July 2017

Happy August. I didn't want to waste one keystroke on Today's Law Degree Takes on a Broader Meaning but I'm stewing.

At the heart of the shift is a term used by schools known as "JD Advantage," which refers to a job that doesn't require a law degree but where a J.D. is advantageous in the eyes of an employer. Such jobs include compliance officers, paralegals, consultants and journalists.

Organizations that monitor law school performance have measured an uptick in this area of employment: the proportion of law school graduates obtaining JD advantage jobs has steadily increased — from 8 to 14 percent — since 2007.

These people NEVER quit; they lie awake thinking of ways to scam. I thought JD Advantage™ would wither from derision, but instead it is becoming the new normal. As a stylistic matter, note how Bloomberg has the term in quotes before giving it a less conspicuous treatment in the next paragraph.

To any college student — Lordy, I hope there are some — reading this: if your employer thinks it is helpful for you to have a JD then let them pay for it.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t17.htm

Not seasonally adjusted	July	2016	1,131,500
	May	2017	1,125,700
	June	2017	1,140,400
	July	2017	1,136,900	5,400
Seasonally adjusted	July	2016	1,121,400
	May	2017	1,128,100
	June	2017	1,130,700
	July	2017	1,126,400	5,000
Change from Jun-17 to Jul-17				-4,300

July 2016 Great Taste, Less Filling

I'm really enjoying the overwrought debate over the ABA's proposed 75% rule and its impact on diversity. I predict the warring sides will study the issue until it goes away, ignoring the debt elephant in the room.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t17.htm

Not seasonally adjusted	July	2015	1,128,000
	May	2016	1,121,300
	June	2016	1,134,700
	July	2016	1,133,700	5,700
Seasonally adjusted	July	2015	1,118,900
	May	2016	1,124,200
	June	2016	1,124,100
	July	2016	1,123,900	5,000
Change from Jun-16 to Jul-16				-200

July 2015

So I'm a month behind. Sue me. To the induhviduals starting law school this fall, the numbers will look the same when you graduate. Trust me: they haven't budged in four years. Have fun chasing the fox.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t17.htm

Not seasonally adjusted	July	2014	1,129,600
	May	2015	1,119,600
	June	2015	1,131,700
	July	2015	1,132,400	2,800
Seasonally adjusted	July	2014	1,118,700
	May	2015	1,122,500
	June	2015	1,122,000
	July	2015	1,122,200	3,500
Change from Jun-15 to Jul-15				200

July 2014

I'm just going through the motions at this point. July 2014 was flat. Year-over-year was modest, nowhere near enough to absorb recent graduates. We'll see what happens in the fall, though I'll go out on a limb and predict things will suck for most newly-minted lawyers.

I'd hoped toilet law schools would start to fail and fall like dominos as students fled, but I'm increasingly convinced there is a baseline supply of individuals like this to fill seats. All the schools need to do is get their expenses in line with the new-normal revenue stream — they're lopping faculty and staff as I type this — and they can scam provide quality, ABA-endorsed legal educations forever.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t17.htm

Not seasonally adjusted	July	2013	1,143,300
	May	2014	1,131,700
	June	2014	1,145,600
	July	2014	1,147,100	3,800
Seasonally adjusted	July	2013	1,132,000
	May	2014	1,135,200
	June	2014	1,136,100
	July	2014	1,135,900	3,900
Change from Jun-14 to Jul-14				-200

July 2013

July 2013 featured a 2,800-worker gain over June, subject to the usual wholesale revision up or down. Year-over-year was a little better than flat.

Three-year growth was around 16,000. It would have been a lot larger but for the massive earnings potential of a JD luring holders away from law and into even more lucrative endeavors, making recruiting difficult. I'll get to Simkovic's paper eventually. In the interim, I encourage the terminally credulous to enroll somewhere, anywhere this fall. Remember the ABA motto, "It's a mistake to retake."

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t17.htm

Not seasonally adjusted	July	2012	1,135,100
	May	2013	1,125,100
	June	2013	1,134,500
	July	2013	1,138,800	3,700
Seasonally adjusted	July	2012	1,123,200
	May	2013	1,126,900
	June	2013	1,124,200
	July	2013	1,127,000	3,800
Change from Jun-13 to Jul-13				2,800