laws to be sure we always will.

[1L]

Now if only all the Law Schools would go bankrupt for at least 10 years

Let's see how loud you scream for help when you've been accused of a crime you didn't commit, had a contract you were a party to breached, or been sued when you did nothing wrong. Law schools, by the way, don't exactly turn a profit.