Researchers at the University of Dayton School of Law recently released the findings from a study on what legal employers expect from law school graduates. Most observers would expect the employers to emphasize a need for writing and analytical skills, and they do touch on the importance of such capabilities. However, the respondents focused far more on so-called “soft” skills, like work ethic and individual responsibility.

In terms of the expected practical skills, employers highlighted the importance of conducting research, a skill to which most thought law schools should devote more time and resources. As new hires are often tasked with compiling up-to-date research for cases, respondents emphasized the need for graduates to know how to scour all available sources effectively, while also keeping in mind the purpose and the audience of an assignment. While lengthy research memos are commonly assigned, so too are shorter writing assignments for clients or other parties. Just as employers' preferences vary, clients' preferences for the amount of information provided differ as well. Recognizing how to tailor work products was observed by respondents as a critical skill.

Past the practical skills desired, employers voiced opinions on new hires' attitudes to the workplace and the work assigned to them. Coming in with a positive attitude and being able to work independently rated high on employers' list of desired “soft” skills. One even stated that some graduates come in to firms with an expectation that employers will “sit down and kind of spoon feed them.” For the employers interviewed in the study, that kind of attitude is problematic for new hires looking to succeed in the legal field.

While this study was focused on firms in the Dayton, Ohio area, it is beneficial for law students to understand what skills to cultivate prior to graduation.

Last week, Sherman J. Clark, a law professor at the University of Michigan, published a paper taking on the question many have asked in recent years: what, exactly, is the purpose of law school? With the downturn in applications that we discussed earlier this month, law schools are reconfiguring their objectives, and Clark poses interesting ideas for how legal education can be reshaped.

He argues that a legal education can provide students not only with the tools necessary to enter the legal job market, but also the capacity to handle obstacles in their lives outside of the law. While acknowledging the skepticism his argument spurs with many, Clark's look at the purpose of a legal education may actually shed new light on why pursuing a legal career still yields benefits that reach beyond the degree.

As he says, “if we are to be thoughtful about the impact of law school on the quality of lives, we must be willing to think at least tentatively about what makes for quality in life.”

Even though many may not agree with his argument, it is certainly a conversation worth having.

With late registration for the December LSAT closing in just three days, we thought it would be helpful to compare the test locations here in Washington, DC. For this upcoming date, test-takers can choose between the centers at American, Catholic, Georgetown, Howard, and the University of the District of Columbia. To help you choose which one fits yours needs, the list below has all the basic information we've been able to gather from past test-takers.

American University

• Location: 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
• Type of room: Lecture hall
• Number of test-takers: 50-75
• Clock in room: No
• Temperature: Optimal
• Lighting: Optimal
• Noise Level: Very quiet
• Rule enforcement: Yes
• Desk space: Optimal
• Timing: Proctors kept accurate time
• Start time: Usually 1 hour or so after scheduled test time

Catholic University

• Location: 620 Michigan Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20064
• Type of room: Small class room
• Number of test-takers: 0-25
• Clock in room: Yes
• Temperature: Cold
• Lighting: Optimal
• Noise Level: Average
• Rule enforcement:Yes
• Desk space: Relatively small
• Timing: Proctor kept accurate time
• Start time: Usually 1 hour or so after scheduled test time

Georgetown University

• Location: 3700 O Street NW, Washington, DC 20057
• Type of room: Small class room
• Number of test-takers: 0-25
• Clock in room: Yes
• Temperature: Optimal
• Lighting: Optimal
• Noise Level: Very quiet
• Rule enforcement: Yes
• Desk space: Relatively small
• Timing: Proctor kept accurate time
• Start time: Usually 1 hour or so after scheduled test time

Howard University

• Location: 2400 Sixth Street NW, Washington, DC 20059
• Type of room: Lecture hall
• Number of test-takers: 50-75
• Clock in room: Yes
• Temperature: Optimal
• Lighting: Optimal
• Noise Level: Quiet
• Rule enforcement: Yes
• Desk space: Relatively small
• Timing: Proctor kept accurate time
• Start time: Usually 1 hour or so after scheduled test time

University of the District of Columbia

• Location: 4200 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
• Type of room: Large class room
• Number of test-takers: Over 100
• Clock in room: Yes
• Temperature: Warm/Hot
• Lighting: Optimal
• Noise Level: Very quiet
• Rule enforcement: Yes
• Desk space: Optimal
• Timing: Yes
• Start time: Usually 1 hour or so after scheduled test time

By now, you've probably seen the headlines about the decline in LSAT test-takers. After releasing the October scores early last week, the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) also sent out updated data showing that 33,673 people sat for the exam. Compared to the October 2012 test date, there was an 11% drop in tests administered. The decline from 2009, when more than 60,000 people took the October test, is even more dramatic, with the Wall Street Journal estimating a 45% difference.

You're not alone if the numbers are causing you concern, but John A. Byrne has an interesting take on why this decline may be the best case for law school we've seen in some time. In the years immediately following the recession, not only did the number of LSAT test-takers spike, but so did the number of law school applicants. The influx of law school students meant that the legal field was saturated by new JDs searching for work after graduation.

For the last few years, all we've seen in the news is that these graduates are struggling to find employment in the field, so the decline in people pursuing legal careers is of benefit to those of you still competing for entrance into competitive schools. As Byrne points out in his article, the smaller applicant pool means that those competitive schools are slightly less competitive than they once were. And just like applications may yield more positive results, it's likely that career prospects will follow the same trend in the next few years as the market for legal jobs stabilizes.