For months now, we have discussed on the blog how the number of law school applicants is declining. While important, it is also necessary to focus on why the remaining applicants are still considering law school. We have discussed the benefits of a legal education and the job prospects in light of the changing landscape, but now we are going to look at the “cultural capital” of a law degree.

According to Lucy Jewel, an associate professor of law at the University of Tennessee, earning a law degree yields benefits beyond the economic gains. Her new paper for the Journal for the Legal Profession examines the social mobility associated with obtaining a law degree, a concept she argues extends past moving up within the structures of one's society. For many graduates, achieving the dream of becoming a lawyer represents the attainment of membership in a significant profession, as well as a critical role within their respective communities.

In her words:

Every graduation, when I see the beaming smiles from my students’ family members, I do not think about the fact that they are getting a degree from a so-called fourth-tier toilet law school; I see people who have achieved a dream (albeit at great financial expense) and obtained a credential that signifies membership in a powerful profession. Even for low-status members of the profession, there is still power, because all attorneys are vested with the ability to bring the power of the state to bear (even if this means filing a small claims lawsuit or negotiating a personal injury claim with an insurance company). That the symbolic value of the credential does not convert to a purely economic value is irrelevant in this equation …

Rather, a law degree provides the recipient with value in knowing a little bit more about how the world works and how to obtain benefits in an institutional setting (such as a courtroom, business negotiation, or school). This type of cultural capital creates small-scale benefits that add up and can also be transmitted to one’s children. Therefore, the cultural capital encapsulated in a law degree can and does connect with social mobility, even though it may not directly connect with economic wealth.

While these social benefits may not outweigh the economic costs for some potential applicants, Jewel's paper does offer interesting food for thought when it comes to the changing face of law school. Her point that the cultural value of law school may continue to defy economic reason in the future is certainly worth considering.

With the December LSAT a few days behind us, we thought it would be helpful to take a look back at reactions to the test sections, and to provide the important dates going forward for test-takers.

So, how was the test?

We've seen pretty mixed reactions across the Internet. Since LSAC does not allow discussion of the details of questions, most of the reactions seem to suggest one particularly tricky logic game and one reading comprehension section with challenging wording. Others report difficulty with one of the logical reasoning sections, but it's too early to know if that was an experimental section or not.

When will scores be available?

For those with LSAC accounts, scores should be released via email on January 6th. With LSAC closed for the holiday, it's unlikely that scores will be released even a few days early. As for those of you without LSAC accounts, they plan to send scores by mail starting January 13th.

Can I cancel my score?

Yes, you have through this Friday, December 13th to cancel your score. The proper way to do so is to submit a written request to LSAC using this form: http://www.lsac.org/docs/default-source/jd-docs/scorecancellationform.pdf?sfvrsn=2. You must fax or send by expedited or overnight mail; LSAC will not accept the requests by email. The fax number and address can be found on their site: http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/score-cancellations#written

Now, more importantly, should I cancel my score?

Most likely not. The odds are your test performance on Saturday was not a complete disaster, and as such, you should wait to see how you scored. If you were ill on test day or made errors when filling in your answers, then canceling your score does make sense.

Ok, that helps, but what if I did not score as well as I hoped?

The next test date is February 8, 2014, and you can register until close of business on Tuesday, January 7th. This offers some of you the chance to see your October scores before making a decision to register or not, but we would recommend signing up as early as possible to secure your testing center. And if you feel that you need to retake the test, but February is too soon, then LSAC also offers a test date in June 2014.

Looking ahead to Saturday's test, Strategy's Ben Olson has several tips for how to round out your LSAT preparation.

Friday Game Plan

Because the LSAT is a skills-based test, there’s little you can do to improve your score overnight. You can’t cram this one. But in many ways, that’s a good thing. You can’t lose your skills that quickly either. In short, by Friday afternoon, don’t plan on doing anything else LSAT. The hay is in the barn, as some people say. Take it easy. Watch a movie.

And don’t even stress about getting the perfect night’s sleep. No one does. If you’re having trouble falling asleep, put in another movie. Eventually, you’ll get tired and fall asleep. That’s better than stressing about not falling asleep and then kicking off the covers at 2:00 am in the morning and stomping down the hall because you’re still awake.

Before you hit the hay (no illicit shift in meaning here), print out your ticket, secure your photo, and put all your pencils, IDs, snacks, and other goodies in your zip lock bag. Your ticket should be unsigned.

Saturday Game Plan

On Saturday morning, eat a slightly larger than normal breakfast, but only slightly. You don’t want to get tired (or go into cardiac arrest) in section two from eating an oversized, cheese-stuffed IHOP omelet. The test often doesn’t start until 10:00 or 10:30 am, which means the break isn’t until noon or so. And that’s the first time you can eat.

Some students like to print out a few practice questions (http://strategyprep.com/timer/sample-test.pdf) to take right after they arrive at the test center. You technically can’t take those questions into the building, but you can do them outside, in your car, or in a nearby building. This warm-up can get you in the right mindset for the test so that your first few questions start off without a hitch.

December vs. February

If you’re signed up to take the December LSAT, but you already know that you’re unlikely to get the score that you need for the schools you’re applying to, and you already know that you’re going to take the February LSAT, seriously consider not taking the December LSAT. In this situation, the December LSAT score will appear on your record and is unlikely to help you. And it could hurt your application if any of your schools average scores.

The one big downside with taking the February LSAT, for those applying this year, is that many schools don’t accept it because it’s too late. And for the schools that do accept it, many don’t take it seriously because your application is so late in the process. Granted, more schools accept the February LSAT now because of the recent drop in law school applicants, but it’s still rather late in the cycle.

Withdrawal Deadline

You have until midnight (EST) on Friday to withdraw from the test. You will not get a refund, but nothing will appear on your record. If you try to withdraw after midnight, a cancellation will appear on your record. One cancellation is not a problem, but if you’re not planning to take the test in December, you should withdraw before midnight.

While many of you are probably in the home stretch of preparations for the December LSAT (and we'll have test day tips for you on Thursday), today we're going to look at whether or not it is an ideal time to apply to law school.

With the legal job market and improving and declining numbers of LSAT test-takers, it seems like now is the time to strike if you are looking to maximize your chances for acceptance. Some, like Ryan Calo at Forbes, are optimistic about students' opportunities if they enter law school during the next few years. With fewer applicants competing for spots, some law schools are shrinking their enrollment goals, while others are working even harder to attract top candidates. Proponents argue that, for some students, these changes can open the door to scholarships and one-on-one attention that they might not have had during peak enrollment years. Not only has the application process become more favorable, but with fewer graduates competing for jobs, the employment rate for new lawyers is far higher than in recent years.

Some legal watchers remain more skeptical in the face of these changing dynamics, emphasizing the backlog of graduates still searching for employment opportunities. Even with fewer graduates entering the market in the future, they believe that the market will not be able to keep up with the existing demand. Deborah J. Merritt, a professor at Ohio State University of Law, makes an important point that the quality of positions available may be changing just as rapidly as the quantity. It is difficult to predict whether the majority of opportunities available for future graduates will be traditional associate positions or document review and contract positions that are more reflective of the recent changes in the market.

While both proponents and skeptics make strong arguments, the decision to apply to law school remains a personal decision for every student. It is important to weigh your individual pros and cons for doing so, while also taking into consideration the opportunities you may gain from further studies and experience.  

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