As national discussions about rising tuition rates and student debt continue to make headlines, law schools are hearing the drumbeat as loudly as anyone.
“Law schools across the nation are facing pressure to reduce crushing student debt while simultaneously increasing practical, hands on legal training,” said Michael Wishnie, deputy dean for experiential education at Yale Law School, during a plenary session at the AACRAO Annual Meeting in Denver.
“Historically, law schools were among the few programs that permitted students to graduate without sitting down with a client, negotiating with opposing counsel or making oral arguments in front of a judge,” Wishnie said. “It’s difficult to imagine nurses not drawing blood or journalists not practicing interviews in school—but until the 1970’s many law students focused solely on theoretical scholarship, instead of live client interactions."
In the 1970’s law students began to organize legal clinics, which eventually became functioning law offices within law schools. Supervised by professors, students gained hands-on experience while obtaining their degree.
Fast forwarding to 2014, law schools are increasingly providing chances for students to practice their craft via externships and clinics. The rub, however, is that experiential training costs law schools more per student.
Consequently schools are now tasked with balancing operating costs with diminishing enrollment, while concurrently ramping up experiential learning opportunities in order to attract students.
“This is an overdue challenge for law schools,” said Wishnie. “We need to think hard about the skills our students need for the 21st century job market. Higher education is on the front page more than ever and there is pressure on us to deliver.”